After Zhou Shuren finished speaking, the ministers in the hall fell silent. There were two reasons for this. First, Zhou Shuren was telling the truth and he never took the initiative to plot against anyone. Second, they all underestimated Zhou Shuren's shamelessness.
Shouldn't the normal reaction be to plot against him in private? This man actually stood up for himself in the palace and asked the emperor to make the decision. How could they not have thought of this move!
Then everyone fell silent. There are conditions for the emperor to make the decision on this small matter. First, you must gain the emperor's trust, and then the emperor will be on your side. Second, you must have the ability and confidence.
So not everyone can ask the emperor to make the decision, except for some important ministers. Other small-time officials can forget about it.
The emperor had a wooden face. This old fox could obviously figure it out on his own. He felt a little complicated. "Don't get excited, Lord Zhou. Speak slowly."
Zhou Shuren was furious, "Your Majesty, someone stopped me from seeking justice yesterday. I know it's not easy to seek justice in a troubled street, but I still got off the carriage for the sake of the reputation of the court officials."
After saying that, Zhou Shuren looked around and made it clear that he was doing this for everyone's reputation.
Zhou Shuren continued, "If I ignore it, how will the people view the court officials? Officials who were harmed by certain people are not well-liked by the people. If I just walk away, won't the reputation of the court officials fall to the bottom? If the people don't trust the officials, how can they trust the court, the emperor, and the country?"
He is the best at putting accusations on people.
The emperor was originally helpless, but he had to pamper him, because Zhou Hou was a pillar of the country. Now, after hearing this, his face became serious, "What Zhou Hou said is very true."
Rong Chuan hurriedly stepped forward and said, "My Lord, you have been wronged. Please, Your Majesty, help Marquis Zhou."
Ministers, "... "
Is this what you call being wronged? Pah, they have suffered so many wrongs, and Zhou Shuren is so shameless, he really knows how to flatter!
Zhou Shuren clicked his tongue in his heart, he was just getting to the point, and noticing the look in Old Master Wen's eyes as if he wanted to eat him, he secretly rolled his eyes.
Master Wen, "!!"
I'm so pissed off!
The King of Qi and the King of Chu, "..."
The two of them kept staring at Zhou Hou, and Zhou Hou did not hide much, so he saw quite a few people.
The prince pursed his lips tightly, afraid that he would laugh out loud.
Zhou Shuren's face then became more and more angry. "Your Majesty, I am very angry after getting off the carriage. I don't know if the injustice is true, but I only know that someone plotted against me and treated me like a fool. The man who stopped the carriage was wearing old clothes and looked bad, but his shoes were clean. He came all the way to the capital, and these shoes are too good."
After a pause, he continued, "Moreover, I have read the petition. According to what the man said, how can we afford the best ink? The paper is not cheap. The most interesting thing is that my descendants use a lot of paper. Unfortunately, the paper for this petition was just purchased a few days ago. I heard from my wife that this is the latest batch of paper, and it is currently only supplied to the capital."
Zhou Shuren gave everyone time to laugh at him before saying, "Some people might think that he bought it in the capital. Not to mention how expensive the paper is, the ink is not ordinary. It is not something that ordinary people can afford. I have a few pieces at home. I like this ink very much. I am very familiar with it. One piece costs more than a hundred taels. Tsk tsk, where did a man in shabby clothes get a hundred taels?"
Old Master Wen's face looked good. He had to look good, because the person being sued was a member of the Wen family. If he had not been strict in disciplining his grandson this year, his grandson might have been sued. Thinking of this, Old Master Wen's eyes became complicated. Why did he suddenly discipline his grandson strictly? It was because Zhou Shuren had betrayed his eldest grandson, and he was afraid that a few more people would be implicated.
The emperor wanted to laugh after hearing this. Hasn't he experienced how careful Lord Zhou is? When he was still the crown prince, the salt tax was introduced in this way. "Lord Zhou, don't be angry. This matter will be investigated thoroughly."
The prince was impressed that Marquis Zhou was extremely cautious.
Zhou Shuren did not ease up. "I still have something to say. I think the person who plotted against me is a ruthless person. He is using me as a knife. He not only kills the Wen family, but also tries to sow discord between me and the emperor. Although the emperor doesn't care, a thousand-mile dam is destroyed by an ant hole. My loyalty to the emperor is obvious. I dare to swear that I am loyal to the country!"
He swore that he could not say that he was loyal to the emperor, but he was absolutely loyal to the country and the people.
The emperor was moved, because Marquis Zhou had always done this. "I know everything. Marquis Zhou, get up quickly. I will make the decision for you."
Zhou Shuren was helped to rise to power by the King of Qin, because he was his son-in-law.
Many ministers closed their eyes, not wanting to look at the shameless Zhou Shuren.
The prince's mind moved. It was not only directed at the Wen family, but also at him and his mother. The prince clenched his palms and thought, good, very good.
The King of Qi and the King of Chu looked at each other. The King of Qi thought that today's drama was very interesting. Now everything was laid out in the open. He just didn't know who had plotted against the Marquis of Zhou. He had shot himself in the foot and this time he would definitely break a bone.
The King of Chu felt regretful that he had won over the old fox and had the old fox help him with planning. Now, forget it, he didn't want to think about it anymore.
Rongchuan, on the other hand, thought that he still had a lot to learn, and that he was still too upright and not shameless enough.
After the morning court session ended, Zhou Shuren waited for the emperor to leave. He didn't look angry at all. He strode up to Old Master Wen and asked, "Old Master, when will the money be sent to my house?"
Old Master Wen's face, which was originally quite good, turned cold in an instant, but Zhou Shuren was indeed fair today. Although Zhou Shuren was trying to establish his own authority, he did help the Wen family. "It will be delivered to the Marquis' Mansion today."
Zhou Shuren knew that the old man would have other reactions, so he was happy and said, "It's good for a big family to have strict family rules. You should be more careful in the future."
Master Wen, "!!"
Zhou Shuren turned and left after he finished speaking. Rongchuan moved his shoulders. If it weren't for the wrong occasion, he really wanted to laugh.
Zhou Shuren turned around and walked out, swinging his official sleeves in a casual manner. The people who stayed behind looked at each other, and there was something indescribable in their expressions that seemed to indicate that they could handle the situation.
Rong Chuan didn't shy away from asking, "Dad, who do you think is going to be you?"
When Zhou Shuren heard this, he noticed that many people were perking up their ears. "Why? Do you want to vent your anger for your father?"
Rong Chuan curled his lips, "You came here to need me to vent your anger, but whoever bullies you is bullying me."
Zhou Shuren's heart was warmed, "Okay, that's how filial you are."
That casual look made everyone envious. This was the intimacy that only existed between father and son. Yes, it had been so long that they almost forgot that the King of Qin was raised by the Marquis of Zhou.
Wang Ju had been confused the whole time, but now she finally came to her senses and chased after him, "You really don't know who did it?"
No one could guess who Zhou Shuren was, but, "It's probably a few people."
Wang Ju said faintly: "They have all grown up."
Zhou Shuren thought that the Queen's poor health was the reason for her impetuousness. The Queen Mother was very important to the country.
Rongchuan was also thinking about the princes. As the emperor's legitimate brother, he was closely watched by the princes. He had met the princes several times by chance. Even if he could not see him, he would make friends with his son.
Zhou Shuren smiled and said, "Do you think you'll end up with a comminuted fracture if you shoot yourself in the foot this time?"