Chapter 76 Vicious, petty, and unpredictable...
The Minister of Justice had already retreated to his position when the old lady of the Marquis of Dingbei entered the hall, trying his best to minimize his presence and hide himself among the many officials.
And this was a decision he would regret countless times afterward.
As soon as the Marquis of Dingbei finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent enough that you could hear a pin drop. Just before everyone turned their attention to Qin Fei, he staggered and knelt right in the center of the hall, while another memorial slipped from his sleeve.
"Good, very good!" Ji Heng kicked him to the ground. "Looks like you have another surprise for me!"
Before Qin Fei could even react to how he had suddenly knelt down, he was inexplicably kicked again, while Heng Bo, who had been hiding his merits, fame, and inner strength, remained obediently among the crowd.
"Your Majesty, minister..."
"Shut up!" Ji Heng was furious. He thought this person was loyal, but he didn't expect him to be so cunning!
The palace servants presented the memorial in front of Qin Fei to Ji Heng, whose hands were trembling.
"You are forcing me to condemn my mother; what difference is there between that and forcing me to die?!"
Ji Heng, his face flushed, roared hysterically, "Huh? What are you trying to do? Are you trying to rebel?!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
"Calm down? How can I not be angry?! Qin Fei, tell me, how should I calm down? Marquis of Dingbei, what do you say?!"
Qin Fei hesitated to speak, while the Marquis of Dingbei repeated firmly, "Your Majesty, please make a decision as soon as possible!"
Ji Heng had never been forced into such an embarrassing situation. "Make a decision as soon as possible! Make a decision as soon as possible! Very well, issue my decree."
"My brother, Ji Baiyun, suffered hardship in his youth, yet he possessed early wisdom and outstanding talent. I hereby enfeoff him as the Prince of Sheng and bestow upon him a golden book to serve as a bulwark for the royal family."
“As for the rest,” he said, glancing around, “I do not wish to hear any more rumors.”
"Get out, all of you!"
...
"How shameless!" Zhu Xi said indignantly.
"It's alright," Zhu Huan comforted her while massaging the shoulders and legs of the Vice Minister of Justice, who had been working hard for several days. "Anyway, we've already achieved our goal."
That's right, this fire isn't meant to burn down Empress Dowager Zhengde's reputation. What's the point of arguing with a dead person?
This first fire is truly meant to burn down Ji Heng. One wonders what those rare, loyal ministers of the emperor must be thinking now that they've witnessed their emperor's true colors.
Furthermore, the Marquis of Dingbei's residence and the Dali Temple are now completely bound to them.
There are probably quite a few people who want to use the old department route these days. Hengbo instructed Zhuhuan to remind them not to let any nobodies in during the review process.
"yes."
“Princess,” Zhu Xi chimed in, “would you like to know what the young master has been up to lately?”
Hengbo was taken aback. Since returning to Yujing, she had been so busy dealing with one thing after another that she hadn't paid much attention to Shen Guitang for a long time.
The name Shen Guitang rolled on her tongue, instantly taking her back to last year. Back then, she had just returned to Yujing, her name was still Cuihua, and she had Er Gou by her side, single-mindedly trying to save up three hundred taels of silver to redeem herself.
At that time, she only thought Shen Guitang was wicked, petty, unpredictable, and vindictive...
Strange, how come this person has so many flaws?
But he also taught her to write, carried her on his back for a whole night, promised to find her medicine to heal her heart, and asked her if she would marry him.
He dissected himself, covered in blood, and showed it to her, pleading and threatening himself to accept him.
She rejected him then, but what about now?
Hengbo asked herself honestly, and she felt that she could no longer do it, could no longer ignore two hearts struggling to get closer to each other, even if one was scarred and the other was incomplete.
“Here,” Zhu Xi interrupted her thoughts, “the letter just arrived today. Princess, take your time reading it. My sister and I won’t bother you any longer.” With that, she grabbed Zhu Huan and disappeared in a flash.
Hengbo was quite troubled by the stack of letters. Oh well, he'd just read them one by one.
To the Princess herself:
Did the princess think of me when she read this letter?
A gentle smile unconsciously crept onto Hengbo's lips. Then, remembering that the letter was written shortly after their separation, and that this was the first time she had thought of him, her expression turned guilty.
She continued reading. Fortunately, Shen Guitang didn't seem to want a definite answer; things got serious from there.
It turns out that the candlelight shining through the golden brocade ball onto the imperial edict was the last bargaining chip the late emperor left for Ji Jin.
The late emperor instructed him to leave Yujing and retreat to Qishan. If he still wanted to fight, there was no way he could afford to make a comeback. But if he only wished to live out the rest of his life in peace, Qishan could protect him and ensure his safety for the rest of his life.
However, despite having numerous informants like Shen Guitang, he had never heard of such a mysterious place before. He had no choice but to search through ancient books and inquire about the secrets of dynastic changes before finally determining the approximate location of Qishan.
Unexpectedly, the entire area around Qishan was filled with Qimen Dunjia magic, and their group was trapped even while merely exploring the surrounding area. This is also why Shen Guitang's letter has only arrived now.
Although Hengbo knew that receiving the letter meant that Shen Guitang and the others had found a way to leave, the mountain, which the late emperor had described as miraculous, still inexplicably frightened him.
"On the tenth day of being trapped, all the dry food we brought had been used up. Fortunately, we brought cooking utensils with us, so we could still find food to eat from the mountains. Luckily, Black Wind's hunting skills are improving day by day, and today we found a rabbit burrow."
"These rabbits in the mountains seem to have a good diet; they're all glistening with oil and their fur is shiny. But these little creatures have terrible tempers. After being caught by Black Wind's trickery, they squealed and screamed in a fit of rage."
Only one remained silent, its quietness exceptionally endearing, just like you.
"I'm traveling alone, but it's nice to have a few rabbit companions. I won't eat it tonight."
Hengbo was speechless for a moment. Find a mute rabbit as a friend to relieve boredom? Only Shen Guitang could do something like that.
She then opened the second letter.
“Princess, please forgive Tang’s rudeness. This rabbit really doesn’t resemble you.”
"But we didn't keep an eye on it for a moment, and it ended up mingling with a wild rabbit that had come out from who-knows-where."
"Looks like lunch is sorted out for today: one barbecue and one stir-fry. Of course, considering that my rabbit friend has kept Tang company for the past few days, I'll give it a proper meal; this one will be used for barbecue."
"Princess, running away with a stranger will not end well. So, wait for me."
This letter was all nonsense. After sweeping it over, he began to read the following letters, trying to find some useful information.
"Life in the mountains is really boring, but fortunately there are mechanisms that can make people find some joy in the midst of hardship. However, Black Wind doesn't seem to think so."
"The precious things the late Emperor left for the Crown Prince have been found; it was truly a grand gesture. Gui Tang has asked the Prince Xian to bring them back to Yujing when he returns to the capital, hoping to lend the Princess a helping hand."
Hengbo's eyebrows twitched. To help her father make a comeback, she still needed the help of the Wise Prince to bring Yujing back... She should have guessed what it was all about.
"After handing over the reins to the Prince, Gui Tang can return to the Princess's side. Have you decided what reward you want to give me? It doesn't need to be much, just a truthful answer will suffice."
Hengbo blushed, carefully put the letter away in a wooden box, and then she could stop seeing it and worrying about it.
However, judging by the time, the Prince Xian will soon be returning to the capital. To avoid further trouble en route, it's time to start this second fire.
Let's give this second fire to her good royal uncle.
Meanwhile, Ji Heng, who was being eyed, was also pondering the newly appointed Princess Shenxiao.
“Shenxiao just went to the Ministry of Justice and this happened,” Ji Heng said, playing with the ring on his hand and sneering repeatedly. “It seems that our newly returned princess is not simple either.”
Eunuch Zheng stood quietly to the side, head bowed and silent.
"Still young, too short-sighted," he scoffed. "So eager to climb up to the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion."
"Even if the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion gains another prince, what waves can he stir up? I was able to bring down Ji Jin, so what if there's another one? The Prince Xian is still stuck in the northwest, drinking the wind and eating sand."
At the opportune moment, Eunuch Zheng flattered him: "Your Majesty is divinely mighty. All demons and monsters are nothing but petty tricks that cannot be presented in front of Your Majesty."
Ji Heng glanced at him, "But even a weak mosquito is annoying. I want to spare her life, but it depends on whether she appreciates my good intentions."
"His Majesty is kind-hearted."
While Ji Heng was still spouting threats, Heng Bo had already begun to take action.
Kunning Palace.
"Your Majesty."
Empress Lin paused in combing her hair. "What brings you here uninvited in the dead of night?"
"This servant, Zhu Huan, was ordered by the Princess to invite Your Highness to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together."
Empress Lin placed the comb on the table and turned around. "Which princess is your mistress? Qiongyang and Zhaoyun have become increasingly unruly lately."
"Why does Your Highness ask a question you already know the answer to?" Zhu Huan smiled faintly.
“The chief servant of the Shenxiao County said that the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunion. It is time for Ji Heng to acknowledge his ancestors and return to his clan.”
Empress Lin's hand tightened suddenly, and she said sternly, "Your princess is far too audacious!"
“Your Majesty,” Zhu Huan’s smile faded, “it is up to human effort to achieve anything.”
"Your Highness may not know that Princess Shenxiao is now serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, and the Minister of Justice is now merely a figurehead."
"The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is the young master of the Marquis of Dingbei's family, and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is his teacher."
“As for the Censorate,” Zhu Huan took out a pair of earrings from her sleeve and handed them to her, “Your Majesty must be familiar with these things.”
Empress Lin took the earring and examined it closely, her expression one of surprise and uncertainty: "Zhu'er?"
Zhu Huan didn't know whether it was mockery or sarcasm, "Your Majesty has been spending too much time with Buddha and living in your own world for too long. You don't even seem to know much about your own daughter."
"The Imperial Censor has been temporarily lent to the Princess. Now, the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate are all under the Princess's control. What is there for Your Highness to hesitate about?"
Empress Lin remained silent, then finally shook her head, "You don't know..."
"Empress Lin," Zhu Huan emphasized, "people of the martial world are not allowed to interfere in court affairs, and even the most detached person cannot kill all the court officials. As long as even one person survives, Ji Heng will never be able to sit on this throne in peace!"
She took one last look at the cowardly woman. "The princess has already disregarded her own life, and the Marquis of Dingbei has staked the future of his entire clan on it. I hope you can lend the princess a hand."
Before leaving, she finally couldn't hold back: "Your Majesty, you are not as brave as your daughter."
The wind in the room stilled again. Upon hearing this, Empress Lin knelt down in despair. "I was not a good daughter, nor was I a good mother. I was a coward."
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