Seeing that Chu Feiyang had already thought about the issue of post-disaster reconstruction, Emperor Yugan pondered for a moment and then asked, "Where are the Minister of Works and the Minister of Revenue?"
"Your humble servant is here!" Lord Mei, the Minister of Works, and Qu Yan, the Minister of Revenue, stood out at the same time. They bowed and clasped their fists facing Emperor Yugan, and answered in unison.
"The matter raised by the King of Chu is indeed of utmost importance. You two, one will be in charge of the Ministry of Works and the other will be in charge of the court's finances. I will hand over the post-disaster housing resettlement issue in the Jiangnan area to you. Do not let my people suffer any injustice." Emperor Yu Gan glanced at the two people who came out below, his shrewd eyes paused on Qu Yan for a moment, and he gave the order in a loud voice.
"Your humble servant obeys your order." How could the two dare to be negligent? They immediately agreed to the matter.
"Your Majesty!" After Lord Mei returned to the train, Qu Yan still stood in the center of the hall, speaking to Emperor Yugan with an attitude that remained respectful. His face was calm and solemn, making it impossible to tell what he was going to say next.
"What's the matter?" A cold light flashed in his dark eyes. Emperor Yugan's gaze passed over the officials and went straight to the door of the hall. He glanced at King Chen who was still kneeling upright in the rain, then turned his gaze to Qu Yan and asked in a cold voice.
Qu Yan was not afraid of the Yugan Emperor's slightly hostile gaze. Instead, he knelt calmly in the hall and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please consider His Royal Highness Prince Chen's filial piety and grant His Royal Highness Prince Chen permission to visit Concubine Yuande at the Imperial Mausoleum!"
After he finished speaking, he saw Qu Yan kowtow to Emperor Yugan continuously.
Following Qu Yan's actions, many ministers in the court knelt down and pleaded in unison, "Your Majesty, please, for the sake of His Royal Highness Prince Chen's filial piety, grant His Royal Highness Prince Chen permission to visit Concubine Yuande at the Imperial Mausoleum!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a sound of kowtows was heard in the solemn and magnificent hall. The ministers disregarded their own lives and pleaded for King Chen. The scene looked quite touching.
Chu Feiyang, Prince Duan and others stood in the main hall and turned around to look at the group of people kneeling behind them. They were all ministers who were loyal to Prince Chen. They all tacitly did not speak and watched the development and direction of the matter with cold eyes.
"Want to rebel?" Unexpectedly, Emperor Yugan did not get furious this time. Instead, his low and cold voice contained a hint of great anger and murderous intent. His deep eyes were filled with murderous intent, making people dare not look directly at him.
This cold and simple question immediately silenced the ministers who had been kneeling and begging for orders, daring not to speak again and thus incur the emperor's wrath. However, the body that had been prostrating on the ground did not rise, remaining on its knees, waiting for Emperor Yugan to release them.
Chu Feiyang turned to look at Emperor Yugan, only to see that although Emperor Yugan seemed calm, he was actually extremely angry. His tense face, tightly pursed thin lips, and eyes filled with majesty, anger, and murderous intent clearly showed that he hated the ministers in front of him to the core.
The hall was filled with the smell of gunpowder and the tense situation. The confrontation between the ministers and the emperor made everyone nervous and frightened.
"Your Majesty, please, for the sake of my filial piety, grant me permission to visit Concubine Yuande at the Imperial Mausoleum!" At this moment, Prince Chen's calm and cold voice could be heard from outside the hall. His voice was filled with pleading and affection, and it was truly moving. Furthermore, Prince Chen, kneeling in the rain, looking disheveled, yet still thinking of Concubine Yuande, who was far away in the Imperial Mausoleum, was truly a touching act of filial piety.
The loud shout from Prince Chen at this time immediately broke the deadlock in the hall. When the ministers heard Prince Chen speak, there was another round of loud shouts for requests. However, Emperor Yugan's face finally turned gloomy amid the shouting.
Prince Duan looked at the Emperor and Prince Chen, one sitting high on the throne, the other half-kneeling in the rain outside the palace. He couldn't help but frown slightly, then clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you let Prince Chen enter the palace first and discuss this matter later? After all, Prince Chen's heart is tied to Concubine Yuande, a mother-son bond, and it's human nature."
"Prince Duan, are you accusing me of preventing the mother and son from meeting?" Unexpectedly, Emperor Yugan was suppressed in anger at this time, and did not even give Prince Duan face, and directly blocked Prince Duan back.
Without waiting for Prince Duan to speak again, he immediately questioned the ministers kneeling below, "Do you all think so?"
The hall was as silent as night for a moment, and the ministers did not dare to reply...
"I dare not!" Qu Yan had never expected Emperor Yugan to be so unyielding today. Half the court officials had already knelt to plead for Prince Chen, yet they hadn't managed to sway Emperor Yugan even a little. A thin layer of sweat formed on Qu Yan's forehead, and he felt a sense of loss of control over what was about to happen.
"We are terrified!" When the leader Qu Yan spoke, the other ministers immediately followed suit. Everyone said they dared not. The rustling sound of clothes rubbing against each other echoed in the hall. The ministers kowtowed and saluted one after another. No one dared to touch the emperor's reverse scale at this time.
"Don't dare?" A light snort was heard, which was instantly hidden in the heavy rain outside the palace. Emperor Yugan looked at the ministers whom he supported with money, and saw that they were forcing him like this. His heart was already full of anger, his face was ashen but with a hint of sneer. The extreme expression made people tremble with fear, and they dared not challenge the emperor's majesty again.
"I see you dare to do anything! What are you doing? Threatening me? So many people kneeled for a trivial matter. It seems that I have been too indulgent towards you. You have no ambition to make progress all day long, and you don't know how to do more practical things for the people. You always press me step by step on trivial matters! What, you think that I will surrender just because there are so many people? Or do you think that the emperor of Western Chu has changed? Your master has been replaced? Ah!" A furious cry suddenly rang out. Emperor Yugan suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, pointing a finger at the ministers kneeling in the hall and cursing. His face was extremely ugly at this time, and there was a hint of murderous intent. However, his eyes, which were full of shrewdness, filtered through the kneeling ministers, and he immediately understood.
Prince Chen, oh Prince Chen, you are really great. These ministers are all pillars of the court, and they are in charge of the most important positions in the court. If I execute all of them now, I am afraid there will be loopholes in the official positions in the court, and then there will be turmoil in the court of Western Chu.
"What are you trying to do, Prince Chen? Are you trying to challenge me by openly exposing your strength?"
Emperor Yugan's eyes gradually narrowed, and his gaze was filled with murderous intent, yet so subtle that no one could notice it. The anger on his face gradually faded away with the loud shout just now, and was replaced by his usual unfathomable look, making it impossible for anyone to understand the emperor's thoughts.
Everyone lowered their heads again because of Emperor Yugan's questioning, and no one dared to speak anymore.
"Someone, bring Prince Chen up!" Emperor Yugan spoke at this time, then slowly sat down, his eyes sweeping sharply at the ministers kneeling on the ground below, but there was a hint of hatred in his heart.
In an instant, Prince Chen was brought to the hall by the royal guards. He strode in from outside the hall. Every step he took left a rain-stained footprint on the red carpet. His noble crimson court robes had already been soaked by the rain. A few strands of hair stuck to his jade-like yet cold face. His figure was disheveled, but his expression was proud, without any sense of defeat.
He strode to the center of the hall, knelt down with an upright and graceful posture, and said in a loud voice: "Your humble servant pays homage to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Yugan watched him calmly approach the hall. A sense of unease suddenly rose in his heart. His brows furrowed slightly, and he spoke in a cold voice, "Prince Chen, let me ask you, were you the one who asked them to plead for you?"
If this was really done by Prince Chen, then half of the ministers in the court of Western Chu have been used by Prince Chen. Prince Chen's appeal has surpassed that of Emperor Yugan. This is obviously a suspicion of usurping the throne. How could Emperor Yugan tolerate Prince Chen again?
But Prince Chen's expression remained normal, his hardness tinged with a hint of arrogance. He replied in a cold voice, "Your Majesty, I understand. How could this humble servant have the ability to command the officials of the court? It is only natural for people to enjoy the happiness of family. You gentlemen are merely pleading for me."
Having said that, King Chen's fists had already loosened. He turned his right hand slightly, and when he opened it again, he found that the unique bird talisman in history was lying flat in his right palm.
At this moment, Prince Chen's expression relaxed slightly, a hint of sincerity lingering beneath his coldness. His voice softened, clearly indicating a retreat. "Brother Your Majesty, I know I've caused you a great deal of worry over the years. This is all due to my youth and inexperience. Last night, we argued because of my impatience. I beg your forgiveness! Now that my mother has been stabbed by an assassin, I'm deeply concerned. I beg your permission to visit her at the Imperial Mausoleum. This Sparrow Talisman is extremely important to me, but if it affects our brotherly relationship, I'm willing to offer it to you. I hope your Majesty will let bygones be bygones."
After saying this, King Chen held up the precious Sparrow Talisman with both hands, with a hint of reluctance on his face, but also with great determination, which made people believe in his sincerity.
When Qu Yan heard Prince Chen's words and saw that he was really going to return the Sparrow Talisman, his face turned pale. He looked at Prince Chen anxiously, hoping that he would change his mind. However, he found that Prince Chen's expression was firm, and there was a hint of stubbornness in his eyes. He did not even notice his pleading eyes.
For a moment, Qu Yan was in a state of confusion. He didn't understand what Prince Chen was going to do. Why was he handing over the Sparrow Talisman for no apparent reason? Didn't he understand the implications of handing over the Sparrow Talisman? Didn't he know that handing over the Sparrow Talisman meant surrendering military power? Emperor Yugan would now control all the military forces in the palace and the capital, making it difficult for them to rebel again!
Qu Yan was not the only one in the palace who was anxious about King Chen's decision. Even Chu Feiyang, Prince Duan, Hai Chenxi and others looked at King Chen with confusion at his sudden change of heart.
However, even though Prince Chen did this today, I'm afraid no one would believe that he would withdraw from the battle for the throne.
A hint of deep thought flashed across Chu Feiyang's clear black eyes, and his gaze turned to King Chen, but he found that the other party's face was truly indifferent, with only a hint of worry.
The most annoyed was Emperor Yugan. When Prince Chen brought up this matter last night, Emperor Yugan thought that Prince Chen was deliberately trying to anger him. However, he did not expect that today, in front of all the civil and military officials, he would bring up this matter again. This made Emperor Yugan's eyes glow with fire, but in his heart he was thinking about Prince Chen's intentions and sincerity, and gradually looked at Prince Chen who was kneeling in the hall.
"What do you mean?" Faced with King Chen's sudden surrender, Emperor Yugan couldn't help but gradually slow down his voice and attitude, and his tone was no longer as sharp as before.
But seeing Prince Chen holding up the Sparrow Talisman with both hands, he kowtowed respectfully to Emperor Yugan, and then said calmly, "This is a sincere gesture from your humble heart. I hope Your Majesty can fulfill your humble heart."
Because of what King Chen said, everyone looked at King Chen, only to see that the look in his eyes was less cold and stubborn, and more indifferent and free and easy. He seemed to have been reborn, which was unbelievable.
Emperor Yugan's brows gradually furrowed, and he stared at King Chen without blinking. His face was calm with a hint of vigilance, as if he was considering the truthfulness of what King Chen said.
"You don't have to do this. I have sent the imperial physician to follow Zhou to the imperial mausoleum to treat the concubine's injuries. I believe the concubine will be fine. Why do you have to embarrass me here?" After a while, Emperor Yugan spoke slowly. His meticulous mind and cautious temperament made Emperor Yugan unmoved by Prince Chen's request, even though Prince Chen presented the precious bird talisman with both hands today.
But Prince Chen remained calm and continued coldly, "I appreciate your kindness, my brother. However, the Concubine Dowager is my mother after all. How can a son ignore his mother's suffering? I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to proceed to the Imperial Mausoleum. As for this sparrow talisman, it is nothing more than a dispensable possession to me. It would be better to return it to Your Majesty so that it can be put to good use."
As he spoke, Prince Chen raised his hands above his head, and the Sparrow Talisman really fell into the eyes of all the ministers. The fact that Prince Chen would give up the Sparrow Talisman for the sake of military power shocked everyone.
The entire hall was in complete silence as the ministers were all waiting for Emperor Yugan's decision.
Emperor Yu Gan held the armrests of the dragon throne with both hands, and gently brushed the dragon head under his hands with the tips of his ten fingers. His mind was turning rapidly, and his eyes were already fixed on the sparrow talisman.
After a long while, he spoke calmly, "In that case, you can go."
After he finished speaking, Emperor Yugan nodded to Eunuch Yu beside him.
Eunuch Yu understood, quietly walked down the jade steps, came to King Chen, took the bird talisman from King Chen and returned it to Emperor Yugan.
"Your humble servant thanks the emperor for his grace." Prince Chen immediately bowed to express his gratitude to the emperor.
But before Emperor Yugan could finish his words, he immediately spoke again, "Since you care so much about the Concubine Dowager, I am also willing to rectify the rules of the Imperial Mausoleum. I will have Prime Minister Han and the Minister of Justice accompany us to the Imperial Mausoleum. Minister Han will be responsible for rectifying the mausoleum guards, and Minister Qu will be responsible for finding the murderer and punishing him according to the law. I will give you three days. If you do not return within this time, you will be severely punished."
Unexpectedly, even after Prince Chen handed over the Sparrow Talisman, Emperor Yugan still remained on guard. He specifically ordered Han Che and Qu Changqing to accompany Prince Chen to the Imperial Mausoleum, giving them only three days to do so, a truly pressing deadline.
But there was no sign of dissatisfaction on King Chen's face. He kowtowed and thanked him, "Thank you!"
He had never expected that Prince Chen would be so easy to talk to, allowing Emperor Yu Gan to manipulate him without showing any anger. Qu Yan's heart sank again and again, but he did not dare to ask at this time. He could only wait until the court was dismissed and follow Prince Chen.
"Thank you, Minister Qu. I will go back to the palace to change into clean clothes, and then we will set off for the imperial mausoleum. If you two have nothing to do, why don't you go to Prince Chen's palace and sit for a while." Unexpectedly, Prince Chen ignored Qu Yan and spoke politely to Han Che Qu Changqing.
"In that case, I'm sorry to bother Your Highness." Han Che and Qu Changqing looked at each other, bowed and spoke at the same time, and left the palace with Prince Chen and went to Prince Chen's Mansion.
"Prince Chen is so courageous that he actually handed over the only trump card in his hand to the emperor. I wonder what Prince Chu thinks about this?" Looking at several figures stepping into the rain, Hai Chenxi walked to Chu Feiyang's side, stood with Chu Feiyang under the glazed tiles outside the hall, and spoke with a smile.
Chu Feiyang also curled his lips into a smile, his dark eyes reflecting the rain curtain before him, clear yet hazy, and he spoke elegantly, "Of course I admire King Chen's broad-mindedness."
"Really? Doesn't His Highness have other thoughts? When the Emperor dismissed the court, he glanced in His Highness's direction. Compared to Prince Chen's city defense forces, His Highness presumably holds greater military power!" Hai Chenxi's words were veiled in meaning, his gaze fixed on the pouring rain ahead. He seemed to be asking a question, but in reality, he was trying to elicit inquiries. He was also perplexed by Prince Chen's actions today. Why would he hand over the Sparrow Talisman for Concubine Yuande? This was truly out of character for Prince Chen.
"Haha, same with you. Isn't it the same with the Sea King and the Prince of Hai? I can still serve the court, but the Sea King has been kept in the Sea King's Mansion for a long time, holding the military power that makes people raise eyebrows. Comparing the two, who does the Prince of Hai think the emperor is more afraid of?" After saying that, Chu Feiyang stopped chatting with Hai Chenxi. Seeing Qu Lingao stepping out of the hall, he and Qu Lingao walked along the corridor to the outside of the inner palace.
The residence of the Prime Minister of Chu.
Strangely enough, after Emperor Yugan agreed to King Chen's request, the rain gradually subsided. By evening, the sky was clear and a colorful rainbow hung in the sky, which was so beautiful that it attracted everyone to come out of the house where they had been stuffy for a long time to appreciate the scenery.
"Your servant greets the princess!" Yun Qianmeng was sitting under the long corridor with a few maids, relaxing and chatting, when they saw Nanny Shangguan leading Le Yao towards them.
Yun Qianmeng smiled faintly and asked, "Why are you here today? Is there something wrong with my cousin?"
Seeing Yun Qianmeng smile, Le Yao also smiled and replied, "In reply to your question, Princess. The Emperor has sent the eldest son to accompany Prince Chen to the Imperial Mausoleum to visit Concubine Yuande. The young master will not be able to escort the eldest young lady to the Sea Palace tomorrow. The young lady heard that Princess Xiahou accepted the invitation from the Sea Palace and plans to go with her. I have specially sent this servant to inform your princess."
Listening to Le Yao recount every detail in such detail, Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but smile. She nodded and said, "It's such a small matter, yet you're so polite. I've made a note of it. Tomorrow, I'll have the princess go with my cousin. Go back to my cousin and tell her not to worry."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." Le Yao bowed respectfully to Yun Qianmeng and then returned the same way.
During the morning court session, Prince Chen personally handed over the Sparrow Talisman to Emperor Yu Gan. The news that he knelt all night in the rain just to see his biological mother had spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital. People praised Prince Chen as the most filial son of Western Chu in the world. For the sake of his biological mother, he even handed over the life-saving Sparrow Talisman to Emperor Yu Gan without hesitation.
"Princess, this is strange that Prince Chen would hand over the Sparrow Talisman." Mu Chun looked at the colorful rainbow in the sky and spoke with some confusion.
Yun Qianmeng smiled gently, but did not respond to Mu Chun's mumbling.
Although the imperial mausoleum is far away from the imperial palace, it is guarded by the imperial guards on all sides. In addition, it is a royal mausoleum, so the common people do not dare to approach it. How did Concubine Yuande get injured?
"Why are you sitting here in a daze?" A clear voice with a hint of reprimand came. Before Yun Qianmeng could turn her head to look at the person who came, she was pulled to her feet. A distressed voice came from above her head, "Although the rain has stopped and the sky is clear, the atmosphere is very tense. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"Why was Concubine Yuande suddenly injured in the imperial mausoleum?" Yun Qianmeng raised her eyes and looked at Chu Feiyang, feeling that something was amiss.
Chu Feiyang pulled her closer, put his arm around her waist, and took her for a slow walk in the garden. Seeing that she frowned because of this matter, he raised his hand and gently touched her brow, smiling softly, "You are pregnant now, so leave these things to your husband. Your task is to take good care of yourself, and don't think about other things, so as not to worry."
Hearing what he said, Yun Qianmeng laughed, but she also knew that being in a good mood was the best thing for the baby. She nodded obediently and continued to walk slowly in the garden with Chu Feiyang.
"Let the secret guards escort An'er and cousin to the Sea King's Palace tomorrow." Recently, the Sea King and King Chen have been showing goodwill to Emperor Yugan. This move really makes people feel uneasy.
"Okay." Chu Feiyang curled his lips into a smile, but his expression was focused on accompanying Yun Qianmeng for a walk, as if nothing in this world could compare to what was happening before him.
To celebrate the 45th birthday of the Sea King, all the noble families and officials in the capital received invitations from the Sea King’s Palace.
On this day, carriages were parked in front of the mansions of all the famous families in the capital. Everyone prepared generous gifts early in the morning and headed to Yangmingshan in groups, escorted by servants.
But there were three people who did not go. One was the Princess of Chu who had just gotten pregnant and was not suitable for traveling far, one was Prince Chen, and the other was Rong Yunhe who was far away in Jiangnan.
Today, the Sea King's Palace is full of joy and bustle.
The carriages from various mansions had already blocked the gate of the Sea King's Mansion, but even so, there were still many carriages rushing towards the gate of the Sea King's Mansion.
Normally, there is only one butler to receive guests, but today there are eight butlers dispatched.
The eight stewards' versatile skills and their ability to remember guests' names, appearances, preferences, and tastes were enough to amaze the nobles in the capital.
Several housekeepers are already so powerful, which shows that the Sea King's Palace is really a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers are hidden.
"Sister Qu, please get off." Xiahou An'er had come with Concubine Qu in the carriage of the Duke of Fuguo's mansion. The carriage stopped in front of the gate of the Prince of the Sea's mansion. Xiahou An'er got off first and stood outside waiting for Concubine Qu.
"Your servant greets Miss Qu and Princess Xiahou. You two have come from afar and must have worked hard." As soon as their feet touched the ground, a steward from the Sea King's Palace came over. After respectfully bowing to the two, the steward asked the servants behind him to lead the servants from the two palaces to rest, while he went into the Sea King's Palace to greet Qu Feiqing and Xiahou An'er.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
Tomorrow's content will be more exciting~
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