Chapter 164: The Seductive Concubine Brings Disaster to the State
Several more days of such commotion passed. While the inner palace remained unaware, rumors gradually spread through the court that Your Majesty had contracted a strange illness.
Several officials from the Ministry of Rites jointly submitted memorials, all stating that Your Majesty’s illness was related to the seductive concubine and could potentially bring disaster to the state—a situation that must not be ignored.
Inside the Imperial Study, Chu Mingheng threw memorial after memorial onto the floor, the atmosphere heavy with a terrifying silence.
“You all say the seductive concubine brings disaster to the state,” Chu Mingheng said, having finished discarding the memorials as he looked down at the several ministers below. “I believe what you should be speaking of is Wen Shi from the Late Emperor’s harem.”
“That one was the true calamity.”
His tone was flat, seemingly devoid of anger, yet the memorials scattered across the floor contradicted that impression.
Your Majesty was undoubtedly furious at this moment.
“B-but Wen Shi has long since—” one minister below couldn’t help but utter, “Wen Shi has long since passed away, Your Majesty.”
Chu Mingheng glanced down indifferently and spoke: “Yet Wen Shi still has bloodline descendants in this world.”
The officials below were momentarily stunned before immediately realizing whom Your Majesty was referring to—Prince Wei!
It could only be that very Prince Wei who had attempted rebellion!
The events of the New Year’s Eve banquet had long since spread. Prince Wei had been escorted to the Imperial Prison that very day, and several families closely associated with him had without exception been investigated and punished. Now that the private soldiers he had raised had been discovered, his fate could only be one.
Yet Prince Wei was also a descendant of the Late Emperor. According to this implication, was Your Majesty planning to deny Prince Wei’s lineage, demote him to commoner status, and then deal with him?
The officials inwardly sighed, secretly wondering if Your Majesty truly intended to proceed this way.
“What, have you all lost your tongues?” Seeing their prolonged silence, Chu Mingheng coldly broke the stalemate, kicking aside the memorials on the floor. “When submitting memorials claiming the Guifei is a seductive concubine bringing disaster to the state, you were all quite eloquent. Now, standing before me, you’ve gone mute.”
“Or perhaps I must present you with brush and ink before you dare speak.”
As soon as these words left his mouth, pleas for mercy rose from below, voices crying out: “Your Majesty, forgive us! Your Majesty, calm your anger!”
Whether it was their imagination or not, they felt that today Your Majesty’s presence was particularly imposing, as if… as if with the slightest misstep, heads would roll.
This made them especially cautious, carefully weighing every word before speaking.
“Does Your Majesty mean to have Prince Wei executed?”
As one person spoke, another quickly chimed in: “Prince Wei has committed such a grave crime of treason, his offense is unforgivable—”
“It should be so, it should be so… yet Prince Wei is, after all, a son of the Late Emperor.”
Chu Mingheng was well aware of their intentions. He waited until they had each spoken their piece before slowly stating: “Prince Wei is cunning and profound, guilty of the grave crime of treason. He deserves death. In consideration of his status as a descendant of the Late Emperor, I originally intended to exile him to Lingzhou.”
Exile to Lingzhou?
Lingzhou was bitterly cold and barren, with scarcely any people. Prince Wei, accustomed to luxury and honor, would likely perish there as well.
The ministers pondered this, soon hearing Your Majesty continue.
“Yet whenever I reflect upon it, I suffer headaches day and night. I suppose this is the Late Emperor’s disdain for such unworthy flesh and blood, giving me this reminder.”
“Examining myself, I do not wish to make things difficult for the Late Emperor, so I shall be the villain myself.”
The several ministers were momentarily taken aback by this speech when they saw Your Majesty shift his tone and issue the decree: “Attendants, convey my decree: Prince Wei conspired with the deceased Wen Shi to commit the grave crime of treason. From this day forth, he is demoted to commoner status and bestowed a cup of poisoned wine. He is to be executed immediately.”
Chen Kangan, who had been waiting nearby, immediately bowed and acknowledged the order before withdrawing.
“Your—Your Majesty—” A minister below reacted and couldn’t help but call out.
But when his gaze met the emperor’s deep, abyss-like eyes, he couldn’t help but shudder. Any words he had intended to say died in his throat.
Prince Wei had been demoted to a commoner and ordered to die in the Imperial Prison, but hadn’t they come today to discuss the matter of the seductive concubine bringing disaster to the state?
“According to Your Majesty’s words, the strange illness the Imperial Medical Academy said Your Majesty suffers from is all due to Prince Wei?”
Chu Mingheng said calmly, “Prince Wei is of Wen Shi’s bloodline. The seductive concubine bringing disaster to the state that you ministers speak of is likely just the remnants of Wen Shi’s bloodline causing trouble.”
“As for my Guifei.”
He cast a cold glance downward, his gaze sharp as ice. He spoke one sentence but then paused, clearly making the ministers below uneasy, trembling as they awaited his next words.
“My Guifei is concerned about my imperial health. Knowing I suffer from this strange illness, she specifically requested to go to Changyong Mountain for three months to pray for my well-being and to serve the dynasty with utmost dedication.” Chu Mingheng sneered coldly. “Even a woman understands reason better than you foolish ministers. In my opinion, you need not remain officials. Submit your resignations voluntarily.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the few men below immediately erupted into a flurry of pleas for mercy.
“Your Majesty, forgive us—we, your subjects, never intended such a thing, Your Majesty!”
Chu Mingheng wearily closed his eyes and called for someone to take them away.
The hall fell silent.
After a while, footsteps sounded again—light, quick steps approaching his side.
Chu Mingheng opened his eyes and pulled Lan Wu onto his lap.
“What did you paint for me today?” He nuzzled her neck with the tip of his nose and asked softly.
Lan Wu appeared quite delighted. She neatly spread the painting on the desk, using a paperweight to hold down the corners, then turned her head. “Your Majesty, guess.”
Guess?
Chu Mingheng glanced up slightly. In the painting Lan Wu had made, lotus flowers and leaves on both sides obscured the central water ripples, where two ducks appeared to be swimming.
Lan Wu eagerly asked him to guess, so perhaps what she painted wasn’t ducks…
But they looked exactly like ducks—like two wild ducks squatting on dry land.
He remained silent for a long while. Lan Wu grew anxious, her tone somewhat dejected. “Can’t you guess? Isn’t it obvious?”
Hearing this, Chu Mingheng took Lan Wu’s hand and asked, “Are they mandarin ducks?”
“Your Majesty, you’re amazing—you guessed it!” Lan Wu, upon hearing the correct answer, couldn’t help but laugh. After laughing, she pointed to the mandarin ducks in the water. “I thought Your Majesty would mistake them for ducks.”
Chu Mingheng kept a straight face. He even suspected Lan Wu had used ducks as models for these mandarin ducks.
Ugly as they were, they were still painted by Lan Wu for him.
“I’ll put this away and look at it whenever I miss A’wu.”
He had already issued the order earlier. The imperial guards heading to Changyong Mountain would be ready in the next couple of days, but he still felt uneasy about Lan Wu going alone.
“A’wu, for this trip to Changyong Mountain, Yizhen will accompany you. I thought you might have no one to talk to on the journey, so I asked her to come along. She is rather unrestrained by nature, but you need not pay her any mind. If she provokes you, punish her directly. If you cannot bring yourself to do so, write to me, and I will handle it for you.”
At this point, Chu Mingheng looked deeply at Lan Wu once more, kissed her forehead, and emphasized, “If there’s anything you’re not used to, or if you’re unhappy, or if you miss me, you must write to me, understand?”
“From the imperial city to Changyong Mountain, there are post stations all along the way. I’ll receive your letters very quickly, understand?”
Lan Wu wanted to smile and tell him not to worry, but she couldn’t bring herself to smile. She could only nod and say, “I’ll miss you very much. When I finally return, you must come to pick me up.”
“I know. I promise you.”