Peasant Woman’s Decreed Life as a Wife

Chapter 2232: Chapter 2229: Impeachment

Chu Heng, neither humbly nor arrogantly, first explained the cause of the incident clearly and reported it to Emperor Xuanming. He then continued, "Although this accident was an unexpected event, it serves as a warning. Food poisoning is a dangerous matter. I humbly request that the Emperor have Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital collaborate with civilian doctors to research food poisoning. They should then list in the official newspaper all the foodstuffs encountered in daily life, to inform the populace through the yamen, thereby preventing such unforeseen disasters from occurring again."

Emperor Xuanming, hearing how he did not mention official newspaper positions at all, but instead resolved the matter through meticulous details, felt a mix of emotions.

He looked towards Elder Zhong and asked, "Minister Zhong, what do you think?"

"I believe Lord Chu’s words are reasonable. This loss of life should serve as a warning. It’s unknown how many people elsewhere in Great Chu have also met their end due to such accidents. Since the Emperor is aware, surely He doesn’t wish for the people to suffer. Naturally, under His name, everything should be announced to the world via the official newspaper to stabilize the people’s hearts."

Elder Zhong directly attributed all the credit to Emperor Xuanming. Being an old man, he had no use for such fame, and doing things he feels comfortable with brings him peace of mind.

Minister Qi wasn’t surprised that Elder Zhong would assist Chu Heng.

He moved his fingers slightly.

The nearby Imperial Censor Guo quickly stood up and declared, "Emperor, this matter has not yet been resolved by the yamen. How can Lord Chu shift the topic like this? Whether it was your restaurant’s deliberate neglect for better taste, or accidental harm, isn’t something you can dismiss just by changing the subject."

Imperial Censor Guo, full of righteous indignation, glared at Chu Heng.

Chu Heng, calmly, turned to face him, "Pray tell, Lord Guo, do you have evidence proving the restaurant deliberately neglected human lives?"

Imperial Censor Guo straightened his chest and said righteously, "Of course!"

"Official Li, what is the result of the Ministry of Punishment’s interrogation?"

The Minister of Punishments was called out, his gaze slightly darkened. However, he belonged to the Emperor, and the fate of the previous Minister of Punishments, Zhang Zhonghai, was a warning. Now that he’s in this position, there’s no need to get too close to other officials.

He stood up, not leaning towards anyone, and said honestly, "Replying to the Emperor, before attending court today, I did receive news from the Ministry of Punishment’s jail that the head chef at Yonghe Restaurant bit his tongue and committed suicide. Before dying, he confessed that spices had been collected in the restaurant three months ago, and several new dishes, including this seafood pig’s blood, were decided with the Shopkeeper. His confession indicated that the restaurant had prepared all the food with these new spices, which indeed tasted better than before and was set to be widely sold in a month. The head chef also stated that although they discussed safety with the Shopkeeper, the Yonghe Restaurant’s Shopkeeper claimed it was very safe and could be sold widely, as did their patrons behind the scenes."

Emperor Xuanming tapped his fingers on the Dragon Throne.

His face still showed no change in emotion.

"Oh? Minister Chu, regarding this matter of the excessive use of spices leading to poisoning, are you aware?"

Huo Zhengming looked at Chu Heng with a bit of concern.

The chef was dead, and whether or not his confession was true, there was no way to change it unless there was other evidence.

This setup came with fierce momentum!

Summoned by Emperor Xuanming, a trace of regret flashed across Chu Heng’s face as he argued, "Your Majesty, I am aware, but..."

"Your Majesty, even Lord Chu himself admitted it. This isn’t me deliberately slandering him." Imperial Censor Guo interrupted Chu Heng’s words, unable to hide the satisfied smile on his face.