Chapter 17 Deceiving the Emperor (Part 2) "Why not prepare it in advance for your little husband..."
Civil and military officials stood on either side, leaving a narrow path in the middle. The man walked unsteadily through the crowd along this path, went straight to the front, gently placed his cane down, knelt on both knees, and respectfully bowed deeply to the emperor at the head of the table.
"Your subject, Su Yutang, pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
As soon as she appeared, some of the officials who were familiar with Su Aoshuang recognized her face and couldn't help but gasp. Even those who didn't recognize her immediately saw the look of astonishment on Su Aoshuang's face, which made her forget to hide her surprise, and knew that she must be an extraordinary person. So they calmly held their court tablets and watched the show.
Shen Jia glanced sideways at Yuan Mingjin, who stood a few steps away at the head of the military officers. Seeing that she was calm and composed, she remained silent and observed the situation.
Who are you?
The jade beads clinked lightly, producing a crisp sound—the dragon's eyes beneath the twelve tassels swept over the deathly silent Su Aoshuang, then returned to Su Yutang's eyes, his voice cold.
"This humble woman is the son of Minister Su—"
"How dare you, you brat!"
Before she could finish speaking, a memorial was thrown down the steps and landed with a thud in front of Su Yutang. Startled, she trembled violently and immediately prostrated herself on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. A large number of court officials also knelt down, crying out, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
“We, the people of Tianyuan, are all people who uphold filial piety and brotherly love! Regardless of whether this person is indeed the son of Minister Su—Liu Hongzhen! You have ordered Minister Su’s son to accuse her, this is mother and son fighting each other, it is not the behavior of a human being!”
The emperor's anger sent chills down the spines of the assembled officials, but the Censor-in-Chief remained unmoved. She straightened her upper body, her gaze sharp as lightning, and declared in a clear voice: "Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to reconcile! His loyalty to Your Majesty even surpasses his filial piety towards his mother. Is this not enough to demonstrate his virtuous character and pure intentions? Furthermore, if Lord Su is upright and honest, why would he fear being denounced, especially by his own flesh and blood? I implore Your Majesty to listen to this man's words, and then make a decision."
With things having come to this point, the emperor had no choice but to relent and order Su Yutang to tell the truth without concealing anything.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Su Yutang, his voice trembling, recounted the whole story from Su Xiaotang taking Su Yiyi's place in the bridal sedan chair to yesterday's visit home. However, he deliberately concealed the fact that Xin Shi had mistreated Su Xiaotang for more than ten years and that he had molested Su Xiaotang multiple times. He also did not mention at all how Su Xiaotang actually got into the bridal sedan chair.
The ministers listened intently, their hearts pounding with growing alarm. They would occasionally glance at Su Aoshuang out of the corner of their eyes and see that although she had no expression, the stray hairs under her black gauze hat were already damp with sweat, clinging to her forehead in strands. They knew then that the substitution was most likely true.
But... judging from what this young boy said, His Highness Prince Rui was also aware of this matter? And he didn't expose it?
Could it be that she had already set her sights on the second young master of the Su family, and thus turned a blind eye, or perhaps... she had colluded with Su Aoshuang beforehand?!
However, His Majesty has explicitly forbidden princes from having private dealings with important officials!
Everyone had a premonition of the emperor's wrath, so they quickly lowered their eyes and noses, hiding like ostriches, trying to minimize their presence to avoid incurring his wrath.
After listening with a furrowed brow, the emperor looked at Su Aoshuang and asked in a deep voice, "Su Qing, do you have anything to say about this?"
Su Aoshuang was already beyond sorrow and despair. After a moment of silence, she finally bowed down and kowtowed heavily, saying, "Your subject has nothing to say."
What else could she say?
She claimed to be devoted to the highest ideals, yet she was betrayed and gave birth to a child with the bloodline of the Nine Luminaries.
Is she saying that she felt guilty and therefore allowed her husband to bully her second son, turning a blind eye for so many years?
Does he think that he failed in raising his children and was biased, which led to this situation of internal strife and mutual destruction?
On one side are her husband of many years and her children, and on the other side is the temptation to once again seize the merit of supporting the emperor.
On one side is the Emperor's unwavering favor over him for decades; on the other is Prince Rui, who has been tethered to the pirate ship and become a grasshopper in the same boat...
She wanted both, couldn't let go of either, yet got neither. In the end, the only thing she could give up was—
"Su Aoshuang," the emperor's voice was deep and unreadable, "you have disappointed me greatly."
Shen Jia was startled, knowing that Yuan Mingjin could not appear at this time. Her body reacted faster than her brain, and she took the first step forward—"Your Majesty, please reconsider! Lady Su has always been loyal and hardworking. Even if she has made a mistake, it is only because she is a mother and cannot bear to see her son suffer the pain of unrequited love. Please do not punish her lightly!"
The Prime Minister has the responsibility of leading all officials, so His Majesty will not suspect anything if she pleads on his behalf. Moreover, her words downplay the seriousness of the matter and make it disappear, without mentioning the crime of deceiving the emperor, and only emphasizing the painstaking efforts of a loving mother. As a mother himself, His Majesty will surely be able to put himself in her shoes and feel compassion.
“Shen Xiang is mistaken.”
Just as the parties were locked in a stalemate, a voice full of laughter suddenly intervened from the side—
"Lord Su may indeed have a heart full of love for his son, but since the imperial decree has designated the eldest son of the Su family as the consort of Prince Rui, and Lord Su has then resorted to this trick to switch the roles, isn't that... a complete disregard for the majesty of the Empress Dowager?"
Su Aoshuang suddenly looked up, "This subject had no such intention!"
"Moreover—Lord Su is only concerned with the love of the substitute bride, but has he ever remembered that the rightful bride, who should have been the king's consort, also harbored a love for the princess, and longed to marry her and become her husband day and night?"
She pretended not to hear and continued talking to herself. She even covered her mouth with her sleeve and chuckled. The wide sleeves of her official robes slid down, revealing a gold bracelet on her fair wrist covered with vines. Every flower and every leaf was lifelike, bright and dazzling.
"My dear sister, you are truly captivating. You have won the hearts of two brothers, who have completely disregarded brotherly affection and the reputation of men in seclusion. They are willing to risk the infamy of fratricide and even the crime of deceiving the emperor, all in their eagerness to marry you. I am truly envious."
This person was skilled with words, using minimal effort to draw Prince Rui, who had always remained hidden behind the scenes, into the public eye. Yuan Mingjin also responded accordingly, bowing his head and speaking respectfully and modestly: "Your Majesty flatters me. I am mediocre and incompetent, except for a few humble opinions on leading troops in battle. I am deeply humbled by your kindness."
Yuan Mingqiong froze, his face turning ashen. His other hand, hidden in his wide sleeve, gripped the ivory tablet so tightly it almost turned to dust.
Simply put, although these words were merely a self-deprecating remark on the surface, they incisively struck at her sore spot—
Since ancient times, the fastest way to achieve merit and establish a career is to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy. However, she was unable to go to the battle seven years ago, so her mother appointed Yuan Mingjin, who was two years younger than her, as the commander-in-chief. Her younger sister lived up to expectations, showing her talent and becoming famous in one battle before she was even sixteen. After that, whenever there was a battle, her mother entrusted it to her with complete confidence, completely forgetting that she, the eldest daughter, was also capable of leading troops and deploying formations, displaying the power of the Tianyuan Kingdom.
If she couldn't achieve anything in martial arts, she could only focus more on civil administration. Seeing that the other party had no intention of arguing with her, Yuan Mingqiong realized that she had punched a cotton ball and could only smile and suppress her anger. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the emperor at the head of the table say, "Prince Su, shut up."
Yuan Mingqiong was startled, lowered her head, and obediently shut her mouth.
"Prince Rui, you speak." Behind the long, beaded curtain, those imposing eyes shifted to Yuan Mingjin. "Do you know that your consort is someone else?"
Yuan Mingjin seemed still reeling from this sudden blow, his face pale and flustered as he said, "Although my husband and I were married by imperial decree, we have only been married for a few days, yet we are perfectly in sync, as if we were a loving couple in a past life. Every time I return home, my husband has already taken care of everything, and I don't have to worry about anything. I realize that this household truly needs a virtuous husband to manage the affairs, and I am even more grateful to Mother Empress for her discerning eye in choosing him as my husband. But now you suddenly tell me..."
As she spoke, she choked up and did not continue. The officials in the hall were also moved, recalling their blissful wedding decades ago, the image of their husbands blushing under the red veil still vivid in their minds. The emperor at the head of the hall silently twirled the prayer beads in his hand, not uttering a word, and for a moment only the sound of jingling beads could be heard.
However, Yuan Mingqiong felt a chill and secretly sighed at her younger sister's excellent acting skills. In order to extricate herself from this matter, she could even say such nauseating things.
She managed to clear herself of all charges, but her good husband is unlikely to escape unscathed.
"It doesn't matter," Yuan Mingqiong's smile remained unchanged. She still had a card to play, and this time she was determined to cripple Yuan Mingjin, making it impossible for her to reach that position even on tiptoe!
"We will imprison Prince Rui's husband. Su Qing will return to her residence to await further instructions. Prince Rui will be confined to his residence for three months. This matter will be discussed later."
After a long silence, the emperor made his decision, rose, and left in a huff.
"Empress Mother?!"
Yuan Mingqiong was surprised that she had made such a hasty decision. She cried out in surprise, but then she heard the palace attendant drawling out the words, "Dismiss the court!" Even though she was unwilling, she had no choice but to bow and kowtow three times. After watching the emperor leave, she angrily flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.
Seeing that she could no longer suppress her anger, Yuan Mingjin subtly raised the corners of his lips and strode out of the crowd.
The two princes went first, and after they left the hall, the officials left in order of their official rank.
However, before Yuan Mingjin had gone far, a voice called out "Your Highness, please wait!" abruptly stopped her in her tracks. Turning her head, she saw Yuan Mingqiong, who was all smiles.
Yuan Mingjin frowned slightly, trying her best to remain calm as she asked, "Is there anything else, Your Majesty?"
“Xiao Mingjin…” Although the result was not satisfactory, she had managed to turn the tide, and Yuan Mingqiong’s smile was finally a little more genuine. “Your aunt really gave me quite a surprise—”
"Your Majesty, you have quite the skill. You managed to get the usually upright Censor to make a mistake." Yuan Mingjin stared coldly at her, and taking advantage of her unpreparedness, grabbed her left wrist, her fingertips just inches away from the gold bracelet. "Lüting is in my hands. I hope Your Majesty will be careful in your actions."
"Who is Lü Ting? What an unfamiliar name." Yuan Mingqiong's expression remained unchanged. Instead, she smiled and leaned close to her ear, her breath sweet as orchids. "He will not betray me. Instead of wasting your time on him, you might as well prepare for your little husband's funeral in advance... The Heavenly Prison is not your Prince Rui's bedroom, where you can come and go as you please."
Yuan Mingjin said in a gloomy tone, "No need for Your Majesty to trouble yourself."
After exchanging pleasantries, the two parted on bad terms.
Yuan Mingqiong, confident in his superior judgment, hummed a sweet, lingering tune as he boarded the carriage to return to his residence. His confidant recognized the tune as a popular song from brothels, hesitated for a moment, and then advised, "Your Highness, we cannot employ someone like Su Yutang. She betrayed even her own mother and family; who can guarantee she won't turn on us in the future..."
"Shh-"
Yuan Mingqiong pursed his lips, raised a finger and placed it on her lips to silence her, then laughed and said, "Little Zipu, do you think I didn't think of that? This kind of thing is used and then thrown away, there's no need for you to come and mention it to me."
The confidant lowered his eyelashes and said, "It was my stupidity."
"It's alright." Yuan Mingqiong twirled the gold bracelet on her left wrist in high spirits, her fingertips flicking at the golden fruits, causing the flowers and leaves to tremble. "My dear sister has prepared such a wonderful surprise for me. It's truly—heaven is helping me!"
A note from the author:
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"These are all honest and upright men, whose wills are loyal and pure" is from Zhuge Liang's "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops".
Happy National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! Have you eaten mooncakes yet? I love egg yolk and egg white mooncakes, hehe. They'd be even better if the crust was a loose, flaky kind!
There are no rankings this week, so I don't have to rush writing. I can take this opportunity to adjust my sleep schedule; my body really can't take staying up late every day. [heartbroken]
And it's almost time to wrap things up. The later the story goes, the more exciting it gets, and the harder it is to write... I'll do my best!
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