As the year draws to a close, everyone should be in a peaceful and relaxed mood, welcoming the new year with joy.
However, the atmosphere in the court was tense, and everyone was on edge, making it impossible to relax.
Sheng Zixi wished he could submit a memorial every day to impeach and accuse the old ministers on Sheng Jingyu's side.
These veteran officials have deep roots, and the emperor has to think twice before making any moves against them, but Sheng Zixi is like a madman, relentlessly pursuing them.
He used to be taciturn and inconspicuous, but suddenly he gained the emperor's attention, and when he went crazy, he really didn't care about anything.
However, those old ministers were not just old men; they could not be brought down by him with a few words.
They resorted to all sorts of tactics they would normally disdain, such as taking advantage of their age, throwing tantrums, and making unreasonable demands.
The meticulousness and decorum maintained for many years vanished without a trace.
Once this facade is abandoned, even if the emperor is inclined to show favoritism, he won't know where to begin.
When Sheng Jingyu was around, they didn't need to act like scoundrels. When Sheng Jingyu claimed to be sick and didn't come, they performed brilliantly.
But more importantly, it was their self-righteousness.
He had been loyal to his duties for decades, and although there were oversights, he certainly did not deserve to die. The content of Sheng Zixi's impeachment was not a big deal.
He wanted to stir up some big trouble, but he didn't.
There's a reason why these people were able to get along with Sheng Jingyu.
Initially, she had no choice but to side with Sheng Jingyu because she was unwilling to collude with Sheng Yuan.
Sheng Jingyu never used their official positions to commit evil; he merely said what he should and should say in court.
Occasionally they would remain silent, and Sheng Jingyu didn't mind, as long as their minds were on the people.
Rather than saying they were working for Sheng Jingyu, it would be more accurate to say they were working for Anchuan Kingdom.
What's the point of impeaching these people? Those who truly deserve punishment are being spared by Sheng Zixi.
If it weren't for the emperor's favoritism and deliberate suppression of them, they wouldn't be wailing and howling like ghosts here.
Sheng Zixi seemed quite busy, impeaching officials every day, causing a bloody storm in the court, but he still hadn't made any progress, which made him anxious.
He was anxious and uneasy, and the Empress was also worried and ran around trying to help him.
When things get busy, you can't help but neglect Su Lin'er in Chengming Palace.
These days, Su Lin'er lives in fear and trepidation, with endless tasks every day. The nannies speak harshly to her, always saying it's for her own good.
With the Empress backing them up, Su Lin'er dared not lash out and could only pretend to be obedient, trying her best to please these old women.
When she entered the palace, she brought some valuable jewelry with her. Every time she gave it away, Su Lin'er felt a pang of heartache, as this was all the jewelry she had left.
Fortunately, these things were worth it, and sometimes when they saw her slacking off, the nannies were willing to turn a blind eye.
At the same time, they would also speak well of the Empress, so that she could do less work.
Seeing that she was well-behaved and obedient, the Empress no longer confined her and allowed her to go out occasionally, but someone had to accompany her.
The Empress's actions were primarily to prevent her from getting close to Sheng Zixi.
Su Wenyuan's suggestion from that day still echoed in her ears, and the Empress felt a chill run down her spine and a wave of fear whenever she thought about it.
They were afraid that Su Lin'er would go to Sheng Zixi and do something she shouldn't.
But after observing for a few days, it was found that Su Lin'er had no such intention, and even the nanny who followed her felt that she would not do such a thing.
The Empress deliberately tested her again, and Su Lin'er firmly replied that she only coveted the gold and silver of the Prince Chen's mansion and had no other desires.
She no longer intends to scheme and compete for favor with others; money is enough for her.
The Empress believed her lies, which made Su Lin'er's endurance and humiliation during this period worthwhile.
That evening, Su Lin'er said she was going to the imperial kitchen to get some honey to make desserts the next morning.
The other maids were all about to rest, and since it was just a trip to the imperial kitchen and they wouldn't wander off, they let her go by herself.
Not long after, Su Lin'er returned with the honey, and the others didn't think much of it.
The next day, Sheng Jingyu went to court despite being ill and submitted a memorial impeaching Sheng Zixi. While pretending to cough weakly, he pulled down several opportunists around Sheng Zixi.
Those who rush to take sides at this critical juncture are the ones who have gotten themselves into big trouble and are looking for a powerful backer to help them resolve it.
Knowing that there was no way to get through to Sheng Jingyu, they naturally came to find Sheng Zixi.
They didn't dare to tell the whole story, fearing that Sheng Zixi wouldn't help, so they revealed it little by little, letting Sheng Zixi gradually cover for them and clean up the mess.
So when Sheng Jingyu revealed everything they had done, Sheng Zixi was completely stunned.
These messages came unexpectedly, leaving Sheng Zixi unprepared and unable to offer any help.
The Emperor wanted to leave some people for Sheng Zixi; although they were useless, it was better than nothing.
They bullied others by abusing their power, forcibly abducted women, and even murdered them to cover it up. They colluded with other officials to deceive their superiors and cover up the truth.
Any one of these things would have been enough to get them dismissed and imprisoned, yet the Emperor was still thinking of turning a blind eye.
That's what he thought, but the old ministers who had been relentlessly pressured by Sheng Zixi these past few days were not happy about it.
Finally, under pressure from the crowd, the emperor had no choice but to punish those people.
No sooner had the matter been resolved than Sheng Jingyu wanted to go back, making an excuse that he was not feeling well.
A hint of coldness flashed in the Emperor's eyes, displeased with Sheng Jingyu's almost provocative behavior.
"Has your health been unusually weak this winter? Why has it been so difficult to get better despite treatment?" the Emperor asked.
Sheng Jingyu coughed a few times and said, "There are more things to do this year than in previous years. I'm probably too tired. Fortunately, my eighth brother is quick-witted and intelligent. He can share the burden for Father. I just want to take a break."
The clever Sheng Zixi worked for more than ten days, but didn't manage to send out a single person.
In one day of court, Sheng Jingyu killed five or six of his men.
How can this not be considered a form of mockery?
Sheng Zixi's face was pale and bloodless, filled with anger and frustration mixed with unease from her helplessness.
The dismissed people were clearly his people, so how could they hide anything from him?
It's one thing to keep it from yourself, but why couldn't you keep it from Sheng Jingyu? Isn't that just courting death?
He still didn't understand how Sheng Jingyu knew all this, and even found the evidence.
How many people has he supported over the years, and where are they all now?
Sheng Jingyu praised and flattered Sheng Zixi, which was hypocritical, but it was enough to save face, so the Emperor couldn't say anything.
Everyone looked at Sheng Zixi and found him to be distraught and ashen-faced.
"Zixi!" The Emperor raised his voice, and Sheng Zixi snapped back to reality. Seeing the Emperor's threatening and warning gaze, she was horrified.
After composing himself, Sheng Zixi said, "It is my foolishness that I have been studying hard all these years, but I have never been able to share the burden of the Emperor."
Sheng Jingyu chuckled softly, "It's not too late now."
After he finished speaking, he started coughing, and his body gradually hunched over, making him look extremely weak.
The emperor did not keep him any longer, but told him to go home and recuperate properly, and not to come to court again until he was fully recovered.
This wasn't out of concern for Sheng Jingyu, but rather out of fear that he might suddenly appear again, just like today, and damage Sheng Zixi's confidence.
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