Just then, the video camera lit up, and everyone in the room perked up, knowing that it was a call from the imperial court.
Sang Hong glanced outside discreetly but didn't see Zu An. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Zu An had said he would definitely come back, but he had actually held onto a sliver of unrealistic hope. With just a little thought, he knew that it would take at least half a year for the demon race and Yunzhong County to return.
He composed himself, making sure no one noticed anything amiss, and then solemnly walked to the Shadow Mirror. He manipulated the runes, and soon a water-like ripple spread across the surface of the mirror, followed by the image of the Golden Palace appearing in the mirror.
Inside stood two rows of ministers, dressed in either python robes or purple robes. Although the people in this room were all powerful figures from various factions in Yunzhong County, they were still far behind the big shots in the capital in terms of rank. Many of them would never even have the chance to see what a court meeting looked like in their entire lives.
Even through the audio-visual mirror, one could feel the vigorous energy and imposing presence of those powerful figures in the imperial court.
However, these people were not the main characters. Everyone's attention was drawn to the man in yellow robes on the dragon throne in the main hall. He was like a blazing sun, and all the civil and military officials, no matter how brilliant, were just stars. Once the sun rose, they could not see any of their light.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" The officials in the room dared not look directly at the Emperor; they trembled and involuntarily knelt down to pay their respects.
Sang Hong couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority. These guys had been so arrogant these days, but they all became so pathetic when they saw the Emperor.
However, he knew he couldn't blame them; he had reacted similarly when he first met the emperor.
"Rise, gentlemen!" The emperor did not speak, but instead called out in a hoarse voice. Those who were well-informed immediately recognized him from his eunuch attire.
Eunuch Wen, the emperor's confidant, wields immense power.
Sang Hong was secretly observing and noticed that many of the officials in the scene were from the Qi King's faction. His heart jumped into his throat.
This time, Zuan's actions in Yunzhong County have completely destroyed Qi Wang's years of planning. It would be strange if Qi Wang Group let him off the hook.
However, these were all done for the Emperor's sake, yet the Emperor didn't help Zu'an suppress it. Instead, he convened this trial, which seems to indicate that he has already abandoned Zu'an.
Based on Sang Hong's understanding of the emperor, he knew that this was the emperor's usual tactic. He always cherished his reputation and was willing to push everything aside to become a scapegoat, which is why the ministers privately described him as cold-hearted.
Sang Hong hadn't expected him to give up on Zu'an so quickly this time, and he couldn't help but feel a lot of dissatisfaction and even resentment, but he dared not show it at all.
He glanced at the head of the court, but did not see Yu Xuanchong. As the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he was usually the first among the officials.
It seems that first, the imperial son-in-law Yu Nan was impeached and dismissed for his jealousy and rivalry in the brothel, which damaged the royal family's reputation. Now, with the Yu Yanluo incident, his situation is also very difficult.
The only thing that comforted him was that the Crown Princess had unexpectedly appeared in the court, which seemed to indicate that she intended to protect Zu'an.
These days, Zu'an has grown into a general in the Eastern Palace, and the Crown Princess herself...
However, we cannot give up so easily.
Moreover, I had heard before that Azu was highly regarded by the Crown Princess and had even saved the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in the secret realm of the National Academy. In comparison, the Crown Princess was much more affectionate and righteous than the Emperor.
Even though he had always been a royalist, seeing the Crown Princess's graceful and elegant demeanor, he couldn't help but sigh that being paired with the Crown Prince was like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung.
At this moment, the emperor spoke up: "How is the disaster relief work at the mine going?"
The officials in the room felt a chill run down their spines, and none of them mentioned the Yu family's mines anymore. It seemed that the Emperor was determined to eradicate the Yu family completely.
Some officials had initially hesitated, worried that the Yu family might make a comeback.
After all, the Yu family is a top-tier family. Yu Xuanchong holds the high-ranking position of Left Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, his son Yu Nan is the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and his son-in-law Lian Yu is the Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat. The Yu family also has marital ties with other top families such as the Yu family, the Pei family, and the Jiang family.
The fact that Yu Yanluo has demon blood is ultimately her own business. If the higher-ups don't investigate, they can simply replace her with another elder from the Yu family to become the clan leader.
Moreover, Yu Yanluo has a very high reputation, and it is said that the emperor was once a subject of her affections.
Therefore, there has been considerable speculation during this period that the matter of Yu Yanluo might be handled leniently.
But the Emperor's casual remark was enough for the shrewd people in the room to grasp its underlying meaning, and they all began to plot how to divide up the huge cake that belonged to the Yu family.
Xu Yu hurriedly replied, "We have kept His Majesty's teachings firmly in mind these past few days..."
Knowing that the emperor valued his reputation, he spoke eloquently and persuasively, thus cementing his image as a benevolent ruler.
Of course, he knew even better that the emperor didn't really care about his people; what he really cared about was whether the mines could be restored so that they could continue to supply the court with massive amounts of cultivation resources.
So he subtly hinted at how long it would take to resume production, and the emperor nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Sang Hong couldn't help but admire the man's remarkable eloquence. He had described a major disaster as a transformation, through his tireless efforts, into a mine that could be restored every few years.
The emperor asked a few more questions, all of which received satisfactory answers. Then, Eunuch Wen came out and said in a high-pitched voice, "If you have something to say, speak now; otherwise, the court is adjourned."
At this moment, an official stepped forward in the court and said, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present. Recently, I have received a large number of secret reports impeaching the Green-Hat Duke, and the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor Zu An for secretly rescuing Yu Yanluo, colluding with the demon race, and betraying the court!"
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