Chapter 0113: Previously My Time Was Limited, Now Your Time Is Limited!
Outside the grand hall, Xie Chengze strode in draped in a red fur coat, brushing off the accumulated snow from his shoulders. His gaze fixed directly on the Emperor seated upon the dragon throne. “Father, why must you trouble these ministers? Am I not the most suitable candidate to go to Liaozhou?”
“Nonsense!” Emperor Jian frowned, rebuking him sternly. “Do you know how fierce those mountain bandits are?”
They were desperate outlaws who lived by the blade. Handling documents in Liaozhou would be one thing, but going to suppress bandits? That would be nothing but a futile sacrifice!
“I have Wuhen and Wuji to protect me. I will surely be safe,” Xie Chengze declared resolutely. “Can these ministers claim to have experts like Wuhen and Wuji guarding them?”
The ministers hurriedly nodded in agreement.
Exactly, exactly! They were merely a group of elderly, weak, and frail civil officials. Managing affairs in Liaozhou was one thing, but suppressing bandits? That would be overestimating their capabilities!
Moreover, some of them didn’t even wish for Shen Yuan to survive!
“Absolutely not!” Emperor Jian remained unyielding. “Deep mountains and heavy snow—what use is martial prowess? Liaozhou is not like Yi Province. In such a remote and bitter-cold land, if anything were to happen to you, there would be no saving you! I will never allow you to take such a risk!”
“Father! My mind is made up!”
Xie Chengze stepped forward, his words earnest. “Didn’t you repeatedly ask me before if I was willing to go to Liaozhou? I answer you now—I am willing to go!”
“This is different!” Emperor Jian slammed the dragon table forcefully, coughing in anger. “Cough, cough, cough! If Shen Yuan had not gone missing, and you remained within the borders of Liaozhou, I would have been at ease! But now Shen Yuan is missing, heavy snow has fallen, and at such a critical moment, you insist on going up the mountains to suppress bandits? How can I possibly rest assured?”
Eunuch Zhao hurried forward to soothe the Emperor’s back, advising Xie Chengze, “Second Prince! Do not act on impulse! How could His Majesty bear to let you go?”
“Then should these ministers go instead?” Xie Chengze grew agitated, his tone indignant. “If you do not care for these ministers, I do!”
Emperor Jian: ?
The ministers: ?
The ministers: Second Prince, you’re surprisingly kind, aren’t you?
“Nonsense!” Emperor Jian was both angered and amused. “How can these ministers’ lives compare to yours!”
“In my eyes, these ministers’ lives are more important than mine!” Xie Chengze cried out hoarsely, utterly unafraid of the Emperor’s authority. Tilting his head back stubbornly, he declared, “If even one minister dies, I will grieve deeply!”
“When Minister Yang died, I was already heartbroken. How could I stand by now and watch these loyal ministers be forced by you onto this certain-death path to Liaozhou?” Xie Chengze’s expression grew increasingly sorrowful. Clutching his chest, he lamented, “Alas, Minister Yang! If your spirit watches from heaven, please persuade Father!”
Xie Chengze’s words came from the depths of his heart, and his sincerity could move heaven and earth. The ministers in the hall were moved to tears, feeling as if the Second Prince was bathed in golden light, like a compassionate Bodhisattva descended to earth.
The Second Prince had always been eager to take on tasks. Though his results were average, at least he genuinely acted when needed!
Moreover, if the Second Prince took charge of Liaozhou, even if he failed, the Emperor would not punish him. With personal experts protecting him, it could be said that the Second Prince was simply the best candidate for Liaozhou!
“How splendid of the Second Prince! The people of Liaozhou are truly blessed to have Your Highness watching over them!”
“Second Prince! This humble official previously misjudged you. Your heroic bearing today shames our past words!”
“Never did I expect the Second Prince to care so deeply for his subjects! I am utterly moved to tears staining my robes!”
“Not at all, not at all. This is only what should be done.” Xie Chengze waved his hand dismissively, nodding and smiling like a military parade commander.
“You!” Emperor Jian rubbed his forehead in resignation and sighed. “Very well, since you’re so determined to go, then go! But the court’s military resources are limited currently. At most, I can allocate you one hundred cavalrymen, and have General Dingyuan accompany you to Liaozhou. As you’re inexperienced in military affairs, his presence should assist you greatly.”
General Dingyuan stepped forward and bowed slightly. “This subject will surely assist the Second Prince in eliminating the bandits and retrieving Shen Shilang!”
“Only this many troops…” Xie Chengze sounded somewhat dissatisfied, but quickly changed his tone, smiling cheerfully. “No matter! Before their departure, the Crown Prince and Lord Shen informed me that certain ministers have been privately maintaining household troops in the capital. These soldiers would face execution if caught anyway, so why not let me take them to Liaozhou to atone for their crimes through merit?”
Having said this, he produced a yellow paper and began reading names like the King of Hell calling the roll.
The named ministers: ???
The named ministers: !!!
What? This is too sudden, far too sudden!
A sense of absurd emptiness, as if their doom had arrived in the blink of an eye, left these ministers frozen in place. It took them quite some time to react before they prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling all over. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty, we’ve been wronged! How would we dare maintain private troops!”
“The Second Prince is framing us! Such things never happened!”
“Second Prince! What have we done to offend you, that you would accuse us of such a capital crime!”
Xie Chengze hastily waved his small hands, shifting responsibility. “It was the Crown Prince and Shen Yuan who told me! What does it have to do with me? Although I may be somewhat overeager for achievements, you shouldn’t randomly accuse people! I’m just being used as their pawn!”
The ministers: ?
What?
You know you’re being used as a pawn, and you actually admit it? Are you out of your mind???
The assembled ministers couldn’t help but glare angrily, mentally cursing Xie Chengze a hundred times over. More importantly, they cursed the Crown Prince and Shen Yuan, wondering when these two had uncovered their secrets about maintaining private troops!
“Such a thing actually exists!” Upon hearing Xie Chengze’s words, Emperor Jian feigned great anger, slapping the table and rising. “Li Ren, immediately lead the imperial guards to investigate thoroughly! If these people are indeed maintaining private troops, throw them into prison at once!”
“This subject obeys the decree!” Prime Minister Li hurriedly bowed, simultaneously thinking to himself: Could this be another scheme orchestrated by His Majesty and the Second Prince?
His Majesty had long suspected someone was keeping private troops but lacked evidence. Unexpectedly, the Second Prince revealed it today, allowing His Majesty to seize the opportunity to address this pressing concern…
Emperor Jian actually hadn’t expected Xie Chengze to know about this matter either. Pleased, he said to Xie Chengze, “Zer, since you wish to go, then go. But you must be careful. If you truly cannot find that Shen Yuan…”
He sighed. “That would be fate.”
“Yes, Father.” Xie Chengze hurriedly bowed and stuffed the name-calling yellow paper into his sleeve.
That yellow paper was actually just waste wrapping from pastries, with no writing on it at all.
While he was babbling nonsense earlier, Xie Chengze habitually reached into his sleeve and happened to pull out this scrap of paper. So when he heard the emperor mention limited military resources, he casually used the Crown Prince and Shen Yuan’s names to expose the ministers harboring ill intentions.
He truly was a genius.
Oh no—a toxic genius, hehehe~
Xie Zimiao, standing nearby, glanced at Xie Chengze who was secretly pleased with himself, then at Emperor Jian on the throne struggling to hold back laughter, and couldn’t help speaking up, “Father, I also wish to go to Liaozhou…”
“Go ahead, go ahead.” Emperor Jian waved his hand, agreeing so quickly it was as if Xie Zimiao were merely a free add-on.
Xie Zimiao immediately beamed with joy and cheerfully bounded over to Xie Chengze. “Second Brother! I’ll go with you so we can watch out for each other!”
Xie Chengze: “…”
What? How come whenever he wants to leave the capital it’s like moving mountains, yet Xie Zimiao gets permission with a casual wave?!
Damn emperor! You’re way too biased!