bookcurios Chapter 165 Not a Big Shot
Chapter 165 Not a Big Shot
If this allegation of massive corruption is proven to be true, not only will Sheng Qiushan lose his official position, but he might even lose his life.
Although the Sheng family might be able to escape the death penalty, their once glorious life would now be reduced to darkness and despair.
Although Concubine Sheng no longer has a powerful family to rely on at this moment, she cannot afford to lose the only support of her natal family.
Power can always be regained someday, but if there is no one in her natal family, she will be isolated and helpless in the future, with no chance of turning things around.
As to whether the Sheng family was innocent or not, her heart was actually as clear as a mirror.
At the end of each year, how could those generous gifts worth tens of thousands of taels of silver be piled up so abundantly if they were not obtained through corruption?
Precisely because she knew this, she would do her utmost to stop His Majesty's investigation, even if there was only a glimmer of hope.
She raised her head, with pleading and sorrow in her eyes, and continued, "Your Majesty, please forgive the Sheng family this time for the sake of the unborn child in my belly, and save some face for us!"
The emperor's expression was calm and complicated, his deep gaze fixed on Concubine Sheng.
He does have an inseparable affection for this former childhood sweetheart.
The innocent feelings of their childhood and the vows they made to each other made them firmly believe that they would only be there for each other in this life.
However, as time passed and the world changed, when he finally ascended the throne, his status as an emperor forced him to put aside his personal feelings.
How can a king of a country be devoted to only one person?
Even if he restrained himself and stayed away from the beauties in the harem, the old ministers of the previous dynasty and the nobles of the royal family would not allow him to do so.
What's more, Sheng Qiushan was just a sixth-rank minor official back then, far less prominent than the high position of Shangshu he holds today.
Without the help of all the major families, he would probably not be able to sit on the dragon throne.
Therefore, those promises made in youth will eventually become vanishing clouds of smoke.
But he was soft-hearted by nature, and he knew that he was the one who broke their oath first, so he became more and more doting and indulgent towards Concubine Sheng.
Over the years, no matter how unruly she acted, he had never really gotten angry with her.
Even that time, when she almost harmed the queen, after he found out the truth, he just regarded it as a dispute between ordinary women. He simply took back the title of noble concubine that was about to be bestowed on her, cut her salary for one year, and imprisoned her for a few months, and soon let her regain her freedom.
He always kept a trace of sincere feeling for her in his heart and couldn't bear to see her sad and crying.
He exhaled slowly, his voice low but firm: "I won't touch your brother at all."
Hearing these words, Concubine Sheng felt relieved. Her weak body almost couldn't hold on and she collapsed.
The emperor was quick to move forward and hold her steady, and ordered anxiously, "Come quickly, call the imperial physician!"
……
When Sheng Junwei faced Luo Ming, her eyes were full of sincerity.
Luo Ming looked at her with doubt, "Can you really help me?"
Although his clothes were clean, they were tattered. The patches and almost torn edges on his clothes silently told of his poverty.
Due to the lack of new clothes, he had to cut and sew clothes left by his deceased parents and wife, and sometimes even wore his father's old clothes.
Fortunately, before his family's financial situation declined, they had saved some property and left behind a lot of old clothes, which allowed him to barely avoid freezing to death on the streets during the severe winter.
The ambitious young man of the past has now become cautious. Only the fire of revenge burning in his eyes makes him look like he still has some signs of life.
Sheng Junwei smiled lightly and said firmly: "Of course you can."
"But you know what a powerful person I offended!"
The person who can make the county magistrate bow down to him has a status that is incomparable to ordinary people.
Luo Ming did not distrust the woman in front of him, he just couldn't believe that he would encounter such a turn of events.
Sheng Junwei thought for a moment and answered seriously: "In my eyes, that person is actually not a big shot."
These words stunned Luo Ming for a moment, and he immediately turned around and wanted to leave silently.
Butler Li Le was puzzled. "Mr. Luo, where are you going? Don't you plan to seek justice?"
Luo Ming's eyes flashed with anger and self-mockery, "I'm just a nobody with nowhere to go. I don't deserve to be a toy in the hands of you rich ladies!"
Li Le looked puzzled, "Why do you say that, Mr. Luo? When has my lady ever thought of treating you as a plaything?"
Luo Ming asked sharply, "Even the county magistrate has to try his best to please him, so in your opinion, is he not a big shot?"
It is true that he was educated and knew that there were many masters in the world, but in his short and ordinary life of more than 20 years, the county magistrate was the highest symbol of power he could recognize.
In the officialdom at a higher level than the county magistrate, there must be hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and extraordinary people gathered there. Every move of theirs shows extraordinary demeanor.
The girl in front of me had black hair and a beautiful face. She looked to be just coming of age. Her bright eyes sparkled with a calmness and confidence beyond her age.
Although her tone was light, it revealed a power that should not be underestimated, as if she was confident and had an extraordinary vision.
Li Le pondered in his heart. He had seen a lot of things in the world, and although he had heard of women holding official positions in the court, he had never seen it in person.
In his impression, those female officials were more like embellishments in the palace, symbols of etiquette and beauty. As for their talents and abilities, he subconsciously ignored them.
Just as Li Le was about to open his mouth to argue, Sheng Junwei saw this, gently waved her hand, her eyes revealing calmness and understanding.
"It doesn't matter."
Her words were brief and warm, as if she already knew the doubts in Luo Ming's mind.
She knew very well that it was not easy for Luo Ming, a young man born in the mountains, to obtain the status of a student in the imperial examination through his own efforts and talent.
But his world was still very small. The scope of the Tongsheng examination was limited to the county town, and the highest symbol of power he had ever come into contact with was the county magistrate.
This limitation inevitably restricts his vision.
As for Sheng Junwei, her understanding of official rank in her previous life was also vague.
The days in Kyoto when she was a child seemed like a lifetime ago. Although she was extremely intelligent at that time, she could not understand all the complicated official systems out of thin air.
It was not until she married into the prime minister's mansion and accompanied her husband Zhang Tianshun's career advancement that she gradually unveiled the mystery of officialdom and understood the rights and responsibilities behind official ranks, the differences between civil officials and military generals, and the gulf between aristocrats and ordinary officials.
"The county magistrate is only a seventh-rank official, and I am now a fifth-rank official. I can handle such matters easily. You don't need to worry too much."