Chapter 16 Pressure from Court Officials
Inside Guanju Palace, Su Luoxue still nestled in Yuwen Che's arms, her body trembling slightly from lingering fear, tears soaking his chest. Yuwen Che held her tightly, stroking her back repeatedly, offering silent comfort, but his furrowed brows betrayed the gravity of his heart.
He knew that things would not end easily. He still hadn't gotten past his mother.
Sure enough, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps came from outside the hall. Immediately afterwards, Li Dehai practically tumbled in, disregarding all etiquette. His face was ashen, and his voice was filled with unprecedented panic:
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"
Yuwen Che's heart sank, and he said coldly, "What are you panicking for! Speak!"
Li Dehai knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty...outside...outside...the news that Consort Chen plotted to harm the imperial heir has spread like wildfire! Now...now the whole capital is in an uproar, everyone knows it!"
Upon hearing this, Su Luoxue abruptly lifted her head from Yuwen Che's embrace, her face drained of color, her eyes filled with disbelief and terror. How could... how could it have spread so quickly? So widely?
Li Dehai was almost in tears as he continued his report: "Outside the palace gates... the Marquis of Zhenbei, the Duke of Huguo, the Prime Minister, and several princes of the imperial family and important court officials have all... have all gathered outside the Imperial Study, kneeling on the ground! They... they are pleading with Your Majesty... pleading with Your Majesty..."
He swallowed hard and managed to utter those words: "I beg Your Majesty to prioritize the well-being of the nation and the people, and to punish... punish the wicked concubine to stabilize the foundation of the country!"
The words "femme fatale" exploded in Su Luoxue's ears like a thunderclap. Her body went limp, and she would have collapsed to the ground if Yuwen Che hadn't been supporting her. She had become a femme fatale hated by everyone? Just because of that fabricated charge?
Yuwen Che's face instantly darkened, his eyes blazing with overwhelming rage and chilling killing intent. Such swift action! Such ruthless methods! This news couldn't have caused such a stir in such a short time unless someone deliberately spread it! They were using the world's voices to force him to submit!
He could even imagine the scene outside the palace gates at that moment: loyal ministers, or those with ulterior motives, kneeling on the cold stone slabs, tears streaming down their faces, claiming it was for the sake of the country, forcing him to punish the woman he loved. They pinned the label of "femme fatale who brought ruin to the country" on Luo Xue, placing him in a position of being unjust, immoral, and utterly foolish!
"A-Che..." Su Luoxue grabbed his arm, her voice weak and desperate, "What should we do... Do they... Do they all want me dead?"
Yuwen Che sensed her fear and pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head. His voice was deep but carried a resolute strength: "Don't be afraid. With me here, no one can touch you."
He raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, and looked at Li Dehai kneeling on the ground: "Issue my decree: I am unwell today and will not see anyone! Tell them all to get back to their homes!"
"Your Majesty!" Li Dehai exclaimed anxiously, "Several senior officials are adamant that they will kneel until they see Your Majesty! If we forcibly drive them away, I'm afraid it will chill the hearts of these veteran ministers and stir up an even bigger storm!"
Yuwen Che was well aware of this, but he couldn't afford to go out and face the ministers who were pressuring him to abdicate at this time. If he went out, whatever he said would be interpreted. A strong crackdown would solidify his reputation as a "tyrant"; the slightest compromise could push Luo Xue into an abyss of no return.
This is an open conspiracy! An open conspiracy that has cornered him, leaving him in a dilemma!
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Anger wouldn't solve anything. He had to find a way out of this predicament, protecting Luo Xue without truly antagonizing the entire court.
"Li Dehai".
"Your servant is here!"
"Go and tell those people outside," Yuwen Che's voice regained its imperial calm and majesty, "I have ordered a thorough investigation into the Crown Prince's poisoning. Until the truth comes to light, no one is allowed to speak ill of Consort Chen! Anyone who dares to spread rumors or slander the Consort will be punished for deceiving the Emperor!"
He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Furthermore, investigate! Where did this news first come from? Find out the truth! I want to see who's stirring up trouble behind the scenes!"
"Yes! This servant obeys the decree!" Li Dehai hurriedly accepted the order and left.
Silence returned to the palace, but the tension in the air remained undiminished. The kneeling ministers outside the palace gates hung like swords over their heads. The clamor of public opinion in the capital was an invisible shackle.
Su Luoxue looked up at Yuwen Che's tense profile, her heart filled with guilt and worry. It was all because of her that he had fallen into such a difficult situation.
"Ah Che... have I... caused you a lot of trouble?" she asked timidly.
Yuwen Che looked down at her pale face, gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said firmly, "It's not your problem. It's someone who doesn't want me to be at ease. Since they want to play, I'll play along to the end."
His eyes were deep, as if he had already seen the key to breaking the deadlock. He had to win this storm. Not only for Su Luoxue, but also for his dignity and authority as emperor. He would not allow anyone, in any way, to coerce him into making a decision against his will.
Li Dehai, accompanied by his guards, practically begged and dragged several agitated ministers out of the palace. However, these veteran officials, led by the Duke of Protectorate and the Prime Minister, were not about to give up so easily. They believed His Majesty was bewitched by a seductive concubine and had lost his reason; if they were not advised in time, it could lead to disaster!
Then, several elderly ministers with white hair and beards straightened their clothes and knelt down upright on the bluestone square outside the palace gates, facing the direction of the palace! The Duke of Protectorate cried out in a sorrowful voice, "This old minister begs Your Majesty to prioritize the well-being of the nation and thoroughly investigate the case of the Crown Prince's poisoning, and severely punish the wicked concubine to set things right! If Your Majesty does not agree, this old minister will kneel and die outside this palace gate!"
The other ministers echoed their sentiments, their voices passionate and stirring, drawing the attention of the guards on duty outside the palace gates and the passersby.
"Your Majesty! Consort Chen, née Su, has been convicted of murdering the imperial heir! We beseech Your Majesty to prioritize the well-being of the nation and severely punish this wicked consort to set the record straight!"
"Your Majesty, please execute the Su family and purge the palace!"
The Marquis of Zhenbei was also filled with indignation and was about to kneel down when he was grabbed tightly by a strong hand. He turned around and saw that it was his son, Pei Xuan.
Pei Xuan had just returned from the military camp and rushed over upon hearing the news. He forcibly pulled his father away from the crowd, dragged him to their carriage, and said in a low, urgent voice, "Father! You've been foolish!"
The Marquis of Zhenbei roared, "Xuan'er! Why are you pulling me?! His Majesty is acting irrationally these days. How can we, as his subjects, sit idly by and do nothing?!"
Pei Xuan glanced at the people kneeling in front of the palace gate, his brows furrowed: "Father! Don't you understand yet? His Majesty is determined to protect that woman from Guanju Palace this time! If you kneel and remonstrate now, you are not being loyal to the emperor, you are forcing the emperor to abdicate in front of the people of the capital! You are slapping His Majesty in the face!"
He leaned closer to his father's ear, his voice lower and tinged with a warning: "You and I both know His Majesty's temperament! When has he ever changed his mind because of a subject kneeling and pleading? Back when he was purging the powerful families, how many old ministers knelt outside the palace and begged him? And what was the result? If you kneel now, not only will you not be able to persuade His Majesty, but you will also anger him! Aren't you afraid that he will settle scores with you later? Why risk that?"
The Marquis of Zhenbei calmed down somewhat after his son's words. He thought about it carefully and realized that the news had indeed spread too quickly; it was clear someone was trying to use public opinion to pressure His Majesty. His Majesty detested being coerced. If he were to get involved now, he would likely only bring trouble upon himself. He sighed, patted his son's shoulder, and said, "Forget it, you're right. This matter... is too complicated. Our Zhenbei Marquisate will not get involved." With that, he turned, boarded his carriage, and headed home.
Before the palace gates, the Duke of Protectorate, the Prime Minister, and several princes of the imperial clan remained kneeling, delivering their speeches in a loud voice. A growing crowd of people gathered, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.
"Look, those are some of the highest-ranking officials in the imperial court!"
"It's all because of that Consort Chen, isn't it? I heard she poisoned the First Prince!"
"His Majesty is protecting her! That's why the ministers are all kneeling and remonstrating!"
"Tsk tsk, what a bewitching concubine, she's captivated His Majesty like this..."
Just then, the Su family's steward scrambled through the crowd and found Su Wenyuan and his family who had rushed over. When Su Wenyuan saw the dense crowd in front of the palace gate and the kneeling ministers, his legs went weak and he almost fell. Fortunately, Su Jingxing and Madam Liu caught him.
“Master… look at this…” the butler’s voice trembled.
Su Jingxing's expression was solemn. He supported his father and asked in a low voice to a businessman-looking man who was talking animatedly, "Brother, may I ask what happened? Why are these officials kneeling here for so long?"
Seeing Su Jingxing's extraordinary bearing, the merchant didn't recognize him as a member of the Su family and immediately became talkative, lowering his voice to gossip: "What else could it be? It's all because of that newly promoted Consort Chen in the palace! I heard that since she entered the palace, she's been the most favored concubine, winning the Emperor's heart! She doesn't even need to bow to the Empress!"
He clicked his tongue twice and continued, "But this one is incredibly audacious! Relying on the emperor's favor, she actually dared to openly plot against the imperial heir! The eldest prince is currently poisoned and his life hangs in the balance! Guess what? His Majesty actually escorted Consort Chen back to Guanju Palace in front of everyone—that is, the concubine's palace, which is said to be more than ten times more luxurious than the Empress's Phoenix Palace!"
The merchant pointed to the kneeling ministers: "Look, these loyal ministers went to the palace to request an audience with the Emperor and to ask for the punishment of the wicked concubine. Guess what? His Majesty just kicked them out! His Majesty is clearly protecting Consort Chen... Tsk tsk tsk, Consort Chen is truly favored... If it were anyone else doing such a thing, they would probably have been banished to the Cold Palace long ago, or even had their entire family executed!"
Listening to these exaggerated discussions and watching the impassioned ministers and the ever-growing crowds before the palace gates, Su Jingxing felt a chill in his heart. His sister's situation was far more perilous than they imagined! Although His Majesty was protecting her, how long could he withstand the overwhelming public opinion and pressure from the court officials?
Su Wenyuan and Madam Liu were utterly pale. Madam Liu clung tightly to her son's arm to keep from fainting. Their daughter had now become a "wicked concubine" condemned by everyone!
Inside and outside the palace gates, a storm concerning imperial authority, court stability, and the fate of an individual is raging. At the eye of the storm, Su Luoxue, inside the Guanju Palace, remains completely unaware of what is happening outside, relying solely on Yuwen Che's seemingly solid, yet immensely pressured, protection.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
