Chapter 423 Cao Dejiang: The Censor is a hard-headed person who will fight back if he says so

Xiao Yan reminded him, he had told him these things a long time ago, he had told him not to interfere in the Lu family's affairs and to avoid suspicion, but he never took it to heart.

The second prince's lips trembled.

It was his own fault, he couldn't blame anyone else.

Emperor An was listening to Xiao Yan's words and was so angry that he couldn't help but kick the Second Prince again.

"Do you think you're the only smart person in the world? You think you're the only powerful person in the court, you idiot!"

"You have nothing but ambition, you don't know your limits, you're incredibly stupid, and you're conceited. How dare you, a brainless, vicious, and unfilial fool like you, covet the throne?"

Emperor An cursed viciously, and then said angrily:

"Issue this order: the Second Prince is stupid and unfilial, colludes with court officials, and has no respect for the emperor. Hereby, his status as a prince is abolished and he is demoted to a commoner..."

"Father!"

The second prince didn't expect that Emperor An would be so cruel and actually want to depose him directly.

He suddenly stood up and wanted to beg for mercy, but suddenly his vision went dark and he fell straight down with his eyes closed.

Emperor An was unable to dodge and was covered in the blood from his head.

Xiao Yan looked down at the corner of his clothes gathered around his legs. Fortunately, he had retreated far enough.

Everyone in the hall was startled by the Second Prince's sudden fainting. Seeing the anger frozen on Emperor An's face, Xiao Yan, even though he was extremely disgusted, still stood up and walked forward. He squatted beside the Second Prince, took a look at him, and touched the side of his neck through his collar.

"Your Majesty, the Second Prince must have fainted from excessive blood loss. Should we summon the imperial physician?"

"I don't care if he dies!"

Emperor An was a person who wanted those he loved to live and those he hated to die. This time, the second prince really angered him and made him want to kill him.

He was already extremely irritable and his temper was even more unpredictable. At this moment, he hated the Second Prince so much that he had brought shame upon him as an emperor and made the royal family a laughing stock in the eyes of the world.

How could he still remember that the man in front of him was his own son? Not to mention that he just fainted in front of him, he wouldn't even bother to care even if the Second Prince died in front of him.

Grand Tutor Liang didn't dare to step forward to plead for mercy. The man standing outside, Cui Lin, had done just as much as the Second Prince. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, Emperor An's anger would fall directly on him.

Cao Dejiang finally stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, although the Second Prince's words and actions have been inappropriate, and he has also interfered with the Privy Council's investigation without authorization, he is still a prince after all. Moreover, he just exposed the affair between the Queen and her son at the morning court today. If Your Majesty punishes him severely now, it may cause gossip."

Emperor An suddenly turned his head and glared at him.

As an imperial censor, Cao Dejiang was naturally smarter than others. He had been glared at by the emperor many times in the past and had long been accustomed to it.

Cao Dejiang said, "To be honest, the Second Prince has done a great service to the court by uncovering the affair between the Queen and Prince Cheng. Although his actions were inappropriate, the royal family is likely very pleased with his actions in clearing up the confusion surrounding Your Majesty's bloodline."

"Your Majesty may be furious, but you cannot let the Second Prince bleed to death here, and you certainly cannot demote him to a commoner because of this. Otherwise, before tomorrow, everyone will know that Your Majesty is taking his anger out on the Second Prince because of the Empress. The old princes of the clan will also come to you and criticize Your Majesty for not being a fit ruler..."

"Cao Dejiang, you are so outrageous!"

Emperor An was enraged by Cao Dejiang's words.

After Xiao Yan looked at the Second Prince, he stood aside, too lazy to kneel down again.

Seeing that Emperor An was angry, he spoke: "Your Majesty, calm down."

"Although Lord Cao's words are offensive, they are not without reason. The Second Prince has publicly stated that he intervened in this matter because he was afraid the Lu family would deceive Your Majesty. If Your Majesty punishes him for this, those gossipers will inevitably accuse you of being unkind, saying that you are angry and humiliated and are taking your anger out on the Second Prince."

"Your Majesty was the victim in the Empress's affair. It was the Lu family who deceived their superiors and concealed the truth from their subordinates. The Empress had no sense of shame. In addition, Prince Cheng deliberately concealed the truth, which kept Your Majesty in the dark for many years."

"Although this matter would hurt the royal family's reputation if it were to become public, the fault ultimately lies with others. Your Majesty will handle it magnanimously. Those who deserve to be executed will be executed, and those who deserve to be punished will be punished. No one from the royal family will dare to make a fuss."

"Anyone who dares to use this to criticize the royal family and mock Your Majesty deserves death. The officials in the court should also understand what they should and should not say."

"But if something happens to the Second Prince, or he is demoted to the lowest level, it will become a source of gossip. I'm afraid the people in the Imperial Clan will cause Your Majesty great worry."

Emperor An was extremely furious when Xiao Yan first spoke, but as he listened to what he said later, the anger on his face eased a little.

He knew those clan members too well. On weekdays, they seemed to have nothing important to do and most of them lived peacefully. But once the emperor made a mistake, those people would rely on their status and become more and more arrogant.

But they have noble status and many of them are elders.

Unless he doesn't care what others think of him and kills them directly, they will keep complaining if he "crosses the line".

And about Empress Lu and her son...

Most people in this world like to pry into secrets. The more he tries to cover it up, the bigger the matter will become.

It would have been fine if it had not happened in court, but it was obvious that it could not be concealed after the morning court session.

Instead of covering it up and letting outsiders speculate wildly, it would be better to make the crimes of Queen Lu and her son, Prince Cheng, and the Lu family public, as Xiao Yan said.

Of course it will cause discussion, but who dares to interfere in royal affairs?

Emperor An finally understood a little, but he still felt disgusted when he saw the Second Prince lying on the ground. "What about him?"

Xiao Yan said, "Your Majesty has entrusted the affairs of the Lu family to me, and has specifically ordered that no one else be allowed to interfere. The Second Prince has disobeyed the imperial order, arbitrarily interfering in the Privy Council's investigation, and secretly harboring a palace maid..."

Emperor An's eyes moved slightly, and then he calmed down.

"Feng Lai."

"The servant is here."

"Take Prince Zan out and call the imperial physician."

Hate the Prince?

Eunuch Feng was stunned for a moment before realizing that Emperor An was talking about the second prince.

Most of the princes of the Wei Dynasty were princes of their blood. Only some younger and unmarried ones were given titles starting from the rank of prince of a county. In addition, the palace would not confer titles on the princes before the crown prince was decided. This was for fear that the princes would develop disloyalty after being given titles and could use the title as a legitimate way to win over court officials.

The second prince is the only person in the court who has been granted a title. Although he is only a prince, it is still an honor.

But this honor...

"The Second Prince has relieved me of my worries and conducted a thorough investigation into the Empress and her son. He deserves the title, but he has acted recklessly and disobeyed my will. He has disregarded the Imperial Order and arbitrarily interfered in the court and the Privy Council's affairs. This is truly abhorrent."

"I have awarded him the word 'hate'. I hope he will remember his mistake today and warn other princes and officials about what to do and what not to do."

Hate and dislike.

Disgusted by disobedience.

Eunuch Feng looked at the unconscious Second Prince lying on the ground with pity... No, the Hateful Prince.

After getting this title, his future was completely over.

Emperor An still felt it was not enough: "The Prince of Hate has an unstable mind and is not capable of handling important responsibilities. All his duties in the court should be dismissed. He should cultivate himself in his residence and no longer need to attend court."

Eunuch Feng: “…”

It's just adding insult to injury.

"I obey your command."