Chapter 21 The Dog Emperor Fakes Crying
Xiao Jin dismissed the court and without even drinking a sip of hot tea, he quickly walked into the Yanying Palace.
Yun Zhao waited in advance at the appointed time, feeling anxious for fear of being caught doing something wrong.
Wu Lingyu was serving fresh tea. Xiao Jin took it, took a sip, and frowned slightly. "Changed? Where's the Longjing from the day before?"
Wu Lingyu fell to her knees with a plop: "I was careless! I will change it right away!" Cold sweat instantly soaked her forehead.
Xiao Jin said nothing, but tapped the rosewood table twice with his fingertips.
Wu Lingyu felt as if he had been pardoned, and he bowed and retreated quickly.
Yun Zhao hurriedly presented a stack of memorials. Xiao Jin, without raising his eyelids, said, "Open it and read it."
Yun Zhao responded, unfolded the top copy, and read aloud.
It turned out that the court officials petitioned to rehabilitate Yu Cheng, a capable minister who was dismissed during the previous emperor's reign!
Yu Cheng was a leading civil servant. His dismissal from the position caused an uproar in the court and the country. Now he is left with poverty and illness.
If he can redress his injustice, he will surely win over the hearts of the civil officials! Many people spoke out for him back then...
[Can the Dog Emperor figure this out? Never mind, he won't be around much longer anyway, so why bother?]
Xiao Jin's gaze suddenly fixed on Yun Zhao's face, sharp as a knife. "What do you think about this matter? Did Duke Yun... ever mention it?"
Yun Zhao bowed her head, her tone respectful and calm, "I dare not rashly discuss state affairs. My father is a military man, not versed in literary matters."
[The relief funds for the Jiangnan flood haven't been received yet! That bastard King Qin never intended to go south! Now he's trying to redress this injustice. This is going to be a real nuisance for the bastard emperor!]
[It would be best if the King of Qin died on the way to disaster relief! ]
The rhythm of Xiao Jin's fingertips tapping on the table quickened slightly.
Oh, in her mouth, one of the Xiao brothers was a "dog emperor" and the other was a "dog thing", and neither of them was worthy of her attention!
He suddenly leaned forward, his eyes dark and filled with a hint of probing amusement: "Yun Zhao, you despise the King of Qin so much... Could it be that you have someone else in your heart?"
Aren't you reviewing memorials? Why are you talking about this?!
[All men are bad! Love only trips me up!]
"Your Majesty, I have no one I'm attracted to," she replied quickly, her excuse plausible. "I've already entered the palace to serve Your Majesty. My body and soul belong to the palace. How can I be worthy of His Majesty, the Prince of Qin?"
A hint of sarcasm appeared on Xiao Jin's lips, and he understood in his heart: [You are afraid of becoming a widow! ]
He said no more, stretched out his hand and took the memorial from Yun Zhao's hand, dipped the red brush in it, and wrote as fast as the wind, the scarlet comments penetrating the back of the paper:
"Approved. Yu Cheng will be exonerated and reinstated. I will choose a day to visit him personally."
Yun Zhao's pupils shrank slightly. "He actually approved it?! This tyrant emperor... isn't stupid after all! I hope Master Yu returns to the throne soon!"
Xiao Jin put down his red brush and turned his gaze towards her. His tone was calm but unyielding, "Come with me out of the palace later and visit Duke Yun's residence. To redress Yu Cheng's injustice, I still need your father... to mediate among his former colleagues."
Yun Zhao's heart was pounding, and she could barely suppress the upward curve of her lips: "As you command!"
[I can go home now! Father! Mother!]
The joy at that moment fell into Xiao Jin's eyes like stars, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"Zhang Fuan!" he shouted.
"The old slave is here!"
"Pass on my oral order—" Xiao Jin's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an unquestionable pressure. "Order the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Qin to come to the Yanying Palace to see me immediately!"
-……
Half an hour later, Prince of Jin Xiao Heng and Prince of Qin Xiao Yan entered the Yanying Palace one after another.
Xiao Jin was already leisurely sipping the Longjing tea that Wu Lingyu had just served him, with a rare trace of relaxation between his brows.
"Fourth brother," Xiao Heng spoke first, his voice clear and bright, "We've made some progress in fundraising. However, there are still more than ten officials for whom it's difficult to raise funds. Among them, Wang Yi, Shang Huai, and others come from humble backgrounds and have no extra money. It's not their responsibility to shirk responsibility. I, your humble servant, humbly ask Your Majesty to consider reducing the amount as appropriate!"
[That's right! Wang Yi and Shang Huai are the pillars of a humble family, and they're financially strapped!]
[The whole court is filled with nobles, all from aristocratic families. How many people from humble backgrounds can stand in the court? How pathetic!]
Before Xiao Jin could express his opinion, Xiao Yan interrupted him in a deep voice: "Royal brother! Absolutely not! Once this precedent is set, how can we convince the people? I'm afraid it will discourage the ministers who are eager to donate!"
[Pooh! Dog King! You're really taking this opportunity to eliminate dissidents! Without the support of these upright people, Xiao Jin will be even more isolated, paving the way for you, a scoundrel!]
Yun Zhao's inner sarcasm was merciless.
Xiao Jin's fingertips slid lightly along the edge of the teacup. A barely perceptible cold light flashed across his eyes, but his expression remained gentle. "Since it's the truth, there's no point in forcing it. Forget it."
Xiao Heng's face lit up with joy: "I, your humble servant, would like to thank you, Your Majesty, for your compassion! Your Majesty's kindness will surely be appreciated by me!"
Xiao Yan's brow furrowed, and he was about to argue again when Xiao Jin turned to him, his tone suddenly darkening. "Fifth brother, the flooding south of the Yangtze River is urgent. I heard that Seventh brother (Prince Jin)'s grain carts are ready to go. What about you? When will you leave?"
Xiao Yan's eyelids drooped slightly, his posture respectful yet concealing an excuse: "My Royal Highness, my mother is not feeling well. I am deeply worried and it is difficult for me to travel far... I beg you to find someone more capable to travel south on my behalf..."
[Sure enough! The damned King of Qin is a coward! He's afraid of death! He's afraid of trouble! Even if he really sits on the throne, he'll still be a coward!]
Yun Zhao’s “inner voice” pierced like a sharp blade.
"Fifth brother!" Xiao Jin's voice suddenly rose, filled with pain and disappointment, "My words are golden, and I issued an edict in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, and you want me to... go back on my word?!" He stood up suddenly, his body swaying slightly, as if he was furious.
The next moment, a scene that shocked everyone in the hall happened—
Xiao Jin's eyes quickly turned red, and his voice took on a heavy nasal tone, as if he was suppressing a great deal of grievance. "The Empress Dowager's health will be well cared for by me and the Imperial Hospital! Fifth brother, you...you are making excuses like this, are you worried about me...about you, your brother?!"
He raised his hand, and his slender fingers even trembled slightly as he covered the corners of his eyes. His tearful look was sincere and very contagious.
Yun Zhao's inner alarm bells rang wildly. "Great! This fake crying... is a masterful technique! So good! Truly so! It's much more technically demanding than just beheading people!"
Xiao Heng was a man of integrity and passion. Upon seeing this, he immediately stepped forward and glared at Xiao Yan, "Fifth Brother! The late Emperor's will requires us brothers to do our utmost to assist Fourth Brother! How could you be so… so treacherous and put Fourth Brother in such an unfair position?!"
Xiao Yan was driven to a corner by this dual "accusation" from both monarch and minister to brother. Xiao Jin's emotionally charged performance, in particular, made all his excuses pale and powerless. His face sank, his teeth clenched, a vein throbbing in his forehead as he practically squeezed out the words, "Brother Emperor... calm down! It was I who was inconsiderate! I... will lead the troops tomorrow! Tomorrow morning, we will set off south to provide disaster relief!"
[Oh no! It's done! The Dog King is on the hook! Xiao Jin, act quickly and ruthlessly! Don't let him come back alive!]
Yun Zhao cheered in his heart, but looked submissive on the surface.
Xiao Jin instantly "sunshine after the rain" and breathed a long sigh of relief. The sadness on his face was wiped away, replaced by relief and expectation. The speed of his expression changed was breathtaking: "Good! Fifth brother, you understand the righteousness! It is a blessing for the people of Jiangnan and a blessing for the country! The journey is long and arduous, so be careful! Silver and grain are the life-saving supplies of the people. If any villain dares to take them——"
His eyes suddenly became as sharp as a knife, "Immediate execution without mercy! I grant you the Imperial Sword, execute first and report later!"
"Your humble servant... obeys the order!" Xiao Yan bowed and accepted the order, his voice dry.
Before retreating, his sinister gaze, as fierce as a poisonous snake, fiercely pierced Yun Zhao, who was standing with his head bowed.
However, Xiao Heng did not leave with him.
He looked at Xiao Jin with a frank gaze, filled with the directness and concern typical of a young man. "Royal brother, Ah Zhao...when can she leave the palace? She has loved riding horses and hunting since she was a child. Now she is trapped within these square palace walls, kneeling and worshipping all day long...Can you...can you bear it?"
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