mtl008 Chapter 596: Self-imprisonment in the Cold Palace
Chapter 596: Self-imprisonment in the Cold Palace
Wei Yanting was even more outspoken and said, "Master, if you act this way, you are taking advantage of your seniority and seeking repayment for a favor!"
The Grand Master stared at Lan Qingwu fiercely: "The Queen is so eloquent. Are you sure that His Majesty will take you into consideration and thus condone the sins of the Lan family?"
Leng Qujing said coldly, "Your Majesty has never disregarded the law because of the Empress. Since she arrived at the palace, the Empress has always said that she wants the three courts to hear this case! Master, if you continue to argue, you will only lose the integrity and dignity of your family of civil officials!"
Master Taifu looked at the civil and military officials in the hall. Even the two imperial censors who had stood on his side at the beginning did not dare to say a word.
The Master Taifu smiled sadly, "People are gone and things are no longer the same! Your Majesty, the students I have taught are all better than my teachers!"
The Emperor Shenwu's expression changed slightly: "Grandmaster, you are exhausted today. Why don't you go back and rest a little and take good care of your body?"
The Master's expression changed again. He raised the jade token in his hand again and said sternly, "With the jade token bestowed by the late emperor in hand, who dares to take action?"
The Xuanyu Guards did not dare to take action due to the late emperor's jade token and could only surround the master.
The Grand Master looked at the Emperor Shenwu and said, "Your Majesty, are you going to forget the laws of the land just because the Empress is following personal feelings? No matter how the case is tried, the Lan family is already guilty of treason and collaborating with the enemy! If Your Majesty is impartial, please hand this case over to this old minister!"
Lan Qingwu said without question, "Absolutely impossible! Master Taifu is determined to believe that the Lan family is collaborating with the enemy and treasonously selling weapons. How can this be fair and just? The Lan family has guarded the border for nearly a thousand years, and has accumulated generations of blood feuds with the grassland people! Anyone can commit treason, but it is absolutely impossible for soldiers on the border! Moreover, my husband is the emperor, and my son is the crown prince! Are the Lan family crazy or stupid to take such a risk and do such a meaningless thing? What can the grassland people bring to them?"
But the Grand Master insisted, "Empress, this is just your selfish motive! You're in the harem, so naturally you don't know what's happening on the border! Why are the Lan family doing this? Of course, it's for wealth! For power! To share what they have! So-called blood feud? Who would remember the dead? How can it compare to the interests and happiness of the living?"
"Your Majesty, if you are unwilling to issue an order to execute the traitor immediately, then let this old minister take over this case!"
That is even more impossible. If Emperor Shenwu really did this, what would be the difference between that and handing the lives of all the people in the Lan family into the hands of Master Taifu!
"Master Taifu is so eager to take the lives of the Lan family. Is there something else going on?"
A question suddenly came from the door of the hall.
The Grand Master looked in the direction of the voice and immediately sneered, "Master Lan! Oh, no! You should be addressed as Master Wang now! Why are you in this Qianzheng Palace instead of staying home to reflect on yourself?"
Wang Shuren, holding a scroll of brocade, walked slowly into the Qianzheng Hall like a wisp of gentle breeze. He had been recuperating from illness for a long time, and his entire body was emaciated, but his face was firm and his eyes were bright. He first bowed to Emperor Shenwu and Lan Qingwu, then said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Master. Your Majesty has already restored me to my position. I have only been recuperating all this time!"
"I'm sorry to say that I cannot agree with what Master Taifu just said! My Lords, please read this!"
Wang Shuren unfolded the brocade in his hand with a "rustling" sound. As the brocade spread out, the densely packed names on it came into view of everyone in the hall.
Emperor Shenwu was moved and asked, "Is this the heroic silk offered in the Lan family's ancestral hall?"
Wang Shuren nodded gently. "The Empress was born a daughter in the Lan family, but I was fortunate enough to become their adopted son in childhood, receiving the Lan family's upbringing of loyalty and patriotism. Please look, everyone! These are the names of every Lan family soldier who has sacrificed their lives since defending the border! They include generals, soldiers, and accompanying military doctors..."
"These are the names of soldiers who died during the Zhengxing period, these are the names of soldiers who died during the Zhihui period, these are the names of soldiers who died during the Yuanxi period, these are the names of soldiers who died during the Tongwu period... May I ask Master Taifu, can these once living people make the court give the Lan family a chance to prove their innocence? May I ask Master Taifu, these once living people, these blood feuds accumulated over generations, you can ignore them from far away in the imperial city, how dare the Lan family forget them when they watched them die and commemorate them day and night! How can - can we forget this blood and bones and go to fight against the grassland people, collaborating with the enemy and selling out our country!"
The Shenwu Emperor glanced at everyone in the hall and said firmly, word by word, "My dear Lord Wang, there is no need to be angry. I have issued an imperial decree to thoroughly investigate this case. I will not allow any of the border soldiers to suffer an unjust fate!"
Wang Shuren immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.
Seeing the situation was hopeless, Master Taifu couldn't help but feel furious when he heard Emperor Shenwu say this: "Your Majesty, you haven't even investigated yet, can you conclude that the Lan family is innocent?"
Wang Shuren raised his head and stared coldly at Master Shi. "Master Shi, I, Wang, am in the imperial court, yet I know everything about the Lan family on the border. Jiang Yuhu, the subordinate who accused the Lan family, was born in poverty, but he once spent several years in the study hall established by Master Shi. He came to the border after abandoning literature for military service! The Lan family cherishes talent and has been using Jiang Yuhu step by step, but they never imagined that he would suffer such a disaster today! Whether this is an unjust injustice is not for you to say or me to decide. I believe that all the truth will come to light!"
Wei Yanting had a long-standing relationship with the old general of the Lan family on the border. The incident had happened so suddenly that he didn't believe it at all. However, the evidence piled up, leaving him dizzy and confused. Hearing this hidden secret, he couldn't contain his excitement. "Great! So there's such a thing! Master, isn't this all a conspiracy you've orchestrated? Otherwise, why are you so determined to stop His Majesty from investigating?"
The other ministers all looked at Master Shi with suspicion. Master Shi was so angry that his lips trembled: "This old minister has a clear conscience!"
"What a clear conscience! Then, in accordance with national laws, all those involved will be escorted to the Imperial City for a joint trial by the Three Courts! Do you have any objections?"
All the ministers in the hall immediately knelt and bowed their heads: "Your Majesty is wise and wise! Long live Your Majesty!"
The Master, who was still standing in the hall, met the Emperor Shenwu's gaze once again. Neither of them backed down. The Master was silent for a few moments, then looked at Lan Qingwu, who was standing opposite him, and suddenly said, "What a great way to follow the laws of the land! In that case, Your Majesty, please follow the laws of the land and poison the Empress who intruded into the Qianzheng Hall and discussed state affairs!"
Emperor Shenwu's pupils shrank slightly, and the prince beside him clenched his fists tightly!
Wang Shuren suddenly raised his head and stared straight at his master.
The silence in the hall was so terrifying that you could hear a pin drop!
The Grand Master smiled coldly and once again held up the jade tablet bestowed upon him by the late emperor. "This old minister, in the name of the late emperor's spirit in heaven, uses this jade tablet as a warning—poison the Empress to death here! Hundreds of years ago, a wicked concubine disrupted government, and since then, the Zhou ancestors have established a law: Any woman who dares to disrupt government will be killed immediately!"
"Your Majesty, please issue an order immediately! Execute the Empress who is causing chaos in her government!"
The imperial censors in the hall stared at each other, but dared not interrupt! Killing the Empress? How could that be possible? Your Majesty and the Empress had been in love for many years. This incident only concerned the survival of the Empress's maternal family, so the Empress had said a few more words. In the past, the Empress had never interfered in state affairs.
Leng Qujing immediately retorted: "There are reasons for everything. The Queen only spoke a few words because of her mother's family. There is absolutely no talk of disrupting the government!"
Qian Hui also said, "Master, you are obsessed with your appearance. The Empress has never interfered in government affairs in the past. Why is she so aggressive?"
Prince Ding was even more rude: "Master, if you continue to pester me, people will only think you're taking revenge! If you were to discuss state affairs, wouldn't you, even though you hold no official position, be barging into the palace and giving His Majesty orders? Forget it! Forget it!"
The Grand Master's eyes flashed with ferocity as he glared at Lan Qingwu fiercely, "It doesn't count! If Your Majesty doesn't punish the Empress, you'll be condoning the harem's interference in government affairs! The rumors spread by then will damage Your Majesty's reputation! I believe that by then, the court, the harem, and the people will all have their own conclusions on whether Your Majesty is wise or whether he was bewitched by a woman!"
Wang Shuren looked at the ministers who were mostly silent in the hall and realized that most of them still agreed with what the Grand Master had said! He and Lin Suzhi, who was contemplating for a moment, were about to speak when Lan Qingwu moved his feet.
"Queen!"
Lan Qingwu walked towards Emperor Shenwu step by step. There was no one in her eyes except the emperor who was staring at her.
Emperor Shenwu looked at Lan Qingwu's increasingly determined eyes, and seemed to have a premonition of something. He involuntarily walked down the platform, wanting to be by Lan Qingwu's side as soon as possible!
Under the high platform, Lan Qingwu stopped moving forward. She bowed solemnly to the Shenwu Emperor. As the Shenwu Emperor stepped down, he stretched out his long arm to support Lan Qingwu, but met Lan Qingwu's unyielding gaze. He was slightly stunned. Lan Qingwu had already bowed straight down: "Your Majesty, please punish my crime!
Emperor Shenwu was suddenly heartbroken, "Empress!"
In desperation, Emperor Shenwu bent down, knelt on one knee, and forcibly embraced Lan Qingwu in his arms.
In the hall, all the civil and military officials, including the Black Feather Guards surrounding the Grand Master, once again knelt, their foreheads touching the ground, not daring to glance away. The emperor bowed his head and half-knelt; who dared to raise their head higher than the Divine Martial Emperor? Who would dare to stand with their knees straight?
No! There was another person—the Grand Tutor, who was watching the scene of the Emperor and Empress's affectionate love with a cold expression, as still as a mountain. But as soon as his gaze shifted slightly, he saw the Crown Prince, with a murderous look in his eyes, staring at him fiercely.
The prince was kneeling beside his parents. He had never thought that he would see this scene. This master had forced his father, the emperor, and his mother, the empress, to such an extent that in the prince's heart, which was not yet completely cold, he could not wait to kill someone!
At this time, the master was no longer afraid of anything or anyone. He looked back at the prince with an expressionless face.
Emperor Shenwu embraced Lan Qingwu's upper body and looked at the Master Taifu who was still standing with the jade token in hand with a cold gaze. "The Queen is the mother of the country. She is in a desperate situation today. She is only guilty of usurping power, not of disrupting the government!"
Lan Qingwu said, "How could I harm myself if I can't see the day when the truth about the Lan family is revealed? As your majesty said, I have committed the crime of usurping power. Your majesty, please imprison me in the cold palace first! If the evidence of the Lan family's guilt is irrefutable, please sentence me to death! If the Lan family is brought to light again, please punish me solely for my crime of trespassing in the palace today!"
The only standing master, the Grand Master, urged again coldly, "Your Majesty, please issue an order!"
Emperor Shenwu looked into Lan Qingwu's eyes, and the two looked at each other. At this moment, they both understood what the other wanted in their hearts!
Emperor Shenwu lifted Lan Qingwu horizontally and faced everyone in the hall with a calm and icy voice, "I have reigned for many years. From the day I ascended the throne, I knew the road to becoming an emperor would be full of ups and downs! I am alone, a lonesome man! In recent years, I have imprisoned my sons Zhou Chengluo and Zhou Chengyu, and deposed my daughter Zhou Chengyao! This is the inevitable path to my reign! Today, I once again sever the little bit of friendship between me and you, Grand Tutor!"
The master's cheek twitched slightly. Until this moment today, he finally had a trace of other emotions in his heart! It was another emotion different from hatred and pain. But the next moment, the master regained his composure.
Emperor Shenwu said no more and issued his final decree for the day: "The Empress has overstepped her bounds in the palace. I order her to be confined to the cold palace! The Grand Tutor, also relying on his teacher's kindness, has been disrespectful to me. From today on, he will be confined to the outer palace!"
Emperor Shenwu carried Lan Qingwu out of the hall, the emperor and empress's skirts with intricate dragon and phoenix patterns intertwined as they hurriedly passed by the ministers and walked away.