Chapter 39 Fierce Battle in Golden Hall!

Ruan Qingyan looked at the official with ferocious look just after he scolded—

But Qiu Yelan was faster than him!

The young girl’s crisp and sweet voice was like a pearl falling into a jade plate. And it moved people deeply. But her words were more severe than the official’s, “Qiu?! My title of Commandery Princess has not been canceled. So far, I’m still a vice-one-class Commandery Princess! Even the eunuch of Empress calls me “Commandery Princess Ningyi.” You dare to call my last name—where is your rule of senior and junior as a sixth-class official?! Are you bullying me because I’m so young that I can be easily frightened?!”

Before waiting for the official to speak, Qiu Yelan said loudly and angrily, “As for whether I deserve to be here or not, I am ordered to be here today! It is also permitted by Empress Dowager, Emperor and Empress! Do you think it’s inappropriate?! As a court official, how dare you offend the sacred will! Do you respect the Emperor! Do you have legitimism! Do you have the distinction between Emperor and officials?! You are a bastard! You are unworthy of being a son and official!!”

Her parallel sentences were really vigorous! The official looked pale and almost backed away!

Qiu Yelan caught a flaw. Of course, the Empress’s Party wouldn’t let go of this first advantage. Three civil officials wearing green robes stepped out of the line to expand the battle results—

“I’m an Attendant Censor and my name is Cai Anshi. I’m going to impeach Dr. Han Shan of Imperial College. He has no respect for Commandery Princess of Duke of Xihe, who was conferred by Emperor Gaozong. He publicly insulted the surname of Commandery Princess and didn’t call her title! This is clearly disrespectful to Emperor Gaozong, the court, Empress Dowager, Emperor and Empress today!”

“I’m a Palace Censor and my name is Shangguan Jiu. I’m going to impeach Dr. Han Shan of Imperial College. He spoke rudely and despised Emperor!”

“I’m a Palace Censor and my name is Wen Qiang. I’m going to impeach Dr. Han Shan of Imperial College. He slandered vice-one-class Commandery Princess without verification. He was crazy and made irresponsible remarks at random!”

The Empress’s Party was so powerful. And the Empress Dowager’s Party was of course not to be outdone!

“Cai Anshi, Shangguan Jiu and Wen Qiang, don’t importune and change the topic! Although Han Shan has faults, it was just a slip of the tongue, because he was too excited! What we are going to discuss today is that Commandery Princess Ningyi improperly discussed Duke of Xihe—” He belonged to Empress Dowager’s Party. He wore a light scarlet official robe with little flowers. And he wore a golden belt and whitebait bag. It was clear that he was a level five official. He held a jade tablet and was excited. And his beard on his chin raised with his head, “Commandery Princess, Duke of Xihe is your uncle. Can you discuss whether he is filial or not as his junior?”

Qiu Yelan said coldly, “When did I say my uncle is not filial?!”

“It is universally known—”

“It’s universally known?!” Qiu Yelan interrupted him sharply, “On the first day of the first lunar month, I went to Beijue Hall to pay a formal visit to Empress. Empress blamed me because I didn’t call my uncle’s biological mother my ordinary grandmother when she asked me! How can I deceive Empress? Certainly, I have to say why—Do you ask me to accept the charge of being disrespectful to ordinary grandma in order to defend my uncle according to what you mean?! Although I am young and I don’t read many books, I also know the sequence of heaven, earth, emperor, family and teachers! Naturally, the Emperor is in front of the family. So, Empress is more important than my uncle—Or you have forgotten the simple truth after reading so many books?!”

The level five official was stronger than the level six official. He said after hearing the words, “It’s really good! Although you are young, Your Grace, so many adult women can’t compete with your sharp tongue. Why you mention your age over and over again?! I suspect you’re presuming on your juniority!”

Then his voice sank, “Since you said the words of “the sequence of heaven, earth, emperor, family and teachers”, Your Grace, I thought you were educated for a few days! I want to ask you—Have you read the words in The Analects of Confucius “Father conceals child, and the child conceals father. There is honesty inside?” It’s okay if you haven’t read it. There is no need for juniors to bear responsibility for concealing seniors in Darui’s law; if the seniors conceal juniors, they don’t have to be punished except the capital offence—How do you explain this law to me?!”

Qiu Yelan and Empress’s Party were all silent!

If people who support Qiu Mengmin’s biggest mortal wound was that Madame Lu was officially driven out of Prince’s Mansion by old Princess of Xihe; then what the level five official asked was also Qiu Yelan’s biggest flaw in this battle!

Family members conceal each other!

This world was not the ancient times of Qiu Yelan’s previous life, but the history was very similar. Even the celebrities of the dynasty were very similar. The Four Books and The Five Classics, allusions and legends were almost the same as the ancient times of her previous life!

Now let’s not talk about the history of this world, let’s talk about Qiu Yelan’s current predicament—The so-called family members conceal each other was that family members conceal others’ charges and they didn’t take responsibility!

This was the principle in the criminal law in the ancient world of Qiu Yelan’s previous life and present world. And it was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Mainly in ancient times, the world was governed by filial piety. Therefore, relatives especially the elders could harbor family members if they committed crimes except treason and rebellion! Even the government encouraged harbouring!

On the contrary—If you chose righteousness and punished your relatives, then it was a tragedy.

Not only your relatives would blame you—Qiu Yelan didn’t care about this; the government also thought that you were unfilial and unjust. And you even betrayed your relatives—Were you still a human?

Not to mention that Qiu Yelan betrayed Duke of Xihe, who was her uncle and elder!

In many people’s view, this kind of behavior was a bit lighter than killing father …

“You just said that the three Attendant Consors importuned and changed the topic. Now you are setting up a trap by replacing the beams with rotten timbers?!” Fortunately, Qiu Yelan didn’t waste time in the last phase. She was intrigued in an extremely hostile environment. She sneered and squinted after pausing for a moment, “You asked me about the law of Darui. It was clear that you confirmed that I didn’t conceal my family. But, is this the same thing?!”

She lifted her head. And her amorous eyes were bright. She looked sharply at the level five official and scolded, “If you were in my position at that time, how would you call your uncle’s biological mother?! Call her Lu?!”

The level five official frowned— Seeing this, an elder over sixty among civil officials wearing purple winked. And a level four official who wore a dark scarlet robe and was not far from the level five official supported, “Why did you deliberately embarrass, Your Grace? Lu has been worshiped at Prince’s Mansion of Xihe for many years and has never been known! But once Your Grace entered the palace, the news that Duke of Xihe was disrespectful to his official mother was immediately spread! Smart people could know the secret inside with a glance!”

Qiu Yelan asked faintly, “According to your words, I remember the drugstore of my maternal grandparents’ house was smashed two days ago. When the shopkeeper left the drugstore and went to the General’s Mansion for help, the drugstore was intact! But after I arrived, I found that the drugstore had been smashed. And Prince of Zhou was there—So, it must be Prince of Zhou who smashed it? After all, he had never been to the drugstore before. And he went there once, but the drugstore was ruined. Smart people can know the secret inside by your deduction!”

Today, Chu Weizhou was not in the imperial court. But even if he was present, it was estimated that he couldn’t stop the loud ridicule from Empress’s Party. Several people even looked at Qiu Yelan with praise.

And the Empress Dowager’s party couldn’t laugh— The elder who just winked frowned and coughed. An official behind him who wore a gold belt, a goldfish bag and a purple robe with a bad complexion stepped out of the line. He said coldly, “Please be careful, Commandery Princess Ningyi! Prince of Zhou is so noble that you can’t randomly take him as an example and ruin his fame! It’s disrespectful to the imperial family!”

“You are right!” Qiu Yelan approved him. She saluted to people above the red footsteps, “I’m so quick to refute that I offended Prince of Zhou. Please forgive me for my ignorance, Your Highness!”

The three ahead did not want to battle by themselves at this time. So, Empress Dowager and Emperor did not say anything. Empress Jiang nodded and it was passed—Empress Dowager Gu was not generous to let her pass easily. It was because Han Shan was caught tripping before. Because of the beginning of the dispute, his disposal was put aside first. If she caught Qiu Yelan’s smaller fault, Han Shan’s affair would definitely be turned out!

Then it was confusing.

Then Qiu Yelan straightened up and looked at the level four official. She said in a bad tone, “This official is so stubborn!”

The level four official was stunned, but Shangguan Jiu reacted first. After all, he was a Palace Censor, who was specially responsible for tattling others on the imperial court—He lifted his tablet and said loudly without hesitation, “I’m Shangguan Jiu. I’m going to impeach Yang Tao, a Minister of Personnel. He randomly speculated Commandery Princess of Duke of Xihe conferred by Emperor Gaozong without any evidence! This ignores Emperor Gaozong’s orders, the imperial court and the imperial family! I earnestly request you to scrutinize and punish him severely, Your Majesty! Otherwise, how can the imperial court’s majesty and imperial family’s honor be displayed?! How to respect Emperor Gaozong?!”

Qiu Yelan turned her eyes when she heard Shangguan Jiu pointed out the name of level four official. She looked at that person seriously—His surname was Yang. It seemed that he was a clansman of Princess Yang?

I remembered the Yang Family was a neutral party ….

I wondered if he fell to the Empress Dowager’s Party because Princess Yang was defeated by me?

Yang Tao reacted the same as her after hearing the words. He saluted and confessed to the persons above red footsteps— It was Empress Dowager Gu who nodded her head and made this thing past at this time.

It seemed that they tied, and no one suffered losses. They returned to the starting line.

But a civil official wearing a purple robe from Empress Dowager’s Party came out to support and made Qiu Yelan confess—According to the rules of official wearing in Darui, officials over level three were eligible to wear a purple robe; level four and five wore vermilion; level six to nine wore cyan; exile officials and common people wore white.

In other words, the Empress Dowager’s Party had dispatched a level six official, a level five official, a level four official and one official above level three. And even an official over level three were secretly pointing although he didn’t come out ….

On the contrary, the Empress’s Party—None of the officials who were qualified to wear vermilion robes spoke except three level six Attendant Censors who were active altogether at the beginning and reported their names loudly!

In recent years, this situation could not have happened since Empress and Empress Dowager were well-matched!

What caused this scene was Commandery Princess Ningyi, who was only thirteen years old!

After Yang Tao straightened up, all the officials looked at Qiu Yelan again. And there were no disregard, contempt and banter in their eyes!

The little Commandery Princess stood there with dignity. She wore white clothes and was shorter than Ruan Qingyan—

There were a few servants behind her who had knelt until now. Probably because they saw Emperor for the first time, they were scared and were still trembling now;

There was only a little youth with cyan clothes next to her, who was a little older than her. He was willing to dedicate himself to helping her, but his ability was limited;

All officials had known her background: She lost her father at one year old and lost her mother last year. After falling out with Qiu Mengmin’s family, the only elder she could rely on was her grandfather who no longer knew her ….

But at the moment, no one thought that she was lonely and pathetic. She had independent beauty.

Like orchids growing on cliffs, they silently took roots in stones, struggling to grow and brewed blooming—Then they bloomed and sent forth a unique fragrance. They didn’t value others’ praise——No matter how much effort they made, how much they suffered, they just lived for themselves, not for anyone.

Recalling her modesty, patience and calmness since she entered the hall… Even many officials with usual complexion in crowds of officials wearing purple official uniforms who were close to red footsteps glanced at Qiu Yelan thoughtfully.

After a brief silence, Qiu Mengmin, who looked calm all the time, came out and bowed down. He said, “I’m Qiu Mengmin. I swear on all I hold and the title of Duke of Xihe that my biological mother Lu was driven out of Prince’s Mansion by my official mother, the old Princess of Xihe. But! She asked someone to tell me to take my biological mother back and looked after her because she cared for their former affection before she died!”

Qiu Yelan and Ruan Qingyan were both shocked and trembling!