His followers were not so lucky. After their cris were verified, they were all subjected to palace punishnt, demoted to slave status, and exiled to Lingbei, never to leave for the rest of their lives.
For n, palace punishnt is a sentence more painful than death itself. The physical agony is secondary; the ntal tornt and humiliation of character have driven many to breakdown. On the day of execution, so even went mad before the knife could fall.
During the investigation, it turned out that the Empress Dowager’s parents’ house was also involved with Nangong Shi. Upon seeing the letters the Duke of England wrote to Nangong Shi, Nangong Yi flew into a rage and imdiately issued an order to strip the Duke of his title, imprison his entire family in Heavenly Prison, and, after administering palace punishnt, exiled them to Lingbei as slaves.
The Empress Dowager is particularly protective; hearing that Nangong Yi intended to castrate all the n of her Ji family, she imdiately took off her hairpin and prepared to accept punishnt, running to beg Nangong Yi desperately. Nangong Yi, who already detested her, knew that the Duke of England’s boldness in contacting Nangong Shi was likely not without her involvent, but she was just lucky enough not to leave any solid evidence.
Therefore, Nangong Yi rcilessly refused her and sent her back to her palace. Seeing her pleas fruitless, the Empress Dowager, in desperation, ran to Qixia Palace, shouting like a shrew, forcing the Retired Emperor to issue an edict to pardon her family.
The Retired Emperor, disturbed by his mother’s commotion and unable to continue his quiet life, had no choice but to send a ssage to Nangong Yi, instructing him to pardon the cris of the Ji family.
However, seeing himself as soone beyond worldly affairs, the Retired Emperor would not interfere too much in court matters. He rely stated to pardon the Ji family’s cris and nothing more.
Nangong Yi had no choice but to comply with his father’s order and pardoned the palace punishnt for the Ji family n, but he confiscated all their family properties and expelled the entire family from the capital. As for how they would survive, that was their concern.
During this ti, Cai Lian ran to Mu Mansion more than once to plead and hoped to et Cai Wei through Mu Mansion to request her help.
However, Cai Wei had been busy with talent selection activities over the past month, had no ti to return to her parents’ ho, and naturally did not et Cai Lian. Without an imperial token, Cai Lian had no right to send a visiting card to et Cai Wei in the palace.
Thus, with tears in her eyes, she begged Madam Mu, Lady Du, to send a visiting card on her behalf to speak favorably for her family in front of Cai Wei and to have the Emperor pardon them. She wanted her father-in-law to remain as the Duke of England, her man as the heir to the Duke...
Although Lady Du was kind-hearted, she was not naive. Cai Lian’s in-laws had committed the grave cri of rebellion. That she did not avoid Cai Lian was already rciful enough; how could she use the Emperor’s favoritism towards her own daughter to plead for a traitor?
Moreover, this family was not worth pleading for.
Therefore, she firmly rejected Cai Lian’s request but agreed, if Cai Lian wished to divorce Ji Wanfu, she would personally appeal to Cai Wei to help.
Surprisingly, Cai Lian disagreed. Tearfully she said, "Auntie, I did not heed advice in the past and insisted on marrying into an official family. Cai Wei has already despised . Now that their family has fallen into hardship, if I run to request a divorce, Cai Wei will think even less of . Moreover, as the ancient saying goes, ’Marry a chicken, follow a chicken; marry a dog, follow a dog.’ Since I’ve married him, in life, I’m his person; in death, his ghost. I have no other thoughts."
Seeing her so stubborn and unwilling to heed advice, Lady Du could only let her be.
Cai Lian, having failed to get help from Mu Mansion, had no choice but return ho tearfully.
The property of the Duke of England was taken back by the court the day his cris were determined. All his assets, family servants, and even the various concubines and courtesans in Ji Wanfu’s courtyard were confiscated into the Broker House. The large Ji family was torn apart, and in the end, only Mr. and Mrs. Ji and Mr. and Mrs. Ji Wanfu, four people without a place to stay, could only temporarily move to Cai Lian’s parents’ ho.
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