Holding two books in her hands, she moved gracefully with delicate steps, her figure elegant yet dignified. After bowing, she raised the two books high above her head.
"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."
The Emperor nodded: "Summon them."
Su Jinyun bowed respectfully again, placing the two books on her head with both hands. Her posture was elegant and dignified, like a fairy descended to earth, exuding an aura that could not be profaned.
"Your Majesty, I obtained these two divine books from Prince Jinrui Zhao. I humbly request Your Majesty to take a look."
Another eunuch beside the emperor quickly walked over, took the two books with both hands, presented them to the emperor, and then quietly withdrew. The whole process was quiet and swift.
Su Jinyun straightened her back and continued, "Your Majesty is wise. I have had the privilege of carefully studying these two divine books. Their contents are treasures that can save the world and benefit the country and its people."
Prince Jinrui Zhao is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people. Not only is he himself a master of these sacred texts, but he also believes that all the court officials should work together to help His Majesty create a prosperous era.
Therefore, he generously gifted me with many volumes, so that we, his subjects, could draw wisdom from them and better serve Tianxuan.
His painstaking efforts and broad-mindedness are truly a model for us all!
In my opinion, such a divine book should be a treasure to be appreciated by all in the court, so that everyone can study and learn from it, and contribute to the prosperity of our dynasty.
I wonder if the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice could produce such a divine book that would benefit the country and its people?
The prosperity of my Heavenly Mystery requires the concerted efforts of all my ministers, each contributing their talents, rather than mere self-interest.
We urge the Vice Minister of Justice to clarify, so that we may know the ingenious strategies and plans he has contributed to the development of Tianxuan, so that we may jointly protect the beautiful land of Tianxuan for generations to come!
While Su Jinyun was replying, the young eunuch had already swiftly distributed the books to the ministers, and Zhu Shiyan also received two copies.
At that moment, his hands trembled as he held the books, as if they were a thousand-pound burden, and his face was as pale as paper.
Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the pages of the book and leaving a dark stain.
The other six were the same; their eyes were empty and lifeless, their heads bowed, like defeated roosters, not daring to make a sound.
Hearing Su Jinyun's question, Zhu Shiyan was filled with remorse, wishing he could slap himself awake.
Only then did he realize how terribly wrong he had been.
He then recalled all the good deeds that King Jinrui Zhao had done for the benefit of the people, and those achievements flooded his mind like a tide, making him feel ashamed.
Every single thing felt like a resounding slap across his face, burning with pain.
On the dragon throne, the emperor saw that Zhu Shiyan had not spoken for a long time, and a gloomy look appeared on his majestic face. He impatiently slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne.
He urged, "Minister Zhu, why aren't you answering Prime Minister Su's questions?"
Zhu Shiyan's body trembled violently, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times with difficulty, he swallowed hard, and then kowtowed deeply with trepidation.
With his forehead pressed tightly against the cold, hard ground, his voice trembled uncontrollably as he said, "Your Majesty, I know my mistake and am willing to accept punishment."
"I only beg Your Majesty to grant me a chance to repent and reform, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
The emperor's lips curled slightly upward, forming a cold smile that carried a chilling undertone and echoed softly in the empty and silent hall.
This made the atmosphere in the hall even more oppressive and suffocating: "Oh? What does Minister Zhu mean by this? Tell me in detail, where exactly did you go wrong?"
Zhu Shiyan bit his lower lip until it turned white, his body trembled violently, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking the gold bricks on the ground.
Not daring to look directly at the emperor's fiery face, he stammered, his voice almost broken, "Your Majesty, I deserve to die a thousand deaths. All my mistakes are my fault."
First, he was reckless and rude, rashly addressing King Jinrui Zhao by his given name. This was a grave offense of disrespect, a serious violation of the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, and of the proper order of rank. It was utterly absurd.
Furthermore, I, your humble servant, am muddle-headed and blinded by greed, and have forgotten the illustrious achievements that King Jinrui Zhao made for Tianxuan in the past.
Your humble servant has completely forgotten your heroic deeds of quelling rebellions, securing peace, and bringing prosperity to the nation. This is truly a disregard for the facts and an act of ingratitude.
Your humble servant is fully aware of the gravity of your sins and is willing to accept Your Majesty's punishment. I hope Your Majesty will consider my past service and show leniency.
Your humble servant will surely repent and correct my past mistakes, remember the lessons learned, and repay Your Majesty's great kindness even at the cost of my life.
The Emperor's gaze was sharp as he coldly swept over the figure trembling like a leaf in the hall, his heart filled with disgust and displeasure.
He then looked at the six people kneeling behind him, his expression as cold and stern as frost in the dead of winter, and asked in a stern voice, "And you? What do you have to say?"
The six men were terrified, their bodies trembling like withered leaves in the wind. They kowtowed repeatedly, their heads hitting the ground.
They shouted in unison, "Your Majesty, we know our crimes and beg for your forgiveness! We deeply regret our actions and are willing to accept Your Majesty's punishment!"
The Emperor lowered his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Since he is well aware of his crime, I will consider his past merits and therefore give him a lenient sentence."
Now, his official rank is reduced by three grades, and he is demoted and transferred to another post, as a warning to others and to make him remember the proper way to be an official, so that he will not act recklessly again.
Furthermore, he was fined half a year's salary, to reflect on his mistakes and understand the hardships of the people. In addition, after court, he was to voluntarily receive twenty strokes of the cane.
If you repeat this mistake, you will not be spared. Do you understand?
"Your Majesty, please wait!" Qin Qianlu hurriedly walked out of the hall and went straight to the ministers, stopping them.
Her bright eyes swept over the seven ministers kneeling in the hall, noticing their advanced age and the deep lines etched on their faces like furrows.
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