Chapter 603: Chapter 603. Putting Righteousness Before
Family
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Su Qing sat in a phoenix carriage and arrived at the court. The court session had already ended. Xiao Zeyu summoned the ministers to the meeting hall, and Su Qing’s father, Su Hanxuan, was among them.
So many soldiers had died, and their mortars and bombs had been stolen, causing considerable losses to the country. Xiao Zeyu was furious and first beheaded the imperial physician in charge of purchasing medicine, confiscated his family’s wealth, and exiled his family to Jingshi Dao.
The other imperial physicians in the Imperial Academy of Medicine did not report the fake medicine they discovered. If they were suspected of concealing it, they were all punished. They were beaten too times and chased out of the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
“Your Majesty, please spare my life. The Su family is the Empress’s mother’s family. We didn’t dare to offend them, so we didn’t say anything. Please understand, Your Majesty.”
When the imperial physician in charge of checking the medicine heard that his head was going to be chopped off and his entire family was going to be exiled, he went all out. Even if he died, he would drag someone down with him.
“Take him away.”
Xiao Zeyu waved his sleeves, not allowing him to continue speaking. He ordered the royal guards to take him away and behead him.
The other imperial physicians trembled in fear and did not dare to make a sound. The ministers in the meeting hall lowered their heads and said nothing. Who would dare to say anything when it involved the Empress’s family? The Empress was someone that even the Emperor did not spoil.
“Emperor, I am ashamed I did not restrain my family.”
Su Hanxuan knew that this matter had something to do with his brother. He knelt on the ground with guilt on his face and allowed his son-in-law to punish him.
Xiao Zeyu gripped the handle of the dragon throne tightly, his bones turning white. He was trying his best to suppress his anger.
“All of you, get out.”
Xiao Zeyu took a deep breath and waved his hand at the officials and eunuchs in the meeting hall to chase them out. After all, he was his father-in-law. He could kill others decisively, but he could not kill his father-in-law.
When Su Cling arrived, all the officials had been chased out. When they saw Su Qing, they lowered their heads, afraid the Empress would question them.
Su Qing glanced around and noticed that these people were avoiding her. She walked into the meeting hall without saying a word. The eunuch wanted to go and announce her presence, but he was so frightened by Su Qing’s gaze that he did not dare to move.
The Empress’s gaze was truly too terrifying. One glance from her made him feel as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him. In any case, the Emperor had also said there was no need to inform him of the Empress’ arrival. He would just pretend not to see her!
Su Qing walked into the meeting hall and saw her father kneeling on the ground with Xiao Zeyu standing before him.
“Father, did you arrange for Uncle to be the royal merchant?”
Su Qing asked her father as soon as she entered the house. In her previous life, she had never been at odds and punished for making mistakes.
However, this person was her father, so she could not be ruthless.
Xiao Zeyu was also asking his father-in-law about this matter. When he heard Su Qing’s voice, the coldness on his face disappeared, and he raised his head to ask Su Qing.
“Qing’er, why are you here?”
“The fake medicine involved my family. How could I not come?”
Su Qing glanced at him. He had to give her an explanation.
“Father, please get up and speak.”
Su Qing went over to support her father. As a modern person, she felt it was a waste of a life for an elder to kneel before a junior.
“No, Your Majesty. This official did not restrain my family and let down the trust of the Emperor and Your Majesty. This official is willing to accept punishment.”
Su Hanxuan refused to get up and bowed his head to accept his punishment.
“Qing’er, you can return. Don’t worry.”
Xiao Zeyu supported Su Qing and wanted to send her away. Until now, Xiao Zeyu still hadn’t considered how to deal with his father-in-law.
But for Qing’er, he could give him a lighter punishment.
“Father, did you arrange for uncle?”
Su Qing stood still and asked the question again.
“No, your uncle brought his three sons to live in our house. He asked me to arrange an official position for each of his three sons, but I disagreed. He also said that he wanted to be an imperial merchant, but I didn’t agree either. I asked him to run for the qualification of an imperial merchant according to the rules. He stayed home for half a month, but I disagreed. Then he suddenly left, and then he became an imperial merchant. I thought he passed the selection, so I didn’t cross him out.”
Su Hanxuan shook his head. This was the worst thing he had ever done. He thought that he had handled it impartially that his elder brother was qualified to be an imperial merchant, and that, as his younger brother, he couldn’t ruin the situation even if he didn’t help. That was why he didn’t remove his elder brother’s imperial merchant status during the final review.
“Qing’er, this matter involves your family. How do you think we should handle this?”
Xiao Zeyu looked at Su Qing. His father-in-law wasn’t completely irresponsible. At the very least, he was guilty of oversight.
However, he only had this father-in-law. Could he punish him? Therefore, he handed this problematic problem to Su Qing. If she said he should let him go, he would let him go.
“According to the law, how are royal merchants punished for passing off inferior goods as good ones?”
Su Qing glanced at her father and saw that he was still blaming himself. Su Qing retracted her gaze and said to Xiao Zeyu.
“Any act of selling counterfeit medicine, whether by an imperial merchant or not, must be met with the severest of penalties under the law: execution, confiscation of property, and exile for the entire family.”
Xiao Zeyu paused briefly, his expression a mix of determination and unease. Since his ascension to the throne, he had prided himself on maintaining an unblemished record of integrity and justice. This situation, however, presented a significant challenge to his rule — it was the first time he faced such a direct test of his principles and governance.
Here is a revised version of the dialogue:
“What legal grounds do we have for a conviction if we don’t thoroughly investigate the individual involved?” Su Qing inquired, her voice steady yet inquisitive.
“Immediate dismissal from their post and a full investigation,” Xiao Zeyu replied after a moment’s pause, his tone reflecting the gravity of the situation.
“Then let’s proceed according to the law. Due to my uncle’s greed, countless soldiers have lost their lives. Those deserving execution must face it, and properties that must be seized shall be seized. I hold no reservations about this. It will serve as a stern warning to others. However, we must also uncover who facilitated my uncle’s rise to the status of an imperial merchant. Regardless of their intentions, anyone who indulges in such flattery has no place in our court,” Su Qing declared.
Her commitment to justice outweighed familial ties. After all, Su Qing had never met that evil uncle, and his actions had brought nothing but dishonor to her family. Why should she shield them from the consequences of their deeds?
“Qing’er, are you concerned about backlash from our clan?” Xiao Zeyu asked, his voice tinged with admiration for her principled stance.
He recognized Su Qing’s integrity and the complexity of her position. To those aware of the full context, Su Qing’s actions exemplified placing righteousness above familial loyalty. However, to the uninformed, she might appear heartless, mercilessly condemning her uncle. This dichotomy of perceptions underscored the challenging nature of her decision.
“I’m doing things according to the law. This is also a warning to the descendants of the Su family. I must let them know that even if they are my relatives, they will be severely punished if they break the law.”
Su Qing was expressionless. She didn’t care what her clansmen said. Firstly, she couldn’t pay attention to it. Secondly, no one dared to say it in front of her. Anyway, she couldn’t hear it. Why would she care about what irrelevant people said?
“Good. Qing’er, you are the virtuous Empress of the Great Tang.”
Xiao Zeyu looked at Su Qing with approval. Since Qing’er had put righteousness above family, things would be easier on his side.
Su Hanxuan couldn’t bear to imagine this, but his brother had broken the law and killed many soldiers, causing significant losses to the Tang Empire. The Emperor had already shown mercy by not ordering the execution of all members of his family.
“You don’t have to flatter me.”
Su Qing made a gesture to stop him and put on a tall hat. He couldn’t do it if she asked him to put righteousness above family. Su Qing looked at his father before saying to Xiao Zeyu,
“As for my father, it’s quite tiring for him to be an official. Let him retire and return to his hometown!”
There was no danger in being a businessman. It was easy to lose his head as an official. Being a wealthy businessman was much better than working hard in the court. He would let him enjoy his old age and raise Xiao Chen.
Su Hanxuan looked at Su Qing.. Was his daughter removing him from his position?