Chapter 483 A Deeply Conflicted Feeling
The emperor's question brought a silent sigh of relief to Jiang Yu. It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous. In this feudal society ruled by an emperor, a single thought could cost her her life.
Although she understood the current emperor fairly well and knew he wasn't a cruel person, and although she had made preparations beforehand, a person's thoughts can be influenced by many factors at any given moment. Perhaps some seemingly insignificant thing she hadn't anticipated would make the emperor consider killing her.
After calming herself down, Jiang Yu knelt on the ground, raised her head, and said, "This matter concerns Yan Fengxi, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Yan. Grand Tutor Yan is right outside the door. Why don't we let him speak to you in person?"
The emperor gave a faint "hmm," then summoned Zhao Fuquan and announced the arrival of Grand Tutor Yan. Grand Tutor Yan had been standing outside for a long time, and his steps were trembling with fear.
"This old minister greets Your Majesty." He lifted his robe, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed, saying, "This old minister is guilty, please punish me, Your Majesty."
The emperor sat there in silence for a moment, then said to Jiang Yu, "Minister Jiang, please rise first."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Jiang Yu stood up and stood respectfully to the side.
The emperor then turned his gaze to Grand Tutor Yan and asked, "What crime has the Grand Tutor committed?"
Grand Tutor Yan kowtowed again, “My granddaughter Yan Fengxi was misled by Zhu Junning of the Lingnan Prince’s Mansion and did something that affected His Majesty’s grand plan. I failed to educate her properly and have come here to beg for forgiveness.”
The emperor's face was as cold as ice. He had guessed that the Prince of Lingnan might have been behind this, but when it was confirmed, his heart sank. This meant that even now, the Prince of Lingnan still held considerable influence in the capital. Moreover, his influence had already extended into the palace.
The emperor clenched his fists tightly. Looking down, he saw Grand Tutor Yan's white hair, but this did not soften his heart in the slightest. The Prince of Lingnan was the greatest threat to him, and a stumbling block to his grand ambitions. Now, anyone associated with the Prince of Lingnan was, in his eyes, a traitor.
"Yan Fengxi." The Emperor murmured the name, recalling it somewhat. The Empress Dowager had mentioned Yan Fengxi to him before, wanting her to become Prince Rui's wife, but Prince Rui had refused. Now it seemed the decision was right.
Even if she was truly bewitched by Zhu Junning, it still meant she was unworthy of his outstanding younger brother, whom he had raised. Thinking this, he glanced at Jiang Yu, frowned slightly, and quickly looked away.
At this moment, Grand Tutor Yan's voice rang out, "Yan Fengxi has just suffered a sudden and serious illness and has died suddenly."
The emperor narrowed his eyes, but his expression softened somewhat. He was satisfied with Grand Tutor Yan's decisiveness; as emperor, he couldn't possibly sentence Yan Fengxi to death based on a single word. But now that Grand Tutor Yan had taken action herself, he felt a little more at ease.
However, he turned to Zhao Fuquan, who was standing to the side, and said, "Have someone go to Grand Tutor Yan's residence."
This was to confirm whether Yan Fengxi was truly dead. The previous incident of Pei Tinglan faking her death had forced the Emperor to be cautious. Pei Tinglan, driven by her obsession with the Duke of Chu, had committed numerous heinous acts against the Duke's household. Yan Fengxi's beloved was Prince Rui, and the Emperor dared not be careless.
Zhao Fuquan immediately went out to instruct his capable men to go to the Yan residence, while Grand Tutor Yan couldn't help but smile bitterly. His trust in the emperor had been completely wiped out because of this incident. After thinking for a moment, he kowtowed again and said, "Your Majesty, I know I have no face to see Your Majesty again, nor do I have the face to serve in the same court as the Duke of Chu. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to return home to retire."
This was a voluntary resignation, but the emperor did not immediately grant it. Normally, he would never hesitate for a moment and would immediately issue an edict allowing him to retire and live out his days. Even though he had worked diligently and contributed to the court over the years, the emperor would at least give his children and grandchildren a chance after he stepped down—a gracious gesture for this old minister.
But now, the Prince of Lingnan hasn't been eliminated, and the Prime Minister has many cronies. He still has to remain in the position of Grand Tutor to prevent the Prime Minister from taking advantage of the situation. The Emperor tapped the table repeatedly, pondering a solution.
After a while, he looked at Jiang Yu and asked, "Jiang Aiqing, what do you think?"
Jiang Yu was taken aback when the emperor asked her about this matter. She knew that a wrong answer would offend both sides. After considering her options, she stepped forward, cupped her hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that eliminating this threat is the most important matter at present."
The emperor gazed at her intently, his expression unreadable, a mixture of satisfaction and displeasure. Jiang Yu's answer was tactful and to the point. However, he didn't want Jiang Yu to be so tactful; if she weren't, she would make many enemies. If he continued to support and favor her, Jiang Yu would have no choice but to remain loyal to him. But if Jiang Yu wasn't tactful, she wouldn't be able to handle the task well or smoothly.
The emperor was in a state of extreme inner turmoil.
He withdrew his gaze from Jiang Yu, lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and said, "Grand Tutor Yan has failed to manage his household properly; he shall be punished with three years' salary."
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness." Grand Tutor Yan was on the verge of tears; this ordeal was finally over.
The emperor waved his hand, signaling him to rise, and then asked Jiang Yu, "Do you have anything else to say about this matter?"
This time, Jiang Yu had no more reservations. She cupped her hands and said, "Yan Fengxi was instigated by Zhu Junning, but if she hadn't entered the palace, she wouldn't have said those things in front of Your Majesty. Besides, why did you happen to go to the Empress Dowager's palace at that time?"
The emperor lowered his eyes in thought, and Jiang Yu continued, "Furthermore, the Second Miss's act of giving Prince Rui a purse in public seems to be against common sense."
The emperor leaned back in his chair, his eyelids drooping in silence. He could naturally guess what Jiang Yu was talking about. Putting everything else aside, why did he go to the Empress Dowager's palace at that time? It was because Prince Rui had expressed concern for the Empress Dowager's health, and he happened to have some free time then, so he thought he would go and see her as well.
He knew very well that every moment he saw the Empress Dowager was one less time he could have.
Prince Rui!
The emperor was tinged with a somber and stern aura.
As for why Yan Fengxi came to the palace, that should be asked of the Empress. The Emperor's heart sank again, but he quickly suppressed his suspicions about the Empress. Marquis Chengen was also a key figure in dealing with the Prince of Lingnan, and the Empress would not interfere at this time.
He turned to Zhao Fuquan and said, "Go to the Empress's palace and ask about the situation."
"Yes." Zhao Fuquan immediately left quickly and ran all the way to the Empress's palace. Upon seeing the Empress, he made no attempt to conceal his intentions and spoke directly.
The Empress showed no surprise. She inquired about the situation in the Imperial Study and learned that Jiang Yu and Grand Tutor Yan were also there. Since it would be inappropriate for her to go and give a reply, she instructed the nanny beside her, "Go to the Imperial Study with Eunuch Zhao."
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