Chapter 284 Victory
Unfortunately, no one present cared about what Chu Ci cared about. Lord Zhang, who had been knocked out by Chu Ci before, jumped out again: "Princess, your impulsive behavior is disgraceful."
As soon as someone started talking, someone who considered himself to be highly respected immediately said, "This is simply lawless. How dare you use violence in the court? You must punish them severely."
Li Zhu was also angered by Chu Ci's arrogance. With a single glare, many imperial censors stood up and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Yixin is so arrogant. If she is not severely punished, it will be difficult to maintain the dignity of the court."
Chu Ci glanced at Zhang Yingjiu with disdain, a hint of sarcasm curling up at the corner of his mouth. He sneered, "Master Zhang is truly amazing. In just a short while, you're able to stand up and criticize others with full energy again. Look at your strong physique, it's really impressive!"
Chu Ci almost pointed at Zhang Yingjiu's nose and said that he was just pretending.
Zhang Yingjiu said angrily, "This old man simply cannot bear to see Princess Yixin being so arrogant!"
Chu Ci was so angry that he laughed when he heard this, and then he said sternly: "Master Zhang, you dare to say that I am arrogant?"
"Then I'd like to ask everyone present: Have I ever slandered anyone? Have I ever tried to shirk responsibility?" "I simply argued a few words, and you call me arrogant?"
"According to what you say, are the laws of the Great Zhou and the justice of the world all empty words? In my opinion, the truly arrogant ones are those scoundrels who disregard the lives of ordinary people and are only concerned with vying for power and profit!"
Zhang Yingjiu was so angry that his beard was shaking. He was so furious that he forgot for a moment that Chu Ci was of higher status than him. He glared at her and shouted without hesitation, "You, you yellow-haired girl, stop talking nonsense and acting recklessly!"
Chu Ci didn't flinch. "Nonsense? Lord Zhang, if you think what I said is wrong, then you should give us a convincing reason! Are you feeling guilty and have nothing to say?"
After confronting Zhang Yingjiu, Chu Ci looked serious and saluted the emperor again. He said in a firm tone, "Your Majesty, may I ask if there is anything wrong with what I just asked?"
"Or has the court become so dominated by the lords that you hesitate on matters of right and wrong and dare not even uphold justice?"
"If this is true, how can the people of the world expect the court to make decisions?"
The emperor originally wanted to see how far Chu Ci could go without his support.
He hadn't expected Chu Ci to be so radical, directly putting him on the fire. He couldn't ignore it any longer, so he faked a cough and said, "Chu Ci, don't be so impatient and impulsive."
"I know you care deeply about the people, but this matter requires careful consideration. You should not be so aggressive. Your concerns are not entirely unreasonable. We must weigh the pros and cons of all parties before we can find a proper solution."
"But..." Chu Ci didn't like such ambiguous remarks.
But before he could speak, the emperor swept his gaze across the crowd with authority and said, "Master Zhang, and all the other censors, you cannot distinguish right from wrong and only blame Chu Ci without thinking about how to solve the problem or comfort the injured workers."
"As important officials of the imperial court, you shoulder the heavy responsibility of ensuring the welfare of the people and the stability of the country. Your actions now are truly incompetent!"
They were not afraid of Chu Ci's accusations, but the emperor's verdict was like a thunderclap exploding over their heads.
Zhang Yingjiu knelt on the ground in fear, his whole body trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I acknowledge my guilt. I was confused for a moment and failed to consider the overall situation. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy."
The imperial censors who had been examining Chu Ci also knelt down, their foreheads touching the ground, and cried out in tears, "Your Majesty, please spare our lives. We acknowledge our crimes and will reform ourselves and serve the court in the future."
The emperor was also quite annoyed with these censors. How could he not use such a good opportunity? He waved his hand and shouted angrily, "No need to say more! As censors, you should be fair and strict, offer advice and suggestions, and supervise all officials. Now you are colluding with your own factions and showing no sense of responsibility, which makes me extremely disappointed. Dismiss all of you and return home to reflect on yourselves! If you don't repent, don't even think about returning to the court!"
Chu Ci hurriedly bowed and praised: "Your Majesty is wise."
The emperor looked at Chu Ci with a complicated expression, but he still spoke earnestly, "Chu Ci, although you are impulsive, you care about the people, which is a valuable quality. I only hope that you can act more calmly and prudently in the future."
Chu Ci's goal had been achieved, so he wouldn't contradict it. With a solemn expression, he bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your teachings. I will never forget them."
The emperor nodded slightly and said, "Okay, Chu Ci, you can leave now."
Everyone thought Chu Ci was just a deliberate move by the Fan family, but they never expected that Chu Ci would immediately dismiss a long list of officials upon his debut. Seeing how powerful he was, everyone was terrified and naturally no one wanted to provoke Chu Ci again.
Chu Ci then bowed again, folded his hands in front of him, nodded, lowered his brows, and replied softly, "I'll take my leave."
The moment she turned around, many officials in the court avoided looking at her, fearing to meet her gaze.
At this time, Chu Ci did not make any unnecessary movements, but just walked forward steadily without looking around, with an expression as calm as water, as if everything that had just happened in the court had nothing to do with her.
But the more this happens, the more people with ulterior motives become wary of Chu Ci.
They knew very well that a person who could remain so calm and composed in the midst of a storm must have unfathomable strategy and immeasurable strength.
This is exactly the effect Chu Ci wanted.
She knew that only by making the enemy feel fear could she gain more initiative in this treacherous situation and better achieve her goals.
However, she had the ability to protect herself, but those craftsmen might not be able to do so. Therefore, after leaving the palace, Chu Ci took a few confidants and went straight to the construction site of the "Royal Women's College".
As expected, on the surface there was no impact here, and it was still a busy scene. Workers came and went, carrying construction materials, and craftsmen were hammering and banging, busy all the time.
But if you look closely, you can see that everyone here is distracted.
Some workers have dull eyes and mechanically repeat the actions in their hands;
Some craftsmen stopped their work from time to time and sighed; others gathered in groups of three or five, whispering about something, their faces full of worry and anxiety.
Chu Ci sighed upon seeing this and said solemnly, "Madam Qiao, please find out the addresses of the injured workers and their current residences. Also, spread the word that we will compensate the injured workers so that they can rest assured."
"Yes," Qiao Chi agreed and was about to leave. Chu Ci regretted it and said, "Wait, don't just ask around."
"Let's just find a few reliable workers to lead the way. This way we can avoid detours and solve the problem faster."
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