Chapter 140 Court Standoff
Lin Zhu, the Grand Tutor, had white hair and beard, but his back was ramrod straight, and his eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, remained sharp.
He walked step by step to the foot of the imperial steps, the sound of his cane striking the ground being particularly clear in the hall.
"Your humble servant Lin Zhu greets Your Majesty."
When Pei Yan saw Lin Zhu appear, his eyelids twitched and his heart skipped a beat.
Wasn't this old guy supposed to be enjoying his retirement at home, completely out of the loop? Why is he suddenly showing up now?
He suppressed his anger and forced a relatively calm expression: "Grand Tutor Lin? What brings you here? Please, have a seat!" He gestured to the eunuch beside him.
Lin Zhu did not move, but bowed slightly: "Thank you, Your Majesty. This old minister's bones are fine to stand for a while. However, I heard that today in the court, there is a matter concerning my great-granddaughter Xie Sangning, and even more so, the laws of the court and the honor and disgrace of meritorious officials. This old minister could not sit at home, so I came to listen."
His gaze swept over the ministers in the hall, each with a different expression, and finally landed on Xie Sangning. There was a hint of gentleness in his eyes, which he then turned to Pei Yan, becoming deep and sharp: "Your Majesty, just now this old minister was outside the hall and seemed to hear Your Majesty say that Your Majesty wanted to strip the title of Princess of Jianing and take back the fiefdom of Xihan? This old minister is old and hard of hearing, I don't know... if I misheard?"
This direct question put Pei Yan in a very difficult position.
Pei Yan's expression darkened further, and his tone hardened: "Grand Tutor, you heard me right. Although Xie Sangning has made great contributions, he concealed the truth about the local situation and deceived the emperor, a crime he cannot tolerate! Considering his considerable contributions, I have already given him a lenient sentence, stripping him of his title and reclaiming his fiefdom!"
"Deceiving the emperor?" Lin Zhu raised his white eyebrows, his voice questioning, "Your Majesty! What is deceiving the emperor? Under Sang Ning's rule, Xi Han has transformed from a desolate place of exile that everyone avoided into a place of abundant granaries and peaceful roads. Isn't this a great thing? Isn't this an auspicious sign under Your Majesty's benevolent rule? She didn't make a fuss because she wanted to give Your Majesty a surprise! Although she didn't say it outright, how can it be considered deception? Must one make a big fuss and let the whole world know in order to be considered loyal to the emperor?"
He paused, then slammed his cane down heavily: "As for the imperial relief funds! This old minister heard everything clearly outside the hall! Sang Ning has account books to prove it; he personally contributed far more than a million! And that 100,000 taels that should have gone to Xihan—you officials of the Ministry of Revenue, tell me, where did that money go?!"
Lin Zhun's gaze suddenly turned to Wang Qi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!
Wang Qi's face was deathly pale, his official robes soaked with cold sweat, and his lips trembled as he stammered, "Grand...Grand Tutor...this humble official...this humble official..."
"Your Majesty!" Lin Zhu ignored them completely and turned directly to Pei Yan, his tone heavy with grief and indignation, "This old minister dares to ask Your Majesty! A woman, without sparing any of her family's wealth, revitalized a barren land, resettled refugees, built water conservancy projects, and opened numerous schools, allowing tens of thousands of people to live and work in peace! How many virtuous ministers and generals of the past could match such achievements?"
"Your Majesty, instead of rewarding his merits, you intend to punish him for concealing the truth? And you even want to strip him of the titles and fiefs he earned through his achievements? This is an injustice of rewards and punishments! This chills the hearts of loyal ministers and righteous men throughout the land! Your Majesty! How will the people of the world view my Great Qing Dynasty? How will they view you, the Son of Heaven?! Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Only Lin Zhu dared to say that, and the officials were all trembling with fear.
These words not only pointed out that Xie Sangning's achievements far exceeded the so-called cover-up, but also pointed the finger directly at the court's laws and the emperor!
They stripped Pei Yan of all the crimes he had fabricated in order to reclaim his fiefdom, making Pei Yan's thoughts appear incredibly narrow-minded and despicable!
The ministers in the hall were deeply moved, and many veteran officials couldn't help but nod secretly in agreement.
Yes, what Xie Sangning did was a great achievement worthy of being commemorated with a monument in any dynasty. The Emperor's actions were indeed excessive! Grand Tutor Lin's rebuke was well-deserved!
Pei Yan was rendered speechless by Lin Zhu's righteous and stern questioning, his face turning from white to red, and then from red to green.
He truly didn't want to see Xie Sangning so smug anymore! He was the emperor! The master of this land! Now, he couldn't even make his own decision about punishing a woman? He had to be at the mercy of this old man?
Xie Sangning noticed that the Emperor's expression had changed and knew that it was time for him to step in. If he let his great-grandfather charge into battle again, it might implicate him.
Her expression changed instantly. Just moments before, she had been calm and composed, but in the blink of an eye, all color drained from her face. Her lips trembled, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up in them. Her voice trembled as she said, "Your Majesty... so... so you didn't give Xi Han to me as a reward because you knew it had improved... but... because it was so terrible... that's why you... that's why you gave it to me?"
He looked as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over his head, and he had suffered a tremendous blow and injustice.
"hiss--"
From some unknown corner came a clear gasp.
Many ministers in the hall suddenly realized what was going on!
So Xie Sangning was so happy when she received the imperial decree because she genuinely believed the reward from the emperor was something valuable! She wasn't faking it! They had previously thought that this Lady of Jianing was cunning and was just putting on an act!
Pei Yan himself gasped, feeling as if he had been stabbed in the heart!
These words are even more venomous than those grand principles Lin Taifu just spoke of!
At most, Grand Tutor Lin criticized him for punishing him too severely, and the argument was still about whether the punishment was right or wrong.
Xie Sangning's casual, aggrieved remark directly exposed the truth behind the land he had bestowed upon him!
This is a blatant question to him: When you granted me the land, were you deliberately trying to annoy me? Were you plotting against me from the very beginning?!
How is he supposed to respond to that?
If he admits that he is unaware of the changes in Xihan, then he is admitting that he is not a wise ruler and is deliberately trying to antagonize those who have made contributions!
If he claimed to know about the changes in Xihan, then today's punishment would be utter nonsense!
If it was known that the reward was given to Xie Sangning, and now it is said that the other party is deceiving the emperor, then that is completely unreasonable! And the punishment is completely unfounded!
Xie Sangning's seemingly innocent and aggrieved strike was precise and ruthless, directly cornering him! No matter what he chooses, he's digging his own grave!
Desheng, who had been secretly observing the situation, suddenly realized that the young lady's words about being happy after receiving the imperial decree were actually for today! At this moment, Desheng's admiration for the young lady reached a new level!
Pei Yan felt a deep sense of powerlessness and anger intertwined, burning him to the point of almost losing his mind, yet he had no choice but to hold it back.
He knew that this move he made today was a complete disaster.
He wanted to refute, but couldn't find any plausible reasoning. Lin Zhu's words were all reasonable and justified! Xie Sangning's question was even more fatal; if he were to forcibly retract it, he would truly become a muddle-headed, cruel, and ungrateful ruler, and would completely lose the hearts of the people!
A deathly silence fell over the hall once more, the air so heavy it was hard to breathe. Everyone held their breath, staring at the emperor on the dragon throne.
Pei Yan's chest heaved violently several times. Finally, as if all his strength had been drained, he slumped back onto the dragon throne, closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths.
When he opened his eyes again, there was still some lingering anger, but even more resentment and resignation in them.
Pei Yan's voice was hoarse. He avoided the question and spoke with difficulty, "I...I was just in a moment of panic and didn't think things through."
“Princess Jianing… Xie Sangning has rendered great service to the country and has given Xihan a second life. Her heart is commendable and her actions are exemplary… Concealing one matter is understandable. Considering her good intentions, her merits and demerits offset each other… This matter will… not be pursued further.”
He practically gritted his teeth as he uttered the words "I will not pursue this further," his heart bleeding.
This means that he has absolutely no chance of getting Xi Han back!
At least on the surface, nothing more can be done!
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