Marriage to the Royal Prince's Uncle

C65. Lessons Learned, A Sincere Regret.

Chapter 65

The imperial court is organized into six departments: official, household, ritual, military, criminal, and industrial. Each department has a minister who is responsible for the country's military affairs and reports directly to the Emperor.

The six ministers meet almost daily, and regardless of their interactions, any minister hosting a wedding banquet will invite the other five.

Amidst a commotion in the front courtyard, Guo Hong, the Minister of Punishment, emerged to investigate with his colleagues.

Following the Chang Garden case last year, the late emperor expressed disappointment with the officials in the Ministry of Punishment, leading to the demotion of the previous minister and the transfer of Guo Hong, who was serving as the governor of Shanxi at the time, to the capital.

During his governorship, Guo Hong not only achieved outstanding political success but also solved several major cases, earning the confidence of the officials in the capital.

Upon his arrival in the capital, Guo Hong did not actively seek friendships with any Beijing officials. He focused dutifully on his role as the Minister of Justice and avoided meddling in other matters.

The ministers, all with various lengths of beards, exuded an air of authority that subdued the chatter among the guests.

Kneeling on the ground and holding a spiritual tablet, the woman in white recognized Hu Bochang, the Minister of War in a red robe. Based on Hu Bochang's demeanor, she inferred that Guo Hong and the others held lower official positions. In her distress, the woman cried even harder.

Although Hu Bochang had wanted to confine these individuals to the firewood shed, he missed the opportune moment in front of the public, making any action now seem suspicious.

The woman in white was then able to share her grievances, revealing that her surname was Liu and that her husband, Tang Changhe, had served as the commander of the Dinghai Guard in Ningbo Prefecture, Zhejiang seven years earlier.

At that time, Hu Bochang was the governor of Zhejiang, and the region was plagued by regular attacks from Japanese pirates. To combat the threat, Hu Bochang recruited local maritime bandits, including a leader named Chu Xiao, who displayed exceptional skill and earned respect for his efforts against the invaders.

However, Chu Xiao was also a tyrant who flouted military regulations and oppressed the local population. Unable to tolerate it any longer, Tang Changhe, Liu's husband, not only confronted Chu Xiao over his abuse of the people but also approached Hu Bochang multiple times to expose Chu Xiao's crimes.

According to Liu, Hu Bochang accepted numerous bribes from Chu Xiao and repeatedly covered up his wrongdoing. Eventually, Chu Xiao conspired with Hu Bochang during a Japanese pirate attack to clandestinely murder Tang Changhe and falsely implicate the Japanese pirates. Following Tang Changhe's death, Chu Xiao became increasingly aggressive and even intruded into the Tang family estate multiple times to take Liu. Initially, Liu was inclined to die, but she chose to live for the sake of her young son.

As Tang Zi grew older, he became aware of his mother's persecution by Chu Xiao and impulsively attempted to assassinate him but was gravely injured in the process. The Liu family spent their entire wealth on renowned doctors to save their son's life, but tragically, he did not survive. Shortly after his death, Tang Zi also passed away, consumed by resentment and pain. It was then that Liu found herself in despair, desiring to end her life alongside Hu Bochang and Chu Xiao.

Confronted with Liu's allegations, Hu Bochang remained composed and compassionate.

Regretfully, he said to Liu, "I am sorry for your suffering, but during my three years as governor in Zhejiang, I never heard of any illicit actions by Chu Xiao, nor did Tang Changhe ever accuse him. Tang Changhe was a hero who sacrificed his life for the country in the battle against the Japanese. After assuming my post in Beijing, I have had no knowledge of any vendetta between you and Chu Xiao."