Confrontation in the hall
Zhou Ziliang stood up, looked at the kneeling crowd, and clasped his hands in a salute. "Your subject... obeys the decree." Fearing Tang Feng would be implicated, Zhou Ziliang dared not look at Tang Feng kneeling before him. He could only follow Emperor Yun into Xiling City. Before Emperor Yun even entered the palace, someone had already gone to the Eastern Palace to inform Li Yunrui. "So fast!" Li Yunrui hadn't expected Emperor Yun to return without prior notice. "I didn't expect... Father would arrive before Zhou Ziliang, but it's alright... it's better to leave this matter to Father. Guards, change clothes! Issue the order to go out of the city and welcome the Emperor back to court!" Li Yunrui gave the orders, but after a while, he noticed the kneeling guards didn't react. "What? Is there something else to report?"
"Your Highness... The young Marquis has also returned. He entered Xiling City with His Majesty. Hundreds of thousands of Dingbei troops are kneeling outside the city, awaiting the imperial decree." The guard lowered his head, somewhat worried, having heard that Emperor Yun's expression wasn't good. Li Yunrui, however, said nothing. "You may leave now. Just do as I said." Seeing the guard leave, Li Yunrui slowly closed his eyes, rubbing his aching temples. Sure enough... what was bound to happen had finally arrived. The road to greet Emperor Yun wasn't long, but Li Yunrui felt it stretched endlessly. Gusts of cold wind blew into his sleeves, making him shiver involuntarily. He didn't know how his father, the Emperor, would treat him, but even though his heart was churning, he had to maintain a calm facade. "Father, your son respectfully welcomes your return to court," Li Yunrui bowed and clasped his hands in greeting. However, the Emperor ignored him and simply brushed past him, ascending the steps of the main hall. Only when he reached the last step did he look down at Li Yunrui and say coldly, "Crown Prince, there's no need to be so formal. Come in with me." Li Yunrui straightened up and entered the hall, where he saw Zhou Ziliang already kneeling in the center. The Emperor sat high on the dragon throne, holding Li Yunrui's military tally. "Kneel down!"
Emperor Yun spoke without any emotion, but Li Yunrui knew he was angry. He immediately knelt beside Zhou Ziliang, not daring to speak. "Yunrui, tell me honestly, what happened?" Emperor Yun threw down the military tally in his hand. The tally bounced twice on the ground and slid right in front of Li Yunrui. Li Yunrui took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and slowly said, "Your Majesty, this military tally was indeed entrusted by your son to the Imperial Guards to be delivered to the young marquis."
"Why?" Emperor Yun narrowed his eyes, slowly rising to his feet. Eunuch Feng, who had served him for many years, knew the Crown Prince had crossed a line and was likely doomed. Emperor Yun descended from his throne, walked to Li Yunrui, and bent down to look at him. "Why? Speak, speak!" Li Yunrui knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a sound, unsure how to explain. But Emperor Yun had lost all patience and kicked him in the chest. Li Yunrui stumbled and fell to the ground in pain. Zhou Ziliang, standing nearby, tried to help him up, but Emperor Yun shouted, "Don't help him! Make him get up himself!" Li Yunrui quickly scrambled to his feet, kneeling properly, and said in a trembling voice, "It's...it's because of Envoy Pu Yuan..."
"Good!" Li Yunrui was about to continue speaking when Emperor Yun interrupted him, then clapped his hands at Eunuch Feng, "Go and summon the Pu Yuan envoy!" Eunuch Feng quickly received the decree and left, not daring to delay for even a second.
Tang Feng and the others had been kneeling outside Xiling City for over two hours, and were long since unable to keep their knees down any longer. Tang Feng, one hand on his back and the other supporting himself on the ground, felt as if each day was an eternity. "Is the young mistress alright?" Chen Ke knelt beside Tang Feng, looking at him with concern as he swayed unsteadily. Tang Feng shook his head. Although he wanted to curse, he was afraid of being beheaded. Although he had knelt before, the ground was smooth and level, but now the ground was full of sand and stones, doubling the pain in his knees. Although his whole body ached, Tang Feng was more worried about Zhou Ziliang. His demeanor upon seeing Emperor Yun clearly indicated he was unaware of the Crown Prince's troop mobilization, given Zhou Ziliang's upright and incorruptible nature... "Don't let him get killed in the end," Tang Feng sighed. "Brother Chen... how long has it been?" Chen Ke noticed that Tang Feng's complexion wasn't good. It was already deep winter in Xiling; the ground was cold, and kneeling for so long was unbearable for a pampered young master like Tang Feng. "Young Madam, it's been two hours. Are you tired? I'll tell the Commander."
"No!" Tang Feng quickly grabbed Chen Ke's arm. "You're not allowed to go!" He then straightened his back, trying to kneel as straight as possible. He didn't know what was going on with Zhou Ziliang in the palace, so he couldn't afford to make any mistakes and end up implicating Zhou Ziliang.
Eunuch Feng was also pressing him hard, fearing that a slight mistake would offend Emperor Yun and make matters worse. Seeing his little apprentice return with the envoy from Pu Yuan, he kicked him, yelling, "I told you to hurry up! Why are you taking so long?" "Ouch, Master, have mercy!" the little eunuch cried, rubbing his kicked backside. He then explained, "I was already as fast as I could... but what could I do if the envoy wasn't in a hurry? He's a guest, I couldn't rush him..." Eunuch Feng wanted to curse him further, but fearing it would delay things, he tapped his apprentice's head and said in a low voice, "I'll deal with you when I get back."
At this moment, Fu Ming'an and his entourage had already entered the main hall. Seeing the Crown Prince kneeling on the ground, they had already guessed what was going on. Fu Ming'an bowed and said, "Fu Ming'an, the envoy of Pu Yuan, greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well." Emperor Yun sat high on his dragon throne, ignoring Fu Ming'an, and only asked Li Yunrui, "Crown Prince, please continue."
"The Puyuan delegation came to my Yanyun under the pretext of paying tribute, wanting to marry my Yanyun Princess to Puyuan. If she did not agree, they threatened to attack the city. I don't know what method they used, but they hid an army of 100,000 outside the city. My elder sister was unwilling to marry, so I had no choice but to use the military tally to summon Zhou Ziliang to mobilize troops to Xiling."
"Is that so? You, Puyuan, want us to marry our princess to you, or else we'll attack Xiling?" Emperor Yun wasn't angered by the delegation's disrespect, but rather spoke with a nonchalant tone. "Has Li Lingyan forgotten the pain of his past? If we hadn't been stopped back then, where would he have his small territory now? Decades have passed; does he think I'm too old to fight?" Fu Ming'an, unfazed by Emperor Yun's words, stood up, neither humble nor arrogant. "Your Majesty, the marriage alliance is indeed a matter of careful consideration by our Puyuan. Our Emperor also feels he's getting old and no longer wants conflict with Yanyun, so he wants to use..." "Using the pretense of a marriage alliance to save face, after all, the emperor of a nation can't bow his head without a reason, can he? But whether or not to marry is up to your princess's wishes. We're not forcing her; after all, we came here to seek peace. If we were to go to war over something like this, it would be a losing proposition! Also... Your Highness, when did I ever say I led 100,000 troops to besiege Xiling? Don't make false accusations!" Li Yunrui suddenly looked up at Fu Ming'an and sneered, "I'm making false accusations? Have you forgotten what you said yourself? How could I be a villain who wrongs others! Father, every word I've said is true. I beg you to investigate!"
"Good! Zhou Ziliang, send your men to check the number of Pu Yuan's delegation stationed outside Xiling City. You may go back now!" Zhou Ziliang bowed and accepted the decree. He didn't dare delay for a moment after leaving the palace. He grabbed a horse, mounted it, and rode off towards the city gates. Once outside the city, he saw Tang Feng and the others kneeling on the ground. Zhou Ziliang tightened the reins and shouted, "Chen Ke! Mount your horse and come with me!" Tang Feng breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Zhou Ziliang return. He rubbed his unusually sore and numb back, feeling that he could no longer kneel. Liu Yiwan, who was beside him, helped Tang Feng from behind. "Young Master, hang in there a little longer. The young marquis is back. Maybe we can go home." Tang Feng naturally knew that as long as Zhou Ziliang returned, everything would be alright. However, the hardship of kneeling, coupled with the biting cold wind, left him feeling somewhat dazed.
Zhou Ziliang and Chen Ke rode to the Puyuan military camp and shouted, "Who's in charge here? Come out and answer!" A guard escorting tribute emerged from the camp. "I'm the head guard here. May I ask... what brings you here?" "You're escorting tribute?" Zhou Ziliang surveyed the surrounding tents; there were indeed quite a few, roughly estimating that they housed tens of thousands of soldiers. "That's right... Ah, don't be fooled by the number of tents; we only have a little over a thousand of us. These tents are mainly for the tribute. You know we..." "It's a journey that takes several months to travel from the Mo family's residence. We just arrived in Muxi, just in time for the plum rain season in Yanyun. The carts are loaded with tribute goods, so we dare not be careless. We're afraid the rain will soak the tribute goods and we can't bear the responsibility. We had to bring extra tents. When we arrived in Xiling, we pitched all the tents, just in case something happened to the tribute goods." Zhou Ziliang dismounted and casually entered a few tents. Seeing that there were indeed no signs of anyone living inside, he nodded, stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "We came abruptly, but we were acting under imperial orders. Please forgive us for what happened today."
Zhou Ziliang handed over the task of reporting to the military governor, since the military governor was one of Emperor Yun's men, and it was more appropriate for them to go. Zhou Ziliang then returned to Tang Feng's side and knelt down with him. Seeing that Tang Feng was already kneeling unsteadily, Zhou Ziliang couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "Tell me, why did you have to come along!" He then moved closer to Tang Feng, trying to make sure that Tang Feng could lean on him and be more comfortable.
"Your Majesty, the investigation has been completed. The delegation outside the city numbered over a thousand people. Although there were many tents, most of them were empty, showing no signs of habitation. Moreover, they explained that they were prepared to prevent the tribute from getting damp during the rainy season." After the military governor finished speaking, Emperor Yun waved his hand. "Yun Rui, do you have anything else to say?"
Li Yunrui turned to look at Fu Ming'an, his face filled with disbelief. Seeing Fu Ming'an's smug expression, he even wanted to kill him. "Father... even if the delegation deceived me, the marriage alliance is indeed true. You can ask my elder sister; she genuinely doesn't want to marry into Puyuan. I did this to protect her for the time being!" At this point, Emperor Yun was also becoming impatient, tapping the armrest of his dragon throne and saying, "After I summon Wuyou, what will you do if she says she knew nothing about this?"
"Your subject... Your subject wishes to remain imprisoned in the Prince's palace for life and never again be the Crown Prince."
"Very well!" Having received Li Yunrui's promise, Emperor Yun ordered Eunuch Feng to summon Li Wuyou. Looking at Fu Ming'an, who was still kneeling on the ground, he said, "Now it's our family matter. The envoy may return. However, there were indeed some improprieties in today's events; please forgive us." Fu Ming'an bowed and said, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? We came here with sincerity and without ulterior motives. It's just that the Crown Prince has only recently assumed the regency and there are some things he doesn't understand, which is inevitable. Since Your Majesty must attend to family matters, then I will take my leave." Fu Ming'an walked to the entrance of the main hall, saw Li Wuyou entering, and smiled. She was truly a natural beauty! No wonder Emperor Yun favored her so much.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty," Li Wuyou said, lifting her skirt and kneeling. Although Emperor Yun usually doted on Li Wuyou, he still observed all the proper etiquette. Seeing Li Wuyou arrive, he asked, "Are you aware of the Pu Yuan delegation's visit to Xiling to propose marriage?"
"Know"
"Then... you don't want to marry him?"
"No, your daughter is willing." Upon hearing this, Li Yunrui felt a lump in her throat, unable to breathe. "Elder sister... what are you saying! Didn't you say..."
"My daughter has been fortunate enough to receive the Emperor's favor for many years in the palace since childhood. Now, after searching for so long without finding a suitable husband, it would be better for her to marry Pu Yuan. It would be my duty as the Princess of Yan Yun to fulfill this obligation," Li Wuyou said, ignoring Li Yunrui's fearful and shocked expression. The Emperor looked at Li Yunrui after hearing this. "Has the Crown Prince understood? Can you explain the matter of the military tally?"
Li Yunrui knelt in the main hall, looking helplessly at Li Wuyou. "Elder sister... I've promised you so many things, but now... you won't even tell Father the truth...?" Seeing Li Wuyou lower her head and ignore him, Li Yunrui closed his eyes in despair and whispered, "Father... I have nothing to say. It's all my own fault. I will abide by the agreement we just made. From now on, I will relinquish my title as Crown Prince and never leave the palace again."
Hearing the governor's decree that they could enter the city, Zhou Ziliang and the others, who were kneeling outside the city, knew that the matter was over. Tang Feng, who had been kneeling for a long time, could no longer kneel and sat down with a thud. Zhou Ziliang lifted his clothes and saw faint bloodstains on his knees. He frowned and said, "Let's go home first! I'll carry you." He then picked Tang Feng up, slung him over, and mounted his horse. Tang Feng and Zhou Ziliang rode past Jiming Street and saw the Crown Prince and his entourage being escorted. They couldn't help but stop. "Eunuch Feng!" Tang Feng called out. Eunuch Feng turned around, saw Tang Feng sitting on his horse, and quickly stepped forward and asked, "Isn't this young master Tang? Oh! What happened to your knee? Hurry back and call a doctor to take a look!"
"Eunuch Feng..." Tang Feng looked at the Crown Prince and the others who were being held captive, and asked in a low voice, "What happened?" "Xiao Feng!" Before Eunuch Feng could speak, Zhou Ziliang scolded Tang Feng. "Eunuch Feng, I'm sorry, Xiao Feng just got back and doesn't know anything. Please continue with your work." Zhou Ziliang loosened the reins, letting Hongdou leave as quickly as possible. After they had gone some distance, Zhou Ziliang said softly, "I didn't mean to yell at you just now... But Xiao Feng, this matter can't be asked in the street. I'll explain it to you in detail when we get home."
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