Marrying for someone else and being a widow? Stepmothers open classes to raise children

Xie Yunchen lowered his head in deep thought, with many conflicts in his mind.

He raised his head and looked at Gu Zhiyi: "Mother, I have two choices. One is to take the token from the Duke's Mansion to deal with the poetry case, and the other is to pretend that nothing happened and study normally. I don't know how to choose."

Gu Zhiyi smiled, with a hint of determination in her eyes: "Yun Chen, you already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"

Xie Yunchen was silent for a moment, and finally made up his mind: "Mother, I am willing to take this risk and handle the poetry case."

Gu Zhiyi nodded slightly and looked at Xie Yunchen with appreciation: "Okay, since you have made up your mind, then go and prepare. Remember, no matter what difficulties you encounter, you must remain calm and handle them fairly. I believe that you can handle this matter well."

In front of the ancestral temple of the Duke's Mansion, Xie Yunchen was thinking alone. He remembered Gu Zhiyi's words, and his mind gradually became clear.

He understood that Gu Zhiyi chose him because she believed in him, and he could not disappoint his mother's expectations.

Xie Yunchen took a deep breath, walked to the altar of the ancestral temple, clasped his hands together, and prayed silently: "Ancestors, please bless me to complete this mission successfully and bring honor to the Duke's Mansion."

After finishing the prayer, Xie Yunchen turned and left the ancestral temple.

Xie Yunchen began to run around looking for evidence according to Gu Zhiyi's instructions. He carefully dealt with various forces and tried to remain neutral. Gu Zhiyi silently supported him behind the scenes and provided him with intelligence and strategies.

After a period of hard work, Xie Yunchen finally found the flaw in the poetry case. He took the evidence to the court and reported everything to the emperor.

The atmosphere at the morning court was tense, as Master Qian's accusation shocked the court.

He claimed with certainty that Du Yusheng's poems contained the intention of rebellion, and demanded that the court close down Bailu Academy and sentence Du Yusheng to death.

For a moment, all the civil and military officials in the court looked at him with surprise.

Minister Cui had a different view. He thought that Master Qian's interpretation of the poem was too far-fetched and even distorted. He stood up to defend Du Yusheng and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, Du Yusheng is a talented person and a leader in our cultural circle. Although his poems are sharp, they do not contain any intention of rebellion. Master Qian may have misunderstood Du's intention."

Upon hearing this, Master Qian's face darkened and he insisted, "Minister Cui, you are trying to excuse Du Yusheng. His poems clearly have clear intentions. If he didn't have evil intentions, how could he write such treasonous poems? I, Qian, would rather offend all the literati in the world than to protect the country and the people and maintain the peace of the court!"

As he said this, Master Qian knelt down and kowtowed to show his loyalty: "Your Majesty, I am willing to die to show my loyalty. I only ask Your Majesty to be more discerning and not allow people like Du Yusheng to continue to stir up trouble in the court!"

The emperor looked at Master Qian and felt a little unhappy, but he couldn't bear to blame him. So he turned to the officials and asked, "My dear ministers, what do you think of Master Qian suing Du Yusheng?"

As soon as the words fell, many civil officials came forward to plead for Du Yusheng. They believed that this matter involved the previous dynasty and was of great importance, so it could not be easily concluded.

Some said: "Your Majesty, Du Yusheng is a talented scholar in our dynasty, and his poems are deeply loved by the people. If we convict him for one thing, it may cause public resentment." Others said: "Your Majesty, Master Qian's interpretation of the poem is too arbitrary. We cannot conclude that Du Yusheng is guilty because of one poem. Please be clear about it."

Just as everyone was arguing, Eunuch Ying suddenly reported: "Your Majesty, the eldest son of Ningguo Mansion, Xie Yunchen, wants to see you. He has key evidence in this case."

Upon hearing this, the emperor immediately summoned Xie Yunchen to the palace. Xie Yunchen walked into the palace, bowed to the emperor, took out a roll of paper from his sleeve, and handed it to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this is a letter written by Du Yusheng to me, in which he mentioned the original intention of writing that poem."

At the morning court, civil and military officials lined up on both sides in a solemn atmosphere. The emperor sat on the dragon throne with a serious face, scanning the hall with sharp eyes. When Xie Yunchen stepped into the hall, everyone's eyes were focused on him. They were very surprised that this cowardly and incompetent minister dared to take the initiative to raise objections in the hall.

Xie Yunchen walked steadily to the front of the imperial steps, knelt down with a plop, and said firmly, "Your Majesty, I found that Du Yusheng's poem is actually an acrostic poem. When put together, it means "live up to your youth". It is a love poem, not a so-called rebellious poem."

The emperor frowned slightly and motioned Xie Yunchen to continue. Xie Yunchen took a deep breath and continued, "I have consulted Minister Cui, and Minister Cui also agrees with my opinion that Du Yusheng was wronged."

Minister Cui then stepped out of the queue, bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I do agree with Xie Yunchen's opinion. This poem does not have the slightest intention of rebellion, but is full of deep affection, cherishing and sighing for the good times."

However, Master Qian insisted on his own opinion and retorted: "Your Majesty, I think the poem reveals the intention of rebellion between the lines. Xie Yunchen and Minister Cui are just deceived by Du Yusheng's appearance."

The emperor nodded slightly, turned to Xie Yunchen, and asked: "Xie Yunchen, you just said that there is evidence to prove that Master Qian and Du Yusheng have a grudge. Can you show it to me now?"

Xie Yunchen bowed his head and said, "I obey your order." He took out a roll of rice paper from his sleeve, which recorded the grievances between Master Qian and Du Yusheng. He handed the rice paper to the eunuch, who then presented it to the emperor.

The emperor unfolded the rice paper and read it carefully, his face becoming more serious. It said that Master Qian's son had competed with Du Yusheng for a position, but lost to Du Yusheng in the end. Since then, Master Qian has been resentful of Du Yusheng and has attacked him many times in the court.

After reading the rice paper, the emperor pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke: "In this case, I will order a thorough investigation of the matter. Xie Yunchen, since you have the evidence, you will be responsible for investigating this matter and make sure to get to the bottom of it."

Xie Yunchen accepted the order and kowtowed in agreement. The emperor turned to Master Qian and said, "Master Qian, I already know about the grudge between you and Du Yusheng. From now on, you are not allowed to ask about this matter again, otherwise you will be severely punished."

Master Qian’s face turned pale, he knelt down hurriedly and responded repeatedly.

The atmosphere at the morning court became increasingly tense.

The atmosphere in the court was tense and heavy. All the civil and military officials held their breath and stared at Master Qian. The emperor sat on the dragon throne, staring at Master Qian coldly with a sharp gaze.

Fine beads of sweat oozed out of Master Qian's forehead. He tried to stay calm, but the fear in his heart surged like a tide.

"Your Majesty, I really have no personal grudge against Du Yusheng. Please look into this clearly." Master Qian argued at the top of his lungs, trying to convince the emperor of his innocence.

However, the emperor's expression became more and more indifferent. He waved his hand, indicating that Master Qian's protest was invalid. "Master Qian, you hold a high position and have great power. How dare you lie to me? Do you think I am deaf or blind?"