Kill My Sins Episode 23 Recap
> Kill My Sins Recap
The news of the reopening of the Censor’s case and the joint inquiry spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital. In the courtroom, Hai Yiping went into great detail about the truth of the Censor’s case. Back then, Du Liang had been unwilling to remain as a county magistrate in Tongquan County. He aspired to be promoted to the capital.
In order to bribe officials, he teamed up with the legal advisor Zheng Yuan and Qi Junshan to abduct women, imprison them in an abandoned mansion, and turn his private home into a place of indulgence. The tradition of recommending officials had long existed in the court, intended to recommend virtuous people. However, some had exploited this system for personal gain. These individuals came to Tongquan County not only for the women but also to buy and sell official positions.
Hai Yiping’s visit to Tongquan County was not for women. At the time, he served as the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Through his duties, he got to know Du Liang and discovered that Du Liang was tampering with the accounts. He reprimanded him, telling him he was tempting fate. Du Liang intentionally kept him overnight, where he witnessed other officials mistreating innocent women. In front of those officials, Du Liang even bribed him.
Hai Yiping had no choice but to keep quiet about the incident. Yu Qian was an unexpected player. Despite knowing the depths of the situation, Yu Qian was determined to rescue those poor women and bring Du Liang and his associates to justice. But doing so would also expose Hai Yiping’s bribery, so Hai Yiping betrayed his friend Yu Qian.
He used the books and paintings Yu Qian had once given him to forge a silencing letter and delivered it to Du Liang. As for Li Zongxu in Tongquan County, besides indulging in his sadistic desires for women, he bribed and bought high-ranking officials, gaining the right to transfer official salt in the capital.
Ye Ping'an also accused Li Zongxu of abusing his power to manipulate the salt trade, raising the price of salt in the capital to a point where it cost more than meat. The Minister of Justice, Zhang Quan, reminded Guo Yi that the Empress had instructed them to investigate the Censor’s case, not the price of salt in the capital.
Wu Ankang entered the courtroom, pointing out that Li Zongxu had colluded with the transport officials to disrupt the salt and grain trade, leading to the Siege of Jinyuan, where countless soldiers were trapped in the city, resulting in a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood. Wu Ankang also uncovered that three individuals, all recommended by Hai Yiping, had been involved in corruption.
Yuan Shaocheng ordered Hai Yiping to provide a list of those who had bribed him, leaving no one out. The issue of selling official positions had existed for a long time, and factional struggles had been going on for years. Yuan Shaocheng, like Zhang Quan, believed that it was better to let the Empress decide on the matter, rather than causing further turmoil. Yuan Shaocheng visited Hai Yiping in prison. The two had differing opinions on supporting the poor.
Hai Yiping believed that supporting the poor could result in them becoming the next powerful elites once they became wealthy, and that besides the prominent families like the Li, Wu, and Wang, there would be others like the Sun, Yang, and Zhao families. Yuan Shaocheng, however, firmly believed that even if it was only for ten years of peace, he would protect those ten years.
In the end, the Censor’s case was cleared, Yu Qian’s name was vindicated, and the Empress used this opportunity to implement a new system of selecting virtuous officials. In Yangzhou, Ni Chang heard that the Censor’s case had been resolved and decided to return to the capital. Ye Ping'an went to the eastern outskirts of the city to burn paper for Cai Lian and Lu Danxin, informing them of the good news about the Censor’s case.
Yuan Shaocheng accompanied her and told her that Hai Yiping had hanged himself in prison, and Hai Yiping's mother had decided to leave the capital with Hai Yan. Ni Chang returned to the capital and stayed by Ye Ping'an's side. Previously, Ye Ping'an had been completely consumed by the Censor’s case, but now that it was suddenly resolved, she often found herself lost in thought, remembering the past. She wandered aimlessly day after day.
Yuan Shaocheng asked for the Empress’s pardon. The Empress did not punish him but ordered him not to involve himself in the salt issue anymore. She stated that the investigation of the Censor’s case was not his achievement and that in the future, he should only enter the palace when summoned. He should focus on managing his duties in the Court of Judicial Review.
Yuan Shaocheng went to thank King Kangping for his support in the construction of the Heavenly Saint Tower. King Kangping took him along to visit Mei Bowen’s residence. Both Wu Youjing and Mei Bowen were fond of Yuan Shaocheng. Wu Youjing suggested that Yuan Shaocheng should spend more time interacting with Wu Xianer, intending to match them and have him become his son-in-law.
Mei Bowen did not agree with recommending Yuan Shaocheng for the position of Assistant Minister, but he thought recommending the hasty and error-prone Xu Ling was a clever idea. He suggested waiting a year before recommending Yuan Shaocheng for the position of Assistant Minister. Ye Ping'an was unsettled. Wu Xianer encouraged her to go out more and experience the variety of life in the market. Ye Ping'an decided to give it a try.
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