Guo's suicide caused an uproar in the countryside, and the Lu family lost face. However, the situation was somewhat subdued due to the sudden return of Lu Chongyuan to the court. The focus shifted to the divorce between Princess Cheng and Prince Cheng, and her being conferred the title of Lady of Rongguo, which became an even bigger topic of discussion.
The royal family could not believe it, and many sought an audience with Emperor An, but they were blocked by Court Eunuch Feng before even seeing him. Some conservative officials in the court also commented that the actions of Princess Cheng were too extreme. They said that even if the royal family had a divorce, it was irrelevant to the marriage between a man and a woman, and the confiscated estate of Prince Cheng should be handed over to the imperial treasury.
The Censorate received numerous complaints both openly and secretly, and some even pushed for an impeachment. Cao Dejiang had met with several senior officials, but he paid little attention to their concerns.
“Cao Gong, aren’t we going to do anything about Princess Cheng?” one of them asked.
“Then what do you suggest we do?” Cao Dejiang replied.
“But this… doesn’t it break the rules?” the official said.
Cao Dejiang flipped through the memorials in his hand and handed one of them to the person who had spoken. “Take a look.”
The official was stunned for a moment, then looked at the document and widened his eyes. He suddenly looked up. “But... Prince Cheng's case hasn't even been brought to trial, how can he be executed directly?”
It was the Emperor's decree: Prince Cheng would be executed by beheading at the vegetable market five days later.
The official looked at Cao Dejiang. “But Prince Cheng is a royal prince. His case should be handled by the Department of Religious Affairs, right...?” The charge was treason, but in fact, it was only about colluding with the Ministry of War and privately storing military weapons.
In the past, situations like this would have usually resulted in the person being stripped of their title and confined, or demoted to commoner status. Why would Prince Cheng be executed directly?
Cao Dejiang lowered his eyes and sneered. Prince Cheng's case had dragged on for so long, and it was tied to the Lu family. With the Emperor's current mindset, it was no surprise that they would make a big deal out of it. Now, with Lu Zhao being handed over to the Ministry of Justice and Lu Chongyuan suddenly returning to court, Prince Cheng was swiftly executed.
It seemed that there was an air of reluctance to let people continue investigating, as if there was some guilt in trying to cover up the truth.
Cao Dejiang found it laughable, but he spoke coldly: “Since the Emperor has already issued the sentence, there's no further room for argument. The decree to confer the title to Princess Cheng was issued by the palace. Are you suggesting she shouldn't accept the decree, or that the Emperor shouldn't have issued it?”
The official's expression changed.
Cao Dejiang continued: “As for the estate of Prince Cheng, it’s ultimately considered royal property. Even if someone raises concerns, it's a matter for the Department of Religious Affairs, not the Censorate. Instead of fixating on an innocent woman who was deceived and finally freed, perhaps you should focus more on the Lu family.”
“The Lu family's eldest son is guilty of corruption, their eldest daughter-in-law is having an affair, they’ve been tampering with the royal bloodline for years, and their household is in turmoil. The Lu family has been embroiled in scandal recently, yet Lu Chongyuan remains in the court, unscathed. The Censorate is responsible for maintaining discipline and handling impeachments, and now, the entire capital is watching us closely.”
“Rather than focusing on the issue of Lady Rongguo, you should be figuring out how to keep the Censorate from becoming a mere decoration.”
Cao Dejiang's words made the surrounding Censors’ faces turn sour. One of them spoke up: “Cao Gong, it's not that we haven’t impeached the Lu family, but you must have seen the Emperor’s attitude.”
Since Lu Chongyuan returned to court four days ago, they had already submitted impeachment memorials regarding the Lu family, but the Emperor had suddenly fallen ill, which led to the court being suspended for three days. Once the court resumed, when they raised the issue of the Lu family, the Emperor had insisted that the matter be raised only after the Ministry of Justice concluded its investigation.
One Censor spoke angrily: “The Emperor is acting strangely. He used to be indifferent toward the Lu family, but now he’s acting like a completely different person. The impeachment memorials are being left on file, and the people in the court are shifting their allegiances. Now, there are even those who are fawning over the Lu family... It’s truly absurd!”
Cao Dejiang’s expression turned colder. “If it’s left on file, then submit it again. It is the duty of the Censorate to advise the Emperor. As for Lady Rongguo’s case, if anyone else brings it up, tell them to go to Prince Huan. Royal matters should be handled by the Department of Religious Affairs, not the Censorate.”
With a single sentence, Cao Dejiang classified the divorce of Princess Cheng as a private royal matter.
The Censorate fell silent, and Emperor An disregarded the situation. In addition, repeated visits by the royal family to the palace had no results. Lady Rongguo remained in place, silencing those who had originally hoped to stoke further flames.
Over in Jiyun Alley, no attention was paid to the discussions outside. They simply began to settle Prince Cheng's estate, with boxes upon boxes of belongings being moved out. The news of Prince Cheng’s execution spread, and those who had been waiting to see how things would unfold realized that Lady Rongguo’s status was now settled.
Jiyun Alley became even livelier, with more and more ladies from various households visiting to offer gifts and congratulations. The threshold of the Tang family was almost worn out by all the foot traffic.
Lady Rongyue only met with a few close friends, such as Madam Wenxin, and blocked everyone else outside. A few days later, word spread that Lady Rongguo would host a banquet for the ladies from various households at Jiyun Alley. Coincidentally, the banquet was scheduled for the day after Prince Cheng’s execution.
“Are you really going to hold the banquet on that day?” Madam Wenxin looked at Rongyue, her expression hesitant. “Prince Cheng will be executed the day before, and you’re holding a banquet the next day. Some people might talk behind your back. Plus, your health isn’t fully recovered. Why not push the date back?”
Rongyue shook her head. “No need, it’ll be that day.”
“But…” Madam Wenxin started to protest.
“It's fine,” Rongyue reassured her. “The banquet was planned long ago, before the decree for Xie Tianyu’s execution came. Besides, I have no ties to him anymore, whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me. Tang Ning already sent invitations to the various households, and canceling now would only give people something to talk about.”
Madam Fu, who admired Rongyue's disposition, chimed in: “Lady Rongguo is right. The matters of Prince Cheng’s household aren’t her fault, and she has already divorced him. There’s no need to avoid things just to please others. That would only make people think too much.”
“People are already gossiping about it. Rather than letting them continue, it’s better to hold the banquet sooner, and let them see how well you’re doing without Prince Cheng’s family.”
Madam Qian also spoke softly: “Gossips are inevitable. If you don’t care, there’s no need to worry about them. I can see that your complexion has improved. After a few more days of rest, you’ll be able to host the banquet without any problem. We’ll make sure to help, and you won’t be too tired.”
When Madam Wenxin saw that everyone was supporting Rongyue, and Rongyue had already made up her mind, she didn’t say anything more.
“Should I call for a few maids from my house to help?” she asked, holding Rongyue’s hand.
Rongyue smiled. “I won’t be polite then. It just so happens that I don’t have many people to help me.”
Madam Wenxin gave her a playful glance. “Why are you being so polite with me?”
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You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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