vstars Chapter 1603 Bloody Remonstrance!
Chapter 1603 Bloody Remonstrance!
Inside the Golden Throne Hall, the candlelight on the golden dragon pillars flickered in the draft, stretching the figure of Sima Pei Yan, who was sitting on the ground, to appear longer and shorter.
This veteran of three dynasties had his official hat askew, the hem of his purple robe was covered in dust, and his old fingers were deeply embedded in the patterns of the gold-woven carpet.
The remaining ambergris in the hall mixed with the snow drifting in from the window, making his ashen face look even more terrifying.
"No, this is absolutely not possible!"
Pei Yan suddenly roared, and his voice echoed in the empty hall.
As he struggled to get up, the jade belt hook on his waist hit the imperial steps and made a crisp cracking sound.
Without even bothering to straighten his clothes, this old minister, over sixty years old, ran out of the palace like a young man, his snow-white beard shaking violently in the cold wind:
"Minister Di, please take care! I have something important to discuss with you!"
On the white marble steps outside the hall, snowflakes were entangled with the remaining maple leaves and falling.
Di Ying paused when he heard the sound, and his fat face under the black sable fur coat twitched slightly.
He looked at the snow piled up thicker and thicker on the palace wall. Instead of looking back, he held the heater tighter in his arms and quickened his pace towards the palace gate.
He trampled the thin snow on the bluestone pavement, leaving messy footprints. The six guards behind him, holding documents, had to jog to keep up with him.
"Prime Minister, please stay!" Lu Chengqing, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, stepped forward and blocked the way. His official boots drew a semicircle on the snow.
This old official, known for his composure, lost his composure at this moment, not even having time to brush the snow off the shoulders of his crimson official uniform.
"Your Majesty publicly acknowledged today that Princess Xiuning is the daughter of the Chu prince. This is simply..."
"This is simply self-destruction!" The Minister of Revenue took over the conversation, and the young and energetic man directly grabbed Di Ying's sleeve.
Ice crystals formed on his eyelashes, but they couldn't hide the burning anxiety in his eyes: "Your Majesty has clearly been bewitched by the Emperor of Chu!"
Di Ying finally stopped and helpless wrinkles appeared on his fat face.
He looked at the dozen or so ministers who gathered around him one after another, the white breath exhaled by each person weaving into a web in the cold wind.
Zheng Yuanjun, the Minister of Works, didn't even wear ear warmers, and his red ears were particularly eye-catching in the snow.
"Colleagues."
Di Ying rubbed his frozen fingers and sighed, "You all know His Majesty's temper..."
Before he could finish his words, Pei Yan had already staggered up to him, his skinny fingers gripping his wrist like an iron clamp.
"Di Xiang!"
Pei Yan's voice was as hoarse as sandpaper: "Today she can reveal the princess's background, tomorrow she can announce her affair with the Emperor of Chu to the world!"
As the old minister spoke, he suddenly started coughing violently, and a mouthful of bloody phlegm splashed onto the snow, like a glaring red plum blossom.
"We can't just sit back and watch our kingdom fall into the hands of others!"
In the falling snow, Di Ying felt Pei Yan's hands shaking.
He recalled the scene of the three of them gathered around the late emperor's bed on that rainy night ten years ago.
At that time, Wu Zetian was just a talented woman, but now... He looked at the white hair showing under Pei Yan's official hat, and suddenly realized that the heroic censor in the past was now an old man in his twilight years.
"Mr. Pei..."
Di Ying finally softened and reached out to brush the snow off his friend's shoulders. "It's not that I'm afraid of death, but Your Majesty has been planning for many years. How could you change your mind just because of our persuasion?"
"Then let blood splatter on the altar!" Pei Yan's eyes flashed coldly.
Di Ying's pupils suddenly shrank, and the cold wind blew the broken snow into his neck. He suddenly shuddered: "Forget it... I'll just go with Pei Gong."
A group of people walked on the snow, casting winding shadows on the palace wall.
When passing by the plum garden, a few petals of early-blooming red plums fell on Pei Yan's shoulders, like drops of splashed blood.
Di Ying noticed that the elbows of his old friend's official uniform were worn out, and his throat tightened when he thought of the rumors that he had sold his property to provide disaster relief over the years.
The gilded bronze door of Fengyi Palace was right in front of them. When the gatekeeper saw the purple-robed ministers coming so aggressively, the whisk in her hand almost fell to the ground.
Pei Yan suddenly straightened his clothes, took out the fish bag from his sleeve and put it on carefully, then motioned everyone to check their appearance.
This detail warmed Di Ying's heart - his old friend finally remembered that even if it was urgent to serve the country, one should not be rude in front of the king.
"Your Majesty, this old minister and Prime Minister Di request a meeting!" Pei Yan's voice penetrated the palace door, startling the copper bells on the eaves and causing them to ring crisply.
In the hall, Wu Zhao was playing chess with Chu Ning. Upon hearing the words, the black jade chess piece fell on the sandalwood chessboard with a "thump".
Chu Ning chuckled and stood up, his black dragon robe sending up a few sparks as it passed over the charcoal basin. "Looks like Fox Pei has smelled something."
As he leaned over and whispered in Wu Zhao's ear, the tassels of his gilded hairpin swept across the chessboard: "Remember, Ruowen's won't work..."
The unfinished words turned into a chill on the side of her neck - it was Chu Ning's jade pendant brushing against her skin.
When the palace door opened, Pei Yan almost rushed into the inner hall. The old minister knelt on the ground with a dull thud, and the jade buckle of the fish bag on his waist broke with a sound:
"Your Majesty! The Emperor of Chu's evil ambitions are clear as day!"
He ignored etiquette and grabbed Wu Zhao's skirt, tears streaming down her wrinkles.
"When you returned to the palace from Ganye Temple, I, an old minister, tried my best to protect you. Now, you can't..."
"Pei Qing."
Wu Zhao interrupted him, tapping her fingertips on the gilded phoenix-patterned armrest: "I remember your favorite drink is Mengding Shihua. I haven't rewarded you with this year's new tribute yet."
As he said this, he gestured to the female official to look at the tea, but Pei Yan waved his hand and knocked it over.
The Yue Kiln tea cup with a lustrous glaze broke into several pieces, and the tea left dark marks on the Persian carpet.
Seeing this, Di Ying hurried forward to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, you must understand that Prime Minister Pei is worried about the foundation of the country. If the princess's background is made public, the legitimacy of your throne will definitely be questioned."
He stole a glimpse of the corner of a black robe faintly visible behind the screen, and cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
Wu Zhao raised her eyes slightly, and her fingertips stroked the chess pieces on the desk: "I am the emperor, who dares to question it?"
After a pause, she stood up and stopped in front of Pei Yan, leaning forward, the beads of the Nine Phoenix Golden Hairpin almost touching the old minister's forehead:
"Pei Qing, your third grandson should be entering the Imperial College this year, right?"
Di Ying's face changed when he heard this. This was clearly a heart-breaking statement!
He quickly thought of a way and threw himself in front of the table: "Your Majesty! We, the ministers, would like to submit a joint petition..."
Before he could finish his words, Pei Yan suddenly jumped up and grabbed him by the back of his collar: "Di Ying! Don't be so afraid of death!"
"Enough!" Wu Zhao waved her sleeves, and several palace lanterns went out at the same time.
In the shadows, her eyes were as dark as ink. "The news has spread. As for what to do next, that's up to you."
"But you have to think clearly. If you make the wrong decision, your family and even your entire clan will suffer a devastating disaster."
Since I have decided to help Chu Ning, there is no turning back, so I have to take action first.
Pei Yan is the most powerful and prestigious among all the opposing ministers. If he can be captured first, it will definitely have a deterrent effect.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you can't do this, you can't do this!" Pei Yan suddenly burst into tears.
The crying made Wu Zhao very irritated: "Come, take Master Pei away!"
Several guards came in and prepared to drag Pei Yan, who was kneeling on the ground and kowtowing continuously, out.