Chapter 96 Punishing the Crown Princess
As soon as Yun Qingqing opened her mouth, the emperor was put on the spot.
Neither up nor down.
That group of censors, as well as Prime Minister Su and others who had previously tried to take advantage of the situation, were all sweating profusely.
Prime Minister Su was especially depressed. Originally, he had nothing to do with it. If he hadn't thought that he could take the opportunity to suppress the Regent and stepped forward to get involved, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation now.
Imperial Censor Yao Shizhong looked at Chen Meng and gritted his teeth:
"Chen Meng, if you hadn't solemnly sworn in your personal guarantee, how could we have been deceived by you and misunderstood the Regent Princess!"
Several other censors also glared at Chen Meng, denouncing him for spreading rumors and framing the princess.
Chen Meng fell to his knees and begged for mercy from the emperor:
"Your Majesty, I am guilty, but I did not do it on purpose. I was deceived by the people in the Prince's House! I beg Your Majesty to be lenient with me because of my dedication to the country!"
As soon as the emperor hesitated, Yun Qingqing sneered:
"You didn't mean to? And you're still devoted to the country? How did a concubine's son, like you, manage to deceive the world and become a censor? Don't you know?"
Chen Meng took a deep breath and his face turned pale.
Yun Qingqing did not let him off and continued:
"Your family tradition is corrupt, yet you concealed your origins and entered the imperial court as an official under your father's arrangement. How ridiculous that someone like you, whose entire family abuses power for personal gain, deceiving their superiors and subordinates, could claim to be upright and dedicated to the country, and yet become a censor!"
"How could such a thing happen?" the emperor glared.
He was still wondering whether what Yun Qingqing said was true, but when he saw Chen Meng trembling with fear and unable to say a word, he already understood.
The other officials also looked at Chen Meng in shock. They didn't expect that he was an illegitimate child!
If it was any other official position, and he got it through the examination with his own ability, as long as he had the qualifications and no major stains in his life, it would not be a big deal. But the Jieshizhong was a censor, and the most important thing to look at was his family background and character!
The court would never allow an illegitimate child to serve as a censor, not to mention that he was hiding his background... Thinking of this, a question suddenly popped up in everyone's mind.
The princess said that Chen Meng became the Imperial Secretary under the arrangement of his father, so who is his father?
The Emperor was already furious, slamming the armrest of the dragon chariot and roaring:
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! I want to see which parasites dare to engage in such deceitful activities right under my nose... ahem..."
Perhaps because of his excessive emotional fluctuations, the emperor began to cough violently and his face turned red.
The Queen said worriedly:
"Your Majesty, calm down and don't let your anger get you in trouble. It's better to return to the palace and call the imperial physician to take a look!"
The emperor took a moment to catch his breath, then nodded tiredly, and said:
"The Princess Regent has suffered such an injustice today. If I don't give her an explanation, wouldn't the people be making fun of the royal family?"
"Regent!"
Xiao Changheng nodded: "My brother is here."
The emperor coughed tiredly again:
"In your opinion, my royal brother, how should these people be dealt with?"
Xiao Changheng curled his lips coldly:
"Anyone who believed the rumors and participated in impeaching the princess will be punished with twenty lashes of the cane and a six-month salary fine. That's a minor punishment, but that's a big warning."
The officials turned pale.
Twenty lashes of the cane! And a six-month salary deduction! Is this considered a minor punishment?
But they dared not say a word under the Regent's sharp gaze.
The emperor nodded: "Let's do it."
He was about to send a message back to the palace when he heard Xiao Changheng's indifferent voice:
"But the Crown Princess taking advantage of this situation to personally fabricate plots about my wife is a separate matter."
Yun Qingqing raised her eyebrows slightly and glanced at him.
She was just thinking about how to deal with Yun Bailian, but she didn't expect that he would get there first.
The emperor's face paused, and then he remembered that it was the Crown Princess who came to plead first, saying that Yun Qingqing often went to brothels and did not return home overnight when she was in the Yun Mansion.
However, the truth is now out. Uncle Chen's accusation today is simply a false accusation, and the Crown Princess's words are self-defeating.
The emperor's face darkened again and he glared at Yun Bailian.
"Crown Princess, do you admit your guilt?"
Yun Bailian had been in a restless mood for a long time. She had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the emperor was going back to the palace, thinking that she was fine, but now she was frightened again.
She fell to her knees with a plop, trembling with fear:
"I, I...I really didn't mean it. These are all misunderstandings..."
"Oh, misunderstanding?" Yun Qingqing interrupted her with a smile, "I came late today and don't know the whole story. Since the Crown Princess said it was a misunderstanding, why don't you repeat what you said to the Emperor before? Then I can judge whether my prince has misunderstood you and wrongly accused you of framing me."
Yun Bailian was speechless and couldn't speak.
The emperor also remembered what Yun Bailian had said before, and his expression became even gloomier.
Suddenly, many of the onlookers spoke up:
"This Crown Princess is quite good at talking. On the one hand, she's begging the Emperor to forgive the Princess, and on the other hand, she's saying that the Princess often stayed out all night before she got married!"
"That's right. She even said that she secretly followed the princess and saw her enter the brothel with her own eyes!"
"Yes, yes, yes. The Crown Princess even said that she had privately advised the Princess not to do this, and was scolded by the Princess!"
"The Crown Princess's misunderstandings are so detailed. If the Princess hadn't come out of the pastry shop today, it would have been impossible to explain them."
Yun Qingqing listened to these familiar voices, which sounded quite sarcastic, and was almost pointing at Yun Bailian's nose and scolding her.
When she raised her eyes, she saw Mu Hongling and a few girls from the building mingling in the crowd, talking excitedly. She couldn't help but smile.
"Enough!" The emperor valued the royal family's reputation the most. Now he felt that his face had been torn off by the Crown Princess.
He glanced at Yun Bailian gloomily and said in a cold voice:
"The Crown Princess spread rumors and caused trouble, which is a violation of moral conduct. She shall be punished with thirty strokes of the cane and confined to her house for three months!"
Yun Bailian was shocked and screamed for mercy:
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me... Prince brother, Prince brother, please save me. I don't want to be beaten! They will beat me to death!"
She almost crawled to Xiao Zirui's feet, pulling at his robe and begging.
The leg that Xiao Zirui injured in the hunting ground had not healed yet, so he came out on crutches and was almost knocked off balance by her.
His face had already turned dark, and he didn't want to pay attention to her. Anyway, the punishment given to royal family members was measured, and they wouldn't be beaten to death, but would just cause some physical pain.
But the queen coughed heavily and winked at him secretly.
Only then did Xiao Zirui remember what the Queen had said before.
Tianfeng hasn't helped him gain good fortune yet because he hasn't been able to gain her true heart.
If Yun Bailian harbored resentment towards him, it might even backfire and make his fortune even worse.
Thinking of this, Xiao Zirui gritted his teeth, endured the pain in his legs, knelt down and said loudly:
"Father, the Crown Princess is weak and may not be able to withstand the caning. I, your son, would like to take the punishment for her. Please grant me your permission!"
Yun Bailian looked at him happily.
"Nonsense!" The emperor's face turned cold.
Xiao Zirui felt a little relieved, thinking that he was just doing it for Yun Bailian to see.
As long as she doesn't blame me, I can coax her after the incident is over and accompany her to recover. With my looks and talents, it shouldn't be difficult for me to win the heart of such a young woman.
Now all I have to do is wait for the emperor to scold me and reject my request.
However, at this moment, Yun Qingqing suddenly said in a calm voice:
"The Crown Prince was present the entire time. If he had stopped the Crown Princess out of respect for the royal family, he wouldn't have allowed her to say those words in public. So, it seems you're not innocent either."
Xiao Zirui's face froze, and he glared at Yun Qingqing:
"Yun Qingqing, what do you mean?"
Yun Qingqing gave him a meaningful smile, then turned around and complained to the emperor:
"The Crown Prince has disliked me for a long time, and His Majesty has seen it too. With his attitude, perhaps what the Crown Princess did today was instigated by him!"
Xiao Zirui was so angry that his teeth were about to break.
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