Chapter 171 Guaranteed Profit
Liu Wenyuan's face turned pale and then flushed under Shen Qingci's icy gaze, a truly fascinating sight.
The gazes of the dozen or so officials behind him felt like thorns in his back, making him feel unprecedented pressure.
He knew that if he did not kneel today, he would be guilty of "disrespecting imperial authority".
He took a deep breath and reluctantly bent his knees, which were already used to being worshipped.
"Your subject, Liu Wenyuan..." He squeezed out these words through clenched teeth, his voice filled with endless humiliation.
Upon seeing this, Shen Qingci's lips curled into a cold smile.
Without further hesitation, she fully unfolded the imperial edict in her hand and read it aloud in a clear and authoritative voice:
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Although Regent Chu Jichen is suspected of negligence, his loyalty is evident and his service in governing is meritorious. I have now ascertained that the events in the palace were a frame-up by treacherous individuals and have nothing to do with the Regent. Therefore, all questioning of the Regent shall be immediately ceased, and his power to oversee the state shall be restored without fail! This decree is hereby issued!"
The contents of the imperial edict struck Liu Wenyuan's heart like a series of thunderbolts!
He suddenly raised his head, his cloudy old eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and violence as he stared intently at Shen Qingci!
impossible!
That's absolutely impossible!
How could His Majesty possibly issue such an imperial edict?! He clearly...
Shen Qingci had already rolled up the imperial edict and looked down at him, her voice tinged with a hint of mockery: "Prime Minister Liu, why haven't you accepted the edict and expressed your gratitude?"
"This imperial edict is fake!" Liu Wenyuan could no longer contain himself. He suddenly stood up from the ground, pointed at Shen Qingci, and shouted angrily, "His Majesty has been placed under house arrest in the Taiji Hall and isolated from the outside world! This must be you! You used some kind of sorcery and ghostly means to forge the imperial edict!"
"What...what exactly did you do to His Majesty?!"
"Forged?" Shen Qingci laughed upon hearing this.
Her gaze slowly swept over the officials with varying expressions behind Liu Wenyuan, and her voice was clear and bright: "Among you gentlemen, is there anyone familiar with His Majesty's handwriting? Why not... come forward and examine it for yourself, to see if this imperial edict is genuine or not, and whether it was written by His Majesty himself?"
A commotion arose in the crowd, and a moment later, an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in the official robes of a Grand Tutor, was half-pushed and half-forced out by the crowd.
"This old minister...this old minister was once Your Majesty's personal tutor, and has some understanding of Your Majesty's handwriting."
"Then I will trouble you, Grand Tutor." Shen Qingci nodded slightly to the old man, and then had the palace maid beside her respectfully present the scroll of imperial edict.
The old Grand Tutor tremblingly accepted the imperial edict, brought it close to his eyes, and examined it carefully for a long, long time. He looked at everything with utmost seriousness, from the strength of the brushstrokes to the density of the ink, and the structure of each character.
Finally, he let out a long sigh of relief and solemnly addressed the crowd, saying, "Your Highness, Your Excellencies, the handwriting on this imperial edict is indeed... His Majesty's own handwriting, without any falsehood!"
These words shocked everyone present!
Shen Qingci looked at Liu Wenyuan, whose face had turned ashen, with a half-smile: "Prime Minister, did you hear everything clearly?"
"The Grand Tutor himself confirmed that this is His Majesty's own decree. You... do you intend to disobey the imperial edict?"
Liu Wenyuan's heart sank to the bottom in an instant! But he was still unwilling to admit defeat!
"Handwriting can be imitated!" he gritted his teeth, making a final struggle. "The Regent has countless talented people under his command; what difficulty could there be in merely imitating handwriting?"
“Furthermore,” his voice grew increasingly agitated, “even if the imperial edict is genuine, His Majesty is currently in your hands. We have no idea under what circumstances His Majesty wrote this edict! Whether he… did it voluntarily!”
"Hehe..." Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.
“In the end,” she looked at him, her eyes filled with pity and mockery, “you, Prime Minister, are nothing more than… wanting to disobey the imperial decree.”
"Indeed," her voice suddenly turned cold, filled with a deadly pressure, "His Majesty is confined to his quarters in reflection, and the Regent is under your and the officials' supervision. Now, you, Prime Minister Liu, are the one who calls the shots in the court. I suppose the taste of holding imperial power has already... become addictive for you?"
"Disobeying the imperial decree..." Her voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap, "Liu Wenyuan! How dare you! Are you plotting a rebellion, seizing the throne, and establishing yourself as king?"
She turned around abruptly, her sharp gaze sweeping over the officials behind Liu Wenyuan who were already trembling with fear!
"My lords! You have all heard and seen it!"
"Do you know that the prime minister you follow has such lofty ambitions? Or... do you already know, and that's why you're willing to be his lackeys, helping him to usurp the throne so that you... can also rise to power?"
The officials were terrified by her words and retreated hastily, distancing themselves from Liu Wenyuan for fear of being implicated.
Seeing the scene of betrayal and abandonment, Liu Wenyuan trembled with rage. Just as he was about to speak in defense, the word "I" had barely left his lips when Shen Qingci turned around again and shouted loudly at the bright yellow figure in the Taiji Hall, who was being held back a few steps by the guards:
"Your Majesty! Did you hear everything? My guess just now was correct, wasn't it!"
"Liu Wenyuan... he really defied the imperial decree!"
"He really... wants to seize your Chu family's great empire!"
Inside the palace, Emperor Yongming had already heard everything that was happening outside. His face was pale, and he hysterically shouted out:
"Imperial edict...Imperial edict, written by my own hand! Liu Wenyuan! You...you will release the Regent at once!"
At this moment, Liu Wenyuan's face turned extremely ugly!
Shen Qingci looked at him with a half-smile. She wanted to see what choice Liu Wenyuan would make when he was forced into such a desperate situation.
If he dares to defy the imperial decree in public, she will immediately have Chu Jichen's guards arrest him on the spot on charges of treason!
If he were still wary of the combined pressure from Chu Jichen and Emperor Yongming, and chose to compromise and release Chu Jichen... that would naturally be the best outcome.
In any case, she's guaranteed to win this round!
Liu Wenyuan gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and shouted into the hall, "Your Majesty! It is not that this old minister is disobeying the imperial decree! It is that... it is that the Regent Prince is guilty of three serious crimes, and the interrogation has not yet been completed. He absolutely cannot be released!"
"Look!" Shen Qingci immediately turned to Emperor Yongming in the hall and smiled, "Your Majesty, he's still making excuses; he just wants to disobey the imperial decree!"
She deliberately lowered her voice, speaking in a volume only the uncle and nephew could hear: "If it really is just a matter of not yet being investigated, he holds great power and has colluded with so many officials. If he's released now, the investigation can continue. Why... be so guilty?"
Emperor Yongming's eyes were filled with struggle and hesitation.
Just when the tension was high and a fight was about to break out!
Suddenly, a palace servant scrambled out from the side hall, his face filled with terror and despair, his voice shrill and piercing:
"It's terrible! Your Majesty! Your Excellency the Prime Minister! Something terrible has happened!"
"The Regent... the Regent... he... he suddenly vomited black blood in the palace and then fainted! It's like... it's like he was poisoned!"
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