Chapter 462 Insubordination
The officials were extremely astonished.
Firstly, it was because of Wen Kehao's actions, and secondly, it was because Wen Kehao's bare upper body was clearly different from ordinary people. His muscles were bulging everywhere, and his blood was surging, making him look rather strange and frightening.
They had always been puzzled by the red markings on Prince Zhong's face, but they never expected that his body, hidden beneath his clothes, would be even more shocking and disturbing.
No wonder Prince Zhong always wore a long robe, regardless of the season.
The officials' lips parted slightly, their eyes widened, and they all took a step back, staring intently at Prince Zhong to see what he intended to do.
Wen Zhiming leaned forward slightly, his expression unchanged.
"Prince Zhong, what is the meaning of this?"
Wen Kehao knelt upright, looking up directly at Wen Zhiming.
"Your Majesty, I have committed a grave error and have come here to plead guilty. I have been keeping over a hundred young women in the backyard of my residence, indulging in pleasure every night and disregarding the law. This has disgraced Your Majesty, the court officials, and the people. It is an act of usurpation and insubordination. I humbly request Your Majesty to punish me accordingly."
One stone stirs up a thousand waves.
As soon as Wen Kehao finished speaking, the ministers were so shocked that their fingers trembled, and they pointed at Wen Kehao and whispered among themselves.
"What... more than a hundred? This old minister must have misheard. Prince Zhong's actions are not merely overstepping his bounds, they're tantamount to rebellion! In this world, besides the Emperor, who can afford to support so many women?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, you really can't judge a book by its cover. Prince Zhong is usually honest and kind, but he's actually so ruthless behind the scenes. This... sigh, isn't the backyard of Prince Zhong's mansion going to be a complete mess?"
"I don't believe it. Even if Prince Zhong is young and exceptionally talented, it's impossible for him to have favored so many women and keep it a secret for so long. In my opinion, Prince Zhong is trying to avoid his mission to the northern frontier, so he's made up a crime for himself. But he's exaggerating a bit too much."
“I wouldn’t believe it under normal circumstances, but it’s hard to say now. Look at Prince Zhong’s muscles and veins. Can an ordinary person have that? I heard that Prince Zhong’s martial arts skills are also at their peak, comparable to the Emperor’s. Who knows, maybe he has practiced some kind of evil art. It’s not surprising that he is different from ordinary people in that aspect.”
"I also feel it should be true. Overstepping one's bounds is no small crime, and Prince Zhong would not fabricate such a serious charge against himself. But why did he choose this time to plead guilty? Is it because the Emperor has entrusted him with important responsibilities and his conscience is bothering him, or is it because he cannot take all the women from his harem with him when he goes to the northern frontier to guard it, so he has no choice but to confess and let the Emperor decide?"
"If it's true, he must not be let off lightly. As a prince, leading the way in overstepping his bounds and committing treason is an even greater crime!"
They were so excited that their whispers gradually escalated into loud condemnations.
Wen Zhiming and Wen Kehao also heard it.
Wen Zhiming frowned, lowered his gaze, and scrutinized Wen Kehao.
"Is everything you're saying true?"
Wen Kehao said, "It is absolutely true. Before entering the palace, I invited the Imperial Guard Commander to my residence to verify this. Your Majesty, you may summon him to the palace to inquire about the situation."
Wen Zhiming nodded, and the eunuch behind him drawled, "Summon the Imperial Guard Commander to the palace!"
Jiang Lin responded and entered, kneeling beside Wen Kehao.
“Your Majesty, what Prince Zhong said is true. I personally saw more than a hundred young girls in the backyard of Prince Zhong’s residence. They were all bought into the residence by Princess Zhong’s wife. The longest they have been there is more than three years. That is, after Your Majesty ascended the throne, Prince Zhong has been replenishing the backyard. In the past three years, he has been buying several girls every month without interruption.”
Upon hearing this, the indignant officials became even more furious. They glared at Wen Kehao with flushed faces, wishing they could execute this traitor on the spot.
“Prince Zhong, the Emperor has treated you well, yet you have acted so heartlessly, secretly establishing a harem in the inner palace since the Emperor ascended the throne. How is this any different from rebellion?”
"You are blinded by lust, and you even had the Princess Consort of the Prince Zhong buy women. You bought more than a hundred women at once. You are shameless and despicable, and you don't even deserve to be human!"
"The expenses for these hundred-plus people must be considerable. You receive a salary from the court, yet you use it all to support women. This level of spending far exceeds that of the emperor. Your wolfish ambition is blatantly obvious, and it is a grave crime of disrespect."
"What's even more outrageous is that he concealed this matter for three years, which shows that Prince Zhong's residence is as deep as the sea, and there is a high possibility that there are hidden soldiers hiding there."
"They say they're bought, but who knows if they're just kidnapping girls? The Emperor has exempted people from taxes for three years, and their lives are getting better and better. Where are there so many girls to buy?"
In recent years, because the emperor has only had one empress, most officials, fearing that they might overstep their bounds in this matter, have only one principal wife. Even if a few officials have one or two other women, they keep them secretly outside the palace.
Their lives were incredibly dull and monotonous, and as a result, they were all extremely cautious. Meanwhile, Prince Zhong had built a harem and kept over a hundred young women, living a life of pleasure and debauchery. How could they not feel jealous, angry, and resentful?
Wen Kehao was scolded and berated by the officials, his face turned red, but he still knelt upright with composure.
This is the second time he has been condemned by the public.
The last time was when he was forced by the former emperor to personally lead people to confiscate the property of the then Prince of Anshun. Everyone cursed him as a traitor and a disloyal son. Although he was glad that he had saved his brother's life, he was still afraid to see his mother's disappointed look and felt ashamed when he was criticized by too many people.
This time, his crime was more shameful and unbearable than before, and the ministers in the court were more scathing and excessive than his relatives were last time. He originally thought it would be more painful and distressing than before, but unexpectedly, he was very calm now, with a firm gaze and no thought of backing down.
Perhaps because he had no one behind him last time, but this time he had Su Leyan and the child supporting him, he felt a greater sense of responsibility and was therefore fearless.
Thinking back to when he left, Su Leyan carried the child and saw him off at the mansion without saying a word. She simply hung a safety charm on his waist in silence, and a faint smile appeared on Wen Kehao's lips.
He calmly said, "Your Majesty, I have acted improperly and have indeed failed to live up to your expectations. Please punish me."
The officials watched him intently, extremely dissatisfied with his reaction.
That faint smile led the officials to mistakenly believe that he was not ashamed but arrogant, that he was defying imperial authority and acting lawlessly.
"Your Majesty, I believe that Prince Zhong has knowingly broken the law and refused to admit his guilt earlier or later. He only confessed when the two countries were negotiating peace and he was needed to guard the border. He is a scourge to the court and a parasite on the country. He should be severely punished!"
"Your Majesty, I second that opinion! Prince Zhong has privately established a harem, which is an act of usurpation and rebellion. He should be stripped of his princely title and executed immediately!"
"But peace talks between the two countries are imminent, and the Emperor's peace treaty letter has already been sent out. The only prince must go to the northern frontier. I think we can let Prince Zhong atone for his crimes by suffering some physical pain and donating his palace's wealth before sending him to the northern frontier."
"Absolutely not! Prince Zhong already harbors rebellious intentions. We must not allow him to leave with his troops. We should arrest him and imprison him first. Prince Zhong's wife, who bought girls for him, is an accomplice to his evil deeds and should also be taken down."
"Your Majesty, please imprison Prince Zhong to uphold the law!"
As more and more officials joined the discussion, those who had previously stood by also began to participate in the impeachment.
Finally, all the officials knelt down and said in unison.
"Your Majesty, please imprison Prince Zhong to uphold the law!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
