Chapter 223: Blank Imperial Edict

Chapter 223: Blank Imperial Edict

Everyone fell silent, and the courtyard became so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.

Madam Jiang pushed her aside and grabbed the imperial edict, unfolding it to reveal a sealed but blank scroll with the emperor's stamp.

Upon seeing the blank imperial edict, Lu Lingyun was struck by a bolt of lightning.

So, it was indeed the Luo Family and Jiang Qianzhu who had framed General Wang's family!

This was the method they had used!

A sealed blank imperial edict... No matter where it was found, it would immediately raise suspicions and leave no room for defense against accusations of treason!

No wonder General Wang's family had been convicted of treason in their previous life. No matter how much they explained or tried to prove their innocence, they couldn't clear their name.

Even if the emperor believed they had no such intentions, he could never forgive them.

And with such an implicit charge of treason, the severity of the crime could vary. General Wang, being straightforward and loyal, might have been spared his life, but his life would have been ruined regardless.

The Luo Family... How malicious! How cunning!

"What... what is this?" Lady Liu was dumbfounded as she frantically grabbed the dowry list. "This wasn't on the dowry list, I just checked! It wasn't there! This isn't ours!"

"But this is part of the dowry your family received, and not a single item from your family's dowry was touched by anyone from our Wang family. Everything passed through your own hands. If it's not yours, how can you blame us?" Madam Jiang replied slowly, her voice shaking.

At that moment, even her breath felt hollow.

Because when she saw the evidence of Jiang Qianzhu's scheme, her heart trembled in panic.

She knew her niece and her natal family resented her, were jealous of her, and harbored grudges against her, but she never imagined they would use such a method to frame her!

She didn't dare imagine what would have happened if Lu Lingyun hadn't warned her or revealed Jiang Qianzhu's true nature. Would she have been fatally struck without even realizing it?

A chill of fear spread through her, and she spoke through clenched teeth, her voice trembling with rage.

How could they hate her so much that they wanted her dead?

Lady Liu also came to her senses at that moment.

If this wasn't from the Wang family, and it wasn't theirs, then it was meant to frame someone!

Her face turned pale, and in a flash of realization, she quickly said, "No, no, this isn't from our Jiang family! This is from the Luo family, it's theirs!"

Her eyes lit up with sudden realization. The Luo family!

As soon as she said that, Jiang Qianzhu chimed in, "No, it's not the Luo family's. They have a dowry list, and this wasn't on it, Mother. You checked it yourself!"

She hurriedly defended the Luo family, eager to avoid any involvement.

"Slap!"

A loud, resounding slap landed on Jiang Qianzhu's face, as Lady Liu glared at her like she was an idiot. "What nonsense are you spouting! If it's not ours, and not your aunt's, then it has to be the Luo family's!"

At that moment, Lady Liu firmly stood with Madam Jiang. When it came to matters of life and death between the two families, she couldn't let jealousy and resentment cloud her judgment.

Jiang Qianzhu, stunned and panicked after the slap, didn't know what to do.

Madam Jiang said, "Quickly notify General Wang to return. We need to sound the drum to request an immediate audience with the emperor. Everyone, seal the dowry immediately and take all the items to the palace!"

Madam Jiang, still seething from her earlier rage, couldn't afford to deal with Jiang Qianzhu at the moment. She began ordering people to pack the items and send them to the palace without delay.

Jiang Qianzhu cried out, "Aunt, you can't do this! This is my dowry..."

"Slap! Slap! Slap!" Madam Jiang turned and fiercely backhanded Jiang Qianzhu several times.

The slaps left Jiang Qianzhu dazed, and she fell to the ground.

Everyone knew the gravity of the situation and ignored her. Liu Shi, her face deathly pale, followed Madam Jiang closely, trembling as she ordered, "No one is to touch anything. All of you, follow your younger aunt to the palace!"

The Luo family members were terrified.

Seeing Madam Jiang acting swiftly, Lu Lingyun also followed her toward the palace.

As soon as their carriages left, Yang Shi arrived.

The moment Yang Shi appeared, Jiang Qianzhu, her hair disheveled, stumbled out, crying, "Mother, Aunt..."

"Qianzhu! What's wrong!" Yang Shi hurriedly helped her up.

Seeing Yang Shi, Jiang Qianzhu grabbed her sleeve. "Aunt Yang, it's terrible! We've been discovered! We've been found out!"

Yang Shi was shocked.

She quickly looked around and, covering Jiang Qianzhu's mouth, ushered her into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Yang Shi learned that the blank imperial edict with the seal had been found in Jiang Qianzhu's dowry box, leaving her at a loss.

She was trapped.

She had no idea that Madam Jiang would have preemptively guarded against them. Not only was her courtyard guarded, but their people were discovered as soon as they approached, and soon after, the entire residence was sealed, with no one allowed to enter or leave.

Even if she wanted to dispose of the item, she couldn't.

The only place left to search was the dowry box. Jiang Qianzhu had no choice but to have them hide the item inside.

But... they were still caught!

"My aunt has already taken everything to the palace!" Jiang Qianzhu wept.

Hearing this, Yang Shi could no longer care about anything else. She hurriedly informed her husband, Luo Lin, the Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and rushed to the palace herself.

Lu Lingyun was not allowed to enter the palace. After the drum was beaten, General Wang arrived and, upon learning the situation, his face sank. He immediately reassured Madam Jiang, telling her not to worry, and took all the dowry items she brought into the palace to explain to the emperor.

Not long after General Wang entered, Deputy Chief Justice Luo Lin also arrived.

As with the women, he was not allowed to bring female family members into the palace and had to go in alone to explain.

The next day, Lu Lingyun learned the outcome of the incident.

There were several sealed blank imperial edicts in the emperor's study, designated for significant matters requiring preemptive actions.

In the Supreme Court, there was such a blank imperial edict. Inside the hall, Luo Lin wept as he explained to the emperor, saying that he had been careless in his duties, often bringing case files home and inadvertently including the blank imperial edict, which was mistakenly mixed into his son's wedding dowry. He tearfully pleaded for the emperor's mercy.

General Wang remained silent throughout, as there was nothing more to say. As long as they could clear their family's name, that was enough.

In the end, the emperor trusted General Wang and assigned no blame to him.

Since Luo Lin confessed promptly and no serious harm was done, the emperor demoted him three ranks, making him a court supervisor in the Supreme Court and issuing a major reprimand.