Chapter 776: Chapter 776: Aftermath
With the departure of the retired emperor, the events of the day finally came to an end.
Soon after, Emperor Yongan announced the end of the imperial court session, and all the officials returned to their respective homes.
Yang Wang was filled with dissatisfaction and resentment, but in front of all the civil and military officials, he could only bottle up his frustrations. Upon returning to his residence, he vented his feelings by smashing a considerable amount of furniture and porcelain, and only then did he feel slightly relieved.
Dean Gu followed Yang Ye back to the Prince Wei Residence. Since he rarely had the opportunity to visit the Capital City, he decided to extend his stay for a few days.
After an exhausting journey to the Capital City and three consecutive days of court debates, he needed some time to recuperate before returning to Bailu Town.
As for Yang Ye, he had to prepare to travel around Daqi to announce the verdict. It would require a tour of the entire nation, visiting every County Town. This journey might last until the following year, not allowing him to return to the Capital City.
No, he may not even complete his circuit by the new year.
It seemed like he would have to spend this New Year away from home.
Sighing, Yang Ye ordered his attendants to pack his luggage and wrote a letter to Qiao Xiaomai.
After their significant victory today, both he and Dean Gu had played crucial roles. He thought it was necessary to request Qiao Xiaomai to prepare some delicious food to reward them.
Once the letter was sent out, it arrived in Bailu Town with Emperor Yongan’s imperial decree.
The Sun Family was sentenced to three years in prison, and Tong Sanlang was required to pay Sun Junyan a hundred taels of silver to cover his medical expenses.
After two and a half days of heated debate, the final verdict was just these two points.
The plans of Cen Hongping and Yang Wang to have Sun Junyan replace Dai County’s magistrate fell through.
Moreover, Tong Sanlang’s crime of injuring a licentiate was merely a minor punishment.
Upon the announcement of the verdict, Sun Junyan was immediately devastated.
No, the word “devastated” doesn’t suffice to describe his sorrow.
Emperor Yongan’s comments on him in the court had effectively cut off his aspirations. Although he could continue to attain scholarly ranks, he could never hold any official post. His highest achievement in life would only be an imperial alumnae.
With his future ruined, it was uncertain whether Cen Hongping and Yang Wang would still value him as before. Chapters first released on Nove1Fire.net
Moreover, how was he supposed to support his mother, incarcerated, and his incapacitated father?
With his future prospects ruined and his usefulness diminished, how much silver would he need to hire a caregiver for Qiao Qinghe?
Moving forward, he must be frugal and plan every penny.
It was time for him to map out his future!
As numerous thoughts swirled in his head, Sun Junyan managed to squeeze out a few tears as he bade farewell to his mother carried away by the yamen runners. He asked Qiao Meipan to pack some clothes to be sent to his mother, while he hurried off to the Military Camp to visit Cen Hongping.
Cen Hongping’s attitude towards him was of utmost importance.
Cen Hongping’s attitude towards Sun Junyan didn’t seem to have changed a great deal. As long as Qiao Xiaomai was still opposing him, they shared a common enemy, making Sun Junyan still valuable to him.
Assured by Cen Hongping’s comforting words, Sun Junyan felt slightly relieved.
Immediately after, Cen Hongping suggested a new plan for him, to take advantage of the incapacitated Qiao Qinghe.
Although Qiao Changshun and Qiao Xiaomai had severed ties with the Sun Family, ties with Qiao Qinghe remained intact. Now that Qiao Qinghe was unconscious, could they take advantage of this situation?
While Cen Hongping and Sun Junyan were secretly plotting, Qiao Xiaomai and Tong Sanlang also received the imperial decree.
The decree allowed the two to finally breathe a sigh of relief, their apprehensions subsided. Qiao Xiaomai, holding the note of a hundred taels of silver, muttered, “If only we knew it would end , you should have hit him harder that day.”
“After all, he is a licentiate, we can’t be too harsh on him. However, I wonder if his face is scarred. Maybe I should take this opportunity of delivering the silver to check it out.”