si-mexico Chapter 98 Making a scene in the Imperial Study: Arrest them!
Chapter 98 Making a scene in the Imperial Study: Arrest them!
Prince Yong suddenly turned to Duke Wei, his eyes wide open, almost spitting fire.
"Duke of Wei! You make it sound so easy. Do you think a simple 'I failed to raise my son' can make up for the harm my daughter has suffered? Yao'er's reputation and her entire life have been ruined by your unfilial son!"
The Prince of Yong's voice became hoarse with anger, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Marquis Anyang looked at the two kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with resentment as if they were coated with poison.
"Hmph, Duke of Wei, now you know to come and apologize? My Anyang Marquis's Mansion has always had a good reputation, but now it has become a laughing stock in the capital because of this matter."
Marquis Anyang originally thought that by marrying his son to a pure and virtuous princess, he would have a bright future as a member of the imperial family.
It turns out she was a slut who got pregnant!
He suppressed the surging anger within him, but the resentment on his face grew even stronger.
"This woman, whose identity is so unclear, is pregnant with an illegitimate child. This is an utter disgrace to the Marquis of Anyang's mansion!" He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his clenched fists turning white at the knuckles and veins bulging on his forehead.
Upon hearing the Marquis of Anyang's sharp and sarcastic words, Prince Yong felt guilty, but even more so, he felt heartbroken for his daughter.
Who is the Marquis of Anyang to dare to so brazenly insult his daughter in front of him?
The Prince of Yong's already overwhelming grief was completely ignited upon hearing these insulting words.
He was like an enraged beast, his eyes widening instantly, and he suddenly stood up.
His finger trembled with rage as he pointed it at the Marquis of Anyang's nose, shouting, "You filthy dog! Watch your mouth!"
“My Yao’er is innocent. She was clearly forced by that scoundrel Wei Qiming. She is the biggest victim. How can you slander her like this!”
At this moment, the veins on Prince Yong's forehead bulged, and the muscles on his face twitched slightly with anger.
Marquis Anyang was not intimidated by Prince Yong's anger at all. Instead, he took a big step forward, his chest heaving violently, and his sneer became more and more obvious. The smile seemed to be full of endless mockery and disdain.
"Fine, so what if she was forced? Why did she insist on marrying into my Gu family? Isn't it obvious that she wants my Gu family to raise a son for that bastard Wei Qiming? My Anyang Marquis family has a distinguished reputation for generations, how can we tolerate such a disgrace!"
The Duke of Wei, who had been kneeling on the ground, filled with guilt and fear, was enraged when he heard the Marquis of Anyang insult his son. His anger erupted like a volcano.
He disregarded the fact that he was in the imperial study and that the emperor was present; he felt a surge of heat rush to his head.
He stood up abruptly, glaring fiercely at Marquis Anyang. "Who are you calling a bastard? My Wei State Duke's Mansion has always been loyal to the court. Even if my son has committed a grave mistake, it is not your place to humiliate him like this!"
The Duke of Wei's face turned bright red, a stark contrast to his usual calm and dignified demeanor.
The three of them argued back and forth in the imperial study, neither willing to give in, their shouts and curses rising and falling.
"Don't you dare make false accusations! My daughter has always been pure and innocent. If it weren't for Wei Qiming's despicable means, how could she have ended up like this?"
"Pure and innocent? Bah! She's pregnant with a bastard's child and still dares to say that! If she were truly innocent, why didn't she make a move sooner? Why wait until she married into my Gu family and caused such a scandal? She's clearly trying to cover it up!"
"You bastard, my son may have made mistakes, but that's also..."
The Imperial Study was in complete chaos, its usual solemnity and dignity completely gone.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face ashen. He watched as these three old men, who were usually so dignified, now cursed at each other like street thugs. His anger burned ever brighter.
He slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne. "Enough! All of you, shut up!"
However, the three were arguing fiercely, and none of them heard the emperor's roar.
Upon seeing this, the emperor was even more enraged. He suddenly stood up and kicked over the table in front of him, scattering the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones all over the floor.
"Guards!" the Emperor roared, "Seize these three traitors for me!"
At the Emperor's command, the Imperial Guards swiftly surged into the Imperial Study, surrounding Prince Yong, Marquis of Anyang, and Duke of Wei.
The three of them then snapped out of their daze. Looking at the emperor in his rage, they turned pale with fright and knelt down with a thud.
"Do you even respect me as the emperor?" the emperor roared, his eyes wide with fury. "How dare you be so insolent in the imperial study! What kind of decorum is this! Have all the Confucian classics you've been reading gone to waste?"
Prince Yong, Marquis Anyang, and Duke Wei all lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound, letting the emperor's anger be vented on them.
They knew that they had thoroughly angered the emperor this time, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
"I regard you as my most trusted ministers and have entrusted you with important responsibilities, yet you are arguing so fiercely in my study over such personal grudges?"
The Emperor's voice was hoarse with anger, "If you are not severely punished today, it will be difficult to quell my anger and to rectify the atmosphere of the court!"
At this moment, Ma Fuhai, the chief eunuch beside the emperor, walked in with a hunched back and trembling steps.
His head was lowered, his eyes dared not look up, and his hands trembled slightly in front of him, as if the ground beneath his feet was not solid, but riddled with traps.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty," Ma Fuhai's voice was high-pitched and thin, with a noticeable tremor, "His Highness the Crown Prince is requesting an audience outside."
As he spoke, he lowered his body further and further down, as if he wished he could shrink himself into a ball and hide away.
He knew that the emperor was in a bad mood, and that coming to report to the crown prince to request an audience at this time could easily lead to disaster.
Upon hearing the words "Crown Prince," the emperor's burning anger paused slightly, and his expression underwent a subtle change.
His originally wide-open eyes narrowed slightly, and what flickered in them was no longer simple anger, but a layer of coldness that seemed to shine through and was hard to fathom.
“Very well, that’s excellent,” the emperor said coldly, “even the crown prince has been dragged into this.”
He gritted his teeth and spoke slowly, each word carrying a chilling undertone. After a pause, he finally uttered, "Let him in."
These four words fell lightly, yet they made everyone present feel a sudden weight on their hearts.
Duke Wei felt that it was only natural for the Crown Prince to come and plead for mercy. The Crown Prince was kind-hearted and valued loyalty, and would never sit idly by while his own uncle was gone.
Both morally and logically, he would definitely try his best to protect her.
But he forgot that the world belongs to the emperor, and the emperor has many children, and the crown prince is not the only one.
Throughout history, no emperor has ever tolerated the abuse of power by his maternal relatives.
In the emperor's eyes, the stability of the country is above all else, even if the crown prince is his preferred heir apparent.
The Wei family can be an asset to the Crown Prince, but they cannot control him.
The principle that a compassionate ruler cannot command an army applies equally to imperial power...