Chapter 217 Pacifying the Mongols

"The wicked minister Guarjia Emin, as an important official of the court, did not think of serving the country, but instead harbored wolfish ambitions. He secretly colluded with ministers to plot a rebellion and forced the emperor to abdicate in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. His crimes are too numerous to count. Such a traitor has betrayed the emperor's grace above and deceived the common people below."

Hongzhao stood in the center with his hands behind his back, his dark eyes looking down at him coldly, and said, word by word, "Guarjia Emin, be executed by the death penalty. He will be beheaded at Caishikou tomorrow at noon as a warning to others. In addition, all adult males of the Guarjia clan will be beheaded, and those under the age of ten will be exiled to the Western Frontier. Their wives and daughters will be confiscated as government slaves and sent to Ningguta."

He stood there quietly, and with a few simple words, he easily decided the life and death of hundreds of people in his clan. The atmosphere around him was slightly stagnant, and the oppressive feeling made people unable to lift their heads. However, Hongzhao, who was at the center of the storm, seemed oblivious and turned his gaze to the Duke of Pei.

“Duke of Pei, I still respectfully address you as Duke.” Hongzhao leaned forward slightly, a hint of sarcasm appearing on his pale and somewhat gloomy face—“Do you really think that being a veteran of two dynasties is such a great honor? This world belongs to the Aisin Gioro clan, not the Meng clan. Apart from my mother’s maternal family, no one in this world can rightfully be called the Emperor’s father-in-law.”

He casually brushed non-existent ashes from his robe, watching the Duke of Pei's eyes widen in fury, yet he dared not utter a word in rebuttal, only managing a meaningless "Heh...heh..." in anger.

In fact, compared to Guarjia Emin's pure and innocent fantasies, Hongzhao was more curious about this Duke of Pei.

"Given your status and age, it's normal to dote on your only daughter. But does true love mean sacrificing your entire clan's name for her?"

Hongzhao truly couldn't understand him—"Father loves me dearly, so he personally taught me to read, write, and understand etiquette and human relationships from a young age. You love Consort Meng, but you only indulge her. People only know that the eldest daughter of the Duke of Pei is willful and absurd. It is clear that you claim to love your daughter, but you are far inferior to my father."

"I do not believe that you are completely oblivious to Consort Meng's ulterior motives, nor do I believe that you are as clueless as that fool Emin. Since you have made up your mind, you must bear the consequences. Let's see if you can swallow the bitter pill of risking your entire clan's lives for your daughter."

Hongzhao's words were like sharp thorns piercing his heart. His body remained stiff and he stopped struggling. His eyes were bloodshot as if they were about to shed tears of blood. He straightened his neck and looked up at the heavy wooden door. After a long while, he slowly closed his eyes. He didn't say a word. His ashen face seemed to be giving Hongzhao an answer.

"Duke of Pei, Meng Jue, harbors treacherous intentions, is stubborn and unyielding, forms cliques for personal gain, plots rebellion, and even condones his daughter's poisoning of the Emperor. His crimes are unforgivable. He is hereby stripped of his title of Duke and his entire family is to be executed."

With the two leading "father-in-laws" dealt with, the remaining rabble became much easier to handle. Those small fry and crab generals recruited by Emin were naturally doomed to die. Even those in the palace who were found to have good relations with these people were all removed from the palace to prevent future troubles.

As for those ministers who followed him, he dealt with them all, ranging from execution and beheading to dismissal and exile.

Another day passed, the sun rose and set, and the morning court session still did not begin. But this time, no one dared to ask any more questions, and no one dared to go to the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation to cause trouble.

Who dares to come? Haven't you heard that the Emperor himself dragged his ailing body out yesterday to slap those people in the face? Or haven't you heard how the Crown Prince severely punished those who rebelled and caused trouble?

Having risen to such a position as officials, they naturally cherish their lives. With the lessons of the past laid out before them, no one wants to be that foolish number two again.

So when Yinzhen opened his eyes again, he saw the Empress's eyes, which were red and swollen, whether from lack of sleep or from crying.

He squinted and tilted his head to look at the surrounding facilities, his thoughts gradually returning to normal.

He... isn't dead yet?

Seeing that the Emperor had finally opened his eyes, Lü Jiaying excitedly leaned closer to examine him closely and whispered, "Your Majesty, you've finally woken up. Are you thirsty? Let me bring you a bowl of water."

Yinzhen's thoughts were still in disarray. He propped himself up and took a small sip of water from the cup the Empress handed him, his gaze wandering outside as if searching for something.

Lu Jiaying naturally knew what he was looking for, and said casually, "Your Majesty, now that you're awake, Hongzhao will definitely cause me a scene. It's my fault for persuading him to go back and change his clothes. This child has been up for three whole days. He can go without sleep, but he's afraid it would be impolite if people saw him without changing his clothes..."

Yinzhen patted his hand disapprovingly. After a couple of sips of warm water, his throat was noticeably better than yesterday, like coarse sandpaper had been replaced by fine sandpaper.

"Nonsense! You're supposed to be my mother. Hongzhao isn't made of iron, how can he not sleep? Su Peisheng, go tell him that I order him to get a good night's sleep, take a bath, change his clothes, and then come to see me. You go and keep an eye on him yourself."

As if he was gradually confirming the fact that he was not dead through constant feeling, Yinzhen spoke with renewed strength, instructing Su Peisheng to go and check on the Crown Prince.

The near-death experience he had yesterday was too real; his consciousness was blurred, his body was convulsing, and his breath was burning. All of these combined with the buzzing and stabbing pain made his mind truly muddled.

He knew his physical condition better than anyone else. He had grand ambitions, and he was naturally unwilling to end things so hastily, but compared to dying inexplicably on his bed yesterday, he was already grateful for the opportunity to do something now.

Perhaps Heaven heard my last wish and granted me this time; I should be content.

Yinzhen silently regulated his emotions. This was not something that could be easily accepted in a day or two; it would take time. But right now, he wanted to complete all the things he had planned.

"I have been ill these past few days, and the Empress has suffered a lot."

Yinzhen reached out to touch her temples, and Lü Jiaying obediently leaned closer, feeling the slightly itchy touch on her forehead. She heard that hoarse voice in her ear.

"It is a joyous occasion that I have awakened. I think we should add to the joy, as Hongjin is of marriageable age."

Lu Jiaying stiffened, and she leaned back slightly, her expression remaining calm as she asked gently, "Does Your Majesty mean you have your eye on a good family?"

Having just recovered from a serious illness, Yinzhen couldn't spare the attention to notice the subtle emotions of those around him. He simply said to himself, "Yes, most of the princesses of our Great Qing are destined to be sent to pacify the Mongols, and I am no exception. I only have two daughters, and Wenyi is still too young..."

Upon hearing this, Lü Jiaying felt dizzy. Her daughter was to be sent to pacify Mongolia? The auspicious omen of dragons and phoenixes was a sign of good fortune. Why would the Emperor, who had always doted on Hongjin, suddenly order her to pacify Mongolia?

No, I can't go! I absolutely can't go!

Her hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, gripped the quilt tightly. She gritted her teeth and silently considered a solution. Suddenly, a small, exquisite box slid down her sleeve and inadvertently touched her cold fingertips.

This box... Lu Jiaying's breath hitched.

This is the box Ye Lanyi gave her before she left. Its effectiveness... goes without saying, it's probably much stronger than the one given to Meng Jingxian.

The deep voice continued to whisper in her ear, but Lü Jiaying couldn't hear a word. Her eyes flickered, and her clenched hand tightened suddenly.