Chapter 265 The Pain of Losing a Daughter
Prince Yong suddenly raised his head, his eyes burning with anger. "Duke Wei, don't you feel guilty when you say this?"
"It's not just my Jingchuan, there are also 300,000 lives at stake!"
"Your Highness, Prince Yong, I am merely addressing the matter at hand." Duke Wei remained calm, his tone almost cold. "The capital's military strength is limited. If we rashly dispatch troops, I'm afraid..."
"What is it?"
Prince Yong laughed in anger, "I'm afraid your conspiracy has been exposed? Duke Wei, do you think the Emperor doesn't know that you've disobeyed the Emperor's orders, pretending to build a plank road while secretly attacking Chencang, and hiding Wei Qiming, who should have been exiled?"
"These days, things have been happening one after another, and a war has broken out between the two countries. That's why I've neglected this matter!"
The hall was suddenly silent, and even the air seemed to freeze.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, his majestic gaze fixed on the Duke of Wei. "Oh? Is this true?"
Duke Wei's face turned pale instantly, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead: "Your Majesty, I..."
At this moment, the eunuch's announcement broke the tense atmosphere in the hall.
"Your Majesty, the prince of Anyang Marquis's mansion requests an audience!"
The emperor showed no sign of surprise and waved his hand: "Announce."
Gu Junze walked slowly into the hall. After entering the palace, he first knelt down and paid his respects in front of the empress dowager's spirit.
The Empress Dowager's body has not yet been laid to rest in the Cining Palace.
After the ceremony, Gu Junze walked to the center of the hall and knelt on one knee: "Your Highness."
The emperor just glanced at him indifferently and had no intention of letting Gu Junze stand up.
His face was as gloomy as water, and his eyes were filled with scrutiny and complexity.
"Duke Wei," the emperor's voice suddenly rang out, cold and hard as iron, "it seems you are increasingly disregarding me."
Duke Wei knelt on his knees, his forehead touching the ground. "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no such intention! I also love my son dearly, and I beg Your Majesty to show mercy..."
"Hmph!" The Emperor snorted coldly, interrupting Duke Wei. "Since you don't want to go to Pingzhou, then go to the mines and do some hard labor!"
Duke Wei's face turned pale, and he kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, my son has been pampered since he was a child. He can't even carry anything on his shoulders or lift anything with his hands. What will happen to him in the mines..."
The Emperor suddenly stood up, grabbed the inkstone on the table, and smashed it at the Duke of Wei: "You still dare to beg for mercy? If you don't want to go to the mines, then come to the palace and be a slave!"
The inkstone shattered in front of Duke Wei, and the ink splashed onto his official uniform like scattered black tears.
"Duke Wei, I will give you one more chance. Demote me three levels, but keep my position."
The emperor panted heavily, glaring at the old minister kneeling on the ground, "If this weren't a time for you, I would have sent you back to your hometown!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Duke Wei pressed his forehead to the ground.
The emperor turned to Prince Yong and said, "Prince Yong, Jingchuan will definitely be saved."
Prince Yong nodded gratefully: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Step back, everyone!" The emperor waved his hand.
Duke Wei and Prince Yong left the hall one after another, leaving only the emperor and the still kneeling Gu Junze.
There was a heavy atmosphere in the air, and neither of them spoke first, as if they were engaged in a silent contest.
Finally, Gu Junze broke the silence: "Let the Chu family go, I have my own plan to repel the enemy."
A hint of surprise flashed across the emperor's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and looked at Gu Junze thoughtfully: "Tell me what method you can use first."
"Let him go first." Gu Junze said in a firm tone, his eyes revealing a determination that would not tolerate compromise.
The emperor and Gu Junze looked at each other for a long time. He finally nodded slowly and turned to the eunuch chief beside him: "Ma Fuhai, go and release them."
Ma Fuhai took the order and left the hall in a hurry.
The emperor sat down again and looked at Gu Junze with complicated eyes: "Tell me, what plan do you have to repel the enemy?"
Gu Junze took a deep breath and said slowly: "Duan Qingye is a master at using troops. The Eastern Jin Kingdom is no match for him... The best way is to win over the enemy's heart..."
Outside the hall, Ma Fuhai was personally leading people to the place where the Chu family was imprisoned.
Changning Palace
Although the Chu family was under house arrest in the palace, they lived a life of luxury, except that they were not allowed to move around freely.
"Lord Chu, the emperor has ordered you to leave the palace." Ma Fuhai said respectfully.
Father Chu breathed a sigh of relief, but still had some concerns: "May I ask the steward, the prince and my daughter..."
Ma Fuhai sighed, a look of grief on his face: "The prince has returned to the capital, but... the young lady..."
Father Chu's heart sank suddenly, his eyes filled with unbelievable pain.
Ma Fuhai's words were like a sharp knife, piercing the hearts of everyone present.
Chu's mother first shook her head in disbelief, her lips trembling, then her eyes went dark and she fell to the ground.
"Madam!" Chu's father exclaimed and hurriedly supported his wife.
Doctor Qian quickly stepped forward, took out a small porcelain bottle from his arms, opened the lid and held it under Chu's mother's nose.
A pungent smell suddenly filled the air.
"Quickly pinch the Ren Zhong point!" Doctor Qian ordered.
Father Chu pinched his wife's philtrum with trembling fingers.
After a moment, Chu's mother slowly opened her eyes, and when she saw the people around her, tears rolled down like beads from a broken string.
"My daughter! My Han'er!" Mother Chu burst into tears, her voice heartbreaking, "How could she leave like this!"
There were tears in Chu's father's eyes, but he tried hard not to let them fall.
"Mrs. Chu, please accept my condolences." Ma Fuhai sighed, a glint of sympathy flashing in his eyes. He extended his hand and called over two young eunuchs, "Send Mr. Chu and his family out of the palace."
Father Chu helped his grief-stricken wife up and prepared to leave the palace, but Doctor Qian suddenly stepped forward.
"Master General, I won't leave." Doctor Qian said in a deep voice, with a hint of determination in his eyes.
Ma Fuhai frowned: "Why don't you leave? The emperor's decree is that the whole family should be released from the palace."
"I'm not from the Chu family. I have something important to discuss with the Emperor." Doctor Qian said firmly, "There are some things I must personally understand."
Ma Fuhai said sternly, "Doctor Qian, you can't see the emperor just because you want to."
"It's a matter of life and death. I can't wait."
He looked directly into Ma Fuhai's eyes without fear, and spoke with a resounding voice: "The thirteen innocent souls of the Tian family have been waiting in the underworld for many years. If the emperor has completely forgotten this bloody case, then what is the point of me living in this world!"
Ma Fuhai's brows knitted into a knot, and he snorted in annoyance, "If you want to report a case, go to the government office. The emperor is busy with all sorts of things, how could he have time to give you a case!"
Doctor Qian took a step forward, his sleeves fluttering, his eyes fixed on Ma Fuhai, "This case can't be decided by the government!"
"Since Princess Anyang passed away, Tian Yuanzheng returned home and was tragically murdered," he said, lowering his voice and glaring at me. "Master General, do you really think I don't know that all of this is related to the Emperor?"
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