Chapter 100 Who, who hurt her?
Yun Zhao was personally escorted back to the palace by his brother Yun Feng. The journey was safe and smooth, and no one dared to stop him.
However, the moment she entered the palace, she sensed a strange atmosphere. Guizi, the young eunuch who served the emperor, was already waiting inside with several eunuchs. Upon seeing her, he came forward, his expression respectful yet unusually tense.
"We are relieved that Lady Shang Gong has returned safely. His Majesty still needs our service, so we will take our leave first." Xiao Guizi bowed and spoke without making any mistakes, but Yun Zhao felt inexplicably heavy in his heart.
She suppressed her doubts, thanked him, and headed straight for Yanying Palace. The closer she got, the more oppressive the feeling of impending storm grew.
As expected, before he even stepped into the palace, he heard Xiao Jin's furious voice from inside, "...How can this be! Yun Chongshan is so audacious in Jingxiang, slaughtering refugees indiscriminately! The number is so huge, does he still respect the law?! Does he still respect me, the emperor?!"
Zhang Fuan's voice was filled with obvious panic and consolation. He said cautiously, "Your Majesty, calm down! Your Majesty, calm down! Is there something else behind this matter? Duke Yun has always been loyal to the emperor and patriotic. He loves his soldiers like his own sons and treats the people like..."
"Hidden secrets?!" Xiao Jin interrupted him harshly, his voice trembling slightly with anger. "What hidden secrets could there be?! Here is the memorial from Minister of War Bai Qi. Every word is tearful and heart-wrenching! Could Bai Qi's words be false? Everyone in the court knows that he has always been upright and honest, and he never speaks falsely!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhao was struck by lightning. Unable to contain himself any longer, he pushed open the palace door and rushed inside. He knelt upright before the imperial desk, his voice trembling with urgency, "Your Majesty! I guarantee with my life that my father would never kill innocent people! Although he came from a military background, he had a kind heart and sympathized with the suffering of the people! Many of the wise strategies that enabled the resettlement of the refugees in Jingxiang were the product of my father's ideas! Your Majesty! There must have been an injustice in this matter. I implore Your Majesty to investigate and clear my father's name!"
Xiao Jin seemed caught off guard by her sudden intrusion. A flicker of nervousness, a look of being caught, flashed across his face before being replaced by even greater rage. "Yun Zhao! When did you come back? How dare you barge into a courtroom!"
"Your Majesty!" Yun Zhao raised his head, his eyes already filled with tears, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall. "My father must have been framed and wronged! Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly!"
How could he suddenly be accused of the heinous crime of indiscriminately killing refugees? Could it be that... Xiao Jin is finally going to take back the Yun family's military power? The saying goes, "When the bird is dead, the bow is put away; when the rabbit is dead, the dog is cooked"?!
Thinking of this, her heart went cold. She kowtowed to the ground and said in a resolute voice, "Your Majesty! If you intend to take back the military power, I will immediately write a letter to persuade my father and brother to return the tiger talisman and request to be relieved of all my duties! I only ask Your Majesty to spare the lives of my entire family for the Yun family's past merits!"
[As expected, the Imperial Family is heartless! As expected, the Emperor's heart is unpredictable! They can turn against you in an instant! Fortunately... fortunately, I never expressed that wishful thinking! It's not too late to take it back now!] When Xiao Jin heard her say "take back your true feelings," he felt as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible hand, the pain so severe that he could hardly breathe. His face grew colder, and he sternly scolded, "Yun Zhao! How dare you presumptuously speculate on the Emperor's will! When did I ever say I would seize your Yun Family's military power? Am I such a foolish emperor who can't distinguish right from wrong?!"
He slammed the stack of documents from the imperial desk down in front of her, sending them flying. "Look! Look for yourself! Bai Qi's memorial, the testimonies of several lieutenant generals, the blood-letter signed by the local gentry... Every piece of evidence is irrefutable! Have I ever falsely accused your father in the slightest?!"
Yun Zhao knelt on the ground, picking up the cold papers with trembling fingers. The more he flipped through them, the paler his face became.
Bai Qi's testimony was written with righteous words and the signatures of several deputy generals were clear and glaring, and there were even the tearful accusations of the so-called "victims"... It was woven into a giant net that seemed irrefutable, crushing all the hope in her heart.
She raised her hollow eyes and asked hoarsely, "Then... How does Your Majesty intend to punish my father?"
Xiao Jin's knuckles turned white from his clenched fists. He avoided her gaze and steeled his heart, "Since such a catastrophic event has occurred, the military power must be taken back and handed over to the authorities for investigation. This is the law of the land and must be enforced! As for the rest... I will order a thorough investigation! I... also refuse to believe that Duke Yun would do such a cruel thing!"
These words were like a final verdict, completely shattering the last bit of hope Yun Zhao had in her heart. A huge sense of disappointment and sadness instantly overwhelmed her.
She no longer argued or begged, but simply knocked her forehead heavily against the cold, hard gold brick, making a dull sound.
"Since this is the case... I earnestly request Your Majesty to dismiss me from my position as Imperial Court Consort, remove my brother Yunfeng from his title of General, and revoke my father's title of Duke and all his rewards. The Yun family wishes to return to their homeland of Jinzhou, to continue their family traditions of farming and studying, and never again to meddle in the court or military affairs. I beg Your Majesty... to grant this!"
Xiao Jin felt a pain in his heart when he saw her completely hopeless and determined to leave. The pain almost broke through the barrier of his rationality.
But he couldn't be soft-hearted at this moment. He could only suppress all his emotions with a tougher attitude and shouted angrily: "You! When did I agree?! It's not your turn to comment on my decision! Get out! Get out!"
"Your Majesty... obeys your command." Yun Zhao's voice was terrifyingly calm. She slowly stood up, not even glancing at the almighty emperor, and turned around, stepping out of the hall.
Returning to the side hall, she felt hopeless and quickly packed her simple bag.
The palace gates have not been locked yet, she must leave the palace before the last ban is issued!
She wanted to take her family away from this dangerous place immediately and flee far away! Even if the whole world belongs to the king, she would still give it a try!
However, when she rushed to the palace gate with her luggage, she was told that no one was allowed to enter or leave without the emperor's order.
Filled with despair and resentment, she fought with the gatekeepers regardless of the consequences!
Yun Zhao was a skilled martial artist, but the defenders were numerous and well-trained, and because they were concerned about her identity, they did not dare to kill her, so a stalemate was formed for a while.
Amidst the flashing of swords and the shadow of knives, Yun Zhao's dress was stained with dust, and her cheeks and arms were cut with several bloody marks, but her eyes were determined, as if she didn't know what pain was.
"stop!"
A loud shout filled with shock and anger came from behind him.
Xiao Jin rushed over with a large number of guards, and saw her fighting with someone, her body covered in blood.
All fighting stopped instantly.
Xiao Jin's eyes were fixed on the glaring bloodstain on Yun Zhao's cheek. His heart felt like it was being stabbed by a knife. His voice trembled with fear: "Who is it?! Who hurt her? How dare you!"
Zhang Fuan shrilled, "Don't stop! How dare you! How dare you hurt Concubine Yun!"
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