"Let go of me! My father is the current prime minister. How could he become a wanted criminal of the court? Nonsense! Let go of me!"
Hearing that his father had been imprisoned, Gu Zexuan's mind went blank instantly. The after - effects of last night's drunkenness had completely worn off. His bloated body kept wriggling, almost knocking down several constables.
The constable leader, annoyed, kicked his leg, breaking it, and then slapped him hard on the head several times.
"Be quiet!"
Gu Zexuan's face turned pale with pain, and big beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
The women's screams rose one after another. Several constables split into two groups and searched in Gu Zexuan's courtyard. Sure enough, they found women in revealing clothes in several side rooms.
After the women understood the situation, they wailed loudly. They quickly put on their clothes and led the constables to the back courtyard.
"In the rooms in the back courtyard, there are many women locked up. That brute often forced us against our will. If anyone resisted fiercely, they would be thrown into the back courtyard and starved for more than ten days. Some women were just captured and thrown into this courtyard."
"I don't know how many have starved to death or been beaten to death..."
The women trembled, already on the verge of collapse, their slender bodies shaking.
"We were just peasant girls. We were all abducted by that brute. Even my parents were beaten to death..."
"My younger brother... I don't know how my younger brother is at home alone. That brute has killed so many women..."
"He finally got his just deserts!"
The women in the back courtyard of Gu Zexuan's house rushed out all at once. Seeing him being dragged on the ground by several constables and screaming in pain, they all clenched their fists.
The constables pretended not to see and let go of Gu Zexuan in unison.
The women rushed up and punched and kicked Gu Zexuan. They also pulled out their hairpins and left countless blood holes in his body.
Gu Zexuan's screams of pain lasted for a long time. Finally, after about an incense - stick's time, the constable leader pretended to stop the women.
By now, Gu Zexuan was covered in blood.
The constables frowned in disgust and dragged the dying man to the front courtyard.
After rounding up everyone, the constables went to Prime Minister Gu's private treasury. Seeing the almost mountain - like piles of gold and silver treasures inside, they looked at each other in shock.
How much had this bastard embezzled?
Without hesitation, they ransacked the Gu Mansion clean and then took the people of the Gu Mansion back to report.
Outside the Gu Mansion, a crowd of commoners had gathered, pointing and whispering about the constables with swords on their waists.
The gates of the Gu Mansion were wide open, and the people of the Gu Mansion, wearing shackles, walked out in a line.
Those whose houses were being ransacked had to parade through the streets on their way from the mansion to the Ministry of Punishment.
After the people of the Gu Mansion were put into the prison carts, they were paraded through the busy streets in the vegetable market and all over the capital.
Early in the morning, the notice that the prime minister had been stripped of his official position for colluding with the enemy and betraying the country was posted on the bulletin board. The scholars read it out, and the commoners gritted their teeth in hatred.
Hearing that the scoundrels of the Gu Mansion were going to be paraded, they quickly prepared rotten eggs and leaves.
As soon as the prison carts appeared, the commoners shouted and cursed. The rotten leaves and eggs rained down on the Gu family members in the prison carts. A rotten egg hit Gu Zexuan right on the head, covering his face with a stinky smell.
After Gu Zexuan recovered, he angrily pointed at several commoners and cursed. The constable leader hit his wrist hard with an unsheathed sword, dislocating it.
After the parade, the Gu family members were dirty and stinky. The constables were too disgusted to touch them.
Thus, all the members of the Gu family were arrested, not a single one escaped.
When the news reached the palace, several eunuchs had already moved all the belongings of the Imperial Noble Consort in the Guanghan Palace to the Qianyuan Palace in front of all the concubines in the harem.
The concubines looked at the spectacle and then at the direction of the Qianyuan Palace. Several of them exclaimed enviously.
"It seems that the long - vacant position of the queen will belong to that Imperial Noble Consort in the future."
"She is truly noble. Before, this Imperial Noble Consort was just a low - ranking maid under the Virtuous Consort. Now she has climbed so high. She has a child and the emperor's love."
"We're fine too. We can live in peace and have enough to eat and drink."
"That's true."
The concubines looked at each other and laughed. They stopped looking at the Qianyuan Palace and walked together to drink tea and enjoy the flowers.
Inside the Qianyuan Palace, Qing Shu stood in the corridor, stroking her belly, watching the eunuchs moving things in an orderly manner.
"Liu Lang, there's no need to move these things..." Qing Shu turned her head to look at the smiling man beside her.
Di Yunjian took her hand and let out a proud snort from his throat: "Who says there's no need? These are all things you're used to. Move them all to my bedroom. From now on, we'll live together, inseparable."
Qing Shu: ...
The eunuchs in the Qianyuan Palace were busy when Li Dahai presented the property confiscated from the Gu Mansion and the list of the victimized women.
"Your Majesty, these are the properties of the Gu Mansion checked and approved by the Ministry of Revenue after the Ministry of Punishment's raid, as well as the list of the victimized women found in the back courtyard of Gu Zexuan's house. The people from the Ministry of Revenue have registered the household registers of these women. They're just waiting for Your Majesty's order to send them back home safely."
"Also... many skeletons were dug out from the back courtyard of Gu Zexuan's house. Our people have examined them. Almost all of them are the skeletons of women. Presumably, they are..."
Li Dahai couldn't bear to continue.
It was too tragic.
Di Yunjian narrowed his sharp eyes and said coldly: "They've been let off too easily. Send my order to the Ministry of Punishment to thoroughly investigate how many other evil deeds the Gu family has committed. After the investigation, execute them by being torn apart by five horses. Castrate Gu Zexuan before the execution."
"Only in this way can we be worthy of the wrongly - killed commoners."
Di Yunjian opened the list and looked at the densely written household addresses inside. His eyes were already red.
Seeing his low mood, Qing Shu patted the back of his hand: "Liu Lang, the most important thing now is to comfort those women well and invite some doctors for them..."
Saying this, Qing Shu tugged at his sleeve and smiled sweetly, "Liu Lang, I want to go with the imperial physicians to see those women."
Di Yunjian was dazed by her beauty. Hearing her words, he frowned instinctively: "No. You're pregnant. What if you get hurt?"
"Liu Lang..." Qing Shu coquetted.
Seeing that he wouldn't give in, she had to let go of his sleeve and droop her eyes pitifully.
"Liu Lang said last night that he would make me the queen. The queen is the mother of the nation. As the mother of the nation, I should do something for the commoners..."
"Liu Lang, I also want to do something for the commoners. Besides, if the imperial physicians are too busy, I can help!"
Di Yunjian rubbed his temples. Looking down, he saw her bright eyes.
...
Who could refuse this?
Di Yunjian nodded helplessly: "Okay, I agree. But I'll send secret guards and my senior maid to accompany you. You mustn't hurt yourself."
Hearing that he agreed, Qing Shu happily hugged him. She rolled her eyes and began to push her luck with a beaming smile.
"So, can I also go to see those women rescued from the Western Regions?"
The medicine from her system could be mixed into the imperial physicians' medicine.
"To be honest, Liu Lang, after I heard about the incident in Huizhou, I specifically asked the Imperial Medical Bureau to prepare medicine for those injured women!"
Di Yunjian lovingly stroked her black hair. A warm feeling welled up in his heart.
Like him, she always cared about the commoners.
With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?