Female Supremacy and Rise to Power: Lin Shu's Imperial Examination Adventures

"This servant deserves to die a thousand deaths, my lord, spare my life..." The maid kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.

Feng Rui wanted to make another move to buy time, but was stopped by Feng Zhao.

Looking at the maid's swollen cheeks and bloodstains at the corner of her mouth on the ground, Feng Zhao frowned and asked, "Where is the young lady?"

"This...this..." The maid involuntarily turned her head to look at the direction of the backyard, then looked up at Feng Rui. Seeing his gloomy face, she hurriedly kowtowed: "This servant does not know, this servant does not know."

Feng Zhao naturally took in their subtle actions, but didn't press the matter further, and headed straight for the backyard.

Fengrui hurriedly followed, hoping that Zhen'er wasn't inside.

However, things didn't go as planned! When they reached the courtyard gate, they could clearly hear sounds coming from inside:

"Slap...slap..."

"You wretch, how dare you lecture me, this woman! You old fool, one day I'll make you pay..."

Feng Rui's face turned pale instantly.

Feng Zhao then ordered the Imperial Guards: "Go in and take them away."

"Yes, sir." The Imperial Guards were numerous, and their voices were loud and powerful, echoing throughout the entire Prince's mansion. Even Ji Yan and the others were startled.

Those inside naturally heard it and immediately fell silent. When the Imperial Guards broke down the door, they saw Ling Wanzhen with a look of astonishment and a sickly smile on her face, holding a whip in her hand.

A man lay on the ground, whip marks and bloodstains clearly visible on his white undergarment. His mouth appeared to be gagged with a white silk ribbon, and he was curled up in pain with his back to the door.

Feng Zhao gestured to the Imperial Guards beside him to cover the person on the ground with clothes, and then summoned the accompanying imperial physician before coldly questioning Feng Rui:

"Uncle, is this the 'servant husband' of the young lady that you mentioned in the main courtyard?"

Feng Rui stared at the tragic scene, his expression grave. He didn't think it was Ling Wanzhen's fault, but he felt the matter was probably difficult to resolve. He then feigned composure and said:

"Indeed, this is Zhen'er's husband, but he is dissolute by nature and dared to have an affair with a maid in the house. Zhen'er only gave him a slight punishment..."

Unexpectedly, before he could finish speaking, he was humiliated.

"Ah! Kang'er!" Lady Liu, who had accompanied the imperial physician, initially felt that the man's back on the ground looked familiar. But when she saw the imperial physician turn him over to examine him, she realized that he was not just familiar, but her only son, Liu Kang.

Then, disregarding all formalities, she rushed over, scrambling to her feet, and scooped up Liu Kang from the ground. Seeing her son's barely breathing state, her heart burned with rage, and she kowtowed to Feng Zhao:

"Your Highness, this is my only son, not some noblewoman serving her husband. I beg Your Highness to do me justice!"

Feng Zhao hadn't expected Ling Wanzhen to be so foolish as to dare kidnap a young master from an official family. She'd thought things would be quite complicated today!

"Does Uncle and Lady have anything else to say?"

Feng Rui and Ling Wanzhen were equally astonished, but the same thought arose in their minds at the same time: It's over!

Seeing that the two remained silent for a long time, Feng Zhao directly ordered the Imperial Guards:

“The daughter of the Prince of Dingbei has abused her power to bully others, forcibly abducted men, and wantonly killed them. Now that the evidence is conclusive, she shall be immediately sent to the Ministry of Justice prison to await His Majesty’s decision.”

Upon hearing this, Ling Wanzhen became truly terrified when she heard the words "Ministry of Justice prison".

She collapsed to the ground, her body limp, then crawled laboriously toward Feng Rui, knelt before him, and wept hysterically.

"Father...Father, save your daughter! I don't want to go to the Ministry of Justice, Father..."

Feng Rui looked at Ling Wanzhen with heartache, and was about to speak when she heard Ji Yan's gentle yet somewhat displeased voice:

"What does this mean?"

Having said that, he looked around the room, then looked up at Feng Zhao with a displeased expression, and continued:

"What does the Crown Princess mean by this? Does she intend to take advantage of my absence and think that there is no one else in my household?"

"My lord, please be careful with your words!" Feng Zhao frowned, then explained what had happened that day before continuing, "Does my lord still have any objections?"

Ji Yan stared at the man on the ground, whose life or death was unknown, and then turned his gaze to Feng Rui and his daughter beside him. He sighed inwardly: Last time he thought it was just an accident, but he never expected that his granddaughter would be so ruthless, even worse than her father!

"Grandfather...Grandfather...Save me! I am the only heir of the Dingbei Prince's Mansion..."

Ji Yan remained silent throughout. Seeing that he couldn't be relied upon, Feng Rui's hatred intensified. He said to Ling Wanzhen with heartache, "Good Zhen'er, don't be afraid. Your father will go and beg His Majesty right away..."

Feng Zhao didn't delay any longer and gave the order: "Take them away!"

Then, a group of people surged in like a tide, and then receded like a tide...

From afar, Ling Wanzhen's cries could still be heard: "Father, Father..."

Ji Yan's face was gloomy, and he looked at Feng Rui, who was slumped on the ground with disgust, and said angrily, "Look at the good daughter you raised!"

After saying this, he slowly left with Lin Yue's help. But after all, she was his own granddaughter. He could not ignore her on the surface, but he could not really let her go.

So he stopped just outside the courtyard and said to the servant following behind him, "Take my token and go to the palace to ask the Dowager Empress (the Empress's father) for help."

Feng Rui was unaware of any of this. As he watched the figures of the group walk away, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes, and he muttered to himself:

"You old fool, once my Zhen'er gets through this ordeal, I will not spare you!"

Then, he slowly got up and walked unsteadily toward his bedroom. The servants around him were intimidated by his imposing manner and dared not come forward to help him. They could only follow from a distance.

It is unknown what Feng Rui took, but he then stepped into the palace...

Royal study room.

"Your Majesty, Prince Rui is requesting an audience outside the gate."

The head maid bowed and first respectfully reported to Empress Feng Han, who was reviewing memorials, and then bowed to Feng Zhao, who was standing below.

Feng Zhao, with an expression of no surprise, said, "My grandfather's men just left, and my uncle entered the palace. It must be for the same thing."

"Summon them." Feng Han gestured for Feng Zhao to step aside for a moment, then continued to review the memorials with her head down.

When Feng Rui entered, she knelt down with a thud and said aggrievedly, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

It seems she's waiting for Feng Han to ask her.

But Feng Han remained the same as before, neither speaking nor asking him to get up.

Feng Rui gritted his teeth, knowing that Feng Han was angry. So he kowtowed three times with a loud "bang, bang, bang" before standing up and saying, seemingly sincerely:

"Your Majesty, I am guilty! Please punish me."

Feng Han then raised his head, put down what he was holding, stared at the other's slightly flushed forehead, and asked in a puzzled tone, "Oh? What crime has my brother committed?"

Feng Rui cursed the old fox in his heart. He didn't believe that his elder sister was unaware of what had happened today.

"Your Majesty, I have failed in your duty to educate your daughter, Zhen'er, which has led her to commit a grave error. But Zhen'er is still young, and how can she endure the torture inflicted by the Ministry of Justice? I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and release Zhen'er. I am willing to take the punishment in her place..."

Upon hearing this, Feng Han's eyes showed a complex expression, followed by a troubled look, and she said slowly:

"I watched Zhen'er grow up, and I can't bear to see her tortured, but I must give the people an explanation. Alas! Brother, you should go back!"

After speaking, Feng Han gave a wink to the head maid beside her, signaling her to see the guest out.

The head maidservant stepped forward to Feng Rui, bowed, and said, "Prince Rui, please!"

"Wait!" Feng Rui gritted his teeth, took out a blueprint and a token he had brought from his waist, presented them with both hands, and then said:

"I humbly beg Your Majesty for mercy."

Feng Han narrowed his eyes and asked in an ambiguous tone, "What does Your Highness mean by this?"

"This is the largest iron mine in Fengming Kingdom. Your Majesty, I am willing to offer it up without hesitation and humbly beg Your Majesty for mercy!"

Feng Rui's heart was bleeding. This iron mine was a gift from the late emperor, and half of the army's equipment came from here every year.

"Very well! I can make an exception." Feng Han pondered for a long time before accepting the blueprints and token, his tone calm and steady.

However, before Feng Rui could be happy, Feng Han changed the subject again:

"But the death penalty can be avoided, but the living crime cannot be escaped!"

By imperial decree, the Crown Princess of Dingbei is found to be tyrannical and unworthy of her position. Effective immediately, she is stripped of her title and shall never inherit the title without due cause!

Dingbei Prince Zhengjun was punished for failing to properly educate his daughter, resulting in a demotion of three ranks and a month of confinement for reflection.

Zhou Chong, the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, was corrupt in his official conduct. He not only exterminated the elderly, the weak, and the young, but also wiped out their entire families, as a warning to others!

Upon hearing this, Feng Rui was shocked. The Prince of Dingbei was a first-rank official, and his wife was also a first-rank imperial consort. Now that he had been demoted three ranks, would he have to pay respects to his nephews and nieces in the future?

However, given the Queen's unquestionable attitude at this moment, the die is cast, and all that remains is to swallow one's anger.

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

……

After Feng Rui left, Crown Princess Feng Zhao emerged from behind the screen, looking puzzled, and asked, "Mother Empress, this punishment is far too lenient."

However, she didn't dare say the rest. But Feng Han, seeing her expression, already knew what she meant, so she walked around the table, went to Feng Zhao, gently patted her shoulder, and said:

“Your uncle has more than just this iron mine.”

Seeing that Feng Zhao still didn't understand, he then turned his gaze to the distance, narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression solemn, and said in a deep voice:

"The late emperor bestowed upon him a 'golden token of immunity from death' before his death!"

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