The wives of the concubines are empresses

Zuo Zongze sat upright at the dining table. He never expected that the day when he would dine with the emperor would finally come.

Seeing the person sitting upright, Shangguan Wanjun smiled.

"Master Zuo."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Zongze's back stiffened and he quickly stood up and saluted respectfully.

"I see you, Your Majesty."

"No need to be polite, just sit down and eat."

Zuo Zongze took a deep breath and exhaled. After the emperor sat down, he lifted his official robe and sat upright.

Shangguan Wanjun chuckled and said, "Relax, I don't eat people. We are just eating food. There is no need to be so restrained."

It would have been fine if he hadn't said anything, but once he did, Zuo Zongze felt even more uncomfortable.

"I am sorry to make the emperor laugh."

Shangguan Wanjun covered her face and smiled.

"It's okay, you'll get used to it in a little while. Try these dishes, they're all specialties of the imperial kitchen."

After the eunuch who tested the poison had finished, the eunuch who served the food began to serve him.

"Thank you."

The eunuch serving the dishes bowed and said, "Your Excellency is too polite."

Halfway through her lunch, Shangguan Wanjun felt about 50% full.

"Lord Zuo's name is quite similar to a famous official in my dream."

Zuo Zongze paused, not understanding what the emperor meant.

"That man's name is Zuo Zongtang, isn't it just one character different from yours?"

There was a faint laugh from the girl beside him, and Zuo Zongze bowed.

"I am all ears."

Shangguan Wanjun sighed that this man was sensible and worthy of having served as an official for several years.

"I don't remember it clearly, but I remember he was a general, over sixty years old, carrying a coffin to the battlefield and recovering the frontier. He was quite a figure."

Zuo Zongze was shocked after hearing this. Was the emperor calling on him?

Before he could think, the familiar voice sounded again.

"Master Zuo, how many people are there in your family?"

"At home, I have an elderly mother, three sons and four daughters. I also have a wife and two concubines."

Shangguan Wanjun took a sip of her soup and said, "We have a large family, unlike my father, who only had one child. It was really tragic."

He didn't dare say much about the late emperor's question.

After thinking carefully about what to say, he replied solemnly.

"Everyone has his own fate. Like the emperor now, everything is God's will."

Shangguan Wanjun smiled gently at his perfect and respectful answer.

"My dear, how is your Ministry of Justice? Please tell me briefly."

There was ice in the dining room to cool down, but Zuo Zongze still broke out in a light sweat on his back.

"I wonder what the Emperor wants to hear?"

This question actually caught Shangguan Wanjun's attention.

Liu Cheng looked at his master cautiously and waited quietly.

"Let's begin with the cell environment."

Zuo Zongze was ashamed: What's the story behind this cell?

Zuo Zongze finally reported the truth: "The prisons in the Ministry of Justice usually hold serious criminals, most of whom are imprisoned in sturdy iron cages, and the prisoners will never be able to escape.

The environment here is dirty and messy, which is standard, after all, they hold serious criminals. There are rats, bugs, spiders and other things in the daily life, which adds a sense of horror and intimidation.

Aunt Cheng sobbed as she listened: Lord Zuo, you've gone into too much detail. We're still having a meal.

Aunt Cheng looked up at her master and found that her face was calm, as if she was listening to something very ordinary.

By the time Lord Zuo finished his story, Shangguan Wanjun had already finished her meal.

Seeing the emperor put down his bowl and chopsticks, Lord Zuo was shocked and hurriedly prepared to do the same.

"Master Zuo is not full yet, continue to eat more."

Lord Zuo didn't know whether to let him go or not, so he had to nod.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

What Lord Zuo never expected was that the emperor actually followed him back to the Ministry of Justice.

The officials of the Ministry of Justice came to the government office and knelt to greet him: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

Shangguan Wanjun was helped down from the carriage by Aunt Cheng. Seeing the ministers bowing and kneeling, she raised her right hand slightly.

"My dear friends, no courtesy."

"I thank the emperor."

Shangguan Wanjun looked at Zuo Zongze, calmly and quietly speaking.

"Master Zuo, please lead the way."

Everyone first arrived at the Ministry of Justice's prison. Looking at the dirty and messy prison, Shangguan Wanjun put her handkerchief under her nose.

“The taste is really extraordinary.”

The Minister of Justice bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it has always been like this here."

Shangguan Wanjun just glanced at him lightly and continued walking forward.

"How big is this place? How many cells are there?"

The Minister of Justice bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the prison covers an area of ​​ten kilometers and can hold tens of thousands of people. There are a total of one hundred cells."

Shangguan Wanjun raised an eyebrow and looked at him: "It's been so long, just walking must have taken a lot of time."

The officials in the Ministry of Justice were confused, and the Minister of Justice bowed.

"Back to the Emperor, yes."

Shangguan Wanjun continued to walk forward, looking left and right.

"Wouldn't that greatly reduce efficiency?"

The officials in the Ministry of Justice were stunned: What the emperor said seemed to make sense.

Before the Minister of Justice could answer, Shangguan Wanjun asked another question.

"Are there more male prisoners or female prisoners?"

The ministers were stunned again: What does the emperor mean by this?

Seeing that the Minister of Justice did not respond, Zuo Zongze thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, there are many male prisoners."

“Which cases have the most prisoners?”

The Minister of Justice and Zuo Zongze looked at each other, and Zuo Zongze replied.

"kill."

Shangguan Wanjun laughed softly, which seemed a little scary and eerie in this dark and damp cell, and everyone's hair stood on end.

"Master Zuo, it's as good as nothing. How can this person who can enter the Ministry of Justice be a petty thief?"

Faced with Shangguan Wanjun's question, Zuo Zongze blushed.

"I was wrong. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

"Then I'll give you another chance."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. There are bandits here who are committing all kinds of evil, such as burning, killing, looting and so on. There are also men who brutally kill their wives and husbands, and vicious women..." When Zuo Zongze was about to continue, Shangguan Wanjun raised her hand to signal him to stop.

"People who kill their wives and husbands? There's no smoke without fire. Everything has a cause and effect."

The Minister of Justice nodded quickly: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Everything has its cause and effect."

Passing by a cell, a woman looked up at the sky with dull eyes.

When the Minister of Justice saw it, he quickly pointed.

"For example, she is a pitiful woman. Her husband is a concubine and accidentally kicked her, causing a miscarriage. He then made her personally serve that woman and raise her child. She served her mother-in-law wholeheartedly, but she still disliked her.

She was often beaten and scolded by her husband, and finally she could no longer bear it and killed him."

After listening to this, Shangguan Wanjun suddenly stopped.

"Minister of Justice, then what do you think of this woman, is she right or wrong?"

The Minister of Justice sighed helplessly, saying that he did not check the almanac before going out today.

"Strictly speaking, it was this woman's husband who betrayed her first, humiliated her, and even beat and scolded her on a daily basis. No one could stand that."

Shangguan Wanjun already knew what the Minister of Justice meant and was quite satisfied with his answer. She reached out and pulled out a hairpin with pearls and handed it aside.

"Well said. I like statements that are sensible and don't confuse right and wrong."

Seeing the pearl hairpin right in front of him, the Minister of Justice was stunned.

"I thank the emperor."

Shangguan Wanjun looked forward. The woman's eyes were dull and she was staring at the top of her head like a walking corpse.

"Is she stupid?"

Zuo Zongze bowed and said, "He seems to be mentally unstable. Perhaps he has been overly stimulated."

"death penalty?"

Zuo Zongze bowed and said, "Yes."