I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Shen Hanqiu's expression changed, and she quickly walked up to him.

"What exactly happened?"

The manager took a few breaths and recounted the whole story from beginning to end.

Three months ago, Cao Yuan, the magistrate of Yongning County, killed someone while drunk and was reported to the Ministry of Justice.

According to the laws of the Great Yong Dynasty, Cao Yuan should at least be sentenced to exile.

However, this morning, Li Zhenyuan, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, suddenly summoned Shen Yilei and ordered him to change the sentence to a fine to atone for his crime, thus closing the case.

Shen Yilei refused.

In front of more than a dozen officials from the Ministry of Justice, Li Zhenyuan threw the case file in his face.

"Li Zhenyuan also said that the Cao family were the Second Prince's people."

The steward wiped the sweat from his brow. "He told the master not to use the law to oppress people, and said that Young Master Cao was riding a fine steed, while the old charcoal seller's life was worthless, not even worth the horseshoes of that horse."

"The master instructed him to write this sentence into the case file and to take the file to His Majesty."

Li Zhenyuan scolded the master for being ungrateful, saying that the Shen family used to be unable to even get close to the Ninth Prince's residence, and now they have only managed to become relatives of the emperor by marrying a widow.

"After hearing this, the master threw a punch, and that's how the fight started."

Shen Hanqiu turned around and grabbed Lu Yuan's sleeve.

"Your Highness, please save my father."

"Li Zhenyuan has the Second Prince behind him. If he makes a big fuss, my father will definitely be accused of assaulting an official."

She was always dignified and composed, but now she was using more and more force in her hands.

Lu Yuan raised his hand to support her shoulder, comforting her, "If my father-in-law stands up for an old charcoal seller, and I allow him to suffer because of this, what kind of Crown Prince will I be tomorrow?"

"Don't worry, your father-in-law and the others will be fine, and he won't lose his official position."

Shen Hanqiu's eyes reddened, and she quickly bowed.

"Your Highness, I thank you."

Lu Yuan held her hand, preventing her from bowing down.

"Wait here for news."

"Yu Ling, Ru Yan, take good care of her."

Su Yuling immediately followed.

"I'll go with you."

"Need not."

You still have injuries.

Su Yuling hung the longsword back at her waist. "The assassin from last night hasn't been identified yet, so I can't let you leave the manor alone."

Lu Yuan pointed to the Imperial Guards stationed outside the mansion gate.

"There are a hundred Imperial Guards guarding it."

"If the Imperial Guards were truly effective, you wouldn't have been assassinated last night, and Commander He wouldn't have been shot by an arrow today."

"This time we're going to the Ministry of Justice, not some back alley."

Lu Yuan took the sword from her hand and put it back on the table. "If you go there and see that group of people attacking your father-in-law, you will most likely draw your sword."

"It's not important that the people in the Ministry of Justice got beaten up; what's troublesome is that it delays tomorrow's investiture of the crown prince."

Su Yuling glared at him.

"I can endure it."

"You just heard Li Zhenyuan say that the Shen family relied on a widow to climb the social ladder, and his hand is already on the hilt of his sword."

"He deserves to die."

"So you have to stay."

Before Su Yuling could speak, Shen Hanqiu grabbed her.

"Sister, His Highness has his own plans."

Liu Ruyan also walked to the other side.

"Officials from the Ministry of Justice dared to besiege members of the imperial family, and they won't stop just because there's another princess consort."

"If Your Highness goes with the Imperial Guards, it will be more effective than if you bring your sword."

Su Yuling glanced at them and then looked at Lu Yuan.

"One hour."

"If you don't return in an hour, I will personally go to the Ministry of Justice to find you."

"OK."

Lu Yuan turned around and walked towards the gate of the mansion.

"lead the way!"

The Shen family's steward immediately followed.

The imperial guards outside the mansion had already brought in horses.

After mounting his horse, Lu Yuan ordered twenty imperial guards to follow him.

The captain stepped forward and said to His Highness, "Should Your Highness send someone to inform the Minister of Justice first?"

"By the time he received the message, the fight was already over."

"Let's go there first and talk about it later!"

The captain bowed and accepted the order.

So more than twenty people rode their horses toward the Ministry of Justice.

……

The Eastern Courtyard of the Ministry of Justice was in complete chaos.

Two tables were overturned, and case files were scattered all over the floor.

Shen Yilei's official hat was nowhere to be found, and the left side of his clothes was torn.

He held Li Zhenyuan in his arms and slammed him against a pillar.

Li Zhenyuan had taken several punches to the face, and blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he still held tightly to Shen Yilei's hair.

"You, surnamed Shen, dare to strike your superior?"

"I'm going to beat you up!"

Shen Yilei punched him in the stomach. "You dare to use money to sell stolen goods even after a murder? You're not wearing an official robe, you're wearing the Cao family's dog skin."

Li Zhenyuan bent down and kicked Shen Yilei.

Shen Yilei dodged to the side and casually stuffed the case file into his arms.

Ma Yuanqing rushed between the two men and hugged Li Zhenyuan tightly.

"Stop hitting him!"

He tried to persuade him verbally, but his arms wrapped tightly around Li Zhenyuan's lower back.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shen Yilei freed one arm and slapped Li Zhenyuan across the face.

Li Zhenyuan couldn't dodge in time and took a punch to the side of his face, his back hitting the corner of the table.

Ma Yuanqing continued to pull Li Zhenyuan along.

"Lord Li, please calm down!"

Li Zhenyuan raised his foot and kicked.

"I'll get my revenge on you!"

The kick missed Shen Yilei, but instead caused Ma Yuanqing to stumble forward a few steps.

The dozen or so officials from the Ministry of Justice around them retreated one after another. Some helped up the chairs, some took away the case files, and some stood by the door to watch the commotion.

Li Zhenyuan rubbed his face and pointed at Ma Yuanqing.

"Hey, you surnamed Ma, stop pretending to be a good guy!"

"You say you're trying to break up fights, but why do you always only stop my punches and not his kicks?"

Ma Yuanqing was reinstated as an official.

"I have stopped them from both sides."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Li Zhenyuan picked up an inkstone. "Just now, when Shen Yilei was hitting me, you were still holding onto my waist!"

Li Zhenyuan pushed Ma Yuanqing aside and picked up a wooden ruler.

"What are you all standing there for?"

"Shen Yilei committed insubordination, assaulted his superior, and even attempted to steal the case files!"

"Take it down!"

The officials looked at each other but did not step forward immediately.

One of the officials whispered a word of advice: "Lord Wu, Lord Shen's daughter is, after all, the Ninth Prince's concubine."

"If this matter reaches His Highness the Ninth Prince, it will be difficult for everyone to explain."

Li Zhenyuan threw the wooden ruler at his feet.

"What can the Ninth Prince do?"

He pointed at Shen Yilei, "Whoever helps me capture him today will be the Second Prince's man from now on."

"Anyone who dares to retreat is defying the Second Prince!"

"You'd better think this through."

The expressions of the officials standing by the door changed.

Although His Majesty currently favors the Ninth Prince more.

However, the second prince's maternal family is more powerful, giving him a higher chance of becoming the crown prince.

If one can curry favor with the Second Prince, one will surely be promoted and granted a title in the future.

Thinking of this, everyone looked at Shen Yilei with burning eyes.

Anyone who didn't know better would think they were going to devour him alive.

"Lord Shen, hand over the case file."

"You have already injured Physician Wu, don't make another mistake."

Shen Yilei tucked the case file into his arms and grabbed a chair to shield himself.

"What do you want to do?"

Two men blocked the door, and three other officials surrounded it from the side.

"Lord Shen, I apologize for my offense."

"We are only following orders from our superiors."

"Hand over the case file, and we might plead for you."

When Shen Yilei saw seven or eight people surrounding him, he panicked.

Li Zhenyuan is one of them; he can still manage to hit him a few times.

But now he has no close colleagues around him. With so many people attacking him, even if Ma Yuanqing helps him, he's bound to have a few bones broken today.

He instinctively lifted the chair, and although he was panicking, he didn't admit defeat.

"Hey Li, seven or eight of you ganged up on me, have you no shame?"

Li Zhenyuan clutched his stomach and then pointed to his head.

"Give it to me first!"

Everyone rushed towards Shen Yilei at the same time.

Just as the hands of the two people at the front were about to touch the chairs, a figure swiftly entered the east courtyard.

"Stop it, all of you!"