The next day, Lord Lin Hongyuan, the Emperor's father-in-law, pleaded guilty at court. He bowed down, teary-eyed, tied up his guilty sons and nephews outside the Imperial Palace for Your Majesty's verdict, returned all the confiscated farmland, and even doubly compensated the farmers.
Left Prime Minister Bai Yanxi was the first to speak up for Lord Lin. One after another, others also pleaded, their general sentiment being that recognizing and rectifying one's mistakes was of great importance.
Emperor Yue intended to capitalize on the situation, but Lord Lin's demeanor made it inconvenient for him to delve deeper into the matter immediately.
Finally, the offending sons and nephews were imprisoned, to be punished after their trial. Lord Lin, who didn't know how to control his family, was penalized one year's salary. Thus, the matters were concluded in this manner.
After the court session, Jiang Shu was called by Emperor Yue for a game of chess.
