Chapter 223

The Marquis of Anding Mansion still declined. The old Marquis was released, not because someone helped him, but because the Empress did not pursue the matter.

However, everyone knew that this was Rong Rong's idea.

It seems that the other party is not a narrow-minded person. After all, no matter what, the Marquis of Anding's mansion had raised her for more than ten years, and it was not wrong to send her away back then. The Marquis of Anding's mansion had no obligation to support her for life.

She left carrying a great injustice, but now that the injustice has been cleared and she saved the old marquis's life, the two can be considered to have settled their scores.

However, the Marquis of Anding reaped what they sowed; the venomous daughter they found emptied the entire family fortune.

The old Marquis was also stripped of his official rank, leaving him with only his title. Whether the Marquis of Anding's family will be demoted in the future, and whether they can rise again, depends entirely on the heir Chen Mohan, who is still in the court!

Countless people sighed, having witnessed a grand spectacle, and gained some understanding of the character of the emperor's favorite.

This offered some solace to the ministers who had failed to dissuade the Empress from granting Rong Rong an official title.

At least they weren't utterly wicked, they convinced themselves.

Finally, the first morning court session after Rong Rong was granted an official position arrived.

For the first time ever, all the ministers arrived at the palace very early, and they were almost all there before the morning court session.

People whispered among themselves, and without exception, the topic of conversation revolved around Rong Rong.

Only a few high-ranking officials stood calmly in place, seemingly uninterested in Rong Rong, whom everyone was curious about.

Aside from a few ministers who were too intimidating to approach due to their imposing presence, there were two other people in the hall who seemed to be isolated.

One is Lu Linfeng, the Marquis of Zhenguo, and the other is Chen Mohan, the heir of the Marquis of Anding.

Lu Linfeng coldly watched the ministers discussing, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes from time to time.

He silently wrote down the names of everyone who harbored ill will towards Rong Rong.

Now he knows that Rong Rong is not with the old emperor and the crown prince, but with the empress, which is much better than being with those two.

The Empress dotes on Rong Rong, even allowing her to attend court and participate in political discussions, and bestowing upon her a noble status. It's just unknown what the Empress's true purpose is.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion always stood firmly behind Rong Rong.

His elder brother's leg injury will heal quickly, and they have never given up on bringing Rong Rong out of the palace.

Unlike Lu Linfeng.

The reason why everyone stayed away from Lu Linfeng was because they were unsure of the Empress's attitude towards the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion, while the An Ding Marquis's Mansion was already known to be disliked by both the Empress and Rong Rong.

Chen Mohan became someone people avoided at all costs.

At this moment, Chen Mohan had his head down, and no one knew what he was thinking.

The Marquis of Anding's mansion is now just an empty shell, dirt poor inside, no longer able to support its former prestige, and even the servants have been sold off one after another.

Who should be blamed for all this? Chen Mohan felt that Chen Qinxue should be blamed, but they should be blamed even more. It was their own fault for misjudging people and for their carelessness that led them to fall into this trap.

Chen Mohan's feelings for Rong Rong are now very complicated.

Perhaps it was Chen Liehu who enlightened him that day, perhaps it was out of guilt for misunderstanding Rong Rong, or perhaps it was because he remembered the obedient and gentle girl in his memory.

In short, Chen Mohan really wants to see Rong Rong now, to see if she's alright, and if she still hates him.

And he...

Perhaps he really did like her, but he never realized it. He didn't have the courage to face that version of himself. Even though they weren't related by blood, in everyone's eyes, they were just siblings.

Chen Mohan clenched his fists tightly, and the usually strong and confident man suddenly seemed much smaller.

While all the ministers waited curiously for the morning court session, the person everyone was talking about was still lying in bed and refused to get up.

"Hurry! There's no time!" The Empress, already dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, exuded power and majesty, yet gently lifted the covers, revealing the stunning beauty hidden beneath.

That was a truly shocking scene. Even though the Empress was with Rong Rong every day, she still gasped for breath when she suddenly saw that face.

After years of planning, the empress who finally ascended the throne suddenly discovered that the happiness of being an emperor was not about wielding great power or watching everyone kneel at her feet, but about being able to see beautiful women every day.

"I don't want to be an official! I don't want to go to court!" the beauty muttered aggrievedly, burying her head in the quilt again.

The Empress chuckled, but ultimately couldn't bear to disturb the beauty's sleep any longer.

Therefore, Rong Rong did not appear at the morning court that day. The ministers were somewhat disappointed, but thinking that there was still tomorrow, they all calmed down.

Unfortunately, Rong Rong did not appear every day after that, and the reason for not attending court was that she was unwell.

After a while, the ministers finally realized that the person simply didn't want to come.

Look at this! Is this something a human being would do?

A huge pie falls from the sky. Some people want it but can't catch it, while others get hit by the pie but throw it away, saying it's too heavy.

For a moment, everyone in the court was furious, but most people breathed a sigh of relief.

It's actually better for them if the other side doesn't attend court or participate in politics. After all, the pie is only so big, and if the other side takes a large slice, wouldn't their power shrink?

This is good, very good.

Everyone except Lu Linfeng thought it was fine.

Lu Linfeng felt uneasy about it, simply because he wanted to see Rong Rong every day.

As for whether Rongrong is doing well in the palace, he is not too worried at the moment.

Because his mother, the old lady of the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion, often visited Rongrong in the palace, he knew that Rongrong was alright.

And so, the officials gradually forgot about Rong Rong, and the court remained peaceful.

One day, several ministers went to the Imperial Study to discuss matters with His Majesty when Rong Rong barged in.

No one knows exactly what happened after that, but the next day, these ministers jointly submitted a memorial impeaching Rong Rong for not attending court and neglecting her duties.

Neglect of duty? The officials were puzzled. What were Rong Rong's job responsibilities? No one knew, but it was certain that she didn't attend court, so neglect of duty was definitely a given!

Sigh, it seems that even if the other party has no presence, the fact that they hold a super-first-rank official position is still an eyesore, which is why someone has started to make trouble.

Looking at the high-ranking and powerful people being impeached, what else is there to say? Just follow your boss's lead and impeach them!

And so, in a flurry, the entire court was filled with people kneeling, all impeaching Rong Rong.

The Empress's expression was inscrutable, but the ministers could sense the anger emanating from her.

Everyone knows that the Empress dotes on Rong Rong, but there's nothing that can be done; politics is not a game.

The ministers looked resolute, as if they would not rise until the Empress took action.

Finally, after a long, suffocating silence, the Empress spoke calmly, "In that case, remove Rong Rong from her official position and order her to reflect on her actions in the palace!"

The Empress's voice was majestic and awe-inspiring.

The officials were overjoyed and immediately shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"

However, amidst the chorus of shouts, some voices differed, and were urgent and loud.