freenovelworld Chapter 20 Birthday Banquet (7) (Punishment)
Chapter 20 Birthday Banquet (7) (Punishment)
Not long after, Qi Ye returned with his men, having captured several palace maids and eunuchs.
"Your Highness, these two beauties were drugged and brought here by these men."
"According to my investigation, this courtyard appears dilapidated and abandoned, but it has long been a place where some members of the royal family and noble families indulged in debauchery after entering the palace."
Qi Ye revealed all the information he had just gathered.
Because the current Emperor of Eastern Qin is focused entirely on political affairs and is unwilling to spend too much money on the maintenance of these useless palaces.
This led to many unused courtyards in the palace being abandoned, which gave these people an opportunity.
These people were initially very cautious, but as time went on and they realized they hadn't been exposed, they became bolder and bolder.
In fact, these people do this in order to seek thrills.
Their family is powerful and influential, and no one dares to offend them; they have lost all ambition.
They have already reached heights that others can never achieve in their entire lives, which has led them to seek thrills.
And that's how everything we have today came about.
"It seems the young men of Dongqin are quite bold. With such good conditions, instead of thinking about serving the country, you act lawlessly in the capital. Even I have to admire your audacity."
"Go and summon the heads of these families. I want to know who gave them the audacity."
After hearing Qi Ye's report, Qin Wu was also unable to suppress his anger.
"Yes."
Qi Ye withdrew.
"The King of Tang and the King of Wu failed to educate their sons properly. They were each given fifty strokes of the cane, and all their sons, regardless of whether they were legitimate or illegitimate, were sent to the frontier to serve in the army."
"You should really get rid of all your bad habits."
Qin Wu received an imperial decree from the Emperor of Eastern Qin, and today he was given full authority to handle the matter.
He wouldn't let this opportunity pass, and he would punish both the King of Tang and the King of Wu.
"Ninth Brother, you have no right to punish me."
The King of Wu refused to accept this.
Give him fifty lashes? Doesn't he have any dignity?
They are both princes, so why should Qin Wu punish him?
"Ninth Brother, you are not the one to punish me and Fifth Prince. If anyone should be punished, it should be Father Emperor."
The Tang King also spoke with a gloomy expression.
If they are punished by Qin Wu today, it will be a huge blow to their prestige.
They couldn't let Qin Wu punish them.
"King Tang, King Wu, this matter is not up to you. My father has ordered that I have full authority to handle tonight's events."
"You have failed in your duty to raise your children, which is why these two beasts dared to seduce their grandfather's women and commit adultery in the harem. It is only right that I punish you. Even if you report this to the Emperor, the fault still lies with you."
Qin Wu sneered.
Can't be punished? What a joke.
When the Emperor of Eastern Qin sent Eunuch Yongfu to deliver the imperial decree, it was clear that the King of Tang and the King of Wu were destined to face this punishment.
He also wanted to take this opportunity to undermine the prestige of the two men.
"My two royal brothers, I advise you not to resist, otherwise you will be disobeying the imperial decree, and the consequences will be beyond your ability to bear."
Seeing the two men's ashen faces, Qin Wu let out another cold laugh.
The two, who had initially intended to resist, froze upon hearing the words "disobeying the imperial decree."
They dare not accept that label.
If they dare to disobey the imperial decree, the other princes will definitely not miss this opportunity to strike them down.
By then, before tonight's events are resolved, they will be targeted by the others. Even if they eventually resolve the matter, they will be severely injured.
"Take it down!"
Qin Wu waved his hand.
The imperial guards immediately dragged the Tang King and the Wu King away.
Then came the sound of being beaten with a stick, and the muffled groans of the two men.
Before long, Qi Ye brought over several middle-aged men.
"Your subject pays respects to King Wu."
The group quickly bowed to Qin Wu.
They were all a bit confused; they were just enjoying a birthday banquet when they were suddenly summoned to this remote and dilapidated courtyard.
They tried to ask what had happened along the way, but none of the guards answered them.
This has made them all uneasy.
"My lords, do you know why I summoned you here?"
Qin Wu looked at the group with a cold expression.
"Please enlighten me, Your Highness."
Marquis Pingwu asked a question.
"Lord Pingwu, isn't Jiang Pingxin your wife?"
Qin Wu looked at Marquis Pingwu.
"Yes."
Marquis Pingwu answered honestly.
He began to feel uneasy, knowing that something bad would happen to Jiang Pingxin tonight, which he had deliberately arranged.
Although both the Pingwu Marquis's Mansion and the Zhennan Marquis's Mansion were marquises, the Zhennan Marquis's Mansion held far greater power than the Pingwu Marquis's Mansion.
Therefore, he was constantly suppressed by Jiang Pingxin at home, which made him very unhappy.
There are even rumors that he is henpecked, which makes him lose face.
Moreover, he wouldn't have married Jiang Pingxin if his parents hadn't forced him to.
So not long ago, the son of the Prince of Wu sent someone to him, saying that he would help him deal with Jiang Pingxin and that he could also get the Prince of Wu's protection.
He agreed without hesitation.
But now, King Wu suddenly inquired about Jiang Pingxin's affairs, which made him somewhat uneasy.
He wondered to himself if he had been exposed.
"What does it feel like to scheme against your own wife? Tell me, so I can broaden my horizons."
Qin Wu tapped his fingers repeatedly on the stone table.
Each tap felt like a blow to the heart of Marquis Pingwu.
When Marquis Pingwu heard Qin Wu's question, he was so frightened that his body trembled slightly.
He knew that what he had done had probably been exposed.
"Your Highness is wronged. My wife and I have been married for many years and have always treated each other with respect. How could I possibly scheme against my wife?"
"I implore Your Highness to investigate thoroughly."
Marquis Pingwu dared not admit that he had schemed against Jiang Pingxin.
After all, he already knew that Jiang Pingxin's younger sister, Jiang Pingle, had been betrothed to the infamous King Wu before him.
If he admits to scheming against Jiang Pingle's elder sister, given the King Wu's temper, their Pingwu Marquis's mansion will likely be finished.
"Innocent? Bring the person up."
Qin Wu sneered.
They even dared to cry foul in front of him.
Do you really think Qin Wu is a fool?
Qi Ye beckoned, and a palace guard escorted a maid over.
"Is this a maid from your Pingwu Marquis's residence? Pingwu Marquis, don't be so quick to deny it. I wouldn't have brought her here if I hadn't investigated thoroughly."
"This maid dared to drug the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, she must have received instructions from Marquis Pingwu, right?"
"Otherwise, I don't believe that a maid who has sold herself into servitude would have the audacity to drug the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, especially since this mistress comes from the more powerful Zhennan Marquis's mansion."
Qin Wu's words grew increasingly calm.
But this only made Marquis Pingwu more and more alarmed.
He truly hadn't expected that Qin Wu would trace the matter back to the maid in their household so quickly.
After all, during palace banquets, everything is handled by palace maids and eunuchs.
If anything happens, the investigation won't trace back to the victims.
But then Qin Wu, who never plays by the rules, managed to find the victims.
This left Marquis Pingwu momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.
"It seems that Marquis Pingwu has nothing to say."
Qin Wu looked at the silent Marquis Pingwu and spoke again.
"Your Highness, spare my life! I had no choice!"
Marquis Pingwu knew that it was impossible to escape punishment, but he was only scheming against his own wife.
Even if they are guilty, at worst they will only be punished, and they will have offended the Marquis of Zhennan's mansion.
"Spare my life? That's probably not possible. Your illegitimate son is committing adultery in the harem, which is a crime punishable by the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your entire clan."
Qin Wu laughed, a laugh that chilled everyone to the bone.
When Marquis Pingwu heard that his illegitimate son was committing adultery in the harem, he was nearly scared out of his wits.
Having a licentious harem is no joke; it's a serious crime.
"This...this is impossible. Your Highness, are you joking with me? My Pingwu Marquis's Mansion would never dare to do something so important."
Marquis Pingwu's voice trembled as he spoke.
He couldn't believe his son had such courage.
"Are you kidding? Bring the person over here so that Marquis Pingwu can recognize them."
Qin Wu sneered.
A young man, beaten to the point of near death, was brought in and dumped in front of Marquis Pingwu.
When Marquis Pingwu saw this person, his pupils widened involuntarily.
This was indeed his illegitimate son, and the eldest illegitimate son at that.
"It seems that Marquis Pingwu recognized this person and brought the others here for these marquises and earls to recognize as well."
Qin Wu gestured again to bring the others along.
The remaining young men were also brought up.
The marquises and earls who were originally laughing at Marquis Pingwu saw the person.
They were all greatly alarmed and no longer had any intention of watching the spectacle.
This is a terrible disaster!
"It seems you all know them! That's good. Send them all to the Imperial Guard's prison, and Father can deal with them after the birthday banquet!"
"The Imperial Guard immediately dispatched men to surround their entire residence, and no one was allowed to enter or leave."
"Anyone who dares to trespass will be killed without mercy."
Qin Wu gave the order directly, which also meant the verdict for the individuals.
"Your Highness, I am innocent!"
"Your Highness, I must see His Majesty! I have been wronged!"
"..."
A group of people shouted that they were wronged.
"Noisy, take him away."
Qin Wu said impatiently.
"Yushu, arrange for someone to take care of Lady Pingwu. Once she wakes up, send her directly back to the Zhennan Marquis's residence."
"As for the Pingwu Marquis's residence, don't go back. Also, tell the Princess Consort about her eldest sister's matter; I will handle it."
After giving his instructions, Qin Wu headed towards the palace banquet area.