Chapter 16 Deceiving the Emperor (1) "Do you agree with the matter of switching Prince Rui's consort?"
At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the entire Cong (琮) is still immersed in a deep, peaceful sleep.
In the southeast corner of the imperial city, a faint light shone. The princes, nobles, and generals had already risen, washed, and dressed themselves. Some rode in palanquins, others on horseback, through the dark streets. Upon reaching the palace gates, they were led by palace attendants to the court offices to rest temporarily until the palace gates were opened, at which point they would enter to pay their respects.
If they met an acquaintance, they would inevitably exchange a few pleasantries. Inside the office, people were whispering amongst themselves when suddenly a person pushed open the door and entered. His vermilion official robes were dark and inconspicuous among the crimson, banana red, and apricot red robes, but the crane insignia on his chest seemed to soar high as if it could leap off the brocade. The ruby cap with the auspicious pattern on his black gauze hat reflected a dazzling light in the flickering candlelight.
The official robes of the Imperial Court were always distinguished by their shade of crimson. The officials had just caught a glimpse of that crimson color when they immediately fell silent, cautiously watching the person's movements out of the corner of their eyes. They saw the black leather boots pause briefly, then turn and walk towards a corner of the court.
In the corner sat a man in a maroon official robe, holding a cup in deep thought. Embroidered on his chest was a lioness standing on a cliff, gazing into the distance, her four legs like pillars, surrounded by auspicious clouds, looking quite majestic. When she saw someone approaching, she put down her teacup and calmly greeted him, "Lord Shen."
The silver strands mixed in with her black hair shimmered faintly in the candlelight.
Shen Jia smiled and said, "Between you and me, is there any need for such formalities? Why didn't I see Lord Mei at His Highness's wedding the other day?"
Now that His Highness Prince Rui has returned victorious, he is in high spirits and it seems that the Eastern Palace is nothing more than a piece of his own.
People say that one should establish a career before starting a family. Although Yuan Mingjin established her career before starting a family, she was still married. Her new husband's family background was also good, and his mother was a favorite minister of the emperor, so it was not considered an insult to her.
Shen Jia had watched her grow up, and her joy and satisfaction were self-evident. She couldn't help but drink a few more glasses at her wedding banquet.
Mei Heming laughed, "Lord Shen, have you been drinking too much? I'm already quite old, how could I possibly stay up all night? Having witnessed the ceremony, I took my leave of His Majesty and His Highness early this morning and went back to my residence to rest. Lord Shen, you still have plenty of energy, it's truly enviable."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jia knew that she must be missing her son who died when he was fifteen or sixteen years old, so she quickly changed the subject and offered some comforting words.
As the two were chatting casually, the door opened again, and Su Aoshuang, the Minister of Revenue, walked in without a word. Her eyes were dark and swollen, and she looked lifeless. She found a chair, sat down, propped her head up, and closed her eyes to rest. Someone nearby wanted to go up and say a few words of flattery, but seeing her so listless, they didn't want to disturb her.
Seeing this, Mei Heming and Shen Jia exchanged a knowing glance.
However, before the two could step forward, a palace attendant came to inform them that they could enter the palace. The officials then lined up in order in front of the palace gate and filed in according to their rank, silently stepping on the golden bricks, their steps hurried but the sound of their footsteps was light.
As dawn broke, the sky began to lighten, the east gradually brightened, clouds rose and rosy hues appeared, and the thin morning light from behind cast a hazy glow over the palace, making it resemble a divine celestial palace. The Taiji Hall before them was nothing more than a colossal beast under the vast sky, yet it made these important ministers seem like tiny ants.
Upon entering the hall, the officials stood in their assigned ranks, holding their court tablets. Soon after, chants of praise arose, growing louder as they approached:
"His Majesty has arrived!"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
In an instant, everyone in the hall prostrated themselves and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" From the three-dynasty veterans like Prime Minister Shen to the palace attendants and guards on duty—sitting on the most prestigious chair in the world, they could easily take in this magnificent scene.
After the kowtow ceremony, the emperor ordered his ministers to rise and then began the court proceedings. The emperor was diligent in his duties, and before dawn, he had already dealt with most of the important matters. Just as he was about to adjourn the court, a man suddenly stepped forward and shouted, "Your Majesty, wait!"
The emperor looked closely and saw that it was the dignified and meticulous Imperial Censor. He asked, "Is there anything else, my dear minister?"
"Your Majesty has governed the country for decades. Our Tianyuan granaries are full, our horses are strong, our soldiers are powerful, our government is efficient, our people are harmonious, and our country is peaceful and prosperous. Looking at our neighboring countries, the Baiyue have already submitted to us, the Jiuyue and Luhe dare not invade again, and the Zhaomu have always been on good terms with our dynasty. Now we are living in a peaceful and prosperous era, and all the people under heaven praise Your Majesty's benevolence, wisdom, and sagacity!"
These words of praise greatly pleased the emperor. Although she did not show her joy or anger, she leaned forward and plucked the red agate beads with even more merriment, clearly delighted.
However, Prime Minister Shen, who stood at the head of all officials, felt a twitch in his brow, and a string in his mind tightened slightly.
Unsolicited flattery is always suspicious; there's no smoke without fire. This old hag, the Imperial Censor, is suddenly showering His Majesty with so much praise—is she perhaps looking for trouble again?
Sure enough, the Imperial Censor's next sentence was—
"Your Majesty is so wise and virtuous, yet some still knowingly break the law, deceive their superiors and subordinates, and commit the crime of deceiving the emperor! We beseech Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and severely punish this person!"
These words caused an uproar in the hall, and even the emperor at the head of the table suddenly became stern. One person said, "Lord Liu, you speak with such certainty, you must be absolutely certain, right? Then quickly reveal this person's name!"
What a fine display of mutual respect and cooperation. Shen Jia watched and gave a light scoff.
The Imperial Censor said, "I dare not conceal anything—Lord Su, do you have anything to say?"
In an instant, dozens of eyes followed the Imperial Censor and turned to Su Aoshuang, some scrutinizing, some mocking, some shocked, and some indifferent. Su Aoshuang rolled her eyes expressionlessly through the various gazes around her, then slowly bowed her head, the peacock insignia on her chest folding up as she did so: "Your Majesty, I dare not boast of being conscientious and diligent, but I believe my conscience is clear. I do not know why Lord Liu would frame me in this way. I hope Your Majesty will see the truth."
With just a few words, she kicked the football to the emperor. For a moment, all the officials in the hall fell silent, their gazes sweeping towards the dragon throne above.
One of the officials subtly twirled the vine bracelet on his left wrist twice with his right hand, which was hidden in his sleeve, while maintaining the upturned expression on his face, like a fawning fox with its shoulders drooping and a smile that did not reach its eyes.
"What Minister Su says is quite right. Minister Liu, you two serve in the same court. If you have no evidence, what are your intentions in wantonly slandering your colleague?"
As soon as the dragon's mouth opened, everyone thought to themselves: Just as I thought.
Su Aoshuang was appointed by the emperor when he was still a nobody, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a minister who followed him into power. Everyone has their own preferences, and the emperor is no exception.
It was entirely expected that she would favor Su Aoshuang.
Unexpectedly, the Imperial Censor remained undeterred, replying neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, I have irrefutable evidence, which is why I dared to accuse Lord Su in court. Su Aoshuang, I will ask you one more time—do you admit to the matter of switching Prince Rui's husband?"
Before the words were even finished, everyone was astonished. The crowd could no longer contain themselves, and for a moment, forgetting they were in the imperial court, they began whispering amongst themselves:
"Has Lord Liu gone mad? I also went to ask for a cup of celebratory wine on the day of Prince Rui's wedding, and there was nothing unusual at the time."
"Perhaps it's because her own son doesn't possess the same handsome appearance and virtuous reputation as Lord Su's son, and seeing that her own son hasn't found a good match, she's become envious..."
"That's not quite right. Lord Liu is an upright man and has never had any grudge against Lord Su. Why would he deliberately frame him? Could there really be something else going on here?"
"That makes sense. I've heard some rumors circulating in the market lately. Lord Su is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor and has also married Prince Rui. If Prince Rui were to enter the Qing Palace, wouldn't her son—"
"Shh! Shut up! How dare you spout nonsense on such an important matter! If someone with ulterior motives hears this, you'll lose your official hat and your head, won't you?"
"quiet!"
Seeing that the room was about to descend into chaos, the palace attendant quickly raised his voice and managed to quell the commotion before the emperor could throw the inkstone from his palm.
"Lord Liu, you must not speak nonsense!"
Su Aoshuang, angered by her repeated provocations, retorted, "This concerns the reputation of His Highness Prince Rui and my son. Do not fabricate any more lies!"
As the saying goes, a straight body casts a straight shadow. At this moment, although she stood up straight and her face was full of anger, her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was desperately trying to recall where she had given herself away.
The Prince's residence? The number of people under His Highness Prince Rui's strict rule who are also intimately familiar with the whole story can be counted on one hand…
At home? No, impossible. She personally selected all the guards in the manor, and Xin and Han also kept a close watch on them.
In the temple? Impossible. His Highness Prince Rui's personal guards went there. With layers of blockade, probably not even a fly could fly down the mountain.
Then there's only one option...
"Summon Zuo Yan to come forward!"
Lord Liu's voice rang out at just the right moment.
With a startled look in her eyes and a trembling heart, Su Aoshuang turned around in fear, desperately praying that it wasn't the person she had imagined.
The palace doors were wide open, and a man stood against the light, his back slightly hunched, leaning on a cane, limping forward as he passed her.
He didn't even glance at her.
A note from the author:
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"Zuoyan" is an ancient Chinese legal term referring to witnesses or evidence used as proof in the trial of a case.
These chapters were really hard to write; my brain cells are about to die these past few days. [crying emoji]
The color of the official robes is my own design, but the insignia are based on those from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Of course, the official system is based on the Tang dynasty, so please don't take it too seriously, after all, this is just a fictional world. [pat on the head]
The following colors, from light to dark:
Apricot Red #CF3D15, Banana Red #C8191D, Crimson Red #B02E28, Jujube Red #8A2623, Vermilion Red #711318
The following is the order of the patch patterns:
The ranks are: First-rank crane, second-rank golden pheasant, third-rank peacock, fourth-rank wild goose, fifth-rank silver pheasant, sixth-rank egret, seventh-rank mandarin duck, eighth-rank quail, and ninth-rank pheasant.
Martial arts: First rank Qilin, second rank Lion, third rank Leopard, fourth rank Tiger, fifth rank Black Bear, ninth rank Seahorse (I found that in the Ming Dynasty, the sixth and seventh ranks used a leopard and the eighth rank used a rhinoceros, and in the Qing Dynasty, the sixth rank used a leopard and the seventh and eighth ranks used a rhinoceros, but since it is not mentioned in the text, just read it for fun).
Also, the leaves are actually a color #ECD452, so she wore a light yellow outfit when she appeared. [pat on the head]
I've hidden lots and lots of little details in the text; you can look for them yourself if you're interested, meow [calico cat emoji]
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