Chapter 131 Morning Morning
Qin Xiu took a last look at the bodies of the father and son in the mourning hall, then turned and strode away.
On the attic of Ning Pavilion, Jiang Qingning stood leaning on the railing, gazing into the distance in the direction of the Duke of Fengguo's Mansion.
Zi Su walked over quickly and reported in a low voice that Lin Chong had committed suicide by drinking poison.
"It's such a pity for him to die like this."
Her voice was very soft, like a gust of wind. "Zi Su, next, it's Xun Chen's turn. None of them can escape."
The news that the Duke of Fengguo's mansion was raided and Lin Chong committed suicide out of fear of punishment was like a huge rock thrown into a stagnant pond, causing a huge uproar in the capital.
When Queen Lin slowly woke up, it was already the next morning.
The imperial physician carefully gave her acupuncture and medicine, and the palace maids were silent as a mouse, even breathing lightly.
Her face was pale, and her once well-maintained appearance was now covered with traces of haggardness. Only her eyes, after the initial confusion, quickly became resolute when she thought of her son.
"What time is it now?" Queen Lin's voice was hoarse.
"Your Majesty, it's three quarters past the hour of Mao." The personal maid replied with red eyes.
Empress Lin struggled to sit up, ignoring the palace maids' dissuasion, "Change my clothes. The morning court has begun, and I must go."
"Your Majesty is not feeling well. The imperial physician said she needs to rest." The palace maid hesitantly advised.
"Change clothes!"
Queen Lin's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable majesty: "Bring the plain clothes, the phoenix robe and the phoenix crown."
The palace maids did not dare to persuade her anymore and helped Queen Lin to wash and dress quickly.
When the bright yellow phoenix robe and the nine-phoenix pearl crown were carefully brought to her, there was no trace of nostalgia in Queen Lin's eyes.
She stretched out her hand, her fingertips brushing over the cool pearls and intricate gold threads. Finally, she took off the phoenix crown and the phoenix robe with her own hands, folding them neatly and placing them on a tray covered with bright yellow brocade.
She changed into a plain white cloth robe without any patterns, and her long hair was loosely tied up with an ordinary wooden hairpin, removing all the fancy ornaments.
At this moment, she is just a woman who has been completely devastated by the great changes in her family and has lost everything.
"Follow me to the Golden Throne Hall."
The queen carried the heavy tray and walked out of Fengyi Palace step by step.
Her back was straight, and the dim morning light illuminated her pale profile and the dazzling white dress.
As he walked along, all the palace servants and guards along the way fell to their knees in horror, not daring to look directly at him.
The atmosphere in the Golden Throne Hall was suffocatingly oppressive.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face so gloomy that water could drip out of it.
The downfall of the Duke of Fengguo's Mansion was the result of his tacit approval and even instigation.
But Lin Chong's suicide, Lin Heng's sudden death, and especially Qin Xiu's thundering approach, which directly raided the Duke's Mansion and uncovered countless old cases.
The practice of nailing the Lin family to the pillar of shame made him feel extremely apprehensive. The control over the evidence displayed by Qin Xiu exceeded his expectations.
The court officials were divided into two groups, each of them watching their noses and their hearts, not daring to make a sound.
Crown Prince Lu Cheng stood at the head of the civil officials, his face equally ugly, his eyes bloodshot and filled with deep regret.
Thinking back on his loss of control yesterday at the Duke of Fengguo's Mansion and in front of his mother, he was terrified.
He hated his grandfather's cruelty and resented his father's ruthlessness, but deep down he was also filled with worry and guilt towards his mother.
He secretly looked up at the emperor sitting on the dragon throne, only to find that the once majestic face was now full of strangeness.
Just then.
Suddenly there was a commotion outside the hall, and then a eunuch rushed in, his voice changing tone:
"Your Majesty! The Empress... The Empress..."
"Why are you so panicked?" The emperor frowned impatiently.
"The Empress has taken off her hairpins and is waiting for punishment. She is wearing plain clothes and kneeling outside the palace, begging for an audience with His Majesty!" The eunuch fell to the ground, his voice trembling.
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole court was in an uproar.
"Take off your hairpin and wait for punishment?"
"Your Majesty, this is..."
The emperor's expression instantly became uglier, and a barely perceptible glint of anger and annoyance flashed in his eyes.
What is she trying to do? To retreat in order to advance, to gain sympathy, or to disrupt the court?
"absurd!"
Before the emperor could speak, a white-haired old censor from the Censorate stepped forward and said in a righteous and stern voice:
"Your Majesty! The harem is forbidden from interfering in government affairs. This is a law passed down by our ancestors. As the mother of the nation, the Empress must strictly abide by her duties!"
"Now, wearing plain clothes and removing your hairpins, you are kneeling outside the court. How disgraceful! This is threatening the emperor and disrupting the government! I request Your Majesty to severely reprimand you and order the Empress to return to the harem immediately!"
"I second the motion!"
"I second this motion!"
Several civil officials immediately stood up and spoke harshly, as if the queen had committed an unforgivable crime.
Crown Prince Lu Cheng looked towards the outside of the palace. After a moment, he suddenly stepped out of the line, lifted his robe, and knelt heavily on the ground, his voice filled with urgency and pleading:
"Father! The Queen Mother is not feeling well. She fainted yesterday because of her son's unfilial behavior. She is kneeling outside the palace right now, so there must be something extremely urgent.
I beg your Majesty to consider our marital bond and the hard work your mother has put into managing the harem over the years and allow her to see you. I am willing to accept any punishment on her behalf!"
The emperor on the dragon throne had cold eyes as he looked at the prince kneeling below, with only deeper disgust in his heart.
This son is impulsive and stupid. He acts on his emotions at critical moments and is not capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility.
The atmosphere was tense and the emperor was about to refuse.
A crimson figure moved and took a steady step forward.
Qin Xiu bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress has already shown a very humble attitude by taking off her hairpin and waiting for punishment. All she wants is to present her case to the Emperor. Your Majesty will make the final decision on whatever she wishes."
"However, the Empress is the Mother of the Nation after all. If she were to kneel outside the palace for a long time under the gaze of all the officials, and word were to spread, it would be detrimental to Your Majesty's reputation for benevolence and virtue, and to the dignity of our dynasty."
"Your servant, Qin Xiu, earnestly requests Your Majesty to grant the Empress an audience."
As soon as Qin Xiu finished speaking, Cheng Yan immediately stepped out and knelt on the ground: "Your Highness, Cheng Yan second the proposal. Although the Queen's action is inappropriate, there must be a reason for it."
"Your Majesty, open the channels for communication and listen to all sides. Even if what the Empress says is wrong, Your Majesty can make the final decision. To reject it will only lead to rumors."
Immediately afterwards, Pingjiang Hou, who had always been dissatisfied with the Lin family's domineering behavior, stood up and said with a bow:
"Your Majesty, Duke Qin and Lord Cheng are right. The Empress is of noble status. Since we have come this far, why not meet her in person? The truth will be determined by the public."
The emperor's eyes swept over the crowd, his expression unpredictable.
Qin Xiu's words hit his soft spot.
He attached great importance to his reputation. If he refused forcefully at this moment, the Queen would kneel down for a long time, causing an uproar in the whole city, which would be detrimental to his image as a benevolent monarch.
The statements made by Qin Xiu, Cheng Yan and Pingjiang Hou represent a force in the court that cannot be underestimated.
Especially Qin Xiu, who had just overthrown the Lin family and was in the limelight, so his attitude had to be taken into consideration.
Weighing the pros and cons only takes a moment.
The emperor finally raised his hand slowly, his voice unable to tell whether he was happy or angry: "Forget it, Empress Xuan, enter the palace."
"Empress Xuan comes to see you!" The eunuch's shrill and high-pitched singing voice penetrated the palace gate.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
