Chapter 120 Intending to Become Empress
In no time, the area was completely surrounded by guards dressed in yellow jackets.
None of the princes and nobles present were standing; they all knelt upright before the emperor, proclaiming, "Your Majesty is wise! It was all a scheme by the Balin tribe. How could we, your subjects, dare to harbor such disloyal thoughts!"
"Your Majesty is wise! We are utterly loyal and would never dare to disobey Your Majesty!"
Yinzhen's cold gaze swept across everyone's faces, his hand still firmly holding Hongzhao's, unwilling to let go. The panic from earlier still lingered, leaving him uneasy.
"By imperial decree, the Prince of Balin and his son, as subjects who have received the Emperor's favor, have not thought of repaying the country but instead harbored rebellious intentions. They even assassinated the Crown Prince in full view of everyone, committing treason and attempting rebellion. I hereby order the execution of their entire clan to uphold justice."
At this point, Yinzhen paused, vaguely remembering that two princesses from the previous two dynasties had been married off to the Balin tribe. "How can such a rebellious and treacherous tribe be worthy of marrying a princess from the imperial family? From this day forward, bring the princesses back to the capital, and move the graves of those who have already passed away."
The Prince of Baling, who was almost paralyzed with fear, struggled forward to plead his case: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please understand! It's just that Baiyin has been mentally challenged since childhood. He didn't mean any harm. Your Majesty, why punish him so severely?"
By the end, his voice was almost hoarse, and he kept trying to break free from the restraints behind him as he crawled forward on his knees—"Isn't the Crown Prince standing there perfectly fine without any problem! Your Majesty, you have always treated the Mongols with great respect, and the Bairin tribe has many in-law relationships with various tribes. Don't you care at all!"
"Do any of you have any objections to what I've said?" Yinzhen asked deliberately, but in reality, he was warning everyone. If they thought they could use the matter of showing respect to the Mongols to manipulate him, they were really making a mistake.
"Your Majesty, I dare not!" The princes and dukes all spoke in unison. The Emperor had ordered the execution of nine generations of their families, so how could they possibly have any objections? The matter of the Prince of Balin's rebellion was a foregone conclusion, and these people still wanted to live.
"I don't often come to the Mulan Autumn Hunt. I came here today specifically to receive the Crown Prince. You all have truly broadened my horizons," Yinzhen said with rare sarcasm, his gaze turning to the Khorchin Prince at the forefront—"If I were to hand over this situation to you, could you still give me peace of mind?"
"Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your trust!" The Khorchin prince's voice was much more excited than usual. The fact that the emperor said this meant that he had dealt with the Balin tribe with swift and decisive action. However, he was still instructed to handle the numerous trivial matters that had occurred in the remaining forty-nine tribes... and the forty-eight tribes.
In his fury, he could be described as using both kindness and severity.
Inside the yurt, the father and son sat facing each other on the couch. Yinzhen carefully examined the child again, and after confirming that there were no injuries, the heartache in his eyes did not diminish at all—"You'er's face has become thin; he must not be used to the food here."
But Hongzhao shook his head, looking carefree as he showed off his handsome dimples—"It's not that the food isn't to my liking, it's that I've been worried about you, Father. There's so little I can say in my letters and so many questions I want to ask. I've lost weight because of all this longing."
After saying this, Hongzhao even imitated his father's actions from before, and examined the emperor as well. Yinzhen smiled and let him do as he pleased.
"Son, you can see that your father has really lost weight. He must be missing You'er. Now that you've seen him, you must quickly get back to your old self."
Yinzhen knew that his face had been stiff from the beginning, and the child, being so perceptive, could naturally see it. This joking was nothing more than an attempt to make him laugh, a way to amuse his father.
With a hint of negotiation in his expression, he asked, "Father has come to ask you, You'er, if you want to go home? How about Father takes you back today?"
He didn't realize how hard it was for his son to have been without sleep for a day and a night, and to have traveled for two days straight. He only felt that his son had been in this unfamiliar place for more than a month, and had almost been stabbed. Even if he didn't say it, he must be scared and homesick.
Although he didn't say it, someone remembered it for him.
Hongzhao boldly reached out and gently touched the dark circles under his father's eyes, his voice full of heartache—"Father hasn't written, and I haven't received any news about Uncle Shi either. I suppose it must have been resolved peacefully. Father must have been exhausted for many days and hasn't had a good rest."
“There’s nothing good about this Mulan Hunting Ground, but there is one thing: it’s a good place to rest. Father, let’s rest here for two days with your son. Once we’ve recovered, we can go home. Your son is also missing his mother.”
Seeing his son being so considerate, Yinzhen felt as if his heart was being melted, with sweet soup dripping down his face—"Alright, I'll do whatever our You'er says."
——
Having left the Forbidden City, and with one less layer of constraints of their status, Yinzhen and Hongzhao showed no trace of imperial authority in the past two days, truly resembling an ordinary father and son on a trip.
These two days were arguably the most enjoyable two days for Hongzhao since he arrived at the Mulan Hunting Grounds. However, happy days always pass by in the blink of an eye, and one can never quite grasp them.
Two days have passed, and it's time to set off back to Beijing.
As they approached the Forbidden City, Yinzhen looked at Hongzhao across from him, who was happily eating hawthorn cake, and couldn't help but remind him with a smile, "When you get back, go see your mother first. She misses you very much. Tomorrow, You'er, you should dress up more formally for court."
He only said this one sentence, and after that, no matter how much Hongzhao pleaded and pressed him for details, he remained tight-lipped and refused to reveal anything more.
Hongzhao knew his father well; he rarely kept things so secret. If something could make him so mysterious, it must be something important. He had a rough idea in mind.
Despite having a clear idea, when he actually heard his father announce it in court, his heart still skipped a beat.
"The Imperial Noble Consort contributed greatly to the pacification of Prince Dun's affairs and suffered many grievances for my sake. This can be considered as a contribution to the country. In addition, the Imperial Noble Consort has three sons and one daughter, which is helpful to the imperial lineage. I intend to confer the title of Empress upon the Imperial Noble Consort Lü Jia."
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