Chapter 268: Disputes among Officials
Squeak——
The door was pushed open without warning, and Xiao Yuan walked over slowly with a straight figure, a gentle smile on his face, "What bracelet? Let me see it too."
"Uncle." Mo Xiang looked flustered, and hurriedly reached out to take the bracelet from Shen An'an's hand, "It's nothing, a piece of crude material, the princess asked me to throw it away, so it won't bother you."
But she was too nervous and clumsy, and the bracelet accidentally knocked against the edge of the table, and immediately broke into several pieces, falling to the ground with a crisp sound.
A pungent aroma spread instantly.
Shen Anan stood up and looked at the black powder on the ground with a frown.
Mo Xiang's face turned pale. She didn't care if the fragments pricked her hands. She threw herself on the ground to pick them up. "It was all my carelessness. Please don't blame me, Master. I will pick them up and throw them away."
"Wait." Xiao Yuan walked over and stood beside the pile of black powder. "Put it all down."
"Uncle...Grandpa."
"Put it down." He repeated again, still calmly, but his eyes were cold.
Mo Xiang raised his eyes and glanced at Shen Anan, and could only put down the fragments, and stepped back and stood aside nervously.
Xiao Yuan stared at the things on the ground, slowly bent down, and picked up one of the pieces. "You never let go of this bracelet before."
Even if Shen Anan didn't remember, she could see that there was something wrong with the bracelet. She lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Then the broken bracelet was handed to her, "Give me an explanation."
"……"explain?
"Princess, please tell me quickly." Mo Xiang's eyes turned red with anxiety.
Shen Anan pursed her lips, trying her best to find no memory of the bracelet. How to explain if she didn't remember?
"I have no idea."
"Humph, what a great sentence. I don't know." Xiao Yuan chuckled. "I have been waiting day and night, wondering why there has been no movement. It turns out that Madam is more skilled and is waiting here."
Shen Anan stared at the broken bracelet for a long time without moving his eyes away, until the bracelet fell back to the ground again with a crisp sound, and the man also walked away from Wutong Garden.
He didn't get angry, nor did he question, but was frighteningly calm and indifferent.
The fragrance was so tingling that it made people's scalps numb. Shen Anan rubbed his eyebrows and sat down in the chair.
Mo Xiang looked desperate, "Princess, how could you have forgotten that bracelet? What should we do now? If the son-in-law knew about it, he would be really angry."
"Is this bracelet filled with musk?" She asked in a soft and gentle voice.
Mo Xiang nodded.
"When did it happen?" She raised her head and looked at Mo Xiang.
"Not long after you got married, you asked me to find a craftsman to do it."
"Then why is it in the makeup box? He said I often wear it on my wrist, why did I take it off again?" She frowned.
"Maybe you and your uncle got along better later, so you put it away and stopped wearing it."
Shen Anan nodded, "Then I am really stupid. Since I am not going to wear it anymore, why don't I just destroy it? Instead, I keep it in the makeup box, which only adds to the trouble."
"..." Of course you haven't made up your mind, and you took it off just because you were afraid that your son-in-law would find out, but Mo Xiang would never say that.
"Princess, let me go find the imperial physician to check on you. You haven't been feeling well these past few days." Mo Xiang half squatted, looking worried.
"It's not the body that's wrong, it's the brain. Even if the imperial physician comes, it's useless." She lowered her eyes to look at the mess on the ground and ordered in a calm voice, "Clean it up."
"But what about uncle-in-law...?"
She didn't say anything, walked slowly to the bed, took off her coat and lay down. Mo Xiang's heart was in a mess, so she could only clean up and retreat for the time being.
——
In the evening, Qing'an and Qingfeng looked at their master who was sitting in a chair and exchanged glances.
Qing'an, looking at his appearance, could it be that he had a quarrel with the princess?
Qingfeng: There probably won’t be a quarrel, but it’s more likely that one party will be kicked out unilaterally.
“…”
"Master," Qing'an asked tentatively, "Are you going to stay in the study tonight?"
Xiao Yuan raised his eyes calmly, glanced at the sky, and said "hmm".
really. Qingfeng gave Qingan a look that said "I know" and went downstairs to prepare bedding.
Qing'an lowered his eyes and stood quietly by the side, not daring to breathe.
It was not until the moon was above the willows that Xiao Yuan finally moved. He put down the upside-down book, stood up, and stood in front of the window for a moment.
"The master must be waiting for someone from Wutong Garden." Qingfeng whispered softly. Qingan glared at him and wisely chose to keep silent.
Two quarters of an hour later, Qing An spoke slowly, "Master, it's getting late. The princess has gone to bed. We have to attend the court tomorrow. You should rest too."
Xiao Yuan's calm expression paled a little, but he said nothing in the end and went to the bed in silence.
But the quieter he was, the more frightened Qing'an and Qingfeng became. If in the past, the master and the princess had a tantrum, they would definitely be very angry to know that the princess had not cared about him and had gone to bed. But today, he was clearly unusually silent.
Xiao Yuan sat on the bed with his arms resting on his knees. There was no expression on his handsome face. He didn't move or speak, like a sculpture.
This sitting lasted for half an hour.
"You guys leave." He finally spoke, his voice very hoarse.
The two men obeyed and left. The study door was closed. The candlelight on the table was even brighter in the dark night, and the jumping flames illuminated the entire study.
Half of Xiao Yuan's face was hidden in darkness.
——
At the crowing of the cock, Qing'an knocked on the door and said, "Master, it's time for the morning court session."
There was no sound coming from inside. Qing'an frowned, opened the door and walked out, and saw Xiao Yuan sitting on the bed, dressed neatly.
The quilt was still the same as it had been laid out by Qingfeng last night and had not been moved at all.
"master,"
"Change clothes and go to court." He stood up, changed clothes and washed up without any expression, then went out.
When he passed Qingfeng who was guarding the door, he paused, looked up in the direction of Wutong Garden, and whispered, "Wait until the princess wakes up, and ask the imperial physician to take her pulse."
"yes."
Qing'an followed him to attend the morning court.
His expression remained unchanged, but he was actually complaining in his heart and was extremely cautious.
In his years of service, he had never seen his master like this. The calmer his appearance, the more precarious and violent he seemed to be.
Fengtian Hall.
After the four departments had finished their reports, the idle censor began to look for trouble.
"Your Majesty, now even the people on the street are talking about it, which shows that the impact of Lord Liu's incident is extremely bad."
"That's right. The legitimate mother is still alive. How can we ask for a concubine to be given a title? It goes against the rules of legitimate and illegitimate children."
"That's wrong." Someone else stood up and argued, "Mr. Liu's biological father and stepmother did not raise him. If he abandons his biological mother who raised him with great difficulty and flatters his stepmother for the sake of reputation, he is unfilial and unfraternal. With such character, he is even less fit to be an official."
"Nonsense, parents are parents, the father comes first and the mother comes second, the father should be respected. The concubine was willing to commit herself to him even though she knew he was married, which shows her greedy nature. How can a woman like her be an imperial edict nowadays?"
"Then according to your opinion, Master Liu, who was raised by the concubine, is not also a person of poor character?"
"I never said that," the adult retorted with a glare.
"But isn't that what you mean? If so, how many of these civil and military officials are born of legitimate parents, and how many are born of concubines? Does it mean that being born of concubines means you are inferior? Shouldn't talent determine one's future?"
At this time, all civil and military officials had automatically divided into two factions, the legitimate and illegitimate factions, and had been arguing endlessly. Now, even if a person has a humble origin but outstanding talent, can he serve the court? Which is more important to the country and the people, talent or origin?
"Lord Liu," the emperor suddenly said, "the ministers are arguing endlessly about this, don't you have anything to say?"
The man named, Lord Liu, was a young man of about 27 or 28 years old. He stepped out of the line and knelt respectfully in the hall. "Your Majesty, I have the talent to serve my country and be loyal to Your Majesty. Although parents are important, the king is the most important. If Your Majesty says I am right, then I am right. If Your Majesty says I am wrong, then I am wrong!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the officials who had been arguing fell silent for a moment and turned to look at Lord Liu.
"What a great emperor! He is the heaven." The emperor seemed very satisfied and waved his hand to let him stand up.
"Do you think what Lord Liu said is correct?"
"What Lord Liu said makes sense." Regardless of what they thought in their hearts, the ministers all agreed. After all, Liu Cheng had a good mouth for flattery.
The emperor comes before parents, and this is exactly what the emperor wants.
He tilted his head to look at Xiao Yuan, who had remained silent, and narrowed his eyes, "Old Four, why do you look so sick today? Are you not fully recovered?"
Xiao Yuan raised his eyes calmly, glanced at the emperor, and said indifferently, "No, I am listening to the opinions of the other ministers."
"Then who do you think is right?"
That must be Lord Liu’s Jun is Tian.
But... after all, he is Xiao Yuan, not one of those lackeys.
Xiao Yuan pulled the corners of his lips and said coldly, "I think it is not a question of right or wrong. The theory of legitimate and illegitimate children is even more ridiculous. It is just a rat in the stinking ditch, a product that cannot stand the light of day."
Ling Chenyi knew that he was in a bad mood today, but he never thought he would be so shocking. He cast a sad and pitying look at Lord Liu.
The Fengtian Hall fell into deathly silence. Lord Liu's face looked extremely ugly, and the emperor's eyes were even colder, staring at Xiao Yuan without any emotion.
"Do you know what you are talking about?"
"Speaking of the rules left by our ancestors, three matchmakers and six betrothals, parents' orders and matchmaker's words, betrothal as wife, running away as concubine, stealing as not even a concubine, these are principles that common people understand, could it be that your father has never heard of them?"
At this moment, everyone in the hall didn't even dare to breathe, and they just wished they couldn't leave on their Hot Wheels.
The father and son faced each other, with invisible smoke burning continuously.
The emperor placed his hands on his dragon robe, wrinkling the small piece, and his face remained expressionless.
He really wanted to punish him like he did to Chen Tian, drag him out and teach him what the relationship between a ruler and his subjects, a father and his son, and what the rules and regulations were.
But it was even clearer that if he did so, today's morning court would not be over until dark, and this rebellious son would definitely overturn the bricks and tiles of the Fengtian Hall.
——
After the morning court was over, Xiao Yuan, Ling Chenyi and Li Huaiyan walked out side by side. There was not a single minister around the three of them. Those people avoided them as if they were avoiding a flood or a beast, wishing they could stay as far away from them as possible.
Li Huaiyan turned around and glared at an official from the Ministry of Personnel who was slipping through the crack in the wall. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost? Come here."
It would have been fine if he didn't wave, but as soon as he waved, the man wished he could grow four legs and ran out desperately.
Ling Chenyi, "He had a fierce argument with the Emperor in the palace today. Which minister dares to walk side by side with him now? Only the two of us who can't run away will do so."
Li Huaiyan scared that one away and started looking for the next target. The officials were so frightened that they hesitated in place, and they dared not return to the mansion until the three men disappeared.
"No matter how I think about it, I feel that this is a bit weird. It's probably that the emperor is paving the way for that damn Chen Tian." Ling Chenyi said with a frown.
"It's really like one wave after another. Once Chen Tian enters the court, we will be busy again."
Xiao Yuan sneered and said nothing.
Of course he can intervene in the court if he wants to, but it depends on whether he can afford the price.
After returning to the mansion, Xiao Yuan went straight to the study. Qingfeng was guarding the door. When he saw his master looking at him, he immediately reported, "The prince's wife has not left Wutong Garden today."
"Um."
Qingfeng followed him into the study, seeming to be hesitant to speak.
Xiao Yuan raised his eyes and glanced at him, "Speak."
After hesitating for a while, Qingfeng said, "Although I don't know why the master and the princess are angry, everyone in the Fourth Prince's Mansion has seen how hard the princess has been working these days."
He didn't dare to say it directly, but he thought that no matter what the reason was, the master should not be angry with the princess.
Qing An's heart stopped beating in fear. He stole a glance at Xiao Yuan's face and scolded him coldly, "What nonsense are you talking about? When is it your turn to speak on the master's affairs?"
He is truly an ungrateful person. He has only been with the prince's wife for a short time but he has already turned his elbow outward.
Qingfeng lowered his head and said nothing.
Qing'an didn't know, but as the one who accompanied the princess all the way, he saw everything. The princess's dedication to her master was no less than one iota.
Xiao Yuan stood in the room, staring at Qingfeng with no emotion on his face.
Qing An's heart was in his throat, and he kept winking at Qing Feng, but the latter just lowered his head and threw the aphrodisiac to the blind man.
After a long while, Xiao Yuan retracted his gaze and sat down behind the desk, resting his elbows on the desk. His tone was still calm, "Tell me again in detail what happened in the past few days."
Qingfeng looked up in surprise.
Say it again? Hasn't the master already heard it?
"The day the master fell into a coma, the princess was terrified and asked the imperial physician to take his pulse..."
With drooping brows, he recounted in detail what had happened a few days ago from beginning to end, while Xiao Yuan, who was sitting behind the desk, began to review documents. He lowered his head slightly and wrote furiously, and it was unclear whether he took in what he said.
Two quarters of an hour later, Qing Feng finally stopped talking. Xiao Yuan's voice followed, and he said without even raising his head, "Repeat it again."
“…”
Qingfeng looked to Qingan for help, but the latter pretended to be blind.
He dared to say anything. The punishment from the master was too light. Qingfeng could only endure the dry mouth and repeat it over and over again until the sun set and the afterglow illuminated the room crimson.
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