As soon as the old emperor spoke, everyone fell silent, and they could all sense that the old emperor was implying something about them.
Of course, on the other hand, it also means that he wants to protect the dog.
The old emperor, growing impatient, asked irritably, "Why are you so quiet? Weren't you having a great time just now? Who's going to replace Lu Baichuan?"
This put everyone in an awkward position. Although they were all jealous that Lu Baichuan was taking on the lead and would definitely reap the rewards if he did a good job, they were also unwilling to take his place.
The people of Dongting are powerful and difficult to deal with, and this matter involves many people. If any secrets are uncovered, it will offend many people, so they will not do such a thing.
"Your Majesty, disciplining children doesn't require having a lot of free time. Your humble servants and others have raised quite a few children over the years, haven't we?"
"Indeed, which family doesn't have a few children? Although they can be naughty at times, they've never hit anyone like this before. This child from the Lu family is just too outrageous!"
Some people found a breakthrough, and more people began to make excuses for it, even thinking that they were great, doing very well in the court, and able to support a bunch of kids at home.
"My dear subjects, when you criticize others, have you ever considered your own situation? Have you even inquired why your own children were beaten?"
The old emperor sat calmly with his hands on his knees. The crown prince knew that his father was going to have a good talk with these people.
"What else could it be? It's because the young master of the Lu family doesn't understand his place. He thinks the capital is like Jingzhou, where he can be the only one in charge. But when he found out that's not the case, he got angry and started hitting people!"
Those people just spout off without thinking, feeling they have the upper hand.
The old emperor looked at the group of people below with a half-smile. He knew they were shameless before, but he didn't expect them to be this shameless. They didn't care at all what their children had done; they always blamed the dogs.
He really wasn't going to let them have their way today.
The old emperor listened to their sophistry, and in the meantime, he subtly praised his own child repeatedly, going on and on for quite a while, until they had said enough. Only then did the old emperor say, "You've finished speaking, isn't it my turn now?"
The courtiers quickly adopted a respectful demeanor, indicating to the old emperor that they were also waiting for his decision.
In any case, they believed that their own child was the victim, and even if the old emperor favored Lu Ziyu, he still had to give them, the court officials, an explanation.
Although the emperor's power is the greatest, the combined pressure they exert on him is considerable. In this matter, the Lu family must be given a warning, otherwise they will become lawless in the future.
The old emperor then used the same words he had used yesterday when talking about the seventeenth prince.
"My esteemed ministers are all veterans of the court and can be considered pillars of the nation. Have you all heard about the recent events in the Eastern Court? The Eastern Court is restless, and the Third Prince of the Eastern Court, though imprisoned, knows everything that is happening in the world. Are my esteemed ministers aware of this?"
"Is it that you've never heard of it, or that you know about it but simply don't care?"
The old emperor's tone gradually became heavy, and the faces of the court officials instantly turned ugly. Weren't we talking about the child? How did we get so far off topic?
The old emperor continued, "I've never seen you all so agitated about any important national affairs before, but because of Lu Ziyu, you've turned the court into a complete mess! I don't believe you really don't know why your children were beaten!"
At this point, the old emperor's attitude and tone hardened.
"You keep saying your children are good, but what's so good about them? Are they good because they use foul language and bully the weak and fear the strong? They come from prestigious families and have studied the classics for so many years, yet they still manage to cause such a disgrace! As elders, it's one thing if you don't educate them properly, but you even have the nerve to bring this to the imperial court. Do you really think this grand hall is a place to settle your family disputes?"
"You ignore the invasion of the Eastern Court, indulging in pleasure while being unable to bear the efforts of others. Do you really want the country to fall and your homes to be destroyed before you are at peace?!"
As he spoke, the old emperor slammed his hand on the table, startling the court officials below, who all knelt down in a flurry.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! We dare not!"
It was clear that the old emperor was truly angry, and only then did everyone realize their fear, kneeling on the ground, barely daring to breathe.
"Dare not? I didn't see it at all! You never do any proper work, all you do is form cliques and cause trouble. The fact that the Eastern Court can be so arrogant and domineering, not taking my Northern Yan seriously, is largely due to you!"
Such a huge accusation was enough to crush everyone. Each of them wanted to defend themselves, but then they heard the old emperor say, "You are right. It is the father's fault if he does not teach his children properly. The fact that your juniors have done such shameful things is because you have not disciplined them properly! Guards, drag them out and give each of them thirty lashes!"
The old emperor was furious, and the court officials naturally suffered a bad fate. No one expected that they, who came to complain, would end up being the ones who got beaten!
The old emperor didn't give them a chance to explain. He had them dragged outside and beaten, and to make matters worse, he gagged them.
After dragging those people out to be beaten, the old emperor coldly glanced at the others and warned them in a cold voice, "You've all seen it. From now on, focus your attention on what matters, or next time, it won't be as simple as just a beating!"
Everyone trembled and could not say anything. It had been so long since the old emperor had come to court, and his sudden appearance was truly terrifying. It felt like the old emperor had become a different person and was no longer as easy to fool as before.
The sound of sticks hitting flesh outside was exceptionally clear, and everyone who heard it felt pain, but the old emperor still felt it wasn't enough, and even ordered that all the officials involved today have their salaries deducted for half a year.
Immediately afterwards, the old emperor moved on to the next segment.
He cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, "The Crown Prince has been in power for some time now, and I think he is doing a very good job and is already capable of handling things independently."
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts jumped into their throats, and they were extremely nervous. Even the Crown Prince glanced at the old emperor, not understanding what he meant.
Others were also puzzled, and some even made bold guesses, but because the old emperor had just lost his temper, no one dared to ask.
The old emperor didn't keep them in suspense and continued, "I'm getting old and my health isn't good. It's no longer interesting for me to sit in this position..."
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Before he could finish speaking, everyone who had just gotten up knelt down again. This time, even the Crown Prince and the other princes knelt down. It seemed that the Emperor was about to pass the throne to his father.
Passing the throne to the crown prince was inevitable; everyone had long accepted this fact.
But judging from the Emperor's tone, is he going to pass the throne to his father now?
So impatient?
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