The Empire will continue to win

Shen Lian hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth: "Brother Mo Qing has just been transferred to another prison and is now being held in a prison directly under the Ministry of the Army. I have inquired and it is said that he was ordered by the two empress dowagers that deserters would not be pardoned and that he was handed over to the Ministry of the Army for secret trial. He may very well be sentenced to death."

Thump~

Wang fainted.

The old lady also fainted.

An imperial case?!

Getting involved in the imperial case not only means losing your grandson, but your entire family will also be doomed.

The emperor's authority was so absolute and terrifying.

With red eyes, Shen She clutched his son's sleeve, stammering, "What...what did that bastard Shen Moqing do? Did he betray his country?"

"Father, Mo Qing is just a naval officer cadet. What kind of country could he possibly sell out?"

"What happened?"

"I also find it strange. So what if he deserted in the face of battle? Does the country fall just because he, a mere cadet, ran away?" The dissolute young master Shen Lian had some terrifying suspicions, but dared not voice them.

.........

The next morning.

A light rain was falling.

Shen Zheng, who hadn't slept all night, had bloodshot eyes. He thought he should try to get around a bit more, and if all else failed, at least the father and son should meet.

I just went out.

He then saw his yet-to-be-married daughter-in-law standing at the door, holding an oil-paper umbrella.

"Greetings, Father." Du Yulan bowed in greeting.

"Miss Lan, Mo... Mo Qing is probably not coming back. You... you should marry someone else. Tell your father that our marriage agreement is null and void, and the betrothal gifts need not be returned." Shen Zheng's face was ashen.

"Father~"

Tears streamed down the girl's face.

Shen Zheng sighed, climbed into the carriage, and left.

Half an hour later, Du Yulan stamped her foot, as if she had made up her mind, and disappeared into the misty alleyway with her umbrella.

.........

South City.

A simple courtyard house.

"Father, I have thought it over. Since we are engaged, we are already husband and wife. If my husband dies, I wish to remain chaste for the rest of my life and serve my parents-in-law."

"Alright, it's not in vain that your father taught you virtues from a young age. Lan'er, go now, go."

"Father, please forgive your unfilial daughter." Du Yulan knelt down and kowtowed.

Du Fengzhi turned his back, tears streaming down his face.

Indeed, Shen Moqing's father-in-law was Du Fengzhi, an active participant in the feudal imperial examinations, a staunch practitioner of Confucian and Mencian thought, who passed the imperial examinations at the age of 40, became an official at the age of 50, worked as a 996-working-work county magistrate, and was also a diary enthusiast.

Du Fu left behind a 400 million-word diary of his official career, which shines brightly in the field of history.

At that time, however, he was still a poor, struggling scholar who had come to Beijing to pursue his studies.

There is no distinction between rich and poor when it comes to those who migrate to Beijing.

Even those who had passed the imperial examinations were suffering in the dust and wind of the capital, waiting for the Ministry of Personnel to select candidates, a wait that lasted for ten years.

It's all for a job.

In the past 10 years, Du Fengzhi's wife died of illness, his father died of illness, one of his daughters died young, and one of his sons worked odd jobs.

Left with no other choice, Du Juren had to swallow his pride and work as a private tutor for wealthy families in the capital to earn a living, and he even betrothed his daughter to the Shen family.

No matter how down on their luck the Shen family is, they are still natives of the capital.

Although Du Fengzhi was a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level), he was still considered an outsider.

Alive.

difficult.

A migrant worker in Beijing.

Harder.

A migrant worker in Beijing dreams of becoming an official.

It's especially difficult.

It has always been this way, it has always been this way~

Frankly speaking, in a United Empire where morality was declining, only a staunch feudalist like Du Fengzhi could educate a girl like Du Yulan who so steadfastly upheld the four virtues.

.........

Army Ministry-affiliated prisons.

The entrance was heavily guarded.

This place has historically been used to detain officers and soldiers of all ranks who violated military regulations. Depending on the severity of their crimes, they were either sent to a military court, dismissed from their posts and sent back to their hometowns, or imprisoned and flogged.

Occasionally, they also imprisoned prisoners designated by the imperial court.

From its inception, the United Empire implemented a system of separate land and sea forces.

The army and navy have vastly different systems and recruits, so they are clearly distinct and rarely overlap. Even when they cooperate in operations, they never issue unified commands.

Divide and conquer is a deliberate act by the central government.

at this time.

A simply dressed woman arrived at the prison gate.

"What are you doing? Get away from here!" the sentry shouted sternly.

"Sir, my fiancé is being held in prison. I wish to go in and visit him." Du Yulan said, bowing slightly but not humbly.

"What's your man's name?" The sentry softened his tone when he saw how polite the woman was.

"Shen Moqing".

hiss~

Shen Moqing was the first naval officer imprisoned here; his name was legendary.

"Miss, I'm sorry, but Shen is a wanted criminal and no one is allowed to visit him. Please go back." The sentry's attitude was quite amiable.

Du Yulan's tears flowed again, and after a while, she left sadly.

Gazing at her slender back.

The sentry couldn't help but mutter to his comrade on guard duty, "If only I could marry a woman of such virtue and loyalty. The young women the matchmakers introduced me to are all greedy and promiscuous; I really wouldn't dare marry them."

"How about you marry a woman from Dongsang?"

The sentry fell silent.

In the southern part of the city, there is a "Dongsang Bride" agency.

The shopkeeper was an old woman from the Kumamoto region of Kyushu Island in the eastern part of the country. She had lived in the capital for at least thirty years and made a living this way after her husband died.

For just 20 silver dollars, you can be introduced to a Japanese girl under the age of 14, guaranteed to be virtuous, obedient, and a virgin.

If the person runs away, the agency will compensate a new person.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

There have never been any instances of mismatched goods, elopements, or moral failings. The agency's signboard is harder than a damn bluestone slab!

As a result, a deep impression was left in the minds of the people of Zhili—that the women from good families in Dongsang were not bad.

Why emphasize "good family"?

That's because as early as 60 years ago, a large number of women from Dongsang migrated westward, and many of them worked in brothels and theaters, earning dirty money.

After making money, I sent it all back to China.

Over time, this left a bad impression on the people of the empire—that women from Dongsang were all engaged in that kind of work.

And then~

With the help of that old woman, a large number of "Yamato Nadeshiko" landed at Dagu Port and married into ordinary families in Zhili. From then on, they devoted themselves to their husbands and children, working hard and virtuously.

Ordinary people prioritize practical benefits in their daily lives.

Therefore, Dong Sang Hua Jia (a type of wedding dress) is becoming more and more common.

.........

One hour later.

The entrance to the army prison.

"Girl, it's you again?"

"Please pass on a message, sir: Du Yulan, the fiancée of the convicted official Shen Moqing and the daughter of the scholar Du Fengzhi, is willing to enter prison to marry him."

At this moment, Du Yulan was dressed in white mourning clothes, with a white cloth wrapped around her head, wearing mourning clothes and hemp shoes, and her expression was resolute.

"Girl, you wait, you wait."

The sentry took a deep breath and hurried inside.

"Allowing the wife to stay in prison" – This refers to allowing the wife of a death row inmate to stay with him in prison for one night before his execution. It first appeared in the Han Dynasty and is a little-known system of ancient Chinese law and penal law.

Should the law be subject to human considerations?

It has always been quite controversial.

This is perhaps a question that will never have a correct answer, and the debate will continue until humanity's extinction.

Should Du Yulan be allowed to go to jail?

The warden dared not make the decision on his own and immediately reported it to Sheng Bao, the military governor of Zhili.

Sheng Bao, who knew the inside story of the "great victory," didn't want to cause any more trouble, so he simply passed the buck to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Rites, and the Prince Gong's Mansion.

The Prince Gong's Mansion remained silent.

The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Rites, kept in the dark, unanimously agreed that it should be approved! Not only should it be approved, but it should also be widely publicized after the formal execution of Shen!

To allow one's wife to go to jail—that is benevolent governance.

What an outstanding achievement!