Chapter 92
The next morning, the sun shone through the vermilion palace walls, illuminating the golden-bricked hall. Incense curled in the air, yet it couldn't overcome the lingering stillness. Li Yin, clad in a bright yellow crown prince's robe, sat upright on the dragon throne. His sharp gaze swept across the courtiers below him, and he said in a deep voice, "Where is the Prime Minister?"
As soon as the words fell, the hall fell into complete silence. The ministers looked at each other, some with their heads bowed, others with flickering eyes. No one dared to respond. Li Yin tapped the armrests of the dragon throne with his fingertips. His face gradually darkened, and the pressure around him grew increasingly low. He was about to get angry.
At this moment, there was a slight commotion outside the hall, mixed with the guards' whispered attempts to stop them.
Li Yin followed the gazes of the court officials and saw Ji Ke, dressed in a linen robe that had been washed to a pale color, walking in with a steady gait. The servant following behind him was holding the prime minister's court robes, which were neatly folded in his hands. On top of the court robes, the silver seal that symbolized the prime minister's power lay quietly, shining coldly in the morning light.
A flicker of disdain flashed through Li Yin's heart. Yesterday, the traitor had died in prison under unclear circumstances, and today Ji Ke was acting like this, simply trying to gain a reputation for being upright. But he remained impassive, feigning confusion as he asked calmly, "What are you doing, Prime Minister?"
Ji Ke walked to the center of the hall and slowly knelt down, his posture humble yet dignified. He spoke in a clear voice, "I have served the court for twenty years, working diligently and conscientiously from beginning to end, not daring to slack off for even a moment. Now, some people are implying that I am colluding with the traitors. I cannot continue to serve in the court with the reputation of a traitor."
Li Yin sat up straight, the dragon pattern on the throne seeming to come alive with his movements, exuding majesty. He asked knowingly, his tone tentative, "So, sir, do you intend to resign and return home, giving up your power as prime minister?"
Ji Ke knelt silently, his forehead touching the cold gold brick, and he remained motionless for a long time. The courtiers below finally came to their senses, each one hushed their voices and held their breath, no one daring to speak. The only sound in the hall was the faint hum of burning incense.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Wanyong, the Minister of War, stepped out and bowed, saying, "Sir, there's still room for maneuver in this matter. You can definitely find another way to prove your innocence. Why go to such extremes?"
Ji Ke, however, seemed not to have heard anything, and continued to kowtow, saying in a firm voice, "Your Highness, please agree to my request!"
Soon after, Sun Xing and Xu Jiang also stepped out and knelt beside Ji Ke, echoing in unison: "We are implicated along with the Prime Minister and are all criminals. Your Highness, please dismiss us from our posts!"
"Your Highness, please investigate and clear our name!"
Upon seeing this, the ministers began to discuss the matter, and the atmosphere in the hall became tense again.
Ji Ke listened to the echoes behind him and knew the time was ripe. He slowly raised his head, looked at Li Yin with a burning gaze, and revealed his true intentions: "If Your Highness believes in my loyalty, I am willing to resign my position as prime minister as a pledge to apprehend those who have alienated the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, as well as the group of traitors who are plotting rebellion, to prove my loyalty!"
Li Yin looked at Ji Ke who was kneeling on the ground at the steps, and glanced at the court officials with different expressions. A meaningless sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. The smile was so quick that it was impossible to catch it, leaving only a trace of chill in the hall.
After dismissing the court, Ji Ke took a carriage back to the prime minister's residence. As soon as he stepped into the study, he dismissed his attendants and took out the portrait of Luo Yu sent by his subordinates from the secret compartment.
The woman in the portrait had delicate features, and though she wore the attire of an imperial official, her expression couldn't conceal her lively spirit. Ji Ke examined her carefully, and after listening to his subordinates' account of Luo Er's life, he couldn't help but sigh, "It's truly miraculous! Her father was a traitor, her mother earned her living as a laundryman. Yet, despite such circumstances, she's still alive today. She's quite resilient."
Ji Zeming, who was standing by, looked at the portrait with a hint of envy in his eyes, and said softly, "Without the help of parents, it is rare to be able to gain a foothold in the palace and live such a wonderful life."
Ji Ke frowned slightly when he heard this. He noticed something strange in his son's tone. He put down the portrait, looked at Ji Zeming sharply, and said in a deep voice, "You don't have any thoughts about this woman pretending to be an eunuch, do you?"
Ji Zeming met his father's gaze, nodded frankly without any denial.
Seeing this, Ji Ke was immediately furious. He pointed at Ji Zeming's nose and accused him, "You useless thing! What did I tell you every day? With the power of our Ji family, you can have any woman you want? If you want one, even hundreds, your father can find them for you. But you have to set your sights on this woman! Do you know that she has a complicated background? Getting involved with her will only bring disaster to the family!"
Ji Zeming refused to give in. He raised his head and retorted, "Just like you, father? Whether it's a woman or a child, you hold them in your hands when you need them, and ruthlessly give them up when you don't. Do you want me to become as cold-blooded and heartless as you?"
Ji Ke was choked by his son's words, a look of surprise flashed across his face, and then his face darkened. He asked in confusion: "What exactly are you hating? Isn't everything I do for you and for the entire Ji family?"
Ji Zeming lowered his head, his voice low but with a hint of grievance: "Father, you are playing this big game, treating everyone as a pawn, even me, is no exception."
Ji Ke's face darkened, and his tone was a little anxious: "You mean, I consider the family and pave the way for your future, but you don't like or approve of these things?"
Ji Zeming suddenly raised his head, looked directly at Ji Ke, and said word by word, "Yes, I don't like it! I don't want a life where I'm constantly being schemed against and repressed. What I want is to be free and unrestrained and be able to control my own life!"
“…”
——
In the dimly lit hall, Luo Sanrong stared intently at the Lord Shang, Han Shouyi, who was standing across from him. After hesitating for a long time, he asked, "Lord, are you and my father doing the same thing?"
Upon hearing this, Han Shouyi admitted without hesitation, "Indeed, your father and I are close friends, and we've worked together for many years to achieve our aspirations. I've come to find you this time to fulfill the great cause your father was unable to achieve."
After hearing this, Luo Sanrong was silent for a long time, and then said in a firm tone: "Sir, I do not want to get involved in this matter."
Han Shouyi's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked tentatively, "Is it because of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Luo Sanrong fell silent again, only the slight rise and fall of her chest revealed her inner restlessness.
Han Shouyi hesitated for a moment upon seeing this, then spoke slowly, "Your Highness has been in poor health lately. The state wedding has been postponed again and again, leaving you with no appetite and sleepless nights. Life is full of complications, and in this situation, the best policy is to make a decisive move, and this is also for Your Highness's sake."
Luo Sanrong remained silent, like a sculpture, exuding an aura that kept people at a distance.
Seeing this, Han Shouyi sighed helplessly and stood up to leave. Before leaving, he paused and turned back to say, "Luo Ye, you should understand the pros and cons of this. I hope you take care of yourself. I will definitely come back in the future."
After Han Shouyi left, Luo Sanrong seemed to have lost all his strength. He maintained his previous posture, staring blankly.
Not long after, Xiulan hurried back and saw Luo Sanrong in this state. A trace of heartache instantly welled up in her eyes. She quickly stepped forward and gently embraced Luo Sanrong in her arms, her voice full of concern: "Luo Rong, let's leave this Xia'an country and find a place where no one knows us, hide our identities, and live a peaceful life."
Luo Sanrong moved his lips and uttered a dry and difficult voice: "Okay, let's leave."
Xiulan's face lit up when she heard this, but before she could fully smile, Luo Sanrong continued, "But, mother, before I leave, I have one thing I must do."
Xiulan couldn't help but ask, "What's the matter?"
Luo Sanrong took a deep breath, as if to muster up courage: "I want to say goodbye to him properly. I want to tell him that even if I am not by his side in the future, he must live a good life. Even if he has someone else in his heart in the future..."
Xiulan took over the conversation: "I don't want to have any attachment to you, right?"
Luo Sanrong shook his head slightly, his voice trembling slightly: "No, don't feel guilty about me."
Hearing this, Xiulan felt even more distressed.
She knew very well that this might be what Luo Sanrong had to do. As Han Shouyi said, if you don't make a decision when you should, you will suffer the consequences.
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