Chapter 521 The Way of Heaven is Unpredictable, Fortune and Blessing Rotate
At that moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the slender man who suddenly stepped out of the train, whose figure even exuded a sense of hardship.
It was Pei Xu, the old minister who had been exiled to the south and had only recently returned to Daxing and been reinstated.
Shang Ruyi had long heard of him. This Left Grand Master of Ceremonies, regardless of his appearance or temperament, even the worry about the country and the people emanating from his brows was exactly the same as Shen Shiyan. However, his hair was more gray, his face had more wrinkles, and his back was somewhat hunched. Obviously, the more than one year of exile had left indelible marks on him.
Upon seeing him, a shadow immediately fell over Chu Chengfei's small face, while the ministers also displayed various expressions.
Pei Xu stood in the center of the hall, raising his hand to greet Chu Chengfei. But before he could speak, Chu Chengfei frowned and said unhappily, "Lord Pei, I've been asking you for half a day if anyone has submitted a memorial, and you haven't said a word. What are you going to say now? You may leave."
"His Majesty,"
Pei Xu remained unfazed, even straightening his somewhat hunched back further, and said proudly, "This old minister did not speak just now because he was carefully considering his words, because—this old minister must be careful not to fall into the same category of offenses as the Master of Ceremonies."
Upon hearing the words "Zhili Lang," the court erupted in uproar once again.
Even Yuwen Yuan looked at him with some surprise.
Chu Chengfei immediately said with displeasure, "This person is spreading alarmist rumors and causing chaos in the court. I don't think Lord Pei would learn from such a person to deceive the emperor. You should leave."
After saying that, he waved his hand.
Pei Xu remained standing, saying, "This old minister has pondered for a long time, and I still dare to speak because I have decided that even if I end up like the official in charge of rites today, I must finish what I have to say. As long as I have said these words, even if Your Majesty throws this old minister into prison and beheads me, this old minister will have no regrets!"
"...!"
Upon hearing this, one could tell that he was about to risk his life to offer his advice again.
Chu Chengfei's small face was almost scrunched up – back then, his father, Emperor Chu Yang, hated these outspoken officials the most. However, his willfulness was supported by enough authority. But Chu Chengfei was different from Chu Yang. He was still young and did not have the power to intimidate the officials, nor did he have the ability to outwit them. As long as the Grand Chancellor did not speak, the officials could almost manipulate this young emperor at will.
Upon hearing the words "Zhi Li Lang," Yuwen Yuan stood still, his eyelids drooping.
It's clear they don't intend to speak.
Chu Chengfei panicked, but there was no time to say anything. Pei Xu stepped forward and said to the flustered emperor, "Your Majesty, a few days ago Your Majesty imprisoned the official in charge of rites because of his remonstrance. I have been thinking hard but I can't figure it out. Your Majesty summoned him to the palace and asked him about the events of last year. The official in charge of rites has indeed told me. Why did he suffer such a misfortune?"
These words caused an uproar among the crowd.
Although the matter had already caused quite a stir, with some knowing the inside story and others not, no one expected that Pei Xu would tear open the lantern paper and reveal everything.
Chu Chengfei's expression immediately changed, but he was still a child after all. When questioned like this, he not only couldn't think of how to deal with it, but also felt an instinctive fear. Before he could speak, Pei Xu continued, "I have often heard that when the ruler is wise, the ministers are upright; if the ministers are upright and are punished, then the ruler is not wise."
"..."
"Your Majesty, if the words of the Master of Ceremonies are reasonable, Your Majesty should follow them; if—"
"Lord Pei!"
A voice filled with obvious anger abruptly interrupted Pei Xu's words. The crowd's astonished gazes turned once again to the slender and beautiful figure. Chu Ruoyan stood up angrily and said to Pei Xu, "As the Left Grand Master of Ceremonies, how can you be so reckless? If the words of the Master of Ceremonies were reasonable, would His Majesty have thrown him into prison? He is simply spreading alarmist rumors and causing chaos in the court, and you are still speaking up for him?"
Pei Xu immediately bowed to her: "Your Highness, this old minister is not speaking on behalf of the Master of Ceremonies."
"So what are you doing?"
"This old minister is speaking out on his behalf, feeling that he has been wronged!"
These words were not merely a response in the court; they clearly carried a sense of confrontation. The surrounding officials couldn't help but let out low gasps, while Shang Ruyi, kneeling on the ground, felt her heart pounding as heavily as thunder rumbling overhead.
At that moment, a hand reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her up.
Looking back, he saw Yuwen Ye, who quietly stepped out of the train and stood beside him. He didn't say anything at this moment, but just looked at Pei Xu quietly.
What he is doing is—
Shang Ruyi looked at him, then at Pei Xu, and suddenly understood.
These past few days, although he had been angry, upon careful reflection, he realized that he had only been angry. Apart from taking me to the Ministry of Justice prison, he seemed to have done nothing else. But this was clearly not his personality or style. This matter was not only related to the future of the Yuwen family, but also deeply related to his own future. How could he really let it go completely and let me and Yuwen Yuan make the decisions?
Pei Xu's family had long been close to him, and Pei Xu had personally witnessed Chu Chengfei's punishment of Shen Shiyan a few days ago. He knew the ins and outs best, and only he could make an attack at this moment.
"Speaking out against injustice?"
These three words fueled Chu Ruoyan's anger even more. She said fiercely, "Do you know that his words are blatant lies and constitute bullying of the monarch!" At this point, Chu Ruoyan's eyes turned cold, and she suddenly said, "You and Shen Shiyan are birds of a feather. You were previously convicted of deceiving the emperor and exiled to Lingnan. This time, the emperor ascended the throne and granted a general amnesty, allowing you to return. Instead of trying to atone for your crimes, you formed cliques and used the pretext of a comet's appearance to sow discord among the people!"
At this point, she gritted her teeth and said, "You are nothing but treacherous traitors who deceive the emperor!"
Her words immediately startled everyone, causing their expressions to change.
You should know that Shen Shiyan was convicted of deceiving the emperor. Now this princess has also pinned this crime on Pei Xu. Does she intend to punish him as well?
What surprised everyone even more was that although this princess was favored, she had never participated in any political affairs since she was brought to the court by Chu Yang when she was a child and was frightened into crying. She was just a favored princess with a high status.
Unexpectedly, she stood in the court at this moment and spoke eloquently, even going so far as to convict Pei Xu with a single sentence!
Shang Ruyi became a little anxious and subconsciously took a step forward to speak.
But a heavy force on her arm immediately pulled her back. When she turned her head, she saw Yuwen Ye, who shook his head at her without saying a word.
"...?"
What does this mean?
Just as Shang Ruyi was somewhat stunned, Pei Xu also recovered from the shock brought by Chu Ruoyan's last words. He looked at the princess, smiled slightly, and said, "Yes, the word 'xun' that the official in charge of etiquette mentioned is deceiving the emperor, but why was he willing to risk his life to say it?"
"..."
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Princess, didn't you ever think of this?"
His words seemed like a retreat, but everyone knew it was a strategic retreat, more like a half-step back to build up strength before a reunion.
Upon realizing this, Chu Ruoyan's expression immediately changed!
Not only did her expression change, but almost everyone in the court held their breath.
In this somewhat suffocating silence, Pei Xu slowly began to speak: "The Daye Dynasty has lasted for twenty-eight years, splitting the Turks in the north, pacifying Jiangdu in the south, pressing Gouli in the east, and securing Dunhuang in the west. It has spread its benevolence throughout the world and promoted culture and education across the four seas. It is truly a great achievement unseen in a century. The name Daye is well-deserved."
"..."
"However, the ways of Heaven are unpredictable, and fortunes change in cycles."
"..."
"The current Daye Dynasty is engulfed in war, the people are suffering, Luoyang has fallen, Jiangdu is divided, Xue Xian's army is pressing in the west to temporarily relieve the siege, and the Turks in the north are already eyeing us covetously. The people here are in dire straits, and the country is on the verge of collapse! Your Majesty does not think about recovering the lost territories and revitalizing the country, but spends your days playing and playing. Is this worthy of Emperor Wen, worthy of the late emperor, and worthy of the name 'Daye'?"
"..."
"Therefore, an ominous sign appeared in the sky, with a comet appearing in the northwest, foreshadowing disaster. The official in charge of etiquette presented a method to resolve the calamity, which can be recorded in one word: 'Xun'. It not only resolves the calamity but also resolves the stalemate of the Daye Dynasty."
"..."
Having said this, he straightened his back, his aged yet clear eyes gazing upon the young emperor in the court, who was stunned into silence by his words and unable to utter a single word. He then looked at the pale-faced princess, who was clearly flustered and unsure how to respond, and raised his voice: "Your Majesty! Your Highness! Please obey Heaven's will and act in accordance with the opportune moment, otherwise, calamity will befall you—"
As he uttered his last few words, a thunderous roar came from the sky, growing ever closer, as if the heavens were adding to the power of his words. The entire hall trembled at those few words!
At that moment, Shang Ruyi also choked on her breath.
Only then did she understand why Yuwen Ye had stopped her. After all, she was just a second-rank imperial consort. Although her rank was high, she had no real power or prestige in the court. Even if she had said those words herself, they would not have had the effect of being resounding and shocking the officials. Moreover, her kinship with Shen Shiyan would have reduced the credibility of her words.
But Pei Xu was different—he was a veteran official and extremely prestigious in the court. Only when he said these words could he attract everyone's attention and shock everyone!
Now, he not only brought up the word "inferior," but also drew everyone's emotions to those two words—
Disaster!
This is the turning point she "hoped" for!
At this moment, the road had almost reached Shang Ruyi's feet.
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