Chapter 879 The Case of Vice Minister Pei
When I returned to Qianqiu Palace, it was already dawn.
But everyone felt that a thick layer of gloom was hanging over Qianqiu Palace and over everyone's heads.
Although Shang Ruyi was a little flustered, she was not really panicked. After returning to the palace, she still handled some trivial matters as usual. After lunch, she even took a nap on the bed while watching over the little Yuanzi in the cradle.
Although she hardly slept for a moment.
The weather worsened in the afternoon, with howling winds whipping up snowballs the size of eggs, which pounded heavily against the walls and windows, the muffled rumbling seeming to resonate in the hearts of everyone inside the hall. Despite the noise, Shang Ruyi could still clearly hear the hurried footsteps of the palace servants outside, and those sounds etched themselves into her heart.
As evening approached, Shang Ruyi asked Wo Xue to fetch the medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau. Although Su Qinglan had previously said that she didn't need to take the decoction, she had a headache again because she had been exposed to the wind near Mingde Gate that day.
A short while later, Wo Xue returned with the medicine.
As soon as she returned to Shang Ruyi's side, she immediately said, "Your Highness, all the doors and windows of Liangyi Palace are closed. His Majesty has not left since returning to the palace."
"Besides His Majesty, who else is inside?"
"I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince and Consort Lou have been accompanying His Majesty."
"Lou Liangdi? Lou Chanyue?"
This name surprised Shang Ruyi a little. During this trip to Tangquan Palace, this Consort Lou suddenly appeared in front of Yuwen Yuan. Although it was because General Lou was in charge of the escort for this trip, why was she still by the emperor's side after returning from Tangquan Palace?
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and asked, "Who else went to the Liangyi Hall?"
Wo Xue said, "This servant also saw Eunuch Yu leading the Minister of Justice into the Liangyi Hall."
"The Minister of Justice?"
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and turned to look at Yuwen Ye, who was sitting on the other side. His brows were also furrowed.
The only possible reason for Yuwen Yuan's meeting with the Minister of Justice at this time is that someone had broken the law and committed a crime at Tangquan Palace, and the matter needed to be handed over to the Ministry of Justice. Moreover, it wasn't just handed over to the Ministry of Justice; Yuwen Yuan even personally summoned the Minister of Justice to the palace, clearly indicating that he had something to personally tell him.
Recalling the scene at Mingde Gate that morning, a cold glint flashed in both of their eyes.
But they didn't say anything. Right now, they had too little information to make any guesses, let alone speculate. They were afraid that their thinking would get stuck in some kind of predicament and trap them instead.
Yuwen Ye thought for a moment, then said to Wo Xue, "Go and wait by Yanming Gate. When you see the Minister of Justice pass by, invite him to Qianqiu Palace and tell him that I want to see him."
Wo Xue didn't ask any further questions, simply responded and left.
Seeing her leave without looking back, Shang Ruyi frowned and turned to look at Yuwen Ye: "Is this a good idea? Will Father find out?"
Yuwen Ye calmly replied, "There is nothing that happens in the palace that Father Emperor does not know about."
"..."
“Even if Father doesn’t know, my elder brother will let him know.”
"So, you still want Wo Xue to stop the Minister of Justice?"
"We can't be completely ignorant,"
As Yuwen Ye spoke, his eyes grew even darker than before. Shang Ruyi looked down and noticed that the candle, which had been burning for a long time, was almost burning down to the candlestick. The wax was gushing out, almost engulfing the flame. She immediately waved for Chang Wan to come and replace the candle. Just as the candles were being replaced and the entire Qianqiu Palace was about to be plunged into darkness, Yuwen Ye's deep voice came from the darkness—
"If you're completely in the dark, you'll only fall faster."
So they waited patiently until after dinner, when it was completely dark outside. Finally, Shang Ruyi heard a clear sound of footsteps entering Qianqiu Palace. Looking up, she saw a middle-aged man with graying temples and piercing eyes walking in with Wo Xue. It was Yan Shaoxuan, the Minister of Justice.
This wasn't her first time meeting Lord Yan. Before Yuwen Yuan ascended the throne, when Shen Shiyan was imprisoned for using the word "xun" (meaning inferior or lacking in virtue), she had requested Yan Shaoxuan, then Vice Minister of Justice, to release Shen Shiyan early. Although there was no imperial edict or decree, and the former Minister of Justice had been on sick leave due to dissatisfaction with Grand Chancellor Yuwen Yuan's monopolization of power, Yan Shaoxuan still withstood the pressure and released Shen Shiyan.
Everyone knows that working for Shang Ruyi under that pressure was tantamount to surrendering to the Yuwen family.
Shortly after that, Yuwen Yuan ascended the throne, and the former Minister of Justice, Zheng, was immediately demoted. Yan Shaoxuan was then promoted to Minister of Justice. Although he did not have much contact with them, he had a good personal relationship with them.
That's why he risked coming with Wo Xue tonight.
Upon seeing him enter Qianqiu Palace, Shang Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief, but she wasn't completely at ease. She simply nodded to him. Yan Shaoxuan hurriedly stepped forward to bow to the Prince of Qin and the Princess Consort. Yuwen Ye also stood up and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, Minister, to make this trip."
Yan Shaoxuan gave a wry smile and said directly, "Your Highness, please feel free to ask whatever you need. I cannot stay here for too long."
In fact, Yuwen Yuan might not have been unaware that Yuwen Ye would intercept him halfway, but since he didn't send anyone directly to escort him back to the Ministry of Justice, it was probably a tacit approval, which is why he dared to come. However, despite the tacit approval, from the imperial edict he had just received and the words he overheard in the Liangyi Hall, he knew that a huge upheaval was about to be stirred up in the court. Although he had a good personal relationship with Yuwen Ye, he instinctively didn't want to get too deeply involved.
After all, siding with the Yuwen family is one thing, but choosing between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin is another.
Hearing this, Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi exchanged a glance, then said directly, "Very well, I'll get straight to the point. Has Minister Pei already been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's breath caught in her throat.
What caused her heartache was that the next moment, Yan Shaoxuan nodded solemnly: "Yes!"
The word caused Yuwen Ye's eye to twitch slightly, but he didn't show much surprise and continued, "When did this happen?"
"It was early morning, but they entered the city through the Golden Gate."
No wonder the Pei family members were not seen in the imperial procession at Mingde Gate.
Yuwen Ye then asked, "Where is Lord Pei?"
Yan Shaoxuan said, "Lord Pei has not been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, but the Emperor has ordered him to return to his residence. From today onwards, no one in the Pei family is allowed to step out of the residence until—the case against Vice Minister Pei is settled."
"case?!"
These two words made Shang Ruyi even more nervous. She finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "What happened to Minister Pei? What case led to his arrest?"
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