Chapter 116 Huanbi Summons Her Maid
Having just quelled the rebellion, one should logically spend more time dealing with the disgraced officials and appeasing the court and the harem. However, Yinzhen has more important matters to attend to now, so these "logically" matters can be put aside.
Of course, we can't completely disregard reason.
“When the late emperor was alive, the eighth, ninth and tenth princes colluded to usurp the throne. Yinzhi and Yintang went too far and were stripped of their titles. The tenth prince was merely following along. To appease him, I even granted him the title of prince. Unfortunately, he was too ungrateful.”
Su Peisheng had just finished personally handling the many matters concerning the Emperor's imperial journey. As dawn approached, he had been on tenterhooks all day and was feeling a bit drowsy standing up. Meanwhile, the Emperor still seemed unwilling to rest and was busy making plans.
"Imprison the Tenth Prince in the Imperial Clan Court, awaiting my return to decide his fate. Rename Yinzhi Aqina and Yintang Sesihei. They are guilty of treason and rebellion; even naming them 'Pig' and 'Dog' would be an insult to pigs and dogs."
Yinzhen had issued what number imperial edict tonight. Su Peisheng secretly pinched his palm to keep himself alert, because misremembering the emperor's words could cost him his head.
But little did they know that this was not the end of it.
"We must appease the Imperial Noble Consort properly. She has suffered a great injustice because of this matter. Su Peisheng, go and select some good things from the storeroom and send them to Yongshou Palace. Tell her that once I bring our child back, I will make it up to her properly."
"Yes." Su Peisheng counted on his fingers, and then he heard the Emperor speak for the third time - "Isn't it time for court? Go and prepare, and we will set off immediately after I finish court."
Having not slept for a day and a night, Yinzhen stood up and walked with the same vigor and energy as the day before.
Only Su Peisheng secretly groaned in despair.
The son is a natural food source; the closer you are to him, the younger he looks.
Yinzhen wanted to finish the morning court session happily and rush to the Mulan Hunting Grounds, but the more anxious he was, the more things went against his wishes.
"Zhen Yuandao and Guarjia Emin are both meritorious officials. I will reward you both after I return from the Mulan Hunting Grounds."
Seeing that the two men looked quite relaxed, Yinzhen knew they had done a great deal of work and deserved to be rewarded. But at that moment, an official of the sixth rank, standing at the end of the military ranks, inappropriately stepped forward, his expression serious and indignant.
“Your Majesty, Zhen Yuandao is not worthy of such a reward from Your Majesty.”
His voice was like a thunderclap from a flat surface, instantly drawing the attention of the entire court. Among them, the most surprised and suspicious was Zhen Yuandao.
He flicked his sleeves dismissively and bowed to the Emperor with great seriousness and solemnity—"Your Majesty, this official has made slanderous accusations without any evidence. I hope Your Majesty will be discerning."
Yinzhen was also annoyed by the wasted time and frowned as he looked at the person at the end.
Seeing that Zhen Yuandao showed no fear, the official sneered and said with even greater certainty, "I must accuse Zhen Yuandao of having an unauthorized marriage with the daughter of a Han Chinese criminal, and that they have a daughter."
Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Zhen Yuandao's face turned deathly pale, his eyes darting around in disbelief, and he was filled with doubt and unease, wondering how others could possibly know about this!
But secrets never stay hidden forever. Those who were close enough to see his panicked expression could guess what was going on. The person who had exposed him spoke again—"Not only that, Zhen Yuandao also disregarded human ethics and actually brought that Han woman's daughter into the Zhen residence and placed her next to his legitimate daughter as her personal maid. This person is none other than Huanbi, who previously served Consort Wan!"
The thunderclaps grew louder and louder. How could someone allow one of their daughters to serve as a maid for another? Seeing one daughter living a life of luxury while the other was reduced to a slave, they actually dared to bring her into the palace. Were they afraid others wouldn't notice? Did they think they had too much time on their hands?
Some even speculated that since Zhen Yuandao was the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the daughter of this disgraced official might have been secretly obtained through him, and how the two of them got together. Given this relationship, how should the disgraced official be sentenced?
"Zhen Yuandao, is what he said true?" Yinzhen's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water. He looked at Zhen Yuandao in front of him, his eyes filled with disappointment, but even more so with suspicion.
He was most adept at manipulating people's hearts and minds. Just by glancing at Zhen Yuandao's expression, he knew that the man was not slandering him, which made him even angrier.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Your Majesty is guilty. I was foolish when I was young. This matter has nothing to do with Consort Wan. Consort Wan absolutely knows nothing about this!"
Huanbi is currently in the mansion, even serving Yu Rao. Even if he denies it, the Emperor can find out everything by investigating. Rather than resisting stubbornly, it would be better to attribute it to youthful recklessness, so as to protect the Empress who is still in the palace from being implicated by her father.
Yinzhen rubbed his fingers in silence for a long time. Looking at the person below him who was causing him trouble, his annoyance grew stronger and stronger. The resentment he had been holding onto all night was finally fully unleashed at this moment.
“You are indeed guilty. You did such a thing, and you still expect me to reward you?”
Yinzhen felt a tightness in his chest, and even a sigh could not completely dispel the resentment in his heart. "Zhen Yuandao helped me quell the rebellion of Prince Dun. He was originally a meritorious official, but you made a big mistake. Even if your merits and demerits are offset, it is too lenient to let you off."
"I'm taking your efforts into consideration, so I'm demoting you to the position of Left Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and deducting your salary for a year. Go and reflect on your actions."
The official, who was originally a fourth-rank official, was suddenly promoted to a sixth-rank official. Even so, Zhen Yuandao still kowtowed in gratitude and thanked the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I am very grateful for your mercy. I will always reflect on my mistakes and never dare to repeat them."
Anyone with a discerning eye in the hall could tell that the Emperor was in a terrible mood, and they all fell silent in fear.
If it were merely a demotion, there would still be room for maneuver. As long as the Emperor favors you, why worry about not being promoted again? But given the current situation, and the fact that this scandal has been exposed at this crucial moment, the Emperor is truly too disappointed in Zhen Yuandao.
Losing one's official position is a minor matter; losing the emperor's favor would be a real disaster.
Zhen Yuandao returned to his residence in a daze, not daring to look back at the stares of his colleagues along the way. Even after entering the residence, he didn't dare to lift his head.
The news had already reached the mansion. His wife, who was always the most considerate and dignified, dared not face the disappointed look in her eyes.
Looking at his self-deceiving appearance, Madam Yun sighed softly. She was never stupid; how could she not sense where her husband's heart lay? The maidservants beside her daughter looked more and more like her daughter; she wasn't blind either. But what good would blaming do now that things had come to this?
"What are your plans for Huanbi, sir?"
Yinzhen didn't give any instructions on this matter, but Zhen Yuandao was almost overwhelmed by guilt. His wife, upon learning of this, immediately thought about how to handle the aftermath, while he...
He gritted his teeth, wondering if this matter would implicate the empresses in the palace, and he had to make sure that everything was handled cleanly.
“I will send Huanbi to Ganlu Temple. It is a peaceful place where she can recite scriptures from time to time. It will be a way to accumulate some blessings for the deceased.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
