Chapter 803 The Curtain Falls - A Show of Force
"Meng is my first wife, and now she is my child in my arms. If she is not the empress, then who is? Besides, I have no intention of taking the throne. If even the first imperial edict I issue as emperor is not valid, then I would rather not be emperor!"
Without waiting for a reply, Gu Renjie removed his crown. Seeing him rise to resign, the assembled ministers were understandably anxious.
"Your Majesty, this is no joke. The late emperor only had you as his son. If you don't become emperor, who will? Your Majesty, please don't act rashly!"
The old minister who spoke was none other than the Grand Secretary. The Grand Secretary had many henchmen, and seeing that the emperor was young and not a prince properly raised in the palace, his words inevitably carried a hint of lecturing.
Gu Renjie looked at him and sneered: "Acting on impulse? Tell me, what face does a man who can't even decide who his wife is have to be emperor?"
This Grand Secretary, relying on his seniority, has been causing quite a bit of trouble lately. If it weren't for the fact that there are still members of the royal family, he would probably be the first to rebel.
The Grand Chancellor was speechless after being refuted by Gu Renjie. Before he could say anything more, Gu Renjie had already waved his hand and stepped down from the dragon throne.
"Uncle, this position is too scorching. Please choose another virtuous and capable person!"
Gu Renjie clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Hexuan, then looked at the Grand Secretary and said, “I see that you are meddling in this and that, so why don’t you let the Grand Secretary take this position?”
One sentence frightened the Grand Secretary so much that he immediately knelt down. When the emperor had just died, the Grand Secretary had indeed had similar thoughts. After all, he had been in his position for many years and his ambitions had grown.
However, when Gu Renjie said it in front of so many people, he still couldn't help but feel scared.
"Your Majesty finds this old minister a hindrance and intends to use such a baseless charge to force this old minister to his death!"
Even if he had ideas in his heart, he couldn't say them out loud! Besides, there were so many ministers watching. The Grand Secretary rolled his eyes and kowtowed hard to Gu Renjie.
Seeing his behavior, Gu Renjie couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "No wonder he's a seasoned veteran who's been in the court for many years; even his words are full of traps."
The new emperor's position was already unstable. For a veteran minister who had served several dynasties to kneel like this was telling everyone that the new emperor intended to replace them.
The Grand Chancellor thought this would force the emperor to compromise, but Gu Renjie would not have his way.
"Your Excellency is a veteran of three reigns. Who would dare to force you to your death? Besides, I've already given up the throne, so I certainly wouldn't dare to force you to your death."
As Gu Renjie spoke, he took off the outer robe that only emperors could wear, and stepped down from his high position. Seeing him flicking his sleeves and about to walk out of the main hall, Lu Hexuan finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Renjie, don't be ridiculous. The throne isn't something you can just sit on whenever you want, or not sit on whenever you don't want to."
Although Lu Hexuan did not force Gu Renjie to be much older, the uncle-nephew relationship still existed, and Gu Renjie had no choice but to stand firm.
“I understand the reasons, but this is not the throne I want to sit on. I have no power at all. If I were to sit on the throne, I wouldn’t even be able to protect my wife and children. I’d rather be the eldest son of the Gu family!”
As he spoke, Gu Renjie glanced at the group of people who followed the Grand Secretary's lead, and left the hall without looking back.
"Your Highness, what should we do?"
They thought Gu Renjie was just throwing a tantrum, since everyone wanted to be emperor, but Gu Renjie was serious about it.
Seeing everyone looking at him, Lu Hexuan couldn't help but curse Gu Renjie countless times in his heart, but on the surface he had to look anxious and say, "What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and bring His Majesty back."
Upon hearing this, the ministers belatedly realized what was happening and chased after them.
But they couldn't outrun Gu Renjie. Once on the Gu family's carriage to court, Gu Renjie returned to the Gu residence without any hindrance.
Meng Wei hadn't rested well since receiving the imperial decree. With dark circles under her eyes, she had someone keep an eye out for news. However, the maid didn't return, but Gu Renjie, dressed in his undergarments, entered the room first.
"Husband, why do you come back looking like this?"
Even though she knew that Gu Renjie had become the new emperor, Meng Wei was still not used to using the title "Your Majesty".
Looking at Meng Wei standing in front of him, even though it hadn't been that long since they last met, Gu Renjie felt as if a very long time had passed.
He pulled Meng Wei into his arms and said, "It's okay, as long as you're here, nothing is a problem."
Gu Renjie continued talking to himself, and although Meng Wei didn't know what had happened, she still obediently patted his back.
A moment later, Gu Renjie changed into ordinary clothes. When Meng Wei heard that Gu Renjie had actually returned from the main hall in a huff, she felt very guilty.
“If it weren’t for me, my husband wouldn’t have argued with the officials. Otherwise, he would have listened to them and refused to be the empress.”
In Meng Wei's opinion, it was enough that Gu Renjie had this intention; whether or not he became empress was none of her concern.
But her indifference didn't mean Gu Renjie didn't care. "You're not allowed to say those kinds of things again. I don't like hearing them. Besides, you're my wife. If you don't become the empress, who will?"
Gu Renjie's firm words warmed Meng Wei's heart. Although she had always known that Gu Renjie was sincere towards her, she never thought she would hear such words from him.
"Okay, I won't say it again."
Meng Wei nodded and couldn't help but rest her head on Gu Renjie's shoulder. With her warm and fragrant body in his arms, Gu Renjie's pent-up frustration from the whole day instantly dissipated.
Outside the Hou Mansion, Lu Hexuan arrived in a hurry with a large group of ministers. Gu Jin looked at the gate he returned to every day and felt immense pressure for the first time.
Gu Renjie's temporary return is a minor matter, but for the Marquis, who is both a father and a subject, it is a dilemma.
"Your Highness, why don't we wait until I return and have persuaded His Majesty before we all come?"
Gu Renjie turned and went back to the Marquis's residence. He was clearly furious. If he brought the man back to him, they might start arguing again, which would make the Marquis's residence a mess.
Gu Jin didn't want his home to be thrown into chaos, and more importantly, he wanted to talk to Gu Renjie about some things alone.
"What are you saying, Lord Marquis? It wasn't you who angered His Majesty in the main hall today. Naturally, it should be the one who angered His Majesty who should be the one to persuade him."
As Lu Hexuan spoke, his gaze swept over the Grand Secretary who was reluctant to come in. He knew that being an emperor was not easy, but this kid just wouldn't listen to advice and insisted on getting close.
Now look what's happened! These old fogies are all eyeing him like tigers, ready to give him a hard time.
Lu Hexuan's meaning was too obvious, but the old ministers remained calm and composed. They stepped forward and clasped their hands in greeting to Gu Jin, "Lord Marquis, the Prince is right. His Majesty is angry today because of the matter of establishing an Empress. Let us have a good talk with His Majesty!"
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