sbdcsierra Chapter 882: Only One Empty Scene Remains
Chapter 882: Only One Empty Scene Remains
Zong Que ordered someone to present the letter to the emperor.
"Please make the decision, Father Emperor."
The emperor glanced indifferently at the letters, and after a long while, looked at Sheng Junyi kneeling below, "Second Master Sheng, where did you obtain these letters?"
“My father’s study,” Sheng Junyi replied.
"If a son accuses his father, regardless of whether he is ultimately convicted, you, as his son, will be punished with fifty strokes of the cane. Are you sure you want to continue the accusation?" the emperor asked again.
"Confirmed." Sheng Junyi said frankly, "This humble subject is willing to accept the punishment."
"Very well," the emperor asked the kneeling clan chief of the Sheng clan, "And you? As the clan chief of the Sheng clan, what is your opinion on this matter?"
Clan Chief Sheng was sweating profusely with nervousness. Last night, Sheng Junyi found him in the middle of the night. After hesitating for a long time, he finally decided to open the ancestral hall overnight to revise the genealogy. Today, he risked the future of the entire clan to accompany Sheng Junyi to the Taiji Hall.
He held a sinecure position in the Ministry of Rites and was not entitled to attend court assemblies on ordinary days. As the head of the clan, he was responsible for the entire Sheng clan, and any decision he made could bring annihilation to the whole family.
He could also tell that the emperor didn't really want to deal with the matter.
Based on just a few questions from the emperor, Sheng Junyi's future is already ruined.
Although he did not know how Sheng Qishen had won the emperor's favor, he knew that at this moment, he had to choose between Sheng Junyi and his son Sheng Qishen.
Clan Chief Sheng subconsciously tensed his back, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and bowed.
"Your Majesty, as the head of the Sheng clan, I have an inescapable duty to deal with any member of the clan who makes a mistake, regardless of their status. If they violate the laws of the state, they shall be expelled from the clan without any leniency."
From the moment he entered the Taiji Hall, he had already made his choice.
Last night, the words that truly moved him were, “The Duke of Sheng’s mansion has fallen, but my elder brother is still alive. As long as he lives, the Sheng family will be safe for a hundred years. But if this matter gets out, it’s not just a matter of ruining the Sheng family’s reputation, but the future of the entire clan will be affected. The court has been watching the Northwest for a long time.”
After the Northwest border trade got on track, it became a piece of meat that everyone coveted.
Countless people are waiting to find fault with Sheng Junyao and seize control of the trade market from him so they can reap the benefits.
With the Crown Prince's northern expedition imminent and morale low in the court, if this matter were to spread, whether or not someone would thoroughly investigate the Duke of Sheng's forgery of the letter to frame Prince Rong would be secondary; Sheng Junyao would be the primary target of criticism.
Sheng Junyi was giving him a choice between the two.
Without the Duke of Sheng, the Sheng family may struggle to produce another duke for many years. However, Sheng Junyao is an upright man, and if he is well, he will surely take care of the entire clan and act fairly. The branch of the Duke of Sheng is not the direct line of the Sheng family, but the clan elders have already discussed that if Sheng Junyao is willing, the position of clan leader will be handed over to him after his death.
For the long-term benefit of the Sheng clan, he would choose Sheng Junyao, which is why he dared to make this decision after Sheng Junyi approached him last night, bypassing the clan elders.
Having thought this through, Clan Chief Sheng finally calmed down and awaited the emperor's decision.
"Duke of Xuansheng," the emperor finally spoke.
The guards quickly brought in the Duke of Sheng, and the emperor threw the evidence directly in front of him, saying, "Duke of Sheng, you forged letters and fabricated evidence to frame Prince Rong. How dare you!"
The Duke of Sheng's heart turned completely cold in an instant.
"Your Majesty, I am innocent, I did not..." Duke Sheng subconsciously began to protest.
"The evidence is conclusive. These letters have been handwritten and are not in the handwriting of Prince Rong. On the contrary, they are somewhat similar to your handwriting. Moreover, the evidence was taken from your study. Your own son identified you. What do you have to say in your defense?" The emperor shouted. "I didn't know that you were harboring such ambitions among your nobles, framing loyal officials, and even extending your reach to the Dali Temple!"
"Tell me, who did you collude with?"
The Duke of Sheng's head slammed heavily to the ground, and he dared not move. "Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, it was all my doing. I was bewitched and framed Prince Rong. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
"Your crimes are unforgivable!" the emperor roared. "Yesterday I punished Xiao Chong and cleared Rong Wang's name, and today it's been revealed that you, Sheng Qishen, fabricated evidence. Very well, very well indeed. Do any of you have any respect for me?"
The Duke of Sheng said in a trembling voice, "Your subject dares not."
The court officials also knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying, "We dare not."
After venting his anger, the emperor rubbed his temples. "Guards, throw the Duke of Sheng into prison to await trial. Strip him of his dukedom, and deduct a year's salary from all the nobles as a warning to others!"
Of the several dukes conferred at the founding of the dynasty, half of them, including those who were demoted, are now gone.
The Duke of Sheng was dragged away, his face ashen.
He had spent half his life striving and plotting, but he never expected that the title left by his father would be demoted in his generation. He was momentarily blinded by greed, and for the sake of the future and glory of the Duke's mansion, he accepted Lord Wang's suggestion to forge a letter to frame Rong Che. He was not without fear, but he could not let go of the power and status that were within his grasp.
When he was young, his father was not yet a duke, but just a low-ranking military officer. No matter how outstanding he was in school, he would be looked down upon. Even though he was good at his studies, his classmates despised him as just the son of a commoner. He hated those comments and those looks. He vowed that one day he would trample those who looked down on him and bullied him under his feet.
Later, his father repeatedly distinguished himself in battle, rising from a minor military officer to a renowned Duke. Even the once unapproachable direct descendants of the Sheng family were willing to flatter and win him over. He, too, went from being the son of a lowly official to the heir of the Duke's mansion. Those who had bullied him in the past could only kneel before him.
He cherished this feeling of looking up to someone and couldn't bear to lose it for even a moment.
His father saw through his ambition and trained him ruthlessly, throwing him into the army and telling him that ambition without matching ability is worthless. He said that he was spoiled by his mother and didn't know his place. He was unconvinced and thought that one day he would make him look at him with new eyes. He also said that the title of Duke of Sheng's family would never be downgraded. He did it.
But his father soon died from a relapse of his old injuries. He vowed at his father's grave that he would make the Duke's Mansion prosper forever.
Everything he did was for the Duke's mansion.
In the end, his wife left him, his daughter disowned him, and his son betrayed his own family to report him.
His most cherished status and reputation crumbled at this moment.
why?
Why is this happening?
He spent half his life striving and working hard, but in the end, he had nothing left. He lost his title in the Duke's mansion, and his wife and children all left him. All he gained with all his might was nothing.
Overwhelmed with grief and anger, Sheng Qishen coughed up a mouthful of blood the moment he was dragged out of the Taiji Hall.
It's all for naught.