The Female Psychology PhD Who Time Traveled to the Royal Harem

Chapter 248

The corrupt Qinzhou County Magistrate was originally from Prime Minister Song's Mansion. Because of this incident, the entire Song family fell from grace.

Now that the governor of Qin Province was in trouble again, the Pei Family was likely to face disaster as well.

Even now, they were still trying to shirk responsibility.

In a fit of rage, the Xuanwu Emperor walked over and kicked both men to the ground. "Under your governance, such corrupt officials have emerged, causing the people of Guiyang to suffer. You tell me you knew nothing about it? Are you taking me for a fool, or are you treating all the victims here as fools?"

Seeing this, Minister Pei of the Privy Council immediately distanced himself: "Your Majesty, this governor of Qin Province was originally a protégé of the Song family. He can't be absolved of responsibility in the Guiyang corruption case. Now that he's failed to govern strictly and such problems have arisen again, he should be severely punished as a warning to others."

"Then according to Minister Pei, how should he be severely punished?"

The Xuanwu Emperor's response was too quick.

Minister Pei wanted the emperor to gain a reputation as a tyrant, but the emperor turned the question back on him with a single query.

Since you proposed severe punishment, why don't you tell us how to punish severely?

"Well..."

Minister Pei was suddenly at a loss.

If the punishment was too light, it wouldn't satisfy public anger. If it was too heavy, it would dishearten the court officials who followed the Pei Family. Either way, he couldn't win.

"Why don't we strip the Guiyang County Magistrate of his position, investigate him, confiscate his property, throw him in prison, and execute him after autumn?"

"The governor of Qin Province was negligent in his duties and should be demoted. We should investigate him thoroughly."

Someone stood up to rescue Minister Pei: "Minister Pei is concerned for the country and the people. He can recommend more suitable people to serve as the parent officials of Guiyang and the governor of Qin Province."

"Pfft!"

An untimely snicker came, and everyone's gaze turned to Jiang Xinyue. "What is the Imperial Noble Consort laughing at?"

It was still the official who was flattering Minister Pei: "Do you find it amusing that so many people have died? The Imperial Noble Consort's heart seems to be too cruel."

"How dare you!"

Jiang Yankun, who hadn't had the qualifications to accompany the emperor in previous years, was now among them as a second-rank official.

Hearing someone attack his daughter, he immediately shouted: "How dare you presume to guess the Imperial Noble Consort's intentions with such malicious thoughts? What punishment do you deserve?"

She just laughed, maybe she saw something funny!

Who does he think he is to control everything, even people's bodily functions?

The official's face reddened: "Your Majesty, it's an indisputable fact that the Guiyang County Magistrate has caused many deaths. No punishment is too severe. But for the Imperial Noble Consort to laugh in such a situation shows she doesn't value the lives of the people. As the Imperial Noble Consort, she should be of one mind with Your Majesty, and..."

"But I was laughing at how you're trying to flatter Minister Pei by doing His Majesty's job!" Jiang Xinyue interrupted.

"You!" The official, his intentions exposed, became angry with embarrassment. "You're just a consort from the back palace. What business do you have here? Interfering in politics from the back palace is..."

"Bang!"

Before he could finish, the emperor's flying kick, his third of the day, sent him rolling backward, his official hat falling to the ground.

It looked ridiculous.

"What interference in politics? I don't understand such things," Jiang Xinyue walked to the Xuanwu Emperor's side, took his hand, shook her head at him, then looked at the official who was sprawled on the ground in confusion, and said with disdain: "The promotion and transfer of court officials should all be decided by the emperor. Why are you overstepping your bounds? Are you directly arranging for the emperor to listen to you? The Song family and the Pei Family used to be related by marriage, and these recommended people have all caused problems one after another. Yet you turn a blind eye and let Minister Pei make recommendations. People like you who flatter and fawn are not fit to remain in your current position. Who is it that doesn't value human life? Who is it that's telling blatant lies here, even targeting me to please their superiors?"

Pei Wu of the Pei Family was sent into the palace by Minister Pei to gain favor. This was known throughout the Great Yan Dynasty.

Everyone thought that with Pei Wu entering the palace, she would surely take some of the Imperial Noble Consort's favor.

But what happened?

It turned out that the emperor had no interest in the Pei Family's eldest daughter, known as the number one beauty in the capital. Pei Wu only accompanied the Empress Dowager in the palace. The news that she had served the emperor in bed was false. In fact, it was the Prince of Ruyang who had privately asked the emperor to bestow Pei Wu to him as his princess consort.

But this was done without the knowledge of the Princess of Ruyang, so the emperor only acted as a shield. The ones who were really meeting privately in the Empress's palace were Pei Wu and Yin Minghuai, the Prince of Ruyang.

Not long after the "Empress Dowager" was sent to the traveling palace, Pei Wu was bestowed in marriage as the Princess Consort of Ruyang.

Now the Princess of Ruyang had no choice but to agree, as she couldn't disobey an imperial edict.

The official's repeated targeting of Jiang Xinyue was just an attempt to curry favor with Minister Pei, but he forgot that Jiang Xinyue's father, Jiang Yankun, was not one to be trifled with either.

Moreover, the emperor was still present!

How could he allow an official whose name he couldn't even remember to slander Jiang Xinyue like this?

Jiang Yankun didn't want her to get too deeply involved in this matter. As the Minister of Punishment, he still had the right to speak. He stepped forward, shielding his daughter behind him: "Your Majesty, Zhang Jia, the Guiyang County Magistrate, has accepted bribes, perverted the law, disregarded human life, and disrupted the court. I propose that he be executed on the spot to shock the court officials and give the people an explanation."

"No, no... ugh..."

Zhang Jia still wanted to seek help from Minister Pei, but with just a glance from the emperor, the imperial guards drew their cold swords and gave him a chilling end.

"Ah!"

The timid ones screamed and covered their eyes.

The governor of Qin Province, kneeling beside Zhang Jia, was so scared he almost wet himself. In the time it took for the guard to draw his sword, warm blood had splattered all over his face.

The official who had accused Jiang Xinyue of interfering in politics from the back palace, now kicked to the ground by the emperor, had turned into a silent mouse, not daring to make a sound.

These people are always like this, they only learn their lesson after seeing some blood.

"Good!"

The group of people brought by Wang Dequan cheered loudly: "Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"

Qin Ruofang, the eldest daughter of the Qin family who had first rushed out to cry injustice, once again knelt before the emperor: "My parents are dead, and my sister too... I am the only one left in my family. I am willing to sell all our family property and donate it to the court. I beg Your Majesty and the Imperial Noble Consort to allow me to enter the Bureau of Palace Affairs. My family has been making jewelry for generations, and I have fully inherited my father's skills. I want to fulfill my father's last wish and carry forward the Qin family's craftsmanship."

Wang Dequan approached again to explain: "When this slave went to the Qin family earlier, several of the Qin family's collateral branches were forcing Miss Qin to hand over the family property. They wanted to divide up the Qin family's assets!"

As a weak woman, she was innocent but in possession of a precious treasure. Those collateral relatives intended to eat up the household without an heir.

Even if she didn't donate to the court, she couldn't fight against their superior numbers and influence.

It was better to exchange the family fortune for a place to live and make a living. In the future, she could gain the favor of the nobles in the palace and spread the reputation of the Qin family's craftsmanship.

When she left the palace again, she would be someone with backing, and these relatives would not dare to touch a hair on her head.