If that were the case, wouldn't anyone who wanted to ascend be able to?
I truly don't know how Li An could be so brainless.
"Does he really not care about the burial place of that mother and son?" Li An asked, unwilling to give up.
"His Majesty said that since they are gone, there's no point in fussing over useless matters. He wronged them, and he will explain himself to them after death," Xie Chen said.
Li An fell silent upon hearing this.
He looked somewhat pitiful.
But Xie Chen felt no sympathy for him.
What was there to sympathize about? He brought it upon himself.
"The charges were personally decided by His Majesty," Xie Chen added.
Li An hunched over, no longer speaking.
Xie Chen then went to see Gu Siya.
Unlike Li An, Gu Siya was very emotional. Especially after learning his charges, he shouted, demanding to see Gu Changwei.
"You have already been convicted," Xie Chen said expressionlessly.
Once convicted, one couldn't just see whomever they pleased.
"Didn't he go to beg His Majesty? I didn't do anything. Li An was the mastermind, and Qin Tingxue is fine now! Why am I being convicted? I am the son of the Duke's mansion!" Gu Siya shouted recklessly.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. Gu Changwei is no longer the Duke, so you are naturally not the son of the Duke's mansion. As for why you were convicted, Gu Siya, you are a scholar after all, well-versed in the laws of our Great Feng. Don't you know why?"
"It's fortunate that Tingxue is alright now. If something had happened to her, do you think you would have gotten away with just these charges?" Xie Chen retorted.
If anything had happened to Tingxue, he would have killed Gu Siya, no matter the cost.
Gu Siya's face was filled with disbelief. How could the Duke's mansion no longer be the Duke's mansion? What was the point of everything he had done?
"It's Gu Sinian, isn't it? Gu Sinian acted like he didn't care when he left, but he did care in his heart, right? That's why he used all sorts of means, wasn't it? I knew he was a despicable person!"
Gu Siya was somewhat frantic.
In this state, he did look rather pathetic.
"I was wrong, I know I was wrong," Gu Siya said, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Master Xie, please help me, let me see my father!"
Gu Siya pleaded with Xie Chen again.
Xie Chen remained unmoved. "If Gu Changwei wants to see you, he will come to see you himself."
"Does he not want to bother with me anymore?"
"I apologize to Madam Qin, I apologize to Gu Sinian. I was wrong, and I will never dare to do it again."
"I don't want to leave the capital!"
The once admired elegant young master now resembled a pathetic, wretched insect.
"It's just leaving the capital. At least you're still alive, and it's only for three years," Xie Chen said. "Endure it, and it will pass."
"If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"
Was Gu Siya truly remorseful?
Not necessarily.
A person like him would never admit he was wrong.
His current act was merely to gain sympathy and achieve his goals.
"You should just stay put," Xie Chen said.
Gu Siya suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "I won't."
As soon as he spoke, Gu Siya lunged outwards.
His speed caught Xie Chen completely off guard.
Fortunately, his martial arts were decent, and there were yamen runners guarding outside. Gu Siya couldn't break out.
Moreover, Gu Siya was just rushing out with sheer force, lacking aim, and his forehead slammed directly into the cell door.
Instantly, a patch of crimson appeared.
"You all saw it, he hit himself. It wasn't me who attacked him!" Xie Chen said slowly, glancing at the on-duty yamen runners.