Shipin Dalizheng

Chapter 349 Rewriting Destiny

Finally, the commotion here alarmed the palace guards, and someone went in to report it. Before the report reached Emperor Xuanning, He Daban came out to smooth things over, asking both sides to put an end to their dispute for his sake and go home for the New Year.

Miss Wang may not even give face to several princes, but when facing He Daban, she knows the importance of things. This is the person who has been with the emperor for his entire life. In terms of affection, her relationship with him is deeper than that of Queen Wang. It can be said that as long as He Daban does not do anything, no one can shake his position.

"Since He Daban is pleading for you, I will let you go today. Remember, there won't be a next time."

As soon as Miss Wang left, He Daban advised Rong Tang, "Young Master, other people are easy to deal with, but this guy is really not to be messed with. Hurry up and put away the knife. Why are you still grabbing weapons?"

Rong Tang sheathed his knife. "He Daban, didn't you see they were the first to show their weapons? And over there..."

He pointed to the place where the vendor had just fallen, but found that the vendor had disappeared.

He Daban seemed to know what he was going to say. "Those matters will be handled by Prime Minister Wang. Don't worry about it. Remember, anyone can be provoked in Shangjing City, but don't mess with Miss Wang."

Rong Tang blinked, "What if I offend Zheng Changzhi?"

He Daban was shocked. "With one more, anyone can be provoked, but not these two. So, how did you offend Master Zheng?"

"Uh... I don't think Zheng Changzhi necessarily wants me to study abroad. Big friend, if you have nothing to do, walk with me and tell me what's going on with this Miss Wang."

He Daban patted his butt and said goodbye, and no matter how Rong Tang called him again and again, "Daban, Daban..." he never looked back.

Today's events were both strange and incomprehensible. When I asked others, I only knew that Miss Wang was very favored. Although she didn't appear in public very often, every time she did, there was more or less blood splattered within five steps.

Rong Tang sent Tang Tiantian back to Sima's house, and they rode their horses and strolled on the street again. It was almost noon, and most people went home to celebrate the New Year. All the government offices and shops closed, and the number of people on the street gradually decreased.

When we walked to the front of the Ministry of Justice, a group of prisoners came out from inside. They were tied up like grasshoppers, in bunches, dirty and torn, crying and shouting.

Rong Tang stopped a yamen runner and asked what was going on. The runner saw that he was wearing a brand new earl's uniform and a pair of pearls on his head, and immediately thought that he must be the upstart double earl who had recently come to power in the capital. He politely replied, "My Lord, these are the officials and their families implicated in the Liang family corruption case. After the case is concluded, those who should be executed will be killed, and these will be exiled, and some will be sent to the Imperial Music Bureau."

Exiling prisoners on New Year's Eve is extremely insulting. Not only will the prisoners curse, but even the bailiffs will curse.

Rong Tang didn't intend to care about these people. The Liang family's corruption case was extremely serious and the consequences were terrible. If you do something wrong, you should pay the price. There is no reason to enjoy wealth and luxury and then not live a hard life.

He took two steps back and waited for these people to pass by. Suddenly, someone in the team shouted loudly, "Prince Rong, please save us."

Rong Tang frowned. The title of Rong Shizi has been used for a long time, and he has only been using it for a few days. Is this really what he is calling himself?

"Prince Rong, I'm Xiao Zhenyue! We were both imprisoned in Jingzhao Prefecture's prison."

The escort came up and whipped the man, "You dirty bastard, what are you trying to do with me?"

And they don't know how to talk when trying to build a relationship. What's not better than having been in jail together?

Rong Tang looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Xiao Zhenyue asking him for help. He hadn't seen him for half a year. There was not a single piece of good skin on Xiao Zhenyue's body, and the dirt on his face could be peeled off a whole shell.

Xiao Zhenyue's nose and tears streamed down as he cried, "Prince Rong, if it really doesn't work, please save my mother and sister. My mother is sick and she can't make it to the North. My sister has been imprisoned in the Music Bureau. She's not even sixteen yet and she can't go to that dirty place. I've inquired about it, and as long as someone is willing to marry her, her crime can be forgiven. I don't dare to ask you to marry her as your wife, but please take her as a concubine. No, even a foot-washing maid will do. If you save her, I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life. By the way, I lost a card game in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison, and I'm going to call you dad. Dad, please save my sister, please save her!"

Xiao Zhenyue's screams hit Rong Tang's heart. He knelt on the ground with all his strength, just to fight for a chance to survive for his loved ones.

On another grasshopper rope, a little girl sobbed, tears streaking down her dirty face. "Brother..."

Perhaps their cries alerted others, and suddenly many of them knelt down and begged Rong Tang to save their lives.

Rong Zhan was afraid that he would be soft-hearted, so he hurriedly pulled him away. However, he could still hear Xiao Zhenyue's pleading behind him, "Prince Rong, Prince Rong..."

Rong Tang walked two blocks away with a sullen face, then suddenly called out, "Rong Zhan, go ask if Xiao Zhenyue's sister and mother can be bought over. No, not just them, but the other female relatives as well. As long as they haven't committed serious crimes and have simply been implicated by their relatives, ask them all and try not to have them sent to the Jiaofangsi."

Rong Zhan sighed. This Xiao Zhenyue really had a hold on his master's weakness. If he had pleaded for himself, his master would have ignored them. But he chose to plead for his sister and mother.

Whether he did it intentionally or not, this request happened to hit the mark with his master.

The matter was easy to find out. On the premise of not interfering with the judicial decision, Xiao Zhenyue's family could be exiled later, but they had to pay money, one hundred taels per person per month.

As for the young ladies who were to be sent to the Jiaofangsi, in principle, they could be kept as long as they had an engagement. However, using an engagement to keep a convicted girl came at a high price: the woman had to be married and could never be divorced.

Miss Xiao had previously been engaged to her aunt's cousin, but when he heard that something had happened to the Xiao family, he immediately broke off the engagement without any regard for their childhood friendship. He was truly cruel and heartless.

Another type is that a woman is bought by a powerful family at a high price as a concubine or plaything. Since she is bought, of course she is not treated like a wife. She can have life and death at will and has no power to resist.

During this period, Rong Tang also obtained the information of all the criminal officials, eliminated those with serious crimes, and screened out those who were usually honest. He had a plan in mind.

He asked Nanny Xi to invite the official matchmaker over. The official matchmaker thought it was still about the matter of helping to find someone a few days ago, and she kept yelling, "Oh, Master Rong, there's no rush for this. I have a few clues under my command, but don't we have to wait until after the New Year? If you're in a hurry, you definitely can't come to your house today."

Who would come to propose marriage on New Year’s Eve?

"My lady, you have misunderstood. No matter how urgent our family is, we can still wait for ten days or half a month, but some girls can't wait. After tonight, who knows how many people's fate will be rewritten. I hope my lady can help and give these girls a clean way out."

The matchmaker blinked and took the list Rong Tang gave her. "Miss Xiao, Miss Wen, Miss Liu, eh, they all seem to be daughters of exiles. Master, what are you doing..."

She thought that the Earl of Jian'an was like other powerful lords, who wanted to buy a few daughters of officials who had committed crimes and keep them in the inner palace for fun. But he couldn't come to her for this matter. She was the official matchmaker, and all the wives she handled were married off in a formal way.

"Look, madam. I have dozens of bachelors of military rank under my command, and I'd like to give them a place to settle down. Could you please go and ask these ladies yourself if they're willing to marry? If so, they can choose their own husbands; there's no coercion."

The official media lady stood up suddenly and asked, "Master, do you really mean what you said?"

"really."

"Well, without further ado, bring some cash with you and follow me to the Jiaofangsi. Just like my uncle said, after tonight, many destinies will be rewritten."