Chapter 679 - 678 Punishment
"My lord, this must not be done! The prince commits a crime, he faces the same punishment as the commoners! Since Wang Yongan has been involved in this case, regardless of whether he has just dipped his toes in or is deeply entangled, he must face the punishment he deserves! I have no ties with him, and my father-in-law’s family has already cut off relations with Wang Yongan. Moreover, my lord, you are carrying out your duties by imperial edict this time, and who knows how many eyes are watching you, you must not make any mistakes!"
"Although I am but a Scholar, I know the values of loyalty, propriety, integrity, and shame, and I would certainly not trouble my lord for someone like Wang Yongan, a disgrace to the scholarly class! Please rest assured, my lord!"
Song Chongjin hurriedly made clear his stance, that he would not seek to repay a favor with favoritism, and things should proceed as they should, right?
He was also clever not to demand that Zhu Haoran punish Wang Yongan severely, adopting an attitude of impartiality.
Sure enough, Zhu Haoran became even more satisfied.
Over the past few days, he had not only dispatched people to suppress the illegal mines and rescued the miners, but he had also sent people to investigate Song Chongjin’s background.
The ties between Song Chongjin and the Wang Family were laid out on his desk yesterday.
His questioning this morning was not idle chatter, but a test.
If Song Chongjin had concealed his origins, Zhu Haoran’s attitude at this moment might not be as accommodating.
Pleased with what he saw in Song Chongjin, the young man was full of youthful vigor, and seen from the side, bore a strong resemblance to Duke Weiguo, recalling Duke Weiguo’s ambiguous stance, where was there anything for Zhu Haoran not to understand.
In looking at Song Chongjin, there was now a trace of sympathy in his eyes, for he too was a scion of Duke Weiguo, while others from the Capital City lived in opulence.