si-mexico Chapter 265 The Pain of Losing a Daughter
Chapter 265 The Pain of Losing a Daughter
Prince Yong suddenly looked up, his eyes burning with anger: "Duke of Wei, don't you feel any remorse saying such things?"
"It's not just my Jingchuan, but also the lives of 300,000 people!"
"Your Highness, I am merely stating the facts," the Duke of Wei said calmly, his tone almost cold, his expression unchanged. "The capital's military strength is currently limited. If we rashly send troops, I fear..."
"What am I afraid of?"
The Prince of Yong laughed in fury, "I'm afraid your conspiracy has been exposed? Duke of Wei, do you think the Emperor doesn't know that you defied the imperial decree, feigning one thing while secretly doing another, hiding Wei Qiming who should have been exiled?"
"These days, one thing after another has happened, and then war broke out between the two countries, so I overlooked this matter!"
The hall fell silent instantly, as if the air itself had frozen.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, his imposing gaze fixed on the Duke of Wei: "Oh? Is this true?"
The Duke of Wei's face instantly turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead: "Your Majesty, I..."
Just then, the eunuch's announcement broke the tense atmosphere in the hall.
"Your Majesty, the heir of the Marquis of Anyang requests an audience!"
The Emperor showed no surprise and waved his hand: "Summon them."
Gu Junze walked slowly into the main hall. After entering the palace, he first knelt down and paid his respects before the Empress Dowager's spirit tablet.
The Empress Dowager's body has not yet been laid to rest and is currently kept in the Cining Palace.
After bowing, Gu Junze walked to the center of the hall and knelt on one knee: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
The Emperor merely glanced at him indifferently, showing no intention of letting Gu Junze get up.
His face was ashen, and his eyes held a scrutinizing and complex expression.
"Duke of Wei," the Emperor's voice suddenly rang out, cold and hard as iron, "it seems you are increasingly disregarding me."
The Duke of Wei knelt on both knees, his forehead touching the ground: "Your Majesty, please understand, I had absolutely no such intention! I only loved my son dearly, and I humbly beg Your Majesty for mercy..."
"Hmph!" The Emperor snorted coldly, interrupting the Duke of Wei, "Since you don't want to go to Pingzhou, then go work as a laborer in the mines!"
The Duke of Wei's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly kowtowed, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, my son has been pampered since childhood, he can't lift a finger, he's too weak to do anything, how will he manage on the mines..."
The Emperor abruptly stood up, grabbed the inkstone from the table, and hurled it at the Duke of Wei: "You still dare to plead for mercy? If you don't want to go to the mines, then come to the palace as a slave!"
The inkstone was smashed to pieces in front of the Duke of Wei, and the ink splattered onto his official robes like scattered black teardrops.
"Duke of Wei, I will give you one more chance. You will be demoted three ranks but remain in your post."
The Emperor, panting heavily, glared at the kneeling old minister, "If it weren't for the need for capable men, I would have sent you back to your hometown!"
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Duke Wei pressed his forehead to the ground.
The Emperor turned to Prince Yong: "Prince Yong, Jingchuan will definitely be saved."
Prince Yong nodded gratefully: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Step down, all of you step down!" The Emperor waved his hand.
The Duke of Wei and the Prince of Yong left the hall one after another, leaving only the Emperor and Gu Junze, who was still kneeling, inside.
A heavy atmosphere filled the air, and neither of them spoke first, as if they were engaged in a silent contest.
Finally, Gu Junze broke the silence: "Release the Chu family, and I will have a plan to repel the enemy."
A hint of surprise flashed in the Emperor's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and looked thoughtfully at Gu Junze: "Tell me your method first."
"Release them first." Gu Junze's tone was resolute, his eyes revealing an unwavering determination that brooked no compromise.
The Emperor and Gu Junze locked eyes for a long time before the Emperor finally nodded slowly and turned to the chief eunuch beside him: "Ma Fuhai, go and release the people."
Ma Fuhai accepted the order and hurriedly left the main hall.
The Emperor sat down again, looking at Gu Junze with a complicated expression: "Speak, what is your plan to repel the enemy?"
Gu Junze took a deep breath and slowly said, "Duan Qingye is a brilliant strategist; the Eastern Jin Kingdom is no match for him... Winning hearts and minds is the best strategy..."
Outside the palace, Ma Fuhai was personally leading his men to the place where the Chu family was being held.
Changning Palace
Although the Chu family was under house arrest in the palace, they lived a life of luxury, except for the fact that they could not move around freely.
“Lord Chu, the Emperor has ordered you to leave the palace,” Ma Fuhai said respectfully.
Father Chu breathed a sigh of relief, but still had some concerns: "May I ask, Steward, what about the young master and my daughter...?"
Ma Fuhai sighed, a look of grief on his face: "The young master has returned to the capital, but... the young mistress..."
Chu's father's heart sank, his eyes filled with disbelief and pain.
Ma Fuhai's words were like a sharp knife, piercing the hearts of everyone present.
Chu's mother first shook her head in disbelief, her lips trembling, then her vision went black and she collapsed to the ground.
"Madam!" Chu's father exclaimed in surprise and quickly helped his wife up.
Doctor Qian quickly stepped forward, took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, opened the lid, and held it under Mother Chu's nose.
A pungent odor immediately filled the air.
"Quickly pinch the philtrum!" Doctor Qian instructed.
Chu's father, his fingers trembling, pinched his wife's philtrum hard.
A moment later, Chu's mother slowly opened her eyes, and upon seeing the people around her, tears streamed down her face like broken beads.
"My daughter! My Han'er!" Mother Chu cried out in anguish, her voice piercing the heart. "How could she just leave like this!"
Father Chu's eyes were filled with tears, but he forced himself not to let them fall.
"Madam Chu, please accept my condolences." Ma Fuhai sighed, a hint of sympathy flashing in his eyes. He beckoned two eunuchs, "Send Master Chu and his family out of the palace."
Chu's father helped his grief-stricken wife to her feet, preparing to leave the palace. At that moment, Doctor Qian suddenly stepped forward.
"Steward, I'm not leaving," Doctor Qian said in a deep voice, a resolute glint in his eyes.
Ma Fuhai frowned: "Why aren't we leaving? The Emperor's decree is for the whole family to be released from the palace."
"I am not a member of the Chu family. I have important matters to discuss with the Emperor," Doctor Qian said firmly. "There are some things I must ask him personally to clarify."
Ma Fuhai's expression was serious: "Doctor Qian, the Emperor is not someone you can see just because you want to."
"It's a matter of life and death, I can't wait any longer."
Doctor Qian looked directly into Ma Fuhai's eyes, showing no sign of backing down. "If the Emperor also forgets about the lives of the thirteen members of the Tian family, then I have no good life left to live."
Upon hearing this, Ma Fuhai's expression changed slightly. Looking at Doctor Qian's determined eyes, he finally sighed and said, "Alright, come with me. As for whether you can see the Emperor, that depends on your luck."
Doctor Qian nodded slightly to Chu's father, indicating that they should leave first.
Mother Chu was so exhausted from crying that she could only slowly walk out with the help of her maids.
Outside the palace gates, the sunlight was blinding, seemingly mocking their grief.
The Chu family arrived at the palace gate and bumped right into a figure hurrying away...