Marrying into a poor family

Chapter 468

In the court, some quarreled until their faces turned red, or pretended to be good people to persuade people to stop fighting, and some looked upright or confused, but in fact, they were all disguises.

Everyone in the world wears a mask, more or less; it just depends on one's IQ whether or not one can hide it.

If you wear a mask for too long, you sometimes take it seriously. If you live like this for your whole life, you will really become that kind of person.

Qin Cui returned home safely, Su and the child also came back, and everything seemed to have returned to the starting point.

But it finally sounded a wake-up call for Qin Sui. She went out less often and handed over all the shop affairs to the managers.

Qin Shi, who stayed at home, carefully taught his apprentice Qin Yafeng, completed the first part of "Qixianglu", and developed several kinds of incense, which were well received by pilgrims.

Two years later.

The huge Du family's house collapsed on the noisy and brilliant night of the Lantern Festival.

While people in the city were celebrating the Lantern Festival, the Du family was surrounded and their house was ransacked overnight.

The Du family occupies a huge area and is surrounded by dignitaries. Faced with the noise of a house search, they simply turned off the lights and stayed indoors.

From time to time, fireworks flew into the sky and exploded, covering up the cries here, and no one was aware of the ghosts howling here.

The Du family may never have thought that this day would come. Tonight, several young men and women went to the restaurant that had been booked long ago to watch the lanterns, but none of them escaped and they were all caught.

The next day, the people vaguely heard the sound of the wind and immediately ran around to tell each other.

Everyone who heard the news was dumbfounded and couldn't believe it. That was the Empress Dowager's family and the Emperor's uncle's family. There was almost no hostile force that could contend with them. How could they collapse so quietly?
Only the aristocratic families and officials who knew the inside story knew a little bit. There had been signs of the Du family's downfall long ago, but it had only been gradual and subtle.

Countless people began to live in a state of panic, fearing that they would be implicated. Those who needed to move around did so anxiously, those who needed to deal with their property did so anxiously, and those who needed to sue did so without mercy, collecting evidence immediately and filing a lawsuit.

Ordinary cases that might not be considered can be accepted immediately by simply saying that the other party has some connection with the Du family.

Regardless of whether the story was true or not, he was taken into custody first.

The entire capital was in a state of panic, and even outside the capital began to be affected, with chaos appearing everywhere.

At this time, the imperial court issued an edict and the Du family's case was sentenced: the Du family was charged with selling official positions, all the members of the Du family returned to their hometown, all their property was confiscated, and starting from Du Ziren, the next three generations were not allowed to take the imperial examinations and become officials.

Such a verdict is actually too lenient. At least, it does not take the lives of the Du family.

But it was also the best way, as the emperor gained a reputation as a benevolent monarch.

The door of the empress dowager's palace was finally opened, and she was able to come and go freely. However, she heard that her family had been sent back to their hometown. She was so angry that she scolded her son for being unfilial and demanded that the emperor come in person to apologize.

The emperor did not go to see the empress dowager, but asked Xiao Chenyu to go instead.

When the empress dowager saw that the person coming was Xiao Chenyu, she became even more furious and pointed at Xiao Chenyu and scolded him loudly.

Xiao Chenyu knelt on the ground without saying a word, allowing the empress dowager to vent her anger.

It was not until the empress dowager felt dizzy and her voice became softer that Xiao Chenyu raised his head and said respectfully, "Empress Dowager, please take care of yourself. As long as you stay in this palace for one more day, the Du family will be able to live in peace." Xiao Chenyu didn't need to say the rest, as everyone knew it: If the empress dowager did not behave herself and be her queen dowager, then the Du family would not even be able to live like they do today.

Not killing the Du family is already a great favor.

The Queen Mother suppressed her anger and looked at Xiao Chenyu coldly, like a vicious beast.

After a long while, she suddenly sneered and said, "Even if you trap me here, I know that if you touch the Du family, the court and the world will not be stable. That's why you dare not kill the people of the Du family. You just want to calm people's hearts first. Take your time and settle the score later, right?"

Xiao Chenyu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. The Emperor is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see people suffer. He sighed again, 'If the guilty can admit their guilt, there is no need to take their lives at will.'"

These words were spoken not only to the Queen Mother, but also to everyone else.

The anxious people felt a little relieved. Some of them tentatively confessed their crimes. Although they were punished, their families were not implicated and they were not sentenced to death. If their families were willing to pay silver to redeem the people, they could take the people away without any difficulties.

The increasingly violent bloody storm seemed to show some signs of easing up.

The only one of the Du family who did not go to jail was Princess Huaye.

She was taken back to her parents' home alone.

Although Huaye was very noisy and dissatisfied with Du Ziren when he was at the Du family, when the time really came, Huaye was not only afraid, but also more worried about Du Ziren.

She insisted on going to visit Du Ziren, but was watched closely by the people arranged by Mrs. Jiang and could not take a single step out.

She kept clamoring to see her father, and finally even took a knife and threatened to slit her own throat.

Marquis Jianyong did not come, it was Mrs. Jiang who came.

"All of you, go out!" Madam Jiang sent all the servants out, leaving only the nanny and the maid by her side.

Huaye put down the scissors in his hand, sat down and asked coldly: "I want to see my father, what are you doing here?"

Mrs. Jiang winked at the nanny, who walked over, took the scissors and threw them away, then clamped Huaye's arm. The head maid walked over, swung her arm and slapped Huaye several times.

The slap made Hua Ye so dazed that he even forgot the pain and stared at Mrs. Jiang.

Madam Jiang waved her hand, and the old woman and the maid returned to Madam Jiang.

Mrs. Jiang sneered and said, "Since you were little, I have treated you well. In the beginning, I even treated you like my own child. It's a pity that you listened to someone's instigation and regarded me as a scourge. Forget filial piety. You don't even have the slightest respect for your elders."

"Before, you relied on your father's love, your status as a princess, and the protection of your long-dead princess, so you could be so arrogant. But now, your husband's family has fallen, and even your father has been implicated. If your father had not chosen to stand by the emperor, you would have been in prison by now. How can you still show off your power here and threaten to die?"

"To be honest, if you were dead, I would be able to turn a blind eye and feel happier. Unfortunately, I still have to consider your father's feelings, so I can only discipline you but cannot do anything to you. It's a pity!"

Madam Jiang stood up and said with a smile: "Your father is busy with his own affairs, and now he has to rely on your brother-in-law to speak well of him in front of the emperor, so he can't take care of you for the time being. I am the mistress of the house, your mother, and the matter of disciplining you is naturally left to me. I advise you to be honest."

Overnight, the sky with birch trees shimmering in the wind really changed!

In the prison, Qin Sui walked towards the depths of darkness.