Chapter 898: Taming the Bird (4)
Mo Yan gave her a sidelong glance, making it clear she didn’t believe her, "With that excuse, the Countess certainly wouldn’t let you go."
Caught out, Liu Tinglan stuck out her tongue, finally unable to restrain herself, and revealed the real reason, "The Government held a public trial for the Du Family. The father and sons of the Du Family were sentenced to fifteen years in prison for the crime of lèse-majesté, and from now on, they’ll never be able to trouble my family again."
As for the weak and elderly women of the Du Family, since they did not directly participate in the conspiracy against Princess Hejia, Jingzhao Yin let them off lightly, each receiving three strikes as a warning before being released in court. No matter how much they cried and shouted, insisting on vindicating the men of the Du Family and trying to get them out, no one paid them any mind.
Even though Mo Yan did not interfere or specifically ask Jingzhao Yin to impose a severe punishment, in reality, the crime of lèse-majesté could be big or small, usually ranging from five to several dozen years. If they had offended some powerful figure, being killed was also not out of the question.
Although Mo Yan loathed the Du Family, what they did was not deserving of death. She badly wounded the father and sons of the Du Family, avenging the Liu Family. As for the fifteen years of prison, it was a verdict according to the law by Jingzhao Yin. Whether there was a heavier sentence or not, Mo Yan had no idea.
Before the trial, as to how the weak and elderly women of the Du Family were to be dealt with, Jingzhao Yin had indeed sent someone to discuss it with Mo Yan. She would not lay hands on the elderly and children, and if they too were sentenced to fifteen years, that would be somewhat excessive, so she simply said, "I will not pursue the matter."
Without the few thugs from the Du Family stirring up trouble, the frail women of the Du Family wouldn’t dare to make a mess at the Liu Family home. A minor punishment as a serious warning was the best outcome. As for Du Wencai, Mo Yan had no intention of letting him off.
If it hadn’t been for her intervention, Du Wencai would have passed the Jin Shi exam and had a smooth official career. Once such a villain gained power, he would not let go of those who had offended him. Not to mention the revenge Liu Family would face for breaking off the engagement, even she might become a target—better to strike first than wait to be bitten by a snake and then kill it.