Chapter 429 Changing Minds
"Are you free?" Yun Yichen glared at Zhong Lin with annoyance. He had originally intended to ask Gu Shuyan about something, but he hadn't expected to end up running away in such a sorry state.
Thus, the unsatisfied official saw that his guards did not give him a kind look.
Although Zhong Lin's attitude towards Yun Yichen was inexplicable, he knew his master's personality. In order not to make Yun Yichen cause him trouble in the middle of the night, Zhong Lin quickly shook his head and retreated.
After watching Zhong Lin leave, Yun Yichen let out a deep sigh.
He clearly wanted to ask Shu'er about serious matters, but unexpectedly, he was provoked by lust, and what's worse, he couldn't suppress this lust.
We really need to get the little girl back soon, otherwise it's just too painful to see her but not be able to have her.
The day after the Crown Prince's incident, the Empress knelt early at the entrance of the Emperor's bedchamber.
When the emperor heard the news, he frowned slightly. "Tell the empress that I will go see her later."
The emperor and empress had been married for many years. Although their affection was no longer as strong as it had been in their youth, she was still his wife who had been with him all along, and the emperor treated her very well.
In addition, the Empress's father and brothers had fought bravely in the battle for the throne to help him ascend the throne, and as a result, none of the women and children in the Empress's family survived. As a result, the Emperor showed more tolerance and respect for his first wife.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has committed such a grave error due to his improper conduct. I beg Your Majesty to severely punish the Crown Prince in order to uphold the law."
The emperor was having his clothes buttoned up by a eunuch before heading to the main hall, but as soon as he turned around, he heard the empress's voice from outside the door. Normally, the empress spoke softly, but this sudden increase in volume gave her an air of authority.
"What did the Empress just say?" The Emperor thought he must be hallucinating, otherwise how could he have heard the Empress say that the Crown Prince should be severely punished?
Just as the eunuch was about to repeat himself, he heard the empress say from outside the bedchamber, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has committed a grave error. I beg Your Majesty to severely punish the Crown Prince to uphold the law."
This time, the emperor no longer doubted that he was hallucinating; the empress's words were clear even through the door. He paused, recalling past events, and finally decided to turn around and see the empress first.
As soon as the palace door opened, the emperor saw the empress dressed in plain clothes. Today, she was not dressed as solemnly as usual, but simply combed her hair up, making her look more approachable.
"Your Majesty, I have failed to properly educate my son and beg for punishment."
Upon seeing the emperor in his court attire, the empress immediately kowtowed and begged for punishment.
"What is Your Majesty doing? If you say that I personally taught the Crown Prince from a young age, does that mean I should also punish him by hand?"
If the Empress came to see him crying and making a scene, the Emperor would definitely not see her. Not only would he not see her, he would also think she was inconsiderate.
However, today the Empress did not cry and beg for the release of the Crown Prince or for leniency. Instead, she knelt and pleaded for severe punishment of the Crown Prince. This alone made the Emperor feel that it was truly commendable.
"Your Majesty is busy with court affairs, and I have been unable to properly guide the Crown Prince. I am ashamed of my failure to live up to Your Majesty's trust."
The Empress could not possibly admit that the Emperor, as the father, had failed to properly educate the Crown Prince, so she could only go along with the Emperor's wishes and take the blame upon herself.
Seeing this, the emperor was even more pleased with the empress. This wife had managed the harem in an orderly manner for so many years, and his sons had all grown up smoothly. These things were naturally due to the empress's virtue and magnanimity.
"You've really had a tough time these past few years. Don't worry, no matter how wrong the Crown Prince is, he's still our son, and I will always side with him."
The emperor patted the empress on the shoulder as he spoke. The empress was about to say something more, but she was stopped by a look from the emperor.
“I know you are a man of great virtue, but we only have one son. How can I bear to see you heartbroken?”
After speaking, the emperor led his eunuchs directly to the main hall. The emperor was initially very angry about the crown prince's actions, but after seeing the empress, he suddenly became less angry.
After all, he was his own son, and he knew the Crown Prince's capabilities perfectly well. Although the Crown Prince had been misled and ruined a great deal, he couldn't really behead him after all.
Having already made up his mind, the emperor quickly devised a countermeasure.
The Crown Prince's affair caused quite a stir yesterday. The Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice dared not delay the investigation, and so the matter was quickly resolved overnight.
"Your Majesty, after yesterday's trial, the Fifth Prince's impeachment of the Crown Prince was found guilty on all counts. The Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review are now investigating the officials who bought and accepted bribes, and they will soon be able to thoroughly uncover these people."
Although the two departments jointly handled the case, the Ministry of Justice was the senior authority, so the task of reporting the case naturally fell to the Minister of Justice.
"Now that the matter has been investigated and clarified, has the Crown Prince confessed?"
The emperor had long anticipated this outcome, so he was not surprised at all. However, the Minister of Justice was taken aback by the question and honestly replied, "As for His Highness the Crown Prince, this humble subject has not yet conducted an interrogation."
Are you kidding me? That's the crown prince of the dynasty. He's just an official in the Ministry of Justice. Shouldn't he report to the emperor first after finding out the facts, and then have the emperor personally interrogate him?
But judging from the emperor's words, could it be that he no longer wants to punish the crown prince? Or has he already abandoned the crown prince altogether, so it doesn't matter if these ministers interrogate him?
"The interrogation has not yet taken place!" The emperor said, tapping the table. Finally, under the questioning gazes of the crowd, he said, "Since the evidence is conclusive, there is no need for an interrogation. As for those involved in the buying and selling of official positions, they will be severely punished as soon as they are found."
The emperor only said that those involved in the case would be severely punished, but he did not reveal at all how the crown prince would be dealt with.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's actions are far too complicated. Let's wait until everything is thoroughly investigated before making a conclusion!"
The Minister of Justice was sweating profusely. The emperor's meaning was ambiguous, and he didn't know whether what he said was right or wrong.
Upon hearing this, the emperor glanced at him but did not answer. Instead, he looked at one of the ministers present and called out, "Lord Wang, I remember that you and my father-in-law were once friends, weren't you?"
When his name was called, Lord Wang slowly opened his sleepy eyes and replied with a hearty laugh, "Indeed, it is a former acquaintance. Back then, we used to play chess and discuss politics together in the market."
Speaking of this Lord Wang, he also had the merit of helping the emperor rise to power. Back then, in order to win him over, the emperor used the relationship between Lord Wang and his father-in-law, which finally convinced Lord Wang to join his camp.
Now, twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and time has made the emperor forget about this matter.
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