Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 733 - 673: A Momentary Slip-up? Let It Go!

Chapter 733: Chapter 673: A Momentary Slip-up? Let It Go!

"What!?"

Emperor Kaihuang was discussing affairs with the ministers when he heard the news that Zhang San had committed murder.

Emperor Kaihuang frowned, sometimes he truly found it hard to comprehend Pharaoh’s line of thought.

How could you take such a person as your close disciple?

"Who is the victim?" Emperor Kaihuang asked, feigning great concern.

After all, Emperor Kaihuang knew that although Zhang San sometimes acted a bit excessively, he still knew his limits.

"Reporting to Emperor Kaihuang, Zhang San killed the Imperial Son-in-law."

"What!?"

At that moment, Emperor Kaihuang could barely contain himself.

It’s one thing to kill someone else’s people, but why would you lay hands on a son-in-law?

The anger of Emperor Kaihuang ignited instantly.

Just as Emperor Kaihuang was about to press for more details, the reporter said, "The Imperial Son-in-law who died is Xin Daoyin."

"Xin... oh... him."

The several Confucian ministers standing by, upon hearing the troublesome news about Zhang San, were overjoyed.

But the tone and attitude of Emperor Kaihuang suggested that he didn’t seem very angry about it.

In fact, Emperor Kaihuang had never really approved of Xin Daoyin.

But who could do anything when his deceased daughter had liked that man?

Otherwise, with Xin Daoyin’s abilities, how could he have become an Imperial Son-in-law?

The son-in-laws of Emperor Kaihuang, if not outstanding like Wang Junwu, still had to be somewhat comparable.

"Send someone to call Zhang San over, I would like to ask him what this is all about," Emperor Kaihuang commanded.

At this point, everyone could tell from Emperor Kaihuang’s tone that though he indeed intended to deal with Zhang San, he likely wouldn’t be too harsh.

But it had to be said that this was an opportunity.

If they could use this chance to suppress Zhang San thoroughly, the Confucians could not only regain control over the Imperial College but potentially cause significant damage to the Legalists.

Thus, the eyes of several Confucian ministers met, and they all started plotting in their minds how to set up Zhang San.

Soon, Zhang San was brought into the Imperial Palace.

"Your humble servant Zhang San, pays his respects to Emperor Kaihuang."

"Hmph! Zhang San, you’ve grown bold! You even dare to kill my Imperial Son-in-law!"

Zhang San immediately clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this is all a misunderstanding!"

Emperor Kaihuang was taken aback and asked in return, "Wasn’t he killed by you?"

Zhang San continued, "Your Majesty is wise, today there was a polo match organized by the Grand Preceptor, Ren Buqun, who personally signed and approved it at the Imperial College, and I was there as a teacher for Law Class A to compete with everyone else. Then Xin Daoyin, the Imperial Son-in-law, also joined the game."

"This was the first time I played polo, and I saw Imperial Son-in-law Xin Daoyin hitting others with the polo mallet, so I thought this behavior was allowed. Then, while I was competing for the polo ball, he suddenly stuck his head over, and I had already swung my mallet which could not be withdrawn!"

"Then Imperial Son-in-law Xin Daoyin’s head came off. There was nothing I could do about it! He insisted on sticking his head under my polo mallet. If you don’t believe me, send someone to ask; everyone present at the scene can testify that he actively stuck his head over, and it certainly wasn’t deliberate on my part."

Zhang San, having killed an Imperial Son-in-law in front of everyone, didn’t believe that anywhere in the Capital there was a family with a neck stiffer than that of the Wang Family.

The Wang Family had already capitulated to the Town Martial Office, they wouldn’t dare to contradict what he said about Xin Daoyin.

Emperor Kaihuang gave an "oh," nodded, and said, "Since it was an unintentional act, let’s let bygones be bygones."

The Confucian ministers by his side were stunned upon hearing this.

This was murder!

This was damn murder!

When the sons of us Confucian ministers accidentally knock someone to death while riding a horse, the Legalists are relentless.

Now, their Young Master has publicly killed an Imperial Son-in-law, and just like that, it’s settled?

"Emperor Kaihuang! This is a matter of life and death, you can’t just let this go!"

One of the old Confucian ministers couldn’t help but stand up, kneel on the ground, and speak with clasped hands.

Emperor Kaihuang pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, "You make a good point. Well then... Zhang San, go to the Princess’s Mansion and apologize to the princess. Beg for forgiveness from the family of the victim."[注124]

"Yes."

Zhang San finished speaking and turned to leave.

Seeing Zhang San’s departing figure, the Confucian elder kneeling on the ground was dumbfounded.

His eldest son had been executed for embezzlement.

His second son’s son had killed someone in a horse-riding accident, and then the grandson was executed, leading to the second son’s death from excessive grief.

Now, he only had one youngest son left, and it was because of the laws of the Great Sui that Zhang San could kill someone and get off scot-free?

"Emperor Kaihuang! Zhang San has killed someone, are we really going to let him go just like that?"

Emperor Kaihuang glanced at the elder kneeling on the ground and asked, "I have lost a son-in-law and am grieving as well! Moreover, he was the Imperial Son-in-law, and the one who is most heartbroken is certainly the princess. If we don’t let Zhang San deal with this matter, are you going to handle it yourself?"

"On top of that, I remember you have a youngest son, who is only thirty years old now. How about letting him take the role of Imperial Son-in-law? As long as any one of your sons can serve as the Imperial Son-in-law for the princess, then I will listen to you and let you deal with Zhang San, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, not a single Confucian minister made a sound.

They could sacrifice the interests of others to uphold justice,

but sacrificing their own interests was out of the question.

After leaving the Imperial Palace, Zhang San went straight to the Town Martial Office to meet up with Xu and headed to the Princess’s Mansion.

After all, it wasn’t proper for a man on his own to go to the Princess’s Mansion.

So it felt safer to have Xu accompany him.

When they knocked on the door and entered the Princess’s Mansion, Zhang San immediately sensed a chilly aura permeating throughout the estate.

The servants and maids inside the estate all seemed to be in poor spirits.

Clearly, living with a ghost for an extended period had inevitably taken its toll on these ordinary people.

At that moment, a voice filled with resentment and malice came from within the estate.

"Who killed my Imperial Son-in-law? Was it you? Was it you?"

"Do you know he was the apple of my eye? You damned [beep—][beep—][beep—], all eight generations of your ancestors are [beep—][beep—]..."

Zhang San frowned as he listened to the howling wind from afar and the obscenities carried by that wind, which were fouler than foul smells.

Zhang San had never heard so many obscenities from a woman’s mouth before.

Especially from a princess.

Who would have thought that the mouth of a princess of the Great Sui would be dirtier than a latrine?

Soon, the ghostly wind reached a spot not far in front of Zhang San and settled on the ground.

The Ghost Princess cast a gloomy glance at Zhang San, was about to continue her cursing, but upon seeing Zhang San’s face, she momentarily paused.

"You’re the one who killed my Imperial Son-in-law? Since that’s the case... then get up and be my Imperial Son-in-law!"

Zhang San’s brow furrowed, and he glanced at Xu.

Understanding, Xu threw out a Talisman, which promptly sealed the Ghost Princess’s mouth.

"I paid a visit here just to give face to Emperor Kaihuang."

"You didn’t really think I came here to apologize to you, did you?"

The Ghost Princess, having seen Zhang San’s handsome face, had her anger transformed into a different kind of passion, waiting for Zhang San to come and quench it.

But to her utter disbelief, Zhang San showed her no respect at all.

After all, she was a princess, a princess of the Great Sui!

Just as the princess tried to tear off the Talisman that seemed glued to her mouth, she suddenly heard a shrill and unctuous voice outside the Princess’s Mansion.

"Empress Dugu is gravely ill, the Marquis Beyond the Law is requested to visit the Imperial Palace immediately."

Upon hearing this, Zhang San’s brow wrinkled.

He cast another glance at the Ghost Princess, then, signalling Xu with a look, both of them left the Princess’s Mansion.

Xu also removed the Talisman from the princess’s mouth before they exited the mansion.

Hearing her mother, the Empress, was seriously ill, the Ghost Princess wished to rush out of the mansion as well, but as her body touched the mansion’s gate, she was spread out flat upon the ground.

The living and the dead follow different paths, existing in separate realms.

She knew that even if her mother passed away, she wouldn’t be able to go to the Imperial Palace to see her off on her last journey.

She could only wait silently, forever, within the Princess’s Mansion, like in a coffin.