Chapter 499: Imprison
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Emperor slowly closed his eyes and said, “You overestimated my patience, and I underestimated your power in the Palace…”
The Eldest Princess watched the Emperor breathe and said, “I know that you’ve been given me chances the whole time, but I was actually also giving you a chance. As long as you didn’t want to kill me, I wouldn’t be able to summon the courage to hurt you… In this life, I have become used to standing behind you. If I want to stand completely opposite you, it is not an easy thing to do. I don’t want to hurt you, which is why I never took action.”
“However, you have made me lose all hope.” Lin Yunrui wheezed and immediately smiled warmly. “So, kill me. If I live, I will definitely exhaust all methods to try and kill you.”
“No one can kill me,” the Emperor said calmly. His hand slowly tightened. However, at this moment, the knocking outside Guangxin Palace very strangely stopped. A strange look flashed through the Eldest Princess’ eyes.
“You are my younger sister.” The Emperor suddenly extended his hand and gently stroked her face. “Even if you are disobedient, you are still my younger sister.”
…
…
This was the last conversation that the Emperor and Eldest Princess had in this world.
Guangxin Palace’s palace doors were forced open by a number of knives as brilliant as snow. After some screeching sounds, the palace doors crashed down. The empress dowager, with a calm expression but unusually anxious eyes, entered with old Eunuch Hong and a number of Tiger Guards.
“Son!”
The empress dowager looked at the shocking scene in front of her and cried out sharply.
The Eldest Princess used a somewhat unfocused gaze to glance at the Emperor, who was very close to her. After realizing the Emperor had heard the sharp cry, a glimmer of a mocking smile rose to the corners of her lips.
No one knew who this smile was mocking.
One finger at a time gradually loosened from around the Eldest Princess’ red neck like fatally poisonous vines wrapped around a branch that gradually grew weaker.
The Emperor closed his eyes and used a long time to regulate his breathing. He slowly retracted his hand and turned around. He slightly straightened the dragon robe that the Eldest Princess had messed up and went forward to his other with an expressionless face. Picking up her hand, he quietly said, “Mother, let’s go back.”
The empress dowager’s gaze stopped on the Eldest Princess wheezing and lying at the foot of the palace walls, stroking her red and hot-to-the touch neck. Her entire body trembled.
The Emperor tightened his grip slightly on the empress dowager’s hands and gently said, “Mother, let’s go.”
Although his words were gentle and demonstrated a kind of compromise, they were also filled with irresistible might. The empress dowager’s hand and once again shook. She said in a shaky voice, “Back, go back to the Palace, quickly.”
The Emperor suddenly stopped at the door of Guangxin Palace. His expression was still as calm as always, but his brows were slightly furrowed, “I believe that everyone under heaven is my people.”
The expressions of the Tiger Guards that had broken into the Palace earlier froze.
A few gusts of wind sounded. The Tiger Guards who had followed the empress dowager gave a number of tragic cries and fell into the blood.
The Emperor respectfully held the empress dowager’s hand and left Guangxin Palace.
Old Eunuch Hong followed behind with his hands in his sleeves.
The door of Guangxin Palace closed once again and shut the Eldest Princess’ wheezing breaths inside.
…
…
The court conference had been delayed by half an hour, and the opening time for the 13 Jingdou city gates had also been delayed for half an hour. This was enough time for many things to happen in the Royal Palace, and it was enough for the civil and military officials to mostly know what the Emperor had done.
No one dared to actually come half an hour late to the Royal Palace. All of the officials attending the court conference followed the original time and waited patiently outside the Royal Palace’s gates.
However, the atmosphere was very strange. No one gathered together to chat leisurely. It seemed that exchanging pleasantries had become a kind of crime. The strange silence made one feel a great pressure.
In the early hours of the morning, most of the Eldest Princess’ power in the court and in the capital had been swept away. Some of them were people that these officials had no idea about in the past. The action this time had been very fast, decisive and vicious, and it was done very quickly and cleanly. It made these officials feel a slight chill.
Rumors said that the person directing in Jingdou was that old black dog of the Overwatch Council.
Of course, the officials knew how high-level the matter was this time. However, standing in front of the Royal Palace and thinking their own thoughts, they understood. This world was, always, the Emperor’s world, not the Princes’ and even less the Eldest Princess’ plaything. As long as the Emperor wanted to make a move, he could very easily sweep all these people away.
It was also only at this time that the officials once again recovered their usual boundless fear and respect toward the man who sat in the towering dragon chair. Thinking of it again, the people seemed to have grown used to the Emperor’s silence during these years and had forgotten the glorious achievements of his past.
However, the officials could not silently accept it because they didn’t know what would happen in the court conference. If the Emperor wanted to use this opportunity to carry out another purge in court, the elders in the Hall of Governmental Affairs were very worried that the court structure of Qing Kingdom would not handle such a storm.
Commissioner Fan had already captured too many officials.
If another batch were seized, who would do the court’s work?
More people were guessing as to what the Eldest Princess had done to offend the Emperor so much to have fallen to such an end. No matter what, these officials would not be able to guess the true reason. So, they would not think of the blood and tragic scene in the Royal Palace.
No news came out from the Palace. It looked very peaceful.
…
…
The whip cracked, and the cry sounded out. The officials lined up in order to enter the Palace. Among them were the scholars Shu and Hu, who were the most forward of the Hall of Governmental affairs. There were also a number of Ministers with the Minister of Revenue, Fan Jian, among them. However, there were a number of people missing from the ranks below the dragon chair.
Those people were probably either in the Supreme Court or Overwatch Council.
The officials entered with lowered heads and found, to their astonishment, that there was no one on the dragon chair.
Shu Wu worriedly glanced at Hu the Scholar. Although he didn’t say anything, his gaze had conveyed enough. This old scholar had been with the Emperor for many years. He knew the Emperor’s ways. Since he had said to delay for half an hour, then the Emperor must be confident that he could finish everything within half an hour.
Given the Emperor’s bearing, he wouldn’t do anything he wasn’t confident in. He also wouldn’t talk about it.
However, half an hour had already passed, yet he was still not present in court. Had the incident in the palace become so troublesome?
The rains in Jingdou had ended long ago, and red clouds floated on the horizon line. Although there was no warmth, it was enough to have spectators feel a glimmer of warmth. However, the hearts of the Qing officials in Taiji Palace were chilled, anxious, and uneasy.
Following the announcement by a eunuch, the man wearing dragon robes finally arrived.
After the formal greetings, they spoke in order, handed in memorials, and sent down annotations. All the process of the court happened smoothly and naturally. In a morning like this, no one dared to make the Emperor even a little bit angry.
Shu Wu raised his head and stole a glance. He saw that the Emperor was sitting on the dragon chair with a calm expression. He only appeared slightly tired.
Someone had to do the unpleasant thing. After all, the rules of court were present, and the responsibilities of the civil officials were present. Two Ministers had suddenly been thrown into prison, three of the 10 Imperial Censorates were gone, and Jingdou had abruptly seen two large murder cases. Such major events could not be avoided by pretending to know nothing about them.
Shu Wu sighed. After he silent apologized to himself, he stepped out of rank and slowly related what happened last night. He then respectfully asked the Emperor to speak.
The Emperor put his chin on his hand that rested on the chair. After a long silence, he slowly said, “The Overwatch Council followed my orders. Those people are all in prison.”
Usually, Shu Wu dared to clash with the Emperor openly and admonish him with severe words, but he knew that it was because the Emperor needed a somewhat funny and argumentative official like himself. However, this matter was very important. It was impossible for him to impudently inquire. He swallowed to soothe his throat that was dry from nerves. Respectfully, he said, “I’m not sure what crime Minister Yan has committed.”
The Emperor glanced at him, closed his eyes, and waved his hand.
Eunuch Yao had already brought out a number of memorials and files from inside a yellow box beside the Dragon Chair. He trotted down the steps and handed them out to the elders at the front.
Elders like Shu Wu and Fan Jian knew what was in the memorials and case files. They had guessed a long time ago. As they read it, they still showed shocked, angry, and shameful expressions.
In the files was the results of the Overwatch Council’s investigation. The crimes of the officials targeted and captured last night were all listed clearly. Confessions were present, and the evidence and witnesses had already entered the Supreme Court. The officials had been completely caught without any chance of turning the tables.
The three expressions these officials demonstrated were to demonstrate to the Emperor that they knew nothing about the Minister of Appointments Yan Hangshu and others’ crimes. As peers in court, the officials felt anger toward these criminals who took the official’s salary but lied to the Emperor and bullied the people. As for shame, it was because they had served the same court for many years, yet they were unable to discover these criminals’ wild ambitions earlier. They were unable to notify the Emperor and expose their ugly faces. They could not escape the crime of not knowing people well enough. The Emperor worked hard to protect them. They couldn’t help but feel ashamed in front of the Emperor, the court, and the Qing people.
These three expressions were performed abundantly, but the Emperor’s expression remained faint. A self-mocking and ridiculing smile appeared at the corners of his lips. He had delayed the court conference by an hour because he had to comfort his mother in Hanguang Palace. He also had to settle everything appropriately in the Royal Palace.
It was very clear that he had not told the empress dowager the reason he was angry. Strangely enough, even though he wasn’t able to secretly get rid of the Eldest Princess, the Emperor was not disappointed.
Among the officials, other than those three expressions, there was one other expression. That was one of fear.
The case files circulated around the court. Four officials had already knelt to the ground. These were officials who had some contact with the Eldest Princess in the past and could not waylay their connections to the matters detailed in the files. Seeing these files, they knew their end had come.
The officials knelt in the Taiji Palace and kowtowed like their life depended on it. But, they didn’t cry out for the Emperor to spare them because they knew that their Emperor hated those people who shamelessly begged for mercy.
The Emperor looked coldly at these four officials and said, “Others will not be implicated.”
The four officials froze. It seemed that they had not thought the Emperor would let them off so easily. After their great shock, they were overjoyed. One of them couldn’t help but sit on the ground, unable to speak for a while.
The Emperor furrowed his brows and glanced at that person but did not say anything more.
In the royal stud after the court conference, the people left were the true nucleus of power in Qing Kingdom. As usual, the officials of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, as well as the elders of the Six Ministries and Three Departments, sat on embroidered stools. However, today, these major figures looked like they were sitting on the tip of a needle and were very uncomfortable.
The Crown Prince and princes were not here to listen. The officials wondered in their hearts but did not show anything on their faces.
The Emperor glanced at these people and slowly said, “There are some things that I can discuss in court, but there are some things that I can only say here because each of you are an important figure in Qing Kingdom. The family matters of the Emperor are also national matters, so you have to know of it.”
Everyone tensed. They knew the Emperor was going to talk about the matter of the Eldest Princess and quickly bent their bodies closer.
“Yan Hangshu and such are only the claws and teeth. I will not kill them lightly.” The Emperor half leaned on the low couch. “I also won’t make any sweeping changes in court. Never mind. You can read it first.”
The files in the officials’ hands were not the ones circulated in court. Rather, these were true secrets. Thus, the officials did not need to fake those three expressions because they came from the depths of their heart.
The Eldest Princess Li Yunrui sold out the head secret agent the Overwatch Council had stationed in Northern Qi!
Collusion with the Ming family, secretly organizing pirates, and stealing goods from the palace treasury! Secretly ordering the Jiaozhou Navy to massacre an island! Ordering an assassin to kill a court official in the streets!
…
…
Shu the Scholar’s fingers holding the file were shaking. Although these officials knew of the Eldest Princess great ambitions, they would never have thought that it had reached to such an extent. These four crimes were particularly terrifying. The year South Kingdom and Northern Qi were in negotiations, the leverage the Northern Qi people had suddenly thrown out had caught Qing Kingdom by surprise. The capture of the head secret agent in Northern Qi had shocked the court. Who knew that it had been singlehandedly planned by the Eldest Princess.
The shock of that incident was enormous. Many of the officials remembered it like it happened yesterday, particularly as Jingdou had another snowfall of paper. On the paper, each word and sentence directly accused the Eldest Princess. It had forced the Eldest Princess to have no choice but to leave the capital. Yan Bingyun was now the head of the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council, which was something everyone in the royal study knew. The officials thought that it was only a verbal attack. They had not expected that it was true.
“This…this…” Shu Wu’s heart was filled with anger, but he could not find anything to say.
The investigation in the files was too detailed, and the connections were too clear. Even if these officials didn’t want to believe it, it was very difficult not too, particularly since the witnesses for the last three crimes were still locked up in prison.
“There is a little thing called the Junshang Conference,” The Emperor closed his eyes and said. “It was something that Yunrui had created. Although the account master had escaped, the Black Knights still managed to capture a number of people in the end. As for the assassination in the street… The two assassins are still in jail right now.”
Hu the Scholar was slightly more composed. Although he didn’t know why the Emperor was laying out the royal family’s matters on the table, he still asked, sincerely, “Could there be…some mistake? After all, these are the results of just the Overwatch Council’s investigation.”
These words were clear, and everyone understood them clearly. If the crimes truly pointed toward the Eldest Princess, then she would never be able to rise again in Qing Kingdom. However, everyone knew that ever since Fan Xian controlled the Overwatch Council, he had battled against the Eldest Princess in public and in secret, in Jingdou and in Jiangnan, with no mercy between them.
If the Eldest Princess fell from power, then Fan Xian’s faction would become the most powerful one in court.
That was why Hu the Scholar would make such a reminder.
The Emperor slowly said, “The matter was indeed investigated by Fan Xian. However, this young man would not use such tricks as framing someone. The assassin’s confession and the signature from the Jiaozhou Navy generals are all here. The account book is also here, and the Ming family’s confessions have also come out. There is no need to continue being suspicious.”
Hu the Scholar saw that the Emperor did not hear what he was secretly trying to say and knew that the Emperor must have some other plan in mind. So, he resumed his silence.
“Fortunately, Yan Bingyun didn’t die,” the Emperor suddenly opened his eyes and coldly said. “Otherwise, how could I face the people of Qing Kingdom. Regardless of whether it is a man in the military or a secret agent from the Overwatch Council, they are all good men who are willing to die for Qing Kingdom. Yet, they were sold by the nobility for their private gain. Sold!”
His voice rose. He said with disgust, “Disgusting…”
The royal study was completely silent. After a long time, the Emperor tiredly said, “However, Yunrui is my young sister. If any of you have resentments, you can attack me.”
After these words were spoken, all the officials in the royal study knelt uniformly on the ground and repeatedly said they wouldn’t dare do so. However, in their hearts, they all felt that this was very strange. Given the Eldest Princess status, would someone actually force the Emperor to use Qing Law and sentence her to death? However, wasn’t this better handled internally in the Palace? Why did the Emperor tell them so honestly? Attack? My god, where did the Emperor’s words come from?
“To prevent gossip among the people, the Eldest Princess Li Yunrui’s title will not be removed or her lands taken.”
The Emperor suddenly opened his mouth and said, “Shen Shao’an!”
The Taichang Temple official, Ren Shao’an, shuffled forward from where he was kneeling at the back. His legs were shaky, and his heart was drumming. Originally, the discussion in the royal study had nothing to do with him. Earlier, he was guessing wildly and scared. Only now did he understand that the Emperor wanted him to accept the edict.
The Taichang Temple managed the living of the members of the royal family and all court etiquette.
“Here.”
“The Eldest Princess has caught a chill. She will move into the side courtyard in the west side of the Royal Palace. No one is to disturb her without an edict. Anyone who disobeys this will be beheaded.”
“To be watched by the Overwatch Council.” The Emperor paused. He slowly closed his eyes and tiredly said, “When the riverbanks of the Great River are completely repaired, that is when she can come out.”
“I…accept the edict.” Ren Shao’an almost cried with fear. He thought to himself that the Great River was tens of thousands li long. No matter how good at repairing Yang Wanli was, it would still take hundreds of years. At that time, the Eldest Princess would probably have long turned into a skeleton.