Chapter 483 Incident
The people kneeling below stretched out of the hall, and the official uniforms spread from purple and scarlet to green and blue. The shouts of "Long live the emperor" resounded throughout the Purple Palace.
This scene made Emperor An, who had just walked to the dragon throne, tremble involuntarily. Then he looked at the heads that stretched as far as the eye could see, and his face was stunned for a moment.
Concubine Yu, Concubine Xian and others who followed behind Emperor An also widened their eyes.
Why are there so many people?!
"Your Majesty?" Eunuch Feng reminded in a low voice.
Emperor An finally came back to his senses: "Why are there so many people?"
Eunuch Feng bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty previously instructed that this palace banquet should be grand and more lively than in previous years, so Governor Xiao arranged for more people to enter the palace."
“…”
There was something indescribable on Emperor An's face.
He wanted to make this palace banquet more lively, and also wanted to use it to stop the outside gossip and unnecessary speculation about the royal family, but he didn't intend to have so many people enter the palace.
In previous years, even during grand court meetings, there weren't such dense crowds. Did Xiao Yan bring every official in the capital into the palace?!
Xiao Yan felt Emperor An's gaze and looked up at him puzzledly, as if asking what His Majesty wanted.
Emperor An was even more upset. For the first time, he felt that it was not a good thing for the people below him to be too considerate.
Since everyone had arrived and it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor An was upset but couldn't chase them away. He could only tell himself that Xiao Yan was acting on his orders and had misunderstood their meaning.
He took a deep breath, retracted his gaze, and walked to the dragon throne and sat down.
After Concubine Yu and the others had taken their seats on the left and right sides, Emperor An spoke loudly:
"Gentlemen, please stand."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Tang Ning stood up with everyone else, and after returning to the table and sitting down, he heard Emperor An say:
"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and as the Empress Dowager is ill, I invite you all to the palace for a feast. This is to celebrate a night of reunion, to reward you for your hard work, and to pray for the Empress Dowager's well-being."
"I only pray to the bright moon at this evening's feast, and may the Queen Mother be healthy and the Great Wei strong."
Everyone at the table echoed the sentiment respectfully.
"May the Queen Mother be healthy and the Great Wei flourish!"
Emperor An looked a little thinner, but he was in very good spirits.
Listening to the hundreds of ministers below agreeing with each other, the feeling of being high above and holding the power of the world, making everyone bow down to him, and being able to control the life and death of others is addictive.
He suddenly remembered what Xiao Yan had said to him before the banquet and continued:
"I know there has been a lot of discussion outside recently. The matter concerning the deposed Empress Lu and the traitor Lu Chongyuan has caused a lot of discussion in the court and the public, and people are in panic."
"The Lu family has committed atrocities and deceived the emperor. Their crimes deserve the extermination of all nine clans, but the Empress Dowager is in poor health, and I do not wish to commit further murder. I also consider the Lu family's contributions to the founding of the Taizu dynasty, and their ancestors have assisted the court for many years. Therefore, I will only investigate the culprits of the Lu family."
After Emperor An finished speaking, he looked to the side.
Xiao Yan stepped forward holding the imperial edict that Emperor An had already written.
"Your Majesty has decreed that Lu Chongyuan committed treason and rebellion, a crime unforgivable. Considering that he confessed his guilt and committed suicide in prison, and showed remorse before his death, his three direct descendants will be executed, and the Lu family's property will be confiscated and given to the national treasury."
"The Lu family's collateral branches and distant relatives were exiled to the wilderness and forced to work as laborers. Married daughters of the direct lineage were allowed to commit suicide along with the exiled Lu family members. Their descendants for three generations would not be held accountable for their crimes."
"I hereby order."
When this imperial decree came down, the whole palace was in an uproar, and even the people from the aristocratic families looked surprised.
Emperor An was never a kind person, and the royal family would never pardon those who plotted treason.
What the Lu family did was no small matter. The queen played with the emperor's dignity and confused the royal bloodline. The Lu family deceived the emperor and was "domineering" in the court in the past.
Everyone thought that Emperor An would kill the Lu family, but who could have imagined that he would show leniency.
Although being exiled to serve as a laborer was not a good outcome, compared to the disaster of genocide, the Lu family could still preserve their bloodline, and Emperor An even promised that "after three generations, they would not be punished."
This was so merciful that it didn't seem like the Majesty they knew.
Feng Qiuli said in a clear voice: "Your Majesty is merciful."
As soon as this voice came out, others followed suit:
"Your Majesty is merciful."
"The Lu family was previously involved in treason, yet Your Majesty is willing to pardon them. This truly shows your magnanimity and the demeanor of a saint."
"If the traitorous Lu family knew what Your Majesty had done, they would surely regret their previous rebellion."
"Your Majesty truly cherishes the Lu family."
Everyone in the hall praised him one after another, and the compliments were more pleasant than the last.
Emperor An felt particularly relieved after hearing this and was more satisfied with Xiao Yan. Forgiving a few insignificant people could gain such a good reputation. Xiao Yan's suggestion was really good.
"I am also considering the relationship between Lu Chongyuan and me as a monarch and subject, and praying for the Queen Mother, so I made an exception and pardoned the Lu family. However, if anyone dares to follow suit, I will never forgive them!"
After giving a warning, Emperor An's expression softened.
"Today's banquet is only for celebrating the festival, so let's not talk about these things that spoil the fun."
He raised his glass and looked down:
"Play music, start the feast, and drink to your heart's content."
Everyone below raised their glasses and said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The banquet music in the hall started again, and the palace dancers came in one after another from outside the hall and danced gracefully in the field.
Perhaps it was because Emperor An looked too genial today, with a constant smile on his face, or perhaps it was because the singing and dancing livened up the atmosphere, and everyone at the banquet relaxed their tense nerves.
As the glasses clinked and cups were passed around, everyone had smiles on their faces. From time to time, court officials in the front stood up to toast, and Emperor An accepted all of them.
Prince Zeng sat in his seat with a tense expression on his face, looking at his father who was high above him and laughing loudly, with ambition and resentment in his eyes.
After tonight, that position will be his. In the future, he will be worshipped by the people like his father, and everyone will have to bow their heads before him.
Prince Zeng couldn't help but hold the wine glass in his hand and looked at Xiao Yan who was standing alone beside him.
Wait a little longer, wait for the opportunity tonight.
Can't mess up the plan...
…
Tang Ning sat at the banquet and watched the singing and dancing, her eyes looking up at the seat above her without leaving any trace. She stroked the wine glass, her gaze swept around Emperor An and fell on Xiao Yan, wondering how her brother would act tonight.
While thinking, he looked away and accidentally passed by Cui Lin's position. Suddenly, he found some eagerness on his gloomy face.
Tang Ning paused, frowning slightly.
Something was wrong with Cui Lin.
She turned her head and looked behind her, wanting to remind Tianqing and the other two who were mixed in with the musicians, and find a way to inform her brother, but before she could say anything, she heard a sudden commotion coming from under the eaves outside.
It seemed as if something rushed into the table, and when the wine glasses fell to the ground, there were occasional exclamations.
A moment later, a disheveled figure rushed in.
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