The Emperor bathed, looking at the bruises on his body, and inevitably got angry, "What kind of ointnt did those quack doctors at the Imperial Hospital concoct? It’s completely useless!"
Eunuch Fu glanced and said, "Your Majesty, it has reduced a bit."
He took so ointnt to help the Emperor apply it, saying, "Should I go get so from the Princess?"
"Forget it."
It would be a loss of face if his daughter knew her father, the Emperor, got beaten.
After all, it’s just external injuries, a few days of care would suffice.
Eunuch Fu knew what the Emperor was thinking, and he wanted to advise him not to dwell too much.
The Princess Consort Zhenbei was raised by Marquis Dongxiang; she understands his temperant.
Regardless of whether she gets the antidote or not, she knows the Emperor was beaten by Marquis Dongxiang.
After applying the ointnt, the Emperor went to the morning court.
As soon as he exited Hanyuan Hall, the Empress rushed forward and hugged the Emperor’s legs, crying, "Your Majesty, please spare my mother."
The Empress clung tightly to the Emperor’s legs, making it impossible for him to walk.
Eunuch Fu advised, "The Emperor needs to attend the morning court. Disturbing the State Preceptor cannot be borne by Your Majesty. Whatever it is, discuss it after the court session finished."
Nothing is more important than the state affairs.
The Empress finally let go after seeing the Emperor, unable to do anything else.
The Emperor proceeded to the morning court, while the Empress remained kneeling in front of Hanyuan Hall.
From afar, he saw the Minister of the Ministry of Justice approaching him.
The Emperor was a bit surprised why he didn’t wait in front of the Political Discussion Hall.
The Minister of the Ministry of Justice saluted the Emperor.
The Emperor said, "Qu Aiqing couldn’t wait for the court session before coming to see ; is there sothing urgent?"
The Minister of the Ministry of Justice looked at the Emperor and said, "I’ve heard the Empress pleaded with His Majesty all night."
"Rest assured, Qu Aiqing, I will not interfere with the Ministry of Justice’s executions," the Emperor said.
"...."
How can he feel reassured at that?
He couldn’t even deliver the favor smoothly.
He could only force it.
The Minister of the Ministry of Justice looked at the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress’s filial piety is comndable; she has been kneeling all this ti, sure to harm her health."
The Emperor’s brows furrowed tightly.
Eunuch Fu looked astonished.
The Minister of the Ministry of Justice was actually pleading for the Empress?
Has he taken the wrong dicine?
"Does Qu Aiqing want to comply with the Empress’s wishes and release the Old Madam Duke Chong?" the Emperor’s face turned somber.
The execution of Old Madam Duke Chong in three days was the Ministry of Justice’s order.
Now he was here to plead for the Empress.
The Emperor suspected if he had been bribed by Duke Chong.
Sweat ford on the Minister’s forehead, "Releasing Old Madam Duke Chong would not be agreeable to Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion, but letting her live a few more days could be possible."
"Whose idea is this?!" the Emperor asked coldly.
"It’s the idea of the Princess Consort Zhenbei."
"...."
The Emperor’s brows knitted into a tight knot.
How could it be Jinjim’s idea?
"Why does she want to do this?" the Emperor asked.
"I don’t know," said the Minister of the Ministry of Justice.
Eunuch Fu looked at the Emperor, "Your Majesty, since the Minister of the Ministry of Justice does not know, you can take this opportunity to summon the Princess Consort Zhenbei to the palace for questioning."
The Emperor thought this was a good idea, "After the court session, summon her to the palace."
As he watched the Emperor walk away, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice felt the Emperor probably agreed.
A favor he delivered was received like this.
The Minister of the Ministry of Justice had nothing more to say.
He hurried to the front of the Political Discussion Hall, entering the main hall before the Emperor could convene.
Duke Chong did not attend today’s morning court.
With such a major event happening at Duke Chong’s Mansion, Duke Chong had no interest in attending the court, not to ntion the lack of face for it.
Moreover, so matters are not suitable for the court discussion.
There were officials impeaching the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, saying the execution order for Old Madam Duke Chong was inappropriate.
After all, Old Madam Duke Chong is the Empress’s mother.
Her public execution greatly tarnishes the Empress’s dignity.
As those officials were speaking, Marquis Dongxiang couldn’t hold back and said, "Showing consideration for face here and there — when they themselves don’t care about their face, aren’t you wearing yourself out covering for them?"
A single sentence nearly choked those officials to death.
Throughout the court, perhaps only Marquis Dongxiang dared to speak like this.
"We are not only defending the Empress’s dignity, but also preserving the Emperor’s honor," said one official.
Marquis Dongxiang chuckled, "Better think about how to preserve the Empress Dowager’s face first!"
"The Empress Dowager knew that Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion was involved in the fraudulent Old Madam’s case with Old Madam Duke Chong, yet she reprimanded Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion, ordering them to thoroughly investigate within a month, or else face severe punishnt."
"Many people know about this edict. How do the ministers think Prince Zhenbei should explain to the Empress Dowager?"
Wherever Marquis Dongxiang’s gaze swept, everyone remained silent, fearing to be called upon by him.
This was not about Prince Zhenbei explaining to the Empress Dowager;
it was about making the Empress Dowager explain to Prince Zhenbei!
The Empress Dowager too...
While knowing the connection between the Old Madam Duke Chong and Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion’s fraudulent old Madam case, she waded into these murky waters. Now she’s caught with mud all over, unable to wash it off.
This ti, the Empress Dowager truly handed her dignity over to Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion to be trampled on.
No one responded to Marquis Dongxiang, nor did anyone continue to impeach the Minister of the Ministry of Justice or dare to plead for the Empress.
The Political Discussion Hall fell silent.
When Marquis Dongxiang speaks, it’s either lively or tranquil.
Until the Prince spoke.
Looking at the Emperor, the Prince said, "Your Majesty, though my mother passed over thirty years ago, she was just laid to rest yesterday. I didn’t know I had been assuming a false matriarch for years, and I feel ashad...."
The Prince requested to mourn at ho for the Old Madam.
Such a request the Emperor would not refuse, nor had any reason to refuse.
But the Emperor did not agree to the Prince’s request to mourn for three years.
"Prince Zhenbei’s sincerity is moving, but as a military general, mourning for a hundred days before returning to duty is custom," the Emperor said.
"Rules cannot be broken."
As the rightful eldest son, the Prince needs to mourn; the second and third masters, though not born of the Old Madam, also called her mother.
They, too, had to mourn.
But being a military general, the Prince only needed to mourn for a hundred days.
Both of them being civil servants had to mourn for three years.
The Third Master was born of the fraudulent Old Madam.
The Second Master is the son of Aunt Ding, who, though not an accomplice, benefited from the fraudulent Old Madam case.
Though they were the Prince’s brothers in arms, they were also sons of his nesis.
Once they started mourning, it would likely be indefinite until their return.
Even if they could return, certainly not to their current positions, and any vacant positions abroad would undeniably distance them far away.
The two of them looked ashen.
However, mourning is the rule, and they couldn’t dissent.
After the morning court ended, the Emperor returned to the Imperial Study.
The Empress, who had been kneeling at Hanyuan Hall earlier, was already waiting for him there.
The Emperor, "...."
Eunuch Fu, "...."
Never seen soone kneeling and moving around like this.
Looking at the Empress’s haggard expression.
Eunuch Fu felt a little sorry for her.
He couldn’t help it.
The Princess Consort Zhenbei wanted the Emperor to let Old Madam Duke Chong live a few more days.
Whether or not the Empress knelt, the result would be the sa.
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