The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 257

Extra 32

All Who Resist Shall Be Executed on the Spot!

The next day.

            

At King Long’s Mansion, Zhao Jiayu was still fast asleep. She had drunk half the night away with Jin Mingyi the previous evening, and had been dragged back to her room in the middle of the night by Qu Yu and Qu Zhimu.

Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi had not yet woken in their guest room, and Zhu Qianjie had also stayed the night at the mansion.

Qu Yu had entered the palace at first light to request the Imperial Edict. Upon returning and seeing Zhao Jiayu still asleep, he shook his head helplessly.

            

Qu Zhimu had been up for a while. She was to accompany Qu Yu to the Qiao Residence today to read the imperial decree. When she heard that Zhao Jiayu was still not awake, she rushed to wake her in a panic.

“Mother, how are you still sleeping?” Qu Zhimu frowned, growing anxious.

Zhao Jiayu was nudged and reached out a hand, waving it dismissively. “Ugh, I’m sleepy. Don’t bother me.”

            

“Mother, did you forget? Last night you said we were going to the Qiao Residence.”

Zhao Jiayu was pulled upright. She sat there, eyes barely open, and said irritably, “Why are we going to the Qiao Residence?”

“Last night Little Aunt decreed the marriage. Did you forget?”

            

The two of them went back and forth, question and answer, and soon Zhao Jiayu was wide awake. She stared at Qu Zhimu with wide eyes, finally remembering her daughter’s marriage.

Mother and daughter locked eyes. Qu Zhimu stood to the side, helpless, as Zhao Jiayu hurried off the bed.

The maids in the mansion had been waiting nearby. Zhao Jiayu washed and dressed in a frantic rush, then hurried out of the room.

            

Qu Yu was in the front hall, tallying the betrothal gifts. They had been prepared days earlier and brought over overnight; today they would all be carried there together.

“Wife, you drank last night. Are you sure you’re all right going together?” Qu Yu asked with concern as Zhao Jiayu came over.

When Zhao Jiayu was drunk last night, Qu Yu had given her a sobering soup, so she wasn’t feeling unwell this morning—just a bit drowsy. “It’s fine. For our daughter’s marriage, ready or not, I’m going.”

            

Qu Yu smiled and said gently, “If you’re feeling unwell, you can rest in the carriage later.”

Zhao Jiayu waved her hand. “How can I do that? First time meeting the in-laws—I need to make a good impression. That way they’ll feel confident marrying their daughter into our household.”

Qu Yu nodded, looking at Zhao Jiayu with doting eyes.

            

“Father, are you done counting?” Qu Zhimu asked, having counted the betrothal gifts.

Qu Yu nodded. “Done counting. But there is one thing I must remind you of.”

“What?” Qu Zhimu asked, puzzled.

            

Qu Yu glanced at Zhao Jiayu, then looked at Qu Zhimu. “You’re about to be married. You’re an adult now. Your forms of address need to change as well.”

Thinking about how Qiao Jin would share the same forms of address for Qu Yu and Zhao Jiayu after marrying into the household, Qu Zhimu nodded. “I understand.”

“Father. Mother.” Qu Zhimu changed her forms of address.

            

Qu Yu was very satisfied. Watching his daughter grow into a young woman, his heart swelled with pride. If not for her birth all those years ago, he would likely have given up the will to live.

He also had his daughter to thank for the extra years she had given him, the extra time with his wife. This life held no more regrets.

The procession set out from King Long’s Mansion, and the betrothal gifts carried onto the main street were beyond counting.

            

The family of three shared a carriage and soon arrived at the entrance of the Qiao Residence—but the Qiao household’s gates were shut tight.

Qu Zhimu stared at the tightly closed doors of the Qiao Residence in bewilderment. Qu Yu looked at the men he had brought along and signaled them to knock.

The guards knocked, but no one answered for a long time. The amusement in Qu Yu’s eyes turned cold.

            

When Qu Zhimu had returned last night, she had told Qu Yu everything. By now, it was not only people from King Long’s Mansion who had come, but also imperial palace guards.

The Qiao Residence doors were knocked on again and again. Many passersby in the Capital City followed along, and seeing this scene, grew curious.

“Father, tell them to stop knocking.” Qu Zhimu’s expression had darkened.

            

Qu Yu raised his hand, and the guards stopped.

Qu Zhimu looked toward the crack in the doors. She could see shadows of people moving about behind the gap. She stepped forward and said, “Her Majesty dispatched my father to read the imperial marriage decree. This Commandery Princess¹ knows you are all in the residence. If I do not see Qiao Jin today, I will most certainly petition for another decree to enter the Qiao Residence, and then none of you will escape the crime of defying an imperial decree and losing your heads. You must know that this Commandery Princess is most favored by the Emperor and Empress. If I embellish things even a little, I will have all nine clans of your family² executed!”

“Your Highness, it’s not that we won’t open the door. Our master ordered that no visitors be received today,” someone inside finally replied.

            

Qu Zhimu laughed coldly. “No visitors? My father is an Imperial Envoy come to read an imperial decree. What visitors are you speaking of?”

The people inside fell silent again. Qu Yu glanced sideways at a guard, who quietly slipped away toward the back gate.

Too many people were crowded around the front gate, so the guard had to go to the back.

            

Just as Zhao Jiayu and Qu Zhimu were growing impatient, the Qiao Residence doors opened from the inside.

The servants inside dropped to their knees. Qu Yu glanced at them and stepped through the gate, leading Qu Zhimu and the others inside.

The Qiao household servants had already notified everyone in the residence. Master Qiao and his wife, along with several sons and daughters, all came out—but Qiao Jin was nowhere to be seen.

            

Qu Zhimu looked around and asked urgently, “Where is Qiao Jin?”

The kneeling Qiao Peishan raised his head and replied, “My daughter contracted a strange illness last night. The doctor said it is highly contagious, so she was sent to a country estate in the night.”

“You’re lying! She was perfectly fine when I brought her back last night. How could she possibly fall ill? You must have hidden Qiao Jin somewhere.” Qu Zhimu headed toward Qiao Jin’s quarters.

            

Soon, having found no sign of Qiao Jin, Qu Zhimu returned and looked at Qu Yu in alarm. “Father, Qiao Jin is gone.”

The Qiao family members stole glances at Qu Zhimu. Qu Yu looked down at the kneeling people and said, “Which country estate is Lord Qiao on?”

The kneeling people said nothing. Qu Yu swept a cold gaze over them all and extended a hand to one side.

            

A servant from King Long’s Mansion handed the Imperial Edict to Qu Yu. Qu Yu unfurled it and began to read: “By Grace of Heaven, the Empress Decrees³: We have heard that of the Qiao clan, Top Scholar Qiao Jin possesses the talent to govern the realm, and is gentle, virtuous, and kind, with a tender heart and delicate constitution, her abilities and beauty surpassing all, her character of the highest caliber. We have further heard that Commandery Princess Rong’an is of honest and generous character, outwardly elegant and inwardly wise. Recently, auspicious clouds and radiant colors have appeared. We specially commanded the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to investigate, and they reported that the Red Phoenix and Heavenly Joy stars⁴ are drawing near. We now hereby decree a marriage between the two—a pairing of jade and pearl, of full moon and fragrant flowers. We order that an auspicious date be chosen for the wedding. Respect this.”

“Your Highness, my daughter is not in the residence, and she has contracted a strange illness. Her survival is uncertain. I fear she would defile Commandery Princess Rong’an. This lowly one cannot accept the decree.” Qiao Peishan knelt on the ground with his head bowed, delivering his refusal with heartfelt conviction.

Qu Zhimu’s panic flared at his words. She looked at Qu Yu with pleading eyes.

            

Qu Yu held the Imperial Edict and gave a cold snort. “In that case, take all members of the Qiao household who defy the decree into the imperial prison, to await Her Majesty’s judgment.”

As Qu Yu’s words fell, the guards surrounding them drew their long blades.

“All who resist shall be executed on the spot!”

            

After Qu Yu spoke, the guards answered in unison, “Yes!” The sound startled the kneeling people into a momentary flinch.

Qu Yu flicked his sleeves, turned halfway, then turned back. “Oh, right. Lord Qiao is now this king’s family. Seize a few of them and interrogate them harshly to find out her whereabouts. If they truly refuse to answer, cut them down. To offend imperial kin—death cannot atone for their crime!”

One guard immediately hauled out a man and demanded, “Speak! Where did Lord Qiao go?”

            

Qiao Jin’s older half-brother was dragged forward with a blade at his neck. Terrified, he blurted out, “My sister is in the wood shed in the back courtyard! Don’t kill me!”

Qu Zhimu watched tensely from the side. Hearing that Qiao Jin was in the back courtyard wood shed, she looked at Qu Yu. Qu Yu nodded, and Qu Zhimu bolted like an arrow toward the rear.

Qu Zhimu had studied here before. Though she had not come often, she generally knew where the back courtyard was.

            

The household servants had all gone to the front courtyard, so Qu Zhimu had to find her way by instinct. She spotted the kitchen area and quickly identified which building was the wood shed.

Qu Zhimu ran over, only to find a padlock on the outside. She frowned deeply and called out at the doorway, “Qiao Jin, are you in there?”

At that moment, Qiao Jin was sitting on a pile of firewood inside the shed. Hearing Qu Zhimu’s voice, she scrambled to her feet and hurried to the door. “I’m here. Is that Zhimu?”

            

“It’s me.” Qu Zhimu answered, then began looking for something to break the lock. She glanced around, spotted a decorative brick stone set into the ground by the doorway, bent down, and pulled it out.

“Qiao Jin, stand back. I’m going to break this lock.”

Qiao Jin stepped back at her words, and soon heard a loud clang from outside.

            

The padlock was smashed open. Qu Zhimu shoved the door open in a rush, and the moment she saw Qiao Jin, she nearly burst into tears.

Qu Zhimu threw herself forward and pulled the thinly dressed Qiao Jin into her arms. “I was scared to death.”

Qiao Jin felt Qu Zhimu’s heart pounding against her, and raised her arms to hold her back.

            

After a brief embrace, Qu Zhimu noticed how thinly Qiao Jin was dressed. She took off the sable cloak she was wearing and wrapped it around Qiao Jin.

“My father is in the front courtyard. Let’s go.” Qu Zhimu could not wait another moment. She wanted to bring Qiao Jin back to the mansion.

Qiao Jin looked at Qu Zhimu’s anxious face, pressed her soft lips together, and nodded gently.

            

Qu Zhimu took Qiao Jin by the hand and led her to the front courtyard. Qu Yu was still dealing with the Qiao household. The imperial decree had been issued and could not be retracted; the Qiao family had openly defied it, and Qu Yu was considering how to handle the matter.

Seeing his daughter return with Qiao Jin, Qu Yu’s expression softened slightly. Zhao Jiayu hurried forward and asked, “Are you all right?”

Qiao Jin saw Zhao Jiayu approaching and quickly moved to bow, but Zhao Jiayu stopped her with a hand and smiled. “We’re family—no need for formalities.”

            

Qiao Jin looked up, then glanced at Qu Yu nearby. Zhao Jiayu followed her gaze and added, “No need to bow to him, either. Our household doesn’t stand on such ceremony.”

Qu Zhimu laughed from the side. Qiao Jin let it be, but when she looked at her family kneeling on the ground, her heart ached with worry.

Last night, she had been about to rest when her family had sent her to the wood shed, forbidding her from marrying into King Long’s Mansion and ruining the family’s good name.

            

Now that they had openly defied the imperial decree, Qiao Jin’s worry only deepened.

Qiao Jin stepped forward, her plea evident on her face. “Your Highness, my father is old and my brother is foolish, but this matter was caused by this subordinate official. I beg Your Highness to show mercy today and spare them.”

If Qu Yu chose not to pursue the matter today, it would be as though nothing had happened—or so the Qiao family believed.

            

Qu Zhimu wanted to marry Qiao Jin, which meant she could not possibly harm them. Even if their defiance of the decree failed today, Qu Yu would still let them go.

But they did not know what the Qu family looked like when they were ruthless. People said King Long was gentle and kind, a frail man who would not live long. They did not know the ruthlessness that ran in the Qu family’s bones.

“No.” Qu Yu refused Qiao Jin. “Lord Qiao is now this king’s family. This king can spare you from guilt by association. Last night, when Commandery Princess Rong’an came to escort you, she also informed the household of Her Majesty’s marriage decree. Yet the people of the Qiao Residence not only failed to prepare to receive the imperial decree, they dared to openly defy it. They then lied and attempted to deceive—every single one of these offenses carries the death penalty. How do you expect this king to spare them on Her Majesty’s behalf?”

            

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The author has something to say:

Qu Ning: “A beloved becoming an enemy happens the moment heads roll.”

Zhao Ningying: “A passionate love must withstand trials. Mu-jiejie, you’ve got to keep going!”

            

Qu Zhimu: “…Get lost, get lost, get lost.”

200 red envelopes, mwah~

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