flstandardbreds Chapter 178 Complaint
Chapter 178 Complaint
Duke Zhang was just speaking casually, trying to cover up the matter in front of the emperor. Who knew that Xie Jinghan would bring up the evidence as soon as he opened his mouth.
He panicked immediately, and his face turned pale.
Xie Jinghan narrowed his peach blossom eyes slightly and looked at Duke Zhang.
"Your Majesty, why don't you send someone to bring that palace maid up?" Xie Jinghan said in a low voice, "You've seen that palace maid before."
The emperor felt a headache coming on after hearing Xie Jinghan's words.
How could he not know that Xie Jinghan intended to use this grand court assembly to convict Consort Zhang of her crimes?
only……
The emperor frowned, his eyes searching around the Taiji Hall, looking for someone to step in and smooth things over.
But when he caught a glimpse of Xie Jinghan's cold gaze out of the corner of his eye, he felt a chill run down his spine.
After a moment of silence, the emperor waved his hand and said, "I already knew about this matter. Even though Consort Zhang's subordinates committed such a serious mistake, they should indeed be punished."
"Effective immediately, Consort Zhang is confined to her quarters for three months and her salary is reduced by three years, as a warning to others." After speaking, the Emperor glanced at Xie Jinghan, "Is Prince Jing satisfied?"
Xie Jinghan snorted: "To commit such a heinous crime and only be confined to one's quarters and have one's salary reduced... Only Your Majesty could be so lenient. If it were me... I would have already taken her head."
He made no attempt to conceal his murderous intent as he spoke.
Upon hearing this, the emperor sighed inwardly.
After all, she was the woman he had cherished for many years, and she hadn't done anything terribly wrong, so how could he bear to do it?
Duke Zhang cursed inwardly for being cold-blooded.
Although the news was spread, it was nothing serious and had nothing to do with national interests. So why did it become a call for war and killing when it came to Xie Jinghan?
However, no matter how much Zhang Guogong grumbled in his heart, he dared not show it at all.
The emperor's actions just now were enough to make it clear to everyone present that he favored Xie Jinghan.
Xie Jinghan kept saying he wanted to kill Consort Zhang, but the emperor, who had always doted on Consort Zhang, remained silent at this moment.
Moreover, Consort Zhang had not committed any serious offense, and the palace maid had already paid for her crime with her life, yet Xie Jinghan was still relentless.
What's alarming is that the emperor tacitly approved of it.
"Alright." The emperor waved his hand. "If she offends again, I will not let her off lightly."
“Your Majesty, it is not that I am abusing my power for personal gain, but rather…” Xie Jinghan shook his head, “If we condone the trend of the inner palace interfering in politics, I am afraid that our Great Li will follow the example of the previous dynasty.”
"The powerful relatives of the former emperor were wielding considerable influence, eliminating dissidents and forming cliques within the court." Xie Jinghan spoke, looking directly at the emperor. "Your Majesty, you wouldn't want to become a sinner for the Great Li dynasty for all time, would you?"
The emperor's face turned cold: "Insolence!"
"Your Majesty, I am merely offering my advice." Xie Jinghan slowly knelt down. "I have absolutely no intention of criticizing Your Majesty. Just as these censors impeach me all day long... they are merely advising me."
"Is that right? Imperial Censor Liu?" Xie Jinghan glanced at Imperial Censor Liu as he spoke.
He gave Liu a cold, piercing glance, and the hairs on the back of the Imperial Censor's neck stood on end, cold sweat dripping down his back.
"Yes!" Imperial Censor Liu's mind raced, and he immediately knelt on the ground. "I have no other intention than to advise Your Highness!"
The Liu family is indeed one of the three great families, but going up against Xie Jinghan is like throwing an egg against a rock. He's not stupid; he knows when to back down.
Xie Jinghan chuckled softly upon seeing this.
The court officials present looked quite grim.
Aside from the military officers, who were all enjoying themselves and watching the spectacle unfold before them, wishing they could grab a handful of melon seeds to crack open, everyone else wore a solemn expression.
—The emperor's favoritism towards Xie Jinghan is excessive.
Considering the age gap between the two, some people couldn't help but have doubts.
—Is Xie Jinghan truly a brother to the emperor, rather than a father and son?
The emperor treated Xie Jinghan better than any of his sons.
Everyone had their own thoughts. The emperor sat on the dragon throne, looking down at the court officials below with a deep gaze, but no one noticed.
At this moment, under the threatening gaze of Minister Liu, Imperial Censor Liu braced himself and continued, "And yesterday in the bustling city... Prince Jing disregarded his status and clashed with the Northern Di princess, even uttering wild words."
"The Northern Barbarians came to the capital this time to repair relations between the two countries, but King Jing's actions..." Imperial Censor Liu sighed sincerely, "I'm afraid they will hinder the diplomatic relations between the two countries."
Before Xie Jinghan could speak, the old general Chu at the front glared at him and smashed his ivory tablet directly onto the head of Imperial Censor Liu.
"Bah!" General Chu's voice boomed like a bell as he shouted, "Our Great Li and the Northern Di have a blood feud spanning hundreds of years! Countless soldiers of our Great Li have died or been wounded on the border. Can the Northern Di make up for that with just a few words?"
"In my opinion, King Jing's words are not problematic; it's you who are the real problem!" General Chu sneered. "You are the ones with the biggest problem! A bunch of cowards! The mere Northern Di, a tiny country, is it really worth making you so afraid?"
"What? Did the Northern Barbarians actually reach the walls of the capital, or did you receive bribes from them?" General Chu glared coldly at Imperial Censor Liu and the others. "Only now are you speaking up for the Northern Barbarians?"
Upon hearing this, Imperial Censor Liu's face flushed red: "Nonsense! How could I possibly accept any benefits from the Northern Barbarians?"
"We are a great power, and we should act like one!" Imperial Censor Liu said through gritted teeth. "To argue with the Northern Di envoys in the middle of the city and even use the Imperial Guards, isn't that bullying others by abusing our power?"
"Imperial Censor Liu should save those words for the dead, for the people and soldiers slaughtered by the Northern Barbarians," General Chu chuckled sinisterly. "You can ask them if they agree!"
When General Chu spoke, his murderous intent was fully revealed.
Liu, the Imperial Censor, was so frightened that he took a step back and bumped into the other Imperial Censor behind him.
Then, the censor behind him stumbled, lost his balance, and fell to the ground.
With a "thump," several censors fell to the ground in a heap.
The emperor's face was grim as he stared at Liu Yushi and his companions.
General Chu snorted coldly: "What is the punishment for disrespect in front of the palace? Imperial Censor Liu is well-versed in the law, so he might as well think about it carefully."
Upon hearing this, Imperial Censor Liu turned pale and dared not utter a word.
General Chu pressed the censors aggressively, but upon seeing his imposing figure and the slender builds of the censors, many civil officials spoke up.
"General Chu's imposing presence is awe-inspiring. Censor Liu and the others are all civil officials, and their bodies are weak. They cannot withstand the shock, which is why they behaved improperly in front of the palace. We hope Your Majesty will forgive them."
The implication is that General Chu was at fault first.
General Chu snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "They are all civil officials, so why are only a few of them behaving improperly in front of the palace? Could it be that they really accepted bribes from the Northern Barbarians and are acting out of guilt?"
Not to mention that he already deeply hated the Northern Barbarians, the fact that Xie Jinghan was his granddaughter's husband was enough for him to keep harping on Liu Yushi and the others.