mtl008 Chapter 658 The Only Chance to Save Liu Ye
Chapter 658 The Only Chance to Save Liu Ye
Seeing Zhu Meichu lift her skirts to leave, Wen Tiren desperately wanted to grab her, but dared not. He jumped up and down in a panic, whispering, "Princess, you mustn't! You'll hurt him if you do this."
Zhu Meichu was taken aback and replied, "Old sir, didn't you say that he and the wanted criminals being pursued by the court were both within the blockade area? The cannons would accidentally hit him! I asked my father to remove the cannons to save him."
How could Wen Tiren dare to say that this was the person your father wanted to kill? He patiently advised, "Princess, even princes are not allowed to interfere in politics, let alone you? If you rashly try to persuade him, it will only backfire. Given your father's temper, how could he withdraw the cannons just because of your words?"
"What can we do? Just watch him get blown up by the cannons?" Zhu Meichu's eyes were already brimming with tears. She couldn't explain why she cared so much about a man she had only met twice.
“Princess, don’t worry. The cannons can’t be withdrawn, but you can still save him. Just do this…” Wen Tiren leaned closer and whispered a few words to Zhu Meichu. Zhu Meichu nodded repeatedly.
"But this would put the princess in danger herself, and this old minister simply cannot bear it..."
Zhu Meichu immediately replied, "It was my own free will, and it has nothing to do with you, sir. Also, please rest assured, sir, this was my idea from beginning to end, and I will not involve you."
Wen Tiren was overjoyed. In this way, regardless of the success or failure of the matter, he could clear his name first. When this princess was serious, she was quite understanding. He looked up at the sky and said, "It's almost Shenshi (3-5 PM), and there's only a little over an hour left before Youshi (5-7 PM). Time is of the essence... This old minister should not stay here any longer and will take his leave first."
After Wen Tiren left, Zhu Meichu wiped away the tears that were about to fall, her eyes darting around. Instead of leaving the palace directly as Wen Tiren had suggested, she continued towards the Qianqing Palace. Although young, she was quick-witted. Since her father had mobilized a large army to suppress the traitor, it would be inappropriate for her to rashly try to dissuade him. However, directly attempting to rescue him might not be successful either; those soldiers might not allow her in. She needed to trick her father into giving her a protective charm.
In fact, Wen Tiren was well aware of this. The army had the general's camp completely surrounded; without the emperor's decree, even a princess might not be able to get in. Encouraging the princess to try was nothing more than trying anything desperate.
At the entrance of Qianqing Palace, Yang Sichang stood with his hands behind his back. He had been standing there for almost an hour, but he didn't feel tired at all. On the contrary, he felt extremely excited—the news that he would finally be able to eliminate Liu Ye tonight had stimulated his adrenaline, and his whole body was full of energy.
Now is the most crucial moment. As long as the emperor doesn't budge and issues an order to withdraw the Beijing garrison and the Hongyi cannons, even a miracle can't save Liu Ye. If he can hold out here for just one hour and prevent anyone from entering the palace to persuade the emperor to change his mind, then the matter will be settled.
Zhu Meichu arrived at the palace gate accompanied by a group of palace maids. Yang Sichang looked at them warily and stopped them, saying, "Stop. His Majesty is not seeing anyone right now. You are not allowed to go any further."
Zhu Meichu walked up to him, looking at him with disdain: "I want to see my father, the Emperor. What right do you have to stop me?"
Yang Sichang had not been back in the capital for long and did not recognize the princess who had been raised outside the palace since childhood. He was taken aback and asked, "Father?"
Zhu Meichu reached out to push Yang Sichang, but adhering to the traditional view that men and women should not touch each other, Yang Sichang quickly stepped back two paces to clear her way. Zhu Meichu straightened her clothes at the doorway and said in a clear voice, "Your subject Meichu requests an audience with Your Majesty!"
Yang Sichang sensed something was amiss. Where did this princess come from? Why did she have to appear at this crucial moment? Although he never imagined that this princess, who seemed to have fallen from the sky, had the same purpose as the prime minister from before, his instinct was to stop her from entering the palace to avoid any trouble.
He once again stood in front of Zhu Meichu, spreading his arms wide: "His Majesty does not wish to see anyone at this moment. Please, Princess, do not make things difficult for us..."
Zhu Meichu glared at him, rolled her eyes, and seemed not to have heard him. She then said in a louder voice, "Your subject Meichu requests an audience with Your Majesty!"
The palace doors slowly opened, and Wang Chengen stepped out, bowing respectfully: "This servant greets Princess Kunxing. His Majesty was delighted to hear of your arrival and has invited you in!"
Zhu Meichu gave Yang Sichang a defiant look, then resumed her ladylike demeanor and strode into the hall. Yang Sichang could only watch helplessly as her father and daughter met; he couldn't think of a reason to stop them.
Zhu Meichu entered the hall. Although candles were lit inside, it still felt very dim, and her eyes were a little uncomfortable. She walked forward with mixed feelings, and the person wearing a bright yellow dragon robe came into view.
Today's visit to the palace was merely a spur-of-the-moment decision by Zhu Meichu. After being rejected for her wild idea of going out of the capital with Liu Ye to broaden his horizons, she didn't give up. Instead, she went to the palace to see her father, hoping to persuade him to give her permission, thus leaving Liu Ye with no reason to refuse. Even better, she hoped her father would issue an imperial decree ordering Liu Ye to take her on a journey across the land. Little did she expect that this unintentional trip back to the palace would become her only chance to save Liu Ye.
As she slowly approached, she saw the clearly visible white hair at her father's temples and couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat. She weakly called out, "Father..." You have to understand, her father is not even thirty years old yet, and he already has so much white hair!
Emperor Chongzhen was lost in thought and didn't even see his daughter enter. Hearing this, he turned around and looked at her with a rare look of kindness in his eyes. "Meichu is here? How long has it been since you came to the palace? What brings you to visit your father today?"
Zhu Meichu replied, "Your subject is unfilial, unable to stay by Father's side often. Why don't you allow me to return to the palace so I can serve you more frequently? You work tirelessly day and night; look at your hair, it has turned so white..."
Chongzhen subconsciously touched his temple and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm aging prematurely, making Meichu laugh at me." He paused and continued, "As for returning to the palace, it's not too late to make a decision after I consult the Imperial Observatory. They say you are destined to face a calamity, and you must overcome it, right? Although you live outside the palace, you can come to see your father and mother anytime you want, and no one can stop you."
Zhu Meichu was overjoyed; her opportunity had arrived. She quickly retorted, "Who said that? Just now, someone blocked my way into the palace! Father, punish him immediately..."
"Who's stopping you?" Chongzhen was taken aback at first, then realized what was happening. "Wen Ruo, isn't he? He was just doing his job diligently; he wasn't deliberately trying to make things difficult for you..."
Taking the opportunity, Zhu Meichu said coquettishly, "How about Father Emperor gives me an imperial decree that no one can stop me, whether I'm entering the palace or outside, so that I won't be bullied!"