Chapter 56 Chapter 55 Let Gu Shiyan enter the palace?
The next morning, the sun was still half hidden behind clouds, with only a few faint rays of light filtering through to the ground. The palace's bluestone steps were still damp with morning dew. Above, officials in heavy official uniforms, holding ivory tablets, marched in unison into the Taiji Hall.
The emperor on the throne was dressed in a black and gold imperial robe, with several golden dragons circling above it vividly. Mu Congmo wore a heavy imperial crown on his head, and the twelve tassels on his forehead made colliding sounds from time to time, which obscured the emperor's face, making it impossible to detect the emperor's expression. Of course, no one dared to look directly at the emperor.
Eunuch Hu Xian, standing by, saw that all the ministers below the imperial steps had finished their greetings. He waved the dustpan in his hand and uttered in a shrill voice, "If you have anything to report, please do so. If not, please dismiss the court."
The ministers below all looked at each other in confusion. They didn't know what the emperor's mood was today, and no one wanted to be the first to speak out.
Just as everyone was passing the buck, someone stepped out from the back of the procession. A resounding voice echoed through the magnificent Taiji Hall: "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Finally, one person emerged, and the rest of the group's gazes were fixed on him. Without exception, a hint of confusion crossed their faces, and it took them a while to realize who this person was. It was simply because their usual acquaintance had such a low presence. Once they realized who this person was, they all stared at him in confusion, wondering why someone they had never spoken to before had come out today.
Some people watched all this with the mentality of watching a good show. The emperor on the throne had no emotion in his tone, making it impossible to predict his mood. "My dear minister, please tell me what you want to say."
Chang Jiao was also a little nervous, as this was his first time giving advice to the emperor. However, as Mu Congmo's voice came down, he quickly controlled his emotions.
"Your Majesty, I want to report the Minister of Rites Gao Yan for failing to educate his son and allowing his son to harm innocent people." After saying this, Chang Jiao took out the confession written by Gao Yan that day from his sleeve. Hu Xian on the imperial steps hurried down, took the confession from his hand, and after carefully checking it, presented it to the emperor.
The emperor took it and flipped through it in his hands. Silence fell upon the vast palace, but everyone knew it was only the calm before the storm. Those who were unaware of the situation were still wondering why Chang Jiao had suddenly intervened in Gao Yan's affairs, while others had already guessed that Chang Jiao was merely a pawn in the emperor's plan to take action against the aristocratic families.
"Lord Gao, do you have anything else to say?" Mu Congmo finally spoke. He seemed a little bored. His two slender fingers rubbed back and forth on the confession, but there was still no emotion on his face.
The people below were unclear about the emperor's attitude, and Gao Yan was even less so. However, he recalled the promise made by Mo Yu and the others. Facing the emperor's question, he knelt on the ground and said loudly, "I know that I have failed to educate my children well and have failed the emperor's grace. Therefore, I request to resign and return to my hometown to spend my remaining years. I hope Your Majesty will grant this."
"My dear minister, you have worked hard and made great contributions over the years. Since you have this idea, I will not stop you. As for the crime committed by your son, he should be exiled to the northwest." Mu Congmo's tone was light, and Gao Yan, who was sitting below him, almost fainted after hearing it. He steadied himself and comforted himself in his heart that at least he saved his life.
"I thank Your Majesty for your grace. Long live the emperor." This old man who has been a powerful figure in officialdom for decades has finally met his end. His somewhat thin figure looks very lonely.
He took off the official uniform that had been with him for so long, and walked alone on the road to court that he had walked countless times. The scenes in the palace were so familiar, but from now on, they had nothing to do with him.
The departure of a Minister of Rites was not a big deal in the capital. All people cared about was who would be the next to take this position.
Officials from various factions argued endlessly about this, but ultimately, no one could convince the other. Naturally, they were unwilling to cede such an important position in the Six Ministries to another faction. Everyone knew that no matter how much they argued, the final decision rested with the emperor on the throne. As long as the emperor hadn't spoken, their arguments were meaningless.
"If you want to argue, go outside and argue. It seems like you won't get any result even if you continue like this." The emperor's cold voice sounded.
Everyone stopped arguing at this point. They were a little surprised. They originally thought that the emperor would directly decide the candidate for this position, but now it seems that the other party has no such intention.
Mu Congmo looked at Gu Cheng who was standing in the front row of officials, and gave Hu Xian a look, who then took out an imperial edict that had been prepared long ago.
Seeing this, everyone knelt down immediately. Hu Xian then opened the imperial edict and read out its contents in a shrill voice.
"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: The eldest son of the Duke of Yingguo, Gu Shiyan, possesses a sagacious mind and a gentle disposition. He is hereby appointed the Crown Prince of Yingguo, and is permitted to inherit the title."
Although the decree consisted of only a few sentences, every word was worth savoring. Gu Cheng hadn't expected the emperor to give him such a big surprise. In the past, the canonization of the crown prince was just announced in the palace, but today's decree was actually read out in the Taiji Hall in front of all the officials. This was already a great honor.
"I thank Your Majesty for your grace." Gu Cheng took the imperial edict from Hu Xian's hand and thanked Mu Congmo.
But the officials from the aristocratic families were restless. Losing Gao Yan, the Minister of Rites, was a minor matter, but if the Duke of Ying, who had always maintained neutrality, defected to the emperor, they would be attacked from all sides. They were all thousand-year-old foxes who had become spirits. How could they allow such a situation to happen?
"I remember that Lord Gu seemed to have only one daughter, who died at birth. I wonder where this so-called eldest son came from? Was it because he couldn't bear to see the title fall to someone else that he adopted this wild child?" The person who spoke was about the same age as Gu Cheng. His name was Fan Wendong, and he inherited the title of Duke of Lu.
Unlike Gu Cheng, he was a deeply rooted aristocratic family. As a fellow Duke, he naturally had no fear of Gu Cheng. This short sentence put Gu Cheng in a dilemma. If he admitted that the child was his, then the crime of deceiving the emperor years ago would be enough to get him killed without a burial place. If he denied it, then the child would become a laughing stock in the capital.
"This child is the same baby from that year, but he was replaced by the vicious midwife, which is why we mistakenly thought it was a dead baby. Now that the child is found, I'm sure Lord Fan will be happy for me, right?" Gu Cheng had thought of an excuse early in the morning, and his tone was full of disgust for the midwife.
Gu Cheng continued his performance, wiping away the tears that barely formed in the corners of his eyes. "It's just that this child has suffered so much in the countryside. Now that I've finally found him, I naturally want to give him everything."
Fan Wendong rolled his eyes at him in his heart, and when he saw that the emperor above him did not express any opinion, he guessed that the emperor had known about this matter for a long time and had no intention of pursuing it.
He seemed to have thought of something. Since the emperor couldn't get through, he could start with Gu Cheng and dismantle their cooperation. He feigned surprise and said, "I remember that child was said by the Imperial Master to be born with the destiny of a phoenix. Why not, Master Gu, obey the prophecy and marry him into the palace as empress? Wouldn't that be more honorable than a title?"
He knew Gu Cheng's personality would definitely not allow his child to marry into the imperial palace. This was already a humiliation. There was no such absurdity in the world for a man to marry. Gu Cheng's face darkened. He was about to retort, but the emperor's half-smile came from above: "Oh? How could I not know that the selection of the empress is already decided by Lord Fan? If I want to establish a queen, do I need to ask Lord Fan's opinion?"
Fan Wendong's face was pale. He was so focused on disgusting Gu Cheng that he had inadvertently offended the emperor. He quickly knelt on the ground and said, "I dare not. I just spoke carelessly. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
"I see that Mr. Fan is old and has been talking nonsense for a while. So, you should stay at home and recuperate for a few months."
Now, not only did Fan Wendong fail to create any rift between the two of them, he also got himself involved.
As the emperor stood up and left the throne, the noisy court meeting came to an end.
People scattered out of the Taiji Hall, and from time to time, small groups of officials could be seen. Today, Gu Cheng had completely stolen the show. Normally, many people would vie to curry his favor, and today was a rare opportunity, so they naturally wouldn't miss it.
"Congratulations, Master Gu! Your son has been canonized as the Crown Prince at such a young age. His future is limitless."
"Yes, Master Gu is so lucky that the child has finally returned to you."
Whether genuine or not, Gu Cheng responded to everyone's compliments with a smile. Fan Wendong, watching from the side, couldn't bear to watch and sighed softly, "Master Gu is so happy just to be crowned Crown Prince. In my opinion, Master Gu should retire like Gao Yan so that your precious son can inherit the title soon."
After saying this, he ignored everyone's strange looks and walked straight towards the palace gate. Gu Cheng, however, froze in his tracks. The fawning officials nearby thought he was angry at Fan Wendong and hurried to comfort him. But only Gu Cheng knew that, far from being angry, he was still pondering the possibility of this matter.
At this time, Hu Xian, who served beside the emperor, came out. His shrill voice was particularly clear in the palace: "Master Gu, please stay."
Gu Cheng just waited there, only to see Hu Xian jogging towards him, swinging the whisk in his hand.
Gu Cheng was very respectful to the people around the emperor. He bowed and said, "But what is the emperor's decree? I am grateful that you have come here in person."
Hu Xian's face was filled with flattering smiles. "We are all working for His Majesty. What's the difference between hardship and happiness? I would like to congratulate His Majesty in advance."
"You are joking, eunuch. It's just the kindness of His Majesty. What is there to be congratulated about?" Gu Cheng said modestly with a puzzled look on his face.
Hu Xian leaned close to his ear and covered his hand, saying, "His Majesty has issued a special decree, appointing your son as the Minister of the Interior. Starting tomorrow, he will serve your Majesty." He then sighed, "Your son is truly blessed."
Gu Cheng felt a little anxious. This would naturally be a good job for an ordinary family, but serving the emperor was like living with a tiger, and the current emperor had a fickle temperament. What could he do? Despite his impatience, he kept a smile on his face. He took out a purse from his sleeve and stuffed it into Hu Xian's hand. "You are too polite, eunuch. This child is a little uncultured. I hope you can guide him in the palace."
Hu Xian said, "Your Excellency the Duke, you are too polite. Our family will naturally help you take care of it." But he did not hesitate at all as he reached out to take the purse.
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