Ling Ziyuan's slap stunned Lord Wu, the other ministers were dumbfounded, and even the emperor was shocked.
Ling Ziyuan has become even more arrogant than before, even though we haven't seen him for the past few years.
Only Xiao Mochen showed Ling Ziyuan an appreciative look, thinking to himself that he was truly excellent, and that his aunt's help in the past was worthwhile.
He couldn't directly take action against Lord Wu in court, but he looked at Lord Wu as if he were looking at a dead man.
Before anyone else could react, Ling Ziyuan kicked Lord Wu again.
Although Ling Ziyuan was a civil official, he came from a family of military generals and had practiced martial arts since childhood.
Lord Wu was no match for such a kick and was sent flying.
Even if Old Master Ling wanted to stop it, he couldn't in time; he had an urge to cover his face.
I thought my son had matured and become more stable after a few years of experience, but why did he act foolishly again today?
Could it be that his son really liked that Ming Zhaoshuo? Just thinking about this possibility gave Old Master Ling a strange feeling.
I heard that Ming Zhaoshuo is a widow with seven children.
If she were to marry his son, wouldn't it be like a bunch of kids surrounding Ling Ziyuan, calling him "Dad" and "Grandpa"?
Grandpa Ling quickly dismissed this bizarre idea; his priority now was to find a way to get his son out of trouble.
The crime of assaulting someone in front of the emperor could be serious or minor; if he really angered the emperor, no one could save this kid.
At this moment, Old Master Ling's mind was working at lightning speed.
It was only then that Lord Wu, who had been beaten, realized that he had actually been beaten by a mere brat named Ling Ziyuan in front of so many people in the imperial court.
If he doesn't get his revenge today, how will the people in the court view him in the future?
So, driven by sheer willpower and grief, he stood up and charged toward Ling Ziyuan.
He quickly got into a fight with Ling Ziyuan, but Lord Wu was no match for Ling Ziyuan and could only take a beating.
The emperor was actually quite pleased. This old scoundrel surnamed Wu was a lackey of the Yu and Qian families, always going against him.
He had wanted to teach him a lesson for a long time, and today Ling Ziyuan finally gave him a chance to vent his anger.
In the end, the ministers couldn't stand it anymore and forcibly separated the two.
Lord Wu had already been beaten black and blue, while Ling Ziyuan only had some disheveled hair. Compared to Lord Wu, he was far more refined and elegant.
Lord Yu finally couldn't hold back any longer and rebuked, "Ling Ziyuan, you brat, how dare you defy the court and even lay a hand on the Emperor!"
It seems you don't respect the Emperor at all.
This Lord Yu is none other than Consort Yu's father and the eldest prince's maternal grandfather.
He always held himself in high esteem, considering himself the emperor's father-in-law.
Ling Ziyuan was about to retort after hearing what Old Master Yu said, but Old Master Ling interrupted him, saying, "Old scoundrel Yu, stop talking nonsense."
I'm not even dead yet, and you're already trying to pin a huge accusation of disrespect on my son? Don't you even know if I'd agree to that?"
Ling Ziyuan is a junior after all, and has no chance of winning against Elder Shangyu, but Elder Ling is different.
In his youth, he fought in numerous battles, making great contributions to the Great Yan Dynasty. Even the emperor had to give him some respect.
When Lord Yu heard Lord Ling scold him, he angrily retorted, "You old fool Ling, you've failed to raise your son properly, and you're blaming others for saying that?"
It's because of ruthless, biased people like you in the government that these juniors can act so lawlessly.
If they dare to act like this in front of the Emperor today, who knows what they're like in private?
"I humbly request Your Majesty to severely punish Ling Ziyuan as a warning to others."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Ling snorted coldly and mocked, "You really have a big face. You don't actually think you're the emperor's father-in-law, do you?"
It's a pity that only General Pei was granted the title of "Father-in-Law of the Emperor" by imperial decree.
When Lord Yu heard this, he was so angry that his face turned red.
Although everyone knew what he was thinking, no one dared to say it out loud in front of the emperor.
This old man Ling has even abandoned the most basic sense of propriety for his son.
There really isn't a single good person in the Ling family.
Lord Wu felt extremely aggrieved when he saw that Lord Yu was of no help at the crucial moment, but he couldn't let the beating go unpunished.
Thinking of this, Lord Wu, his face bruised and swollen, knelt down in front of the emperor and cried, "Your Majesty, you must do justice for this old minister!"
I am an old man, and I have been beaten by a mere child.
"I have no face to live in this world. If Your Majesty does not give me an explanation, I will kneel and die in this hall."
Just when Old Master Ling was looking for an opportunity to defend Ling Ziyuan, this opportunity presented itself to him.
So he stepped forward and walked up to Lord Wu, saying, "Hey Wu, look at your behavior. My son beating you is too lenient."
If it were me, I would be even more ruthless.
Just now, that old scoundrel Yu said that my son Ziyuan disrespected the Emperor. I think that's a blatant threat from you.
"How dare you threaten the Emperor that you'll kneel and die in the palace? If you're so determined, why don't you just smash your head against the palace wall and die right there!"
The Emperor glanced at Old Master Ling, signaling him to stop.
However, Old Master Ling did not stop there. He had to extricate Ling Ziyuan from the situation, so he imitated Lord Wu's tearful pleading, "Your Majesty, you must do justice for this old minister!"
Although my son Ziyuan is thirty-four years old this year, he has always been chaste and has never been involved in any extramarital affairs.
I had already chosen a few girls and was just waiting for him to come back so I could take a look at them.
How can the young lady view him if Lord Wu slanders him and Ming Zhaoshuo like this?
He's already an older single man, and with these kinds of rumors circulating, he'll never be able to find a wife in his entire life.
Old man, it seems like my dream of having a grandson is going to be a long time coming.
Besides, what did Ming Zhaoshuo do to deserve this? It's already difficult enough for one person to raise several children alone, and to be slandered without even knowing the truth is unacceptable. If Lord Wu knew what Ming Zhaoshuo said, wouldn't he be furious to death?
Old Master Ling's words were reasonable and persuasive, and he gained the support of many court officials.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten that Ling Ziyuan had just started hitting someone.
Seeing this, Lord Wu had no choice but to kneel on the ground, weeping and begging the Emperor to do his bidding.
In the end, the emperor still punished Ling Ziyuan by deducting a year's salary.
However, since Lord Wu spoke rudely and slandered others' reputations, he must apologize to the Ling family and clarify to the ministers that he made the accusations in a fit of anger.
A year's salary was insignificant to Ling Ziyuan; what mattered most to him was the reward he would give Yan Qingqing.
This unresolved situation and the delay in issuing an imperial edict are not beneficial to Yan Qingqing.
After all, the longer it drags on, the less credit will be given.
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