Chapter 119: Court Turbulence
At this moment, a carriage slowly drove over and stopped not far from them.
The horse was facing Xiao Ze's direction. The driver pulled the reins and the horse habitually let out a breath of hot air. The fishy smell rushed straight to Xiao Ze. His face immediately darkened and he covered his mouth and nose with his sleeves.
The horse even raised its front hooves at him and neighed.
If it were any other official, Xiao Ze would have to chop down that horse today.
But that belongs to Xiao Yuan.
The curtain of the carriage was opened, and Xiao Yuan and Ling Chenyi got off the carriage one after another.
Ling Chenyi always had a smile on his face and bowed to Xiao Ze. "Why is the Second Prince covering his mouth and nose so early in the morning? Did he forget to rinse his mouth?"
"Ling Chenyi." Xiao Ze shook his sleeves heavily, "I am your second cousin."
"It's just a joke. My uncle and I have always been like this. How can my second cousin be so stingy like a woman?"
Xiao Ze snorted coldly and looked at Xiao Yuan who was walking slowly towards him with a gloomy look.
He first greeted the Shen family father and son, then turned around. Xiao Ze said with a gloomy face, "At this critical moment, Fourth Brother is still so ignorant of suspicion. Aren't you afraid that Father will be dissatisfied?"
"Or do you really have a close relationship with the Shen family and are you plotting something with them?"
Xiao Yuan glared at him coldly, and his tone was even more stern, "Is it because Ma'er's mouth is not stinky enough that he couldn't make Second Brother shut up?"
"How about I ask someone to bring the horse here so I can smell it carefully and see if it smells the same as your mouth?"
Xiao Ze's face turned pale. It turned out that he did it on purpose! !
The stench seemed even stronger at this moment, rising up in waves and making him feel like nausea.
"As a prince, you may not have a noble character, but you are taking advantage of the ministers in the court and making sarcastic remarks. Don't you think you are not worthy of being on the stage? Even the pig-selling woman in the East Market is not as mean as you."
"Xiao Yuan!"
Xiao Ze was furious that Xiao Yuan insulted him in front of all the ministers.
But there were many people who disliked his behavior. Although those ministers did not talk to the Shen father and son, it was ungentlemanly to step on them.
All the gentlemen acted as if they were deaf and blind. Except for Xiao Ze's followers, no one was looking this way.
"It seems that the pain of losing my mother is far from enough to make my second brother reflect on his past."
Xiao Yuan leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice a little, "Don't think that you can uncover the past by taking Concubine Ning!"
Xiao Yuan's tone and eyes at this moment were very similar to the arrogance he had used when he spoke to the Shen father and son just now.
"Want revenge? You have to ask your father whether he agrees or not!" Xiao Ze sneered.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuan did not respond at all, but suddenly raised his voice.
"Even if there is something going on between me and the Shen family, at least I dare to speak up for the Shen family. I am not as cruel as my second brother. After all, the Zhang family has worked for my second brother for many years, and my father has not yet ordered a punishment, and half of the Zhang family members are dead or injured."
Xiao Yuan's eyes swept through Xiao Ze's followers one by one, smiling, "With such a thunderous method, I wonder if those who are loyal to my second brother will be scared in their dreams at midnight!"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Xiao Ze gritted his teeth. Hadn't this topic been over long ago? This guy was too slow to react.
When those ministers caught Xiao Yuan's gaze, they all lowered their heads and pretended not to have heard it. As for whether they had any thoughts in their mind, that was another matter.
The bell for court finally rang, the heavy palace gate opened, and following the loud shouts of the young eunuch, everyone entered the Fengtian Hall one after another.
Shen Wen was wearing the uniform of a first-rank official and standing in his previous position. When the emperor walked into the Fengtian Hall, he knelt down and saluted.
The emperor's gaze fixed on him for a moment, his sharp eyes narrowed, and he asked everyone to stand up.
Everyone thought that the emperor would deal with the Shen father and son first, but the emperor did not mention it at all. Instead, as usual, he asked the four ministries to report on government affairs.
After all the procedures were completed, he still had no intention of bringing up the matter.
For a moment, everyone was confused and couldn't guess what he was thinking.
Seeing that the morning court was about to end, Xiao Ze could not help but stand up, and Shen Wen also stood out with him.
The emperor glanced at Xiao Ze with a heavy gaze, and a flash of disdain flashed across his face. He thought that someone who was so impatient was unfit for such a heavy responsibility.
But he asked Shen Wen, "Shen Qing, do you have anything to say?"
Shen Wen bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, I feel deeply guilty about Concubine Ning's matter. Your Majesty is so kind that your family has never been harmed, but I feel bad about it. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to retire and leave the capital with my family."
The emperor's sharp eyes stared at Shen Wen's bent back.
The words "the emperor's grace is immense" were like a slap in the face, full of irony, but Shen Wen's attitude was respectful and his tone was sincere.
"Mr. Shen, you are too serious. You and your son have devoted all your life to the country of Daliang. You have made contributions and suffered a lot. Moreover, Madam Shen committed suicide out of shame for not teaching her daughter well, and Concubine Shen has gone to a quiet place to cultivate herself."
"I have never angered Shen Qing, so why must Shen Qing leave?"
He had heard about Concubine Shen, and he also knew that the Shen family was assuring him that no rumors that were detrimental to the royal family would be spread.
He stared at Shen Wen with his gloomy and cold eyes, trying to see the slightest dissatisfaction and hatred from his actions.
If there are any, no one from the Shen family can be left alive.
Hearing the words that he taught his daughter badly and committed suicide out of shame, Shen Wen's jaw clenched tightly, and he clenched his hands together with great strength to avoid revealing any clues to the emperor.
"I am old and no longer able to serve the court. I beg Your Majesty for your permission."
"Heh." The emperor laughed a little, then his tone suddenly turned cold, "Could it be that Mr. Shen has something against me because of Madam Shen's death?"
Shen Wen pursed his lips and tried his best to suppress the rise and fall of his chest. He closed his eyes, knelt down, and spoke loudly enough for everyone in the hall to hear.
"Your Majesty, I have no such intention. Your Majesty said that my mother did not teach me well, and that...this is the result of karma."
It took him a lot of effort to say these words calmly and without any emotion.
Shen Changhe clenched his fists and his body trembled slightly.
He looked at his father who was forced to kneel in the hall with his back bent, and his eyes turned red.
My father has been upright all his life and was extremely loyal to the emperor, but he was forced to be so humble in front of all the civil and military officials! !
The Shen family has already accepted it and is willing to hand over power and stay away from the fight, so why do they still humiliate them like this! !
He took a step to step out of the line, but was pulled hard by someone.
Turning around, it turned out to be Lord Lin from the Hanlin Academy.
He shook his head slightly at him.
He is a civil servant with almost no weight in the court. He has always been cautious in his words and deeds and has little sense of existence. It is very rare for him to be able to stop Shen Changhe now.
Shen Changhe pursed his lips tightly and quickly looked away, pretending that nothing had happened, so as not to let other officials notice the interaction just now.
Lord Lin heaved a sigh of relief, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
The emperor said nothing, but stared at Shen Wen who was kneeling in the hall with his sharp and cold eyes.
The atmosphere fell into silence for a while.
Shen Wen lowered his head, almost lying on the cold ground. His back was stiff, and thinking of his wife and daughter at home, he endured it all in silence.
"Your Majesty is wise. I have no complaints at all."
He spoke loudly again and kowtowed heavily.
Shen Changhe couldn't help but step out of the line, but was pulled back again. This time, it was Li Huaiyan.
"Hush." He pointed forward. Shen Changhe frowned and looked over, and saw Xiao Yuan standing out and standing beside Shen Wen.
"Father is in charge of life and death decisions, and he has yet to make a final decision on the Shen family's faults. It is natural for Lord Shen to be frightened."
You don't say how to deal with them, and you suppress and squeeze them everywhere. They want to leave but you don't let them go, and you insist that they are dissatisfied and resentful. So what exactly do you want to do!
Xiao Yuan said it in a tactful way, but this is what he meant when translated into plain language. The emperor's face darkened and his eyes were filled with anger.
This rebellious son always refutes him regardless of the occasion.
"Father, what do you want to do? If you don't mind and let the Shen family continue to serve in their original positions, I think Lord Shen will not be ungrateful."
“…”
The emperor was getting more and more angry. If he had not been in the Fengtian Hall with all the civil and military officials present, he would have picked up the memorial on the dragon table and smashed it at the rebellious son.
Official’s original position?
He really dared to say that, for the sake of a woman, he repeatedly sang against him and put himself in such a situation, where the king and his subject were no longer king and his subject, and the father and his son were no longer father and his son.
Well, since he doesn't care about his favor and keeps disobeying because of this woman, then he will fulfill his wish!
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