Chapter 208 - Were You the One Who Did This? (1/2)
Chapter 208: Were You the One Who Did This?
Translator: DragonRider
“At today’s morning court meeting?”
“Yeah. Just now I saw Jiang Yu make haste to go back home.”
“Tsk, tsk. It caused so many deaths and also a riot, yet his punishment was merely removal from office.”
“That’s how things work here. He’s a member of Jiang family, and also kin to the emperor.”
“Jiang Changfeng is unaffected?”
“Not to my knowledge. I think he’s fine. After all he’s His Majesty’s uncle.”
At midday break, news of this matter quickly spread across the college and there were people discussing it everywhere.
Ling Zhang shared a table with Yuwen Jin and the others at lunch time. Yuwen Jin was so excited to hear the news that he could barely keep from jumping up and setting off firecrackers to celebrate. “About time! People of Jiang family have always been so c.o.c.ky. Now they got their just deserts.”
Ji Feng and the other four, who were not as ill-disposed to Jiang Yu as he was, didn’t react so dramatically, but this was big news after all, so they also couldn’t help but fall into discussion. “Jiang family must’ve been thrown into total confusion.”
“Jiang Changfeng’s still in office, so the situation in their family won’t be serious. Although Jiang Yu’s father was dismissed from his position, he was still His Majesty’s cousin. After some time, when the waters are calmed, maybe he’ll be reinstated in his post.”
“Even if he is reinstated, his standing won’t be restored to its original height, and there’ll be a long trying time ahead of him. Jiang Changfeng is getting old, and there’s no telling how much longer he could hang in there.”
“It’s hard to say. Actually Jiang Changfeng looks pretty robust.”
Yuwen Jin was unhappy to hear this. “He made such a serious mistake, and you think His Majesty will reinstate him some day?”
Having been socializing with Yuwen Jin during these days, Zhao Jiusi and the others had come to know the personal history between him and Jiang Yu, so they found his indignation understandable.
“It’s His Majesty’s call.”
“Yeah. There’s no need for you to be frustrated.”
Yuwen Jin was not frustrated but angry. Since his excited reaction just now had already been conspicuous enough, Ling Zhang had him by the shoulders in an effort to keep him from showing his anger in a noticeable way, lest there be any unfavorable rumors.
It had never crossed Ling Zhang’s mind that Jiang Yu’s father would be removed from office, but what had happened in the Xiang City was such a serious event. A riot was no joke, and citizens would never have done such a thing had life not been unbearable. It’d been Jiang family who’d recommended the prefectural governor of the Xiang City, and in the normal course of things, all members of Jiang family would have been punished. Like those students had commented, the emperor had shown mercy to Jiang family by merely dismissing Jiang Yu’s father from his position.
“Why did the prefectural governor of the Xiang City have those over ten commoners executed? Have any details been disclosed?” queried Ling Zhang.
“There hasn’t been any news about the specific reason for that. I’ll have to wait until school is over to ask my father about it and find out, but it’s always about those dirty, mean tricks.”
“Given that local yamen of Cangzhou had been keeping it secret for such a long time, the chief and many others were definitely involved. This’ll be another case of the whole leaders.h.i.+p being thrown into prison.”
“Tell me about it. On top of that, Cangzhou is so close to the capital city. Think about it, had the riot escalated into something bigger, there might have been unimaginable consequences. Although His Majesty merely dismissed him from his position for the sake of Jiang family’s reputation, he actually… must be very angry,” Ji Feng remarked, lowering his voice.
Ling Zhang looked at him, a thoughtful expression on his face. ‘Ji Feng’s got a point. Cangzhou is so close to the capital city. Given the severity of this event, at least the emperor’s anger at Jiang family won’t subside any time soon.’
People in Cangzhou were shocked. Apart from officials in Cangzhou and Jiang Yu’s father, some courtiers would definitely be held responsible as well, for it undoubtedly had taken more than Jiang family to hush up an event like that.
“I think Jiang Yu won’t be coming to school for quite some time,” Ji Feng added.
Yuwen Jin replied, “It won’t really sadden me if he doesn’t. The very sight of him gives me an urge to kick his a.s.s.”
Because of this matter, all their cla.s.smates were too occupied sharing news of Jiang family to pay any attention to their new professor.
In the afternoon, they had a music cla.s.s. More than half of the students were absent-minded and didn’t hear a single word of what their professor had said.
In fact, they were not the only ones whose minds were wandering. Ling Zhang was also somewhat inattentive.
After school, he returned home in haste, found Yuwen Tong and asked him about what had happened at the morning court meeting.
Yuwen Tong, who was drawing a diagram of a martial formation with a calm look on his face, replied, “His Majesty removed Jiang Chengfeng from office and had him stay at home introspecting about his faults. He also dispatched some men to the Xiang City to arrest others involved. Some courtiers who’d helped hush things up for officials of the Xiang City were also sent packing. These people were not as lucky as Jiang Chengfeng. All of them are now in prison. After apprehension of those in the Xiang City, they’ll go on trial together and receive punishment. Almost all of them have complicated relations with Jiang family one way or another, so this’ll be a rather heavy blow to Jiang family.”
From his calm face, Ling Zhang came to realize something. “You went to the imperial palace earlier today?”