Chapter 532: Carrying Thorny Bramble To Ask for Pardon
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation | Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
On the third day after Zhou Xiangrong was arrested, Xiao Jin instructed the Ministry of Justice to complete the trial of the entire case as quickly as possible and confirm the charges against Zhou Xiangrong and Xiao Shihang.
Three days later, they were to be beheaded at the city gate.
Xiao Jm also intended to let people spread the news among the commoners to explain the whole background of the academy’s incident.
The academy’s incident caused a huge uproar. Almost all the commoners on the streets and alleys were talking about it.
Although Xiao Jm had already gotten someone to explain the whole story behind the academy’s incident, there were still many people who believed that this incident was caused by Su Ying.
“If it wasn’t for the Empress insisting on setting up whatever women’s academy, would such a thing have happened?”
‘That’s right. A good girl from a good family was harmed just like that. How are those girls going to live in the future?”
“Hey! Who says they can’t live? If they can’t take the orthodox path to make a living, they can always take the unorthodox route. Isn’t it also a way to live by receiving guests in the brothel?”
The people present were all ordinary people. As long as they had food to eat who would be willing to let their daughter do that kind of disgraceful work for a living? Everyone automatically ignored this deviant opinion and did not respond to the speaker.
After the people sent by Xiao Jin heard the discussions of the people, they recorded them methodically and sent the feedback to the palace.
In the Imperial study of the Imperial Palace, Xiao Jin’s brows furrowed tightly when he saw the news from the scouts.
Even though Su Ying wasn’t the one responsible for this incident, there were still many people scolding her for it.
These people seemed to have forgotten how they had praised and thanked Su Ying when they first found out that she had risked her life to block the dam’s crack.
“Your Majesty, the Empress is the mother of a kingdom and her reputation is of utmost importance. If this matter cannot be salvaged, it will be detrimental to the Empress in the future.” For this matter, Duke Jingguo, who was still recuperating at home, took special pains to come to the palace. He wanted to hear if Xiao Jin had thought of any countermeasures.
“Don’t worry, my good minister. I have already made plans for the Empress. No one can slander the Empress!”
Duke Jingguo was relieved to hear Xiao Jin’s words. He did not ask Xiao Jin about his plans in detail. He should have known that His Majesty was not stupid. He had really grown old. He had increasingly become more of a worrywart.
“Then your minister will take his leave first.”
“Duke Jingguo, your complexion looks much better now.”
Upon hearing this, Duke Jingguo felt that his legs had become even stronger. A few days ago, Su Ying had specially made a trip to the Duke’s Residence. She said she wanted to teach him step-by-step a method to regulate his breathing. Duke Jingguo was skeptical, but he still followed Su Ying’s instructions and learned some simple steps. The juniors in his residence would keep an eye on him as he practiced when they were free. In the beginning, he still didn’t quite catch the essentials, but as time passed, he realized that his problem of feeling short of breath had clearly been alleviated by a lot.
He had to admit that the Empress indeed had some capability.
“This is all thanks to Her Imperial Highness. If not for Her Imperial Highness worrying about this old minister’s body, I would not have recovered so quickly.”
Xiao Jm nodded. “The Empress is very talented. It is our Chu State’s fortune to make her acquaintance.”
Duke Jingguo raised his head quickly to cast a glance at Xiao Jin. He had never seen anyone praise his own wife like this.
“Your Majesty, what you said is true indeed.”
On the day Zhou Xiangrong and her gang were to be beheaded, the streets and alleys of the capital city were filled with people before dawn.
The Ministry of Justice had convicted Xiao Shihang of being an accomplice of Zhou Xiangrong.
Zhou Xiangrong sat in the prison cart, looking at the commoners who were gawking. Her initial crazed expression had turned into a look of numbed emotions.
Xiao Shihang, however, was seething with resentment. If only he had known earlier that he was a prince… If only he had found out a little earlier!
Kill them! Kill them! Kill these two bastards!”
“That’s right! Kill them!”
The commoners took out rotten vegetable leaves and threw them at the convicts.
The students’ parents glared at Zhou Xiangrong angrily. She appeared fragile and delicate, but to their surprise, she was so vicious.
Zhou Xiangrong looked at the angry people without any emotion and slowly closed her eyes.
The official at the execution ground looked at the sun, took out an arrow token, and threw it on the ground. “It’s time. Proceed with the execution.”
The executioner took a mouthful of strong wine and sprayed it on his long saber. He then raised his hands and slashed down. A dull light flashed in the sky, and two warm heads rolled to the ground.
The officers came forward and used a ragged sack to collect the two corpses with the intention of throwing them into unmarked graves.
Many of the gawking bystanders were badly frightened.
At this moment, Su Ying, who was dressed in a phoenix robe, walked out from the crowd. She stepped on the blood-stained execution ground and swept her gaze across the faces of the commoners.
“It’s the Empress! It’s Her Imperial Highness the Empress. Her Imperial Highness the Empress is here too.”
Someone shouted, and everyone knelt down in front of Su Ying at once.
“Greetings to Your Imperial Highness. Greetings to Your Imperial Highness the Empress.”
The commoners knelt down in one great swathe.
Su Ying slowly stepped forward, lifted her robe, and then knelt down on one knee in front of the commoners.
Everyone present was very shocked by this sight.
“Bring the bramble vine here.” As soon as Su Ying opened her mouth, Zhou Qing handed a long thorny bramble vine to Su Ying with a tense expression. The crowd looked at the bramble vine in Su Ying’s hand in astonishment. They did not understand what she was trying to do.
My original intention of establishing the women’s academy was to enable more daughters from poor families to fight for a good future for themselves. However, because of my poor supervision, it caused some irreparable tragedies. This is my dereliction of duty.”
Su Ying paused for a moment before continuing, “Today, I will beg for forgiveness from those women who had been harmed in front of everyone by carrying this thorny bramble on my back.”
Her powerful words sent shock waves through everyone present and they did not know how to react.
The dignified mother of a kingdom actually begged for forgiveness from the poor? Throughout the many years of Chu State’s history, this had never happened before.
“There are also times when I make mistakes. Today, I want to tell everyone that even if the Son of Heaven makes a mistake, he will also be punished as a commoner. In the future, if you have any grievances, feel free to go to the capital governor’s office. If any official did not attend to your grievances, His Majesty and I will not let that official off!”
These words rendered those people lurking in the crowd waiting to take the opportunity to humiliate Su Ying speechless.
Su Ying’s actions made it impossible for them to cash in and make a big fuss out of this matter.
The relatives of the victims couldn’t help but tear up as they watched Su Ying’s ramrod straight back.
The capital city was very big, but the space that could accommodate these poor people was very small. Even if their children had experienced such a terrifying thing, they had already prepared themselves mentally for the possibility of being suppressed by others. It never occurred to them that the dignified mother of a kingdom would carry thorny brambles on her back to let the commoners vent their hatred.
“Your Imperial Highness, this isn’t your fault. You should get up quickly.” A commoner could not help but speak up. His voice was choking back his sobs.
“That’s right, Your Imperial Highness. This matter isn’t your fault.”
Xiao Jin, who was standing in the dark, signaled to the soldiers who were forming a barricade in front of the people to back down.
Suddenly, a young girl boldly stepped forward and grabbed Su Ying’s hand.
Su Ying slowly raised her eyes and met the little girl’s large, clear eyes. “Your Imperial Highness, I like going to the academy. I like listening to the teachers conduct lessons. I also like the food in the academy. It tastes so good. Can I go there again in the future?”
Su Ying held the girl’s hand back. “Yes.. As long as you want to go, the women’s academy will always be open to all of you!”