The Emperor slowly closed his eyes and said, "You overestimated my patience. I underestimated your power in the Palace …"
The Eldest Princess gazed at the Emperor and panted. "I know you have always been giving me chances. In reality, I have also been giving you chances. As long as you don't want to kill me, I simply cannot summon the courage to harm you. In this life, I am already used to being behind you. It is not an easy matter to completely stand in front of you. I don't want to harm you, so I have never acted."
"Yet, you have made me despair." Li Yunrui panted. Shortly after, she smiled gently and said, "So, kill me. If I am alive, I will do everything in my power to kill you."
"No one can kill me," the Emperor said calmly. Then, his hand slowly tightened. At this time, the knocking outside Guangxin Palace strangely stopped. A strange light flashed through the Eldest Princess' eyes.
"You are my sister." The Emperor suddenly extended his hand and gently stroked her cheek. He muttered, "Even if you are not well-behaved, you are still my sister."
…
…
This was the last conversation the Emperor and the Eldest Princess had in this world.
Then, the door of Guangxin Palace was cut open by a few blades of light that were as white as snow. After a crisp hiss, the palace door collapsed with a bang. The empress dowager walked into Guangxin Palace, accompanied by old Eunuch Hong and surrounded by several Tiger Guards. Her face was calm, but her eyes were unusually panicked.
"Son!"
The empress dowager looked at the shocking scene in front of her and screamed.
The Eldest Princess glanced at the Emperor close to her with a slightly dazed gaze. She found that after the Emperor heard this scream, a self-mocking smile rose to the corners of his lips.
She didn't know who this smile was mocking.
One finger, one finger, gradually loosened from the Eldest Princess' red neck. It was like a poisonous vine on a tree branch gradually losing its strength.
The Emperor closed his eyes and used a long time to calm his breathing. He then slowly pulled back his hand and turned his body. Slightly tidying up his dragon robe that had been messed up by the Eldest Princess, he expressionlessly welcomed his mother. Holding her hand, he quietly said, "Mother, let's go back."
The Empress Dowager's gaze stopped on the Eldest Princess who had collapsed against the palace wall and was caressing her burning red neck. She was trembling all over.
The Emperor tightened his grip on the empress dowager's hand and gently said, "Mother, let's go."
Although his words were gentle, and although he expressed a compromise, it was also filled with an irresistible majesty. The empress dowager's hand trembled again as she said in a trembling voice, "Go back to the palace, go back to the palace quickly."
The Emperor suddenly stopped his steps at the door of Guangxin Palace. The expression on his face was as calm as ever, but his brows furrowed slightly. He said, "I believe that all the people in this world are my people."
The expressions of the Tiger Guards who had broken into the palace earlier froze.
With a few gusts of wind, the Tiger Guards following the Empress Dowager let out a few miserable groans and fell into a pool of blood.
The Emperor respectfully held the Empress Dowager's hand as they left Guangxin Palace.
Old Eunuch Hong followed behind him with his hands in his sleeves.
The palace gates of Guangxin Palace closed once again, shutting off the Eldest Princess's panting sounds inside.
… …
The court conference had been delayed by an hour. The opening time of the 13 city gates of Jingdou had also been delayed by an hour. This hour was enough for many things to happen in the Royal Palace. It was also enough for the civil and military officials in court to have a general idea of what the Emperor had done.
Thus, no one dared to actually go to the Royal Palace after an hour. All of the officials attending court followed their original time and waited obediently outside the Royal Palace's city gates.
However, the atmosphere today was very strange. No one gathered together to discuss or chat. Even exchanging pleasantries seemed to have become a crime. The abnormal silence made everyone feel a sense of pressure.
Before dawn, most of the Eldest Princess's power in court and in Jingdou had been swept clean. Some of these powers were not even known to the officials in the past. The operation this time had come so quickly, acted so decisively and ruthlessly, and pulled the net so cleanly and efficiently. It made these officials feel a glimmer of coldness.
It was said that the person in command in Jingdou was that old dog of the Overwatch Council.
The officials knew how high the level of this matter was. Standing in front of the Royal Palace and analyzing their own thoughts, they understood that this world was, in the end, the Emperor's world, not the princes' world, much less the Eldest Princess's plaything. As long as the Emperor wanted to make a move one day, he could easily sweep these people clean.
It was only at this moment that the officials recovered their usual reverence for the man sitting high on the dragon throne. Only then did they remember that they seemed to have gotten used to His Majesty's silence over the years and had forgotten his supreme glory and great achievements in the past.
However, the officials could not just silently accept it because they didn't know what would happen in the court conference next. If the Emperor wanted to use this matter to carry out another large purge of the court, the elders of the Hall of Governmental Affairs were worried that the Qing Kingdom's bureaucracy would not be able to withstand such a storm.
Commissioner Fan had already arrested too many officials.
If he arrested another group, who would work for the court?
Even more people were guessing how Her Highness the Eldest Princess had offended His Majesty and ended up in such a state. No matter what, these officials could not guess the true cause of the incident. Naturally, they could not associate it with the bloody and gloomy scenes in the Imperial Palace.
There was no news coming from the Royal Palace. It seemed very calm.
…
…
The whips rang out. The officials lined up in order. Among them were the scholars Shu and Hu, who were at the very front of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, as well as the Minister of Revenue, Fan Jian. However, there were a number of people missing from the ranks below the dragon chair.
These people were probably in the Supreme Court or the Overwatch Council.
The officials entered with their heads lowered. After a moment of silence, they were shocked to find that there was no one on the dragon chair.
Shu Wu glanced at Hu the Scholar worriedly. Although he didn't say anything, his gaze had already conveyed enough information. This old scholar had served the Emperor for many years. He knew the Emperor's will and methods. Since he had said to delay by an hour, then the Emperor must have the confidence to finish everything within an hour.
Given the Emperor's bearing, he would not do or say anything he was not confident in.
However, an hour had passed and he still had not come to court. Could it be that the matters in the palace had become so troublesome?
The rain in Jingdou had long stopped. The red clouds of dawn floated on the horizon. Although it was not hot, it was enough to make those who saw it feel a glimmer of warmth. However, the Qing officials in Taiji Palace felt cold, nervous, and uneasy in their hearts.
Following a eunuch's salute, the man wearing the dragon robe finally arrived late.
After the loud cries of "Long live the Emperor," he spoke in order, handed over memorials, and passed them down for approval. All of the procedures of the court meeting appeared smooth and natural. On such a morning, no one dared to make the Emperor the slightest bit angry.
Shu Wu raised his head and stole a glance. He found the Emperor sitting on the dragon chair with a calm expression. There was only a slight hint of exhaustion.
Someone had to do anything that provoked bad luck. After all, the rules of the court were there, and the civil officials had their duties. Two Ministers had suddenly been arrested and thrown into prison, three out of ten Imperial Censorates of the Imperial Censorate were gone, and two large bloody cases had suddenly appeared in Jingdou. For such a major matter, it was impossible to avoid it even if one pretended to be deaf and mute.
Shu Wu sighed. After quietly apologizing to himself in his heart, he stepped out of the ranks and slowly spoke of what had happened last night. He then respectfully asked for the Emperor's edict.
The Emperor propped his chin on the chair. After a long silence, he slowly said, "The matters of the Overwatch Council are all under my orders. These people are all in prison."
Normally, Shu Wu dared to directly clash with the Emperor and sternly admonish him. He knew that this was only because the Emperor needed a somewhat comical and frank official like him. However, today's matter was very important. No matter what, he could not rashly ask. He swallowed and moistened his somewhat dry throat from nervousness. Respectfully, he asked, "I do not know what Minister Yan and the others have done."
The Emperor glanced at him, closed his eyes, and waved his hand.
Eunuch Yao had already taken out a number of memorials and files from the yellow silk box beside the dragon chair. He jogged down the royal platform and distributed them to the old officials standing at the very front.
Of course, old people like Shu Wu and Fan Jian knew what was written in the memorials and files. They had long guessed it, but when they read it themselves, they still had to show an expression of shock, anger, and guilt.
The files were, of course, the results of the Overwatch Council's investigation. The crimes of the officials who had been thrown into prison last night were all as clear as could be. The confessions were all there, and the witnesses and material evidence had already been sent to the Supreme Court. It was completely against those officials. It was impossible to give them any chance to turn things around.
The three expressions these officials put on in court were to show the Emperor that they knew nothing about the crimes of Minister of Appointments Yan Hangshu and the others, which was why they were shocked. As colleagues in court, they were incomparably angry at these sinful officials who took the Emperor's salary but deceived the Emperor and bullied the people. As for guilt, it was because they had been in court for many years, yet they had not discovered these sinful officials' wild ambitions ahead of time. They had not told the Emperor ahead of time and exposed these people's ugly faces. They could not escape the crime of not knowing people well. They had worked hard for the Emperor's sacred judgment. They could not help but feel ashamed to the Emperor, the court, and the people of Qing Kingdom.
These three expressions were done very well, but the Emperor's expression remained indifferent. A self-mocking and mocking smile appeared at the corners of his lips. The reason he had come to court an hour late was because he had to comfort his mother in Hanguang Palace and take care of everything in the Royal Palace.
It was clear that he had not explained to the empress dowager the reason for his anger. Strangely, the Emperor was not very disappointed that he had not been able to secretly erase the Eldest Princess.
Other than the three expressions among the officials, there was one more expression. It was one of fear and terror.
The dossier had been circulated around the court, and there were already four officials kneeling on the ground. These officials were all people who had some relationship with the Eldest Princess in the past, and they couldn't escape from the matter mentioned in the dossier. As soon as they saw the dossier, they knew that their doomsday had arrived.
These four officials knelt in Taiji Palace and kowtowed with all their might, but they did not cry out for the Emperor to spare them. They knew that the Emperor hated those who shamelessly begged for mercy the most.
The Emperor glanced coldly at the four officials and said, "The crime does not reach the masses."
The four officials' bodies shook. It was as if they had not thought the Emperor would so easily spare them. The joy after the shock made one of them unable to resist sitting paralyzed on the ground and unable to speak for a moment.
The Emperor furrowed his brows and glanced at that person but didn't say anything.
…
…
After the court conference, all that was left in the royal study was the true center of power in the Qing Kingdom. The Hall of Governmental Affairs, as well as the heads of the Six Ministries and three temples, still sat on embroidered stools as usual. However, these important figures seemed to feel like they were sitting on the tip of a needle and were very uncomfortable.
There were no Crown Princes listening. The officials were guessing in their hearts, but they did not show anything on their faces.
The Emperor glanced at these people and slowly said, "There are some things that I can say in court, but there are some things that I can only say here because you are all pillars of the Qing Kingdom. The Emperor's family matters are also part of the affairs of the country. You must know."
Everyone's heart tightened. They knew that this was going to talk about the Eldest Princess' matter. They quickly bowed forward.
"Yan Hangshu and the others are only claws and teeth. I will not kill them lightly." The Emperor leaned against the low couch and said, "I will not make any major movements in court. Never mind, you can read first."
At this moment, the files in the hands of the ministers were not the ones that were circulated in the imperial court. Instead, they were true secrets, so the ministers did not need to disguise the three expressions, because these three expressions came from the depths of their hearts.
The Eldest Princess, Li Yunrui, betrayed the head spy of the Qing Kingdom's Overwatch Council stationed in Northern Qi, Yan Bingyun!
Colluded with the Ming family, secretly formed pirates, and stole goods from the palace treasury!
Secretly ordered the Jiaozhou Navy to massacre the island!
Ordered assassins to assassinate court officials in the streets!
…
…
Shu the Scholar's fingers holding the files were trembling. Although these officials knew that the Eldest Princess was powerful and ambitious, they had not expected it to be to such an extent. In particular, these four crimes were too frightening. When the Qing Kingdom and Northern Qi were negotiating, the Northern Qi people had suddenly thrown out a bargaining chip that caught the Qing Kingdom unprepared and shook the court. The capture of the head spy of Northern Qi had been single-handedly orchestrated by the Eldest Princess.
The shock of that matter was too great. Many officials still remembered it vividly, particularly after a snowstorm of words floated through Jingdou. Each word on the paper pointed directly at the Eldest Princess and forced her to leave the capital helplessly. Yan Bingyun was now the head of the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. This was something all the officials in the royal study knew. The officials had thought it was just a verbal attack. Unexpectedly, it was true.
"This … this …" Shu Wu's heart was filled with anger, but he couldn't say anything.
The investigation in the files was too detailed and clear. Even if these officials didn't believe it, it was still difficult, particularly since the witnesses of the last three crimes were still locked up in prison.
"There is a little thing called the Junshang Conference," the Emperor said with his eyes closed. "It was something Yunrui made. Although the accounts master ran, in the end, the Black Knights still captured a number of people. As for the assassination in the streets, those two assassins are still in prison. "
Hu the Scholar was slightly more composed. Although he didn't know why the Emperor wanted to bring the matter of the royal family to the table, he still asked sincerely, "Could there have been a mistake? After all, it was all the results of the Overwatch Council's investigation. "
These words were spoken very clearly. Everyone understood. If these great crimes were truly pointed at the Eldest Princess, there would be no possibility for the Eldest Princess to rise again in the Qing Kingdom. However, everyone knew that ever since Fan Xian took control of the Overwatch Council, he had fought to the death with the Eldest Princess, openly and secretly, in Jingdou and Jiangnan.
If the Eldest Princess lost power, then Fan Xian's faction would become the one with the most weight in court.
Thus, Hu the Scholar reminded the Emperor.
The Emperor slowly said, "The matter was indeed all investigated by Fan Xian, but this young man would not use such petty tricks as framing someone. The assassins' confessions and the Jiaozhou Navy generals' signatures are all there. The account books are also there. The Ming family's confessions have all come out. There is no need to be suspicious."
Hu the Scholar saw that the Emperor did not listen to his secret advice. He knew that the Emperor must have other plans in his heart, so he returned to silence.
"Fortunately, Yan Bingyun did not die," the Emperor suddenly opened his eyes and coldly said. "Otherwise, how could I face the people of the Qing Kingdom? Regardless of whether it is the soldiers in the army or the secret agents of the Overwatch Council, they are all good men who have risked their lives for the Qing Kingdom. Yet, they were all sold out by the nobility for their own selfishness. Sold out!"
His voice rose and he said with disgust, "Disgusting …"
…
…
There was silence in the royal study. After a long time, the Emperor tiredly said, "But, after all, Yunrui is my sister. If you all have any resentment, feel free to explode at me."
After these words were said, all of the officials in the royal study knelt in unison on the ground and repeatedly said they did not dare. They all felt it was very strange. What kind of status did the Eldest Princess have? Who would dare to force the Emperor to use Qing law to sentence her to death? However, wouldn't it be better for these things to be handled in the Palace? Why did the Emperor have to tell them so openly … explode? God, where did the Emperor get these words from?
"To prevent the people from discussing, the Eldest Princess Li Yunrui's title and fiefdom will not be removed," the Emperor suddenly said. "Ren Shao 'an!"
The official of Taichang Temple, Ren Shao 'an, who was kneeling at the back, quickly moved a few steps forward. His legs were shaking, and his heart was beating like a drum. Originally, the royal study meeting had nothing to do with him. Earlier, he had been suspicious and afraid. Only now did he understand that the Emperor wanted him to accept the edict.
Taichang Temple managed the daily lives of the members of the royal family and all palace etiquette.
"I am here."
"The Eldest Princess has occasionally caught a cold. She has entered the side courtyard of the royal family in the west of the city to rest. Unless there is an edict, no one is to disturb her.
"She will be watched by the Overwatch Council." The Emperor paused and then slowly closed his eyes. Tiredly, he said, "When the Great River's dikes have been completely repaired, that is when she can come out."
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