mtl008 Chapter 183 You little brat, you dare to insult me? I am the Crown Princess, how dare you insult me?
Chapter 183 You little brat, you dare to insult me? I am the Crown Princess, how dare you insult me?
The success of anything requires someone to sacrifice their efforts.
At the same time, it's similar to the principle of establishing trust by placing a log in Shang Yang's reforms; you need an opportunity to let everyone see your firm determination and absolute integrity.
The opportunity that Emperor Longyun chose for this matter, the one who performed the flag-raising ceremony, was none other than Empress Dowager Qin.
"...Only when the royal family deals with the Empress Dowager Qin can the court demonstrate to the world that this reform is unstoppable and beyond question."
Lin Shihe looked up at Lu Yuxi and said, "Therefore, we need to resolve the matter of Prince Ping's rebellion as soon as possible in order to completely quell the turmoil brought about by the reforms and stabilize the world and the people's hearts."
Lu Yuxi felt a sense of urgency and responsibility, and he immediately assured him, "Brother, rest assured—"
"I'm not at ease," Lin Shihe interrupted his assurance. "If you two can be so carefree as to enjoy yourselves at the temporary palace for ten days without rushing back to the capital to help, I knew you would be unreliable!"
These words made Lu Yuxi's face turn bright red.
"His Majesty issued the secret order first today, otherwise I would have gone to the palace tomorrow to see how you two so freely disregard worldly affairs."
Lin Shihe was also furious and scolded the two of them.
"I will now dare to disobey my superiors. You are the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, and the Crown Princess. You are in charge of the Ministry of Justice and a junior general with real power in the Tingyun Army. Where did you get the audacity to abandon state affairs and loiter in the palace for ten days?"
Lin Shiming awkwardly retorted, "But what about Father Emperor...?"
"Can he manage all this by himself? Can he manage the Ministry of Justice for you? The harem? Before, I didn't care that you could come and go as you pleased; it was all the Tingyun Army's business, and I would cover for you. But now? You have the whole world behind you; who can cover for you now?"
Lin Shiming wisely kept quiet and dared not tease Lu Yuxi anymore. He tried to hide in a corner and minimize his presence.
“Listen to me clearly, either don’t do it at all, or take full responsibility. The Lin family doesn’t tolerate anyone who gives up halfway or shirks responsibility. Don’t force me to use family discipline on you.”
Lin Shiming became even more timid after being scolded, lowering his head and not daring to move. Lu Yuxi felt distressed watching this and tried to speak up to save his Crown Princess.
As a result, Lin Shihe, who was prepared, retorted with a single sentence.
"This is also for Your Highness's ears."
Lu Yuxi also shut up.
Lin Shih-ho: Double kill!
*
The two, looking disheveled and humiliated after being scolded, rode in a carriage all the way to the palace gate.
Li An was already waiting there, and Lin Shihe got out of the car to talk to him.
After a while, the driver changed to the imperial guards brought by Li An, and they drove the carriage towards the palace.
Lin Shihe flicked his sleeves, a smile playing on his lips, mounted his horse, and led his guards back to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
That scolding today will probably keep those two working hard for a long time. His Majesty will likely focus his attention on them, while I can enjoy an even longer vacation. Today's work was worth it!
Ah—a good life requires someone to bear the burden for me.
Two greenhorns, trying to take me on? They're still too inexperienced.
*
Unaware of Lin Shihe's "malicious intentions," Lu Yuxi and Lin Shiming were taken to an unexpected place amidst their guilt and remorse.
As darkness fell, Lin Shiming closed his eyes to sense his surroundings, but only detected the presence of people around the carriage, while the distance was empty.
There are such secluded places in the palace?
The carriage stopped, and Li An lifted the curtain to direct the Imperial Guards to lead the two men out of the carriage.
"Eunuch Li, why did you bring us here?" Lin Shiming stared blankly at the tall and magnificent Fengxian Hall in front of him, truly unable to understand.
Li An smiled and bowed to him, but did not rush to answer him. Instead, he directed the Imperial Guards to escort the two of them into the Fengxian Hall.
Before entering, Lin Shiming glanced around, but the palace maids and eunuchs who usually stood guard were nowhere to be seen. It seemed that Emperor Longyun didn't want people to see that they had been brought back bound, so he had transferred them all away beforehand.
No wonder I didn't sense many people's presence just now.
After retracting their thoughts, Lin Shiming and Lu Yuxi, accompanied by Li An and two imperial guards, entered the Fengxian Hall, while the other imperial guards remained outside on duty.
The Fengxian Hall remained as grand and tranquil as ever, displaying the ancestral tablets of the Lu imperial family. The flickering candlelight did little to illuminate the hall.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Crown Princess,” Li An finally stopped not far from the incense table, “His Majesty has decreed that you two must kneel in the Fengxian Hall for two hours before returning to the East Palace. The important memorials submitted in the past few days have already been sent to the East Palace. Tomorrow morning court will settle everything. Your Highnesses must not be late.”
After saying that, Li An pointed to the ground in front of him, "Your Highnesses, please."
Emperor Longyun really intends to punish them by making them kneel in the ancestral hall! Hadn't they already been scolded? They already knew they were wrong!
Furthermore, even assuming we take a step back, was Emperor Longyun entirely without fault? Were Prince Ping and the Empress Dowager entirely without fault? Were the ancestors of the Lu family, the street vendors selling candied hawthorns, the tofu vendors, and so on, all without fault? Were the sunlight, the air, the trees, and the grass all without fault?
I'm going to complain to my mother! I'm going to complain!
Lin Shiming's pupils dilated in shock, and he remained in disbelief for a long time. Lu Yuxi, on the other hand, had already come to terms with reality and knelt down before the memorial tablets.
"Your subject will obey Your Majesty's decree."
Alright, Your Majesty, I was just about to fight to the death. Why did you surrender first, Your Highness?
Having lost his comrades, Lin Shiming, left alone and helpless, could only grimace and obediently accept his punishment.
"Give him some face."
*
Perhaps it was Lin Shihe's lecture that made Lin Shiming repent, or perhaps the punishment of kneeling and staying up most of the night to read memorials aroused resentment.
In short, Lin Shiming's fighting power was off the charts during the morning court session on the second day.
"Back then, in the case of Crown Prince Hua Min, the Third Prince was merely imprisoned. Why is Prince Ping now being executed?"
"Please watch your words. There is no Third Prince, only the commoner Lu Yuchang!"
"Very well, even if he is a commoner, why can't King Ping do the same?"
"Are you out of your mind? One is targeting the crown prince, and the other is targeting the emperor. How can they be the same? If you can't even tell the difference between the emperor and the crown prince, then I suggest you go home and buy sweet potatoes!"
……
"The Empress Dowager is His Majesty's legal mother, the mother of the nation. How can she be publicly executed?"
"If the emperor breaks the law, he is subject to the same punishment as the common people, let alone the empress dowager."
"It's a matter within the royal family, why make it public?"
"The law of the state is above the law of the clan; treason is a grave crime under the law of the state!"
"Executing the Empress Dowager would damage the dignity of the imperial family; this matter should be minimized and resolved peacefully..."
"I'll let this go! If I slaughter your entire family today, will you let it go because of my status as the Crown Princess?"
"you you…"
……
"This would tarnish the reputation of the royal family—"
"Then just expel her from the royal family, and there won't be any stain on her reputation?"
How could Your Majesty expel your stepmother from the royal family?
"Your Majesty may not allow it, but you do? Are you more noble than His Majesty?"
"You are simply unreasonable!"
"You dare to insult me? I am the Crown Princess! Mu Bolin! Where is Mu Bolin? Drag this disobedient and treacherous man out and flog him!"
……
"With state ceremony before us, Your Majesty's punishment of your stepmother is unfilial!"
"Unfilial piety? You call this unfilial piety? You're so great, so noble, and your filial piety is earth-shattering! I've heard that you, sir, are also born of a concubine. Why don't you go home today and beg your stepmother to kill your entire family!"
"Your Highness's words are absurd. Since ancient times, the country has been governed by filial piety. Your Majesty's actions are unfilial!"
"Is the past always right? Then why are you still living in the present? Go hang yourself back to your past! Besides, the new laws have been implemented. Our dynasty is no longer 'governed by filial piety,' but 'governed by law!'"
"Absolutely not! The policy of 'governing the country through filial piety' has been passed down for thousands of years; how can it be abolished!"
"Then you'll see it today!"
"Your Majesty—How can Your Majesty change the will of your ancestors?"
"A hundred years from now, you and I will be our ancestors!"