☆, Chapter 193 Pleading for the Eighth Prince
Young Master Chen suddenly felt enlightened, and the frustration in his chest vanished instantly.
So his problem was simply that he wanted to gain the emperor's favor.
It takes about 45 minutes to walk from the Ministry of Revenue to the Imperial Study. Along the way, Mei Xijie kept looking around and quietly commenting on the palace gardens. He had many questions, which puzzled the summoning eunuch. Finally, the eunuch got annoyed and said, "Lord Mei will see the Emperor soon. Why don't you ask the Emperor yourself?" This temporarily shut Mei Xijie up.
When the two encountered the leaders of the Six Ministries on the way, they followed behind these big shots without saying a word. They were both thinking that since the leaders of the Six Ministries had gone and even summoned them, it must be related to the Eighth Prince.
After all, the Eighth Prince was a member of the royal family and the late emperor's favorite son. The emperor was also quite benevolent, so he probably wanted to let him off the hook.
Young Master Chen thought, if the Emperor wants to become a great emperor for all time, he can't just be benevolent; he also needs decisiveness and courage. But it doesn't matter, isn't there Zhao Yun Jing?
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Young Master Chen was startled.
Why would he think that as long as Zhao Yun Jing is there, the emperor doesn't need to be so outstanding? Doesn't the peace and stability of a country depend on what kind of person the emperor is?
The Imperial Study was very large, with a council hall outside. The Emperor's usual study was actually further inside. When Young Master Chen and Mei Xijie arrived, almost everyone who was supposed to be there had already arrived. Since the two of them were the last two to enter, the bigwigs all noticed.
Being watched by so many big shots at the same time, Young Master Chen couldn't help but feel a little guilty. However, Mei Xijie, the swaggering boss, was as arrogant as ever, smiling amicably at everyone and greeting them loudly: "Hello, everyone!"
Everyone's lips twitched; this Mei Bangyan really calls everyone "big boss"!
The Vice Minister of Revenue, surnamed Lin, also felt a headache coming on. He hissed, "Mei Xijie, the Emperor is coming soon, shut up!"
Mei Xijie leaned closer: "Hey boss, where's my big brother Zhao? Where did he go?"
Lin, the Vice Minister, was exasperated and didn't even want to correct him anymore. He said with a blank face, "Yun Jing has been discussing matters with the Emperor since the end of court. He's still inside right now. He'll probably come out after he's eaten something."
"So the Emperor just waits for him to eat his fill? Is the Emperor really that easygoing?" Mei Xijie muttered under his breath.
"What do you know? Yun Jing has worked so hard. He only ate a little something at home this morning and came here. He's still hungry. Even if it's war, he has to eat first. Besides, the Emperor has no objections, so what are you nagging about? Liang Jin, you're more sensible than this kid. I have faith in you. If you work hard with Yun Jing, you'll definitely be able to outdo this kid in the future!" Minister Lin patted Young Master Chen on the shoulder.
Young Master Chen was not inspired; instead, he felt a faint sadness in his chest. He had just said, "I will certainly live up to your expectations, sir," when the Emperor arrived, followed by Zhao Yunjing, the Crown Prince, and three senior members of the royal family. The men all looked grumpy, clearly having just had a fight.
"Is everyone here?"
"Your Majesty, everyone has arrived."
"Now that everyone's here, let's begin."
The emperor rubbed his temples and got straight to the point: "I summoned you all here today to ask for your opinions on the matter of the Eighth Prince."
Zhao Yunjing stepped forward: "Your Majesty, my attitude remains unchanged from this morning. I suggest that the Eighth Prince be handed over to the Dali Temple so that they can deal with him according to the law. Putting aside his rebellion, the millions of taels of disaster relief funds and supplies he embezzled twenty years ago are enough to warrant beheading him and confiscating his entire family's property."
An elder of the royal family stepped forward: "Under the law, there should still be human relations and warmth. The Eighth Prince is a member of the royal family, and even more so, Your Majesty's brother, your own flesh and blood. If you cannot even show compassion to your own brother, how can you love the people like your own children? Therefore, this old minister proposes that the Eighth Prince be stripped of his title and imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court, or that he be banished from the capital and his family be forbidden from entering the capital for three generations without being summoned!"
Vice Minister Lin's eyes darted around.
Zhao Yunjing's advocacy for beheading the Eighth Prince was naturally influenced by the Emperor's wishes. To have reached the position of Vice Minister, one must be a shrewd person. If he couldn't even see this, he should have been removed from office long ago.
Minister Lin composed himself and was about to speak when Young Master Chen stepped forward first: "Prince Gong is mistaken. As the saying goes, princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. If the Eighth Prince can be above the law just because he is a member of the royal family, how can the people of the world be convinced? If the Eighth Prince is spared, others will want to take the risk. If he wins, he will become the emperor; if he loses, the worst outcome is being banished from the capital."
"As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. Twenty years later, he can still rise again and make a comeback! Even if he's imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court, he's still in the palace. As long as he's determined, he can do the same thing again twenty years later!"
"Who are you? When did it become your turn to speak?" Prince Gong roared. "I am speaking to the Emperor, and you dare to interrupt. You have no manners at all!"
Young Master Chen cupped his hands in greeting: “Your Highness, we have been summoned by the Emperor to discuss matters. Since it is a discussion, of course anyone can speak, and we are not disqualified from speaking because of our low rank. If that were the case, would the Emperor have summoned us here just for show? Your Highness, since this is a council chamber, please set aside your status for the time being. When discussing current affairs, we must first be on equal footing.”
These words were excellent, and the emperor looked at him and nodded repeatedly: "What Minister Chen said is indeed reasonable. If anyone else has any suggestions, regardless of their official rank, just like Chen Liangjin, they can step forward directly."
Mei Xijie then stepped forward and said, "I think what Prince Gong said makes a lot of sense. The Eighth Prince is indeed a member of the royal family and the late Emperor's favorite son. I guess before the late Emperor passed away, he also instructed Your Majesty to take good care of him or be more lenient with him."
"good."
Prince Gong raised his chin slightly: "Your Majesty, since Lady Mei also says so, perhaps—"
"Why not leave him with a complete body and give him a proper burial in a fine willow coffin?" Mei Xijie slowly said the second half of the sentence.
Prince Gong's face turned green. He pointed at Mei Xijie, glaring and berating him. After stammering for a while, he stamped his foot at the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty! You are letting these ignorant children run rampant. You have no respect for us elders! Since that's the case, there's no need to discuss this matter any further. Do as Your Majesty pleases!"
The Duke of Dingguo stepped forward: "Third brother, calm down. If His Majesty didn't respect his elders, he wouldn't be seeing us old folks today. But Your Majesty, you don't have many brothers left. If the Eighth Prince dies, your other brothers will likely be even more wary of you. Extremes beget their opposites. If someone is afraid you won't treat them well and takes a risk..."
Zhao Yunjing stepped forward again: "Duke Dingguo, you are mistaken. The Emperor is the supreme ruler. From the moment he ascended the throne, a distinction was established between him and his former brothers as ruler and subject. This distinction of status and rank is not meant to instill fear in others, but to ensure that the Emperor has the freedom to think independently and is not swayed by the words of others or morally coerced. If even the ruler of a country lacks authority, then does that mean anyone can interfere in the affairs of the court?"
"Your Majesty, it's late June, and the autumn planting season will begin in just over a month. Compared to the people's livelihood, what right does the Eighth Prince have to occupy an entire day of everyone's time? Are all the people of the Great Liang combined less important than the Eighth Prince?"
"Your Majesty, sparing the Eighth Prince may satisfy your own benevolence, but it will break the hearts of all the people in the world!"
"Your Majesty, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. We beg Your Majesty to issue an edict to publicize the Eighth Prince's crimes, so that he may be despised by the people and punished by the law!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com