NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: chapter 8: offending the ministry…
(Small note: forgot that they didn't have the emperor title yet, not changing the previous chapters but will change this one )
A couple months have passed as Kai lei leisurely enjoyed his time in the capital city,is what Kai lei wished he could say, unfortunately Kai lei didn't have a second of time to lay down.
Over the course of the few months he had been to court multiple times, and every time he would unconsciously offend a minister or an official, Kai lei had unknowingly stepped on multiple interests of the officials.
In one such occasion he had asked her majesty the queen to set up a food bank and in exchange for food the people would work to build roads, walls etc.
Although in theory it would make the people have a better chance of integrating into the Han dynasty as a people, unfortunately Kai lei had stepped on a powerful minister's foot, the minister had a huge grasp of the grain stores and merchants within the capital and he made a pretty big profit from it, Kai lei thus made a big enemy who had a lot of power not just in the courtroom but the city as well..
Kai lei didn't know that and every trip to the courtroom he advocated for something whether it be a law that he heard about in his previous life or something else,but after saying a law he heard about,he regretted it as he clearly remembered that the laws were not suitable for the time period, but even if he only said one law he offended a small group of ministers and scholars.
They saw him as a hindrance and coupled with the fact that he also is engaged to the crown princess Mei hong ,they were even more unwilling to have a child of lowly birth take the position, considering that the husband of the crown princess will inherit the throne and become king.
So the people Kai lei offended tacitly began targeting him, when he entered the court they gave him no chance to speak and they started tossing accusations his way, they were small at first like: he ordered a banquet and didn't pay the chef's and servants wages, Kai lei had indeed ordered a banquet but he had paid for the meal..
unfortunately Kai lei was still too immature and he fell for the trap they laid, every time he defended himself and showed evidence of his innocence,the ministers and scholars would create more incriminating evidence against him.
The queen, lady Daiyu just watched and didn't even lift a finger to help him, only when the ministers tried to undermine her authority would she shut them down and defend Kai lei.
Kai lei knew that she couldn't do anything about the situation, he understood that she although strong barely held control over the courtroom, due to her being a woman she had to walk on eggshells with everything she did.
—
"Your majesty, I request your judgment!!" A minister cried out, his appearance was tattered and his eyes were red.
"Speak" lady Daiyu said looking at the minister, his clothes were slightly dirty and anyone who saw him would be surprised.
" your majesty!, I beg you to kill that beast!!" He shouted out in rage as he looked at Kai lei who was putting a piece of candy in his mouth.
Kai lei looked up in confusion before he could speak the minister continued.
"That child abused my precious daughter" the minister shouted wiping away the non existent tears from his face, the minister then recounted how his daughter had visited Kai lei's residence and then exited in a sorry state covered in bruises.
Lady Daiyu frowned and was about to speak when the minister spoke.
"My daughter, your majesty look at what he did to my daughter!" He said gesturing to a girl covered head to toe in bruises and tears, her dress was loose showing clearly how brutally beaten she had become.
Kai lei looked at the girl with question marks, he had met this girl for a cup of tea just yesterday and she was very kind and very nice, after a pleasant conversation she left her clothes and body were the same when she came and left completely untouched, but looking at her bruised body and tears his expression was very hard to identify...
Lady Daiyu looked at the situation and knew that she could not help him much, sighing inwardly she said in a indifferent voice.
"Kai lei, what do you say in defense?, if you don't say anything within one minute to defend your innocence then I take it you plead guilty." She said giving Kai lei the only leniency she could muster, the officials and scholars frowned slightly but quickly diverted their attention to the child as they knew she couldn't stop this..
Kai lei was utterly stunned but calmed down rather quickly, glancing around at the officials and ministers who looked at him with amused expressions he sighed and knew he fell straight into a trap, the others in the courtroom who didn't target Kai lei tacitly stayed away not daring to utter a word in defense of the young child.
" I ask your majesty's mercy" Kai lei said bowing, where nobody could see he clenched his teeth and a rage filled expression adorned his face for a moment before going back to normal.
Looking up he bowed down waiting for the judgement of her majesty the queen.
Lady Daiyu looked at Kai lei, then at the various officials and sighed inwardly.
"Very well, all of your properties will be confiscated and your possessions as well, you shall be given 30 military sticks and exiled from this dynasty forever" she waved her hands and a group of guards came in and grabbed him.
Kai lei sighed, he knew this was the only thing she could achieve in order to balance the royal authority and to help him, he glanced at the satisfied expressions of the various scholars and ministers in the courtroom and mouthed a thank you before he was dragged away.
—-
Kai limped out of the palace as his back and legs were bloodied from the military sticks he received, he walked passed his old residence as it was raided by the prefects and imperial guard, he watched as the few servants he had were dragged into the street and beaten away, the few guards he had were killed and their blood flowed out onto the floor.
He sighed and limped away, a official saw him and sneered beating a maid even more viciously as he shooed her away from the property.
Kai lei passed the orphanage and saw the children and teachers being shooed away, he looked as the guards took out piles of bamboo and other objects he had ordered for the children's education, the teachers had their silver he gave them taken as a guard snatched the bag and pushed them away, the teachers said nothing and quickly gathered the children and left.
Kai lei exited the city gates and walked towards a tree in the distance, he sat down and waited after a while the teachers and children along with the few servants he had walked his way, he said nothing and handed them each a bag of silver taels and pointed towards the Qin dynasty, they nodded and left after he spawned a few soldiers to guard them on their journey, they came out from behind a small hill and took their positions.
A child looked at Kai lei and imprinted him deeply in her mind before she left, Kai lei didn't notice this as he leaned against a tree deep in thought.
—-
"Haha, cheers" a minister said as he looked at the group gathered around, he took a sip as another person at the table spoke .
"Cheers indeed, did you know that child had 1,000 taels of gold in his treasury , it's ours now haha" the scholar said as he laughed out loud.
The minister almost choked on his drink as he quickly spoke, "what do you mean?".
The scholar then explained that a friend told him of the amount the child had in his treasury , the group of ministers looked at each other and one asked.
" what's the child's background, do any of you know" the scholar was oblivious to the faces of the ministers present and said.
"Yeah I know, he is a village boy, haha serves him right" the ministers looked at the scholar like he was a fool, how can a village boy have such wealth only ghosts would believe that, they looked at each other.
" it's too late for regrets" a minister in a blue brocade robe said rather casually , they all understood him.
"Yeah we know" the crowd said , the scholar looked at the group foolishly, the leader of the group signed.
"Ah scholar Fay, can you get me some more snacks" he said, the scholar quickly nodded and left.
"What a Fool" mumbled a minister, if one would look closely at him they would notice he was the minister who cried out for Kai lei's death, his appearance was nothing like his earlier self, he calmly drank some tea, not caring for his daughter at home who is covered in bruises.
"Enough, now about the child" the leader began but trailed off , the minister in blue quickly spoke.
"I will handle it, if only we investigated the matter properly" he said but didn't say the last part but mumbled in his heart.
The group left leaving the foolish scholar to pay the bill…
—-
Kai lei got up and putting on some new clothes from his inventory he walked back into the city after putting on some makeup to make him look slightly different, entering the city he approached the minister's residence who cried out for his death expressionlessly, after bribing a few of the guards with a few silver taels he entered the residence as they were looking intently at the bribe money.
He navigated through the residence as servants bustled about, he overheard the servants discussing about the ministers daughter, he understood that she was not treated well and that the family servants even knew who beaten her up and joked that they should have joined in, a few of the male servants even said that tonight they will have some fun with her.
Kai lei left noting the conversation in his mind, as he approached her quarters he made up his mind to take her with him when he leaves.
He didn't bother knocking on the door and entered ,shutting the door behind him.
"W-Who" a timid voice sounded out.
Kai lei looked towards the voice, he noticed instantly that she was naked but he wasn't embarrassed and looked at the various bruises and wounds on her body, she shrunk into the covers while a few tears poured out from her eyes.
" what are you doing here, D-Did my father send you?" She asked him.
" no, come with me And I shall give you freedom from your father" Kai lei said.
She was silent, Kai lei approached her and she shrunk back into the covers.
Kai lei patted her head softly and began to comfort her.
After some time she reluctantly agreed to go with him, smiling Kai lei asked her to get dressed and they silently left the residence..
After they exited the city Kai lei gave her a healing pill and gestured for her to eat, she said nothing and timidly ate it, after a while he heard her cry out in tears behind him, he just grabbed her hand and gently lead her towards the distance…