EWRN - Chapter 4
Chapter 4: The Emperor Wants to Ruin the Nation (III)
If the most profound impression Huo Jinyu had given them on the day of her enthronement was her imposing aura, then on this, the second day of her reign, she seemed to have become a completely different person.
"Long live Your Imperial Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!" The officials prostrated themselves on the ground, their voices resounding and full of vigor as they paid their respects.
"Our beloved ministers may rise." A flippant voice drifted down from the throne.
"We thank Your Majesty!" The ministers rose in unison, only to be stunned the moment they lifted their eyes.
The Dragon Throne was still the same Dragon Throne, and the Emperor was still the same Emperor, yet this Emperor no longer seemed like that Emperor. They saw the noble Son of Heaven lounging lazily against one side of the Dragon Throne, toying with a glazed cup presented as tribute from the Western Regions. On the fingers of those fair hands were five glittering gold rings and a jade thumb ring. The young man on the Dragon Throne seemed to have softened in an instant, appearing indifferent to everything.
Insolence! Utter insolence! The late emperor had just passed away; had all the basic etiquette of a sovereign been fed to the dogs? Fire burned in the eyes of several elderly ministers, their hearts aching at the loss of decorum so soon after the new emperor's ascension.
An old minister took a step forward, about to offer his counsel, when Huo Jinyu's gaze suddenly stabbed toward him. That gaze was menacing, seemingly filled with countless murderous intentions. The old minister's raised hand froze in place. The terrifying aura from the previous day had returned, and he could almost see the enraged emperor and his own head rolling on the floor. Sweat trickled down his temple as the old minister silently retreated.
The other ministers didn't notice this small interlude, only sensing that the air had grown a little colder. The emperor still wore a flippant expression, looking for all the world as if he couldn't be bothered, as if he might announce the end of court the very next second.
It was only the second day, and the emperor had already shown two different faces! The old ministers wanted to roar at the heavens: What manner of demon is this! Give us back the Crown Prince… Bah! Give us back our obedient emperor! It was obvious that the former Crown Prince was never coming back, and the current emperor would not be an obedient puppet to be manipulated by others.
"Prime Minister Bai." The person on the throne spoke leisurely, still toying with the treasure in his hand.
"Your servant is here." Prime Minister Bai took a step forward, leaving the ranks.
"Prime Minister Bai was Imperial Father's right-hand man. Now that We have ascended the throne, We will have to rely heavily on your assistance in the future," Huo Jinyu said politely, glancing up at the white-haired minister.
"This servant would not dare presume!" Prime Minister Bai said hastily, wondering what scheme the emperor was concocting. It was said that obsession with trinkets saps one's will. This Crown Prince was truly no wise ruler, becoming hopelessly addicted to playthings right after his ascension, not even stopping during court assembly.
"Then We have a favor to ask. We wonder if Prime Minister Bai can help Us?" Huo Jinyu said, her eyes narrowing.
"This old servant will certainly do his utmost!" Such platitudes came easily to this old fox who had navigated the court for decades.
"We have heard that our beloved minister has a daughter, Bai Qing, whose beauty can topple cities, who is skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—a woman of both talent and looks. And she is not yet betrothed, is that so?" Huo Jinyu's lips curled, clearly in a good mood.
"My humble daughter is unworthy, unworthy." Though he said she was unworthy, Prime Minister Bai was clearly delighted to hear the emperor praise his beloved daughter so. "My daughter is already betro..."
"We want her!" Before Prime Minister Bai could finish, Huo Jinyu slammed the glazed cup onto the table with a loud declaration.
The "bang" of the glazed cup hitting the table startled several daydreaming junior officials, jolting them back to their senses.
Hearing the emperor's resolute words, Prime Minister Bai was struck speechless, frozen in place. He quickly recovered. "Your Majesty! This is improper! The late emperor only passed away two months ago. For Your Majesty to take a consort now would be against ritual propriety!" His urgent, loud voice nearly deafened those standing nearby. It was clear he did not want to send his beloved daughter into the palace.
"What is improper about it? What We say is propriety! We want her! What does this have to do with Our Imperial Father? Surely Imperial Father's spirit in heaven would also wish to see the imperial line continued soon!" Huo Jinyu said, being deliberately unreasonable.
"Your Majesty, in fact..." General Hou stepped forward to speak, but Huo Jinyu immediately cut him off. "Does the Grand General Hou think the same as Us? Prime Minister Bai, what do you say?"
Prime Minister Bai was so anxious he was about to spit up a mouthful of old blood. "Your Majesty, this is improper!" Several ministers who were at odds with Prime Minister Bai snickered secretly, thinking this was a fine development that would surely infuriate that old dog Bai.
"This servant believes Your Majesty's words are reasonable! Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the sky of the Great Yuan Kingdom! The Son of Heaven's words are the law of Great Yuan! For Your Majesty to consider the imperial family is to consider the entire realm! Your Majesty is wise!" Just as Prime Minister Bai's voice fell, a minister stepped out from the ranks, his hands clasped.
"Dogshit!" Prime Minister Bai was so enraged he cursed aloud at the minister who had spoken out.
Now all the civil and military officials were startled. Wasn't Prime Minister Bai always known for his unfathomable composure? How could he utter such vulgarities?
"Prime Minister Bai, are you dissatisfied with Us in some way?" Huo Jinyu's expression turned cold, though she was inwardly delighted. It seemed she had underestimated Bai Qing's importance in the Prime Minister's heart. Huo Jinyu casually glanced at the minister who had just spoken out. It was Li Wenjie of the Li family. The Li family had been in decline in recent years; it seemed he was looking to pledge allegiance to the emperor.
"This servant dares not! This servant dares not!" The moment the words left his mouth, Prime Minister Bai regretted them. He instantly broke out in a cold sweat. This was a great disrespect to the emperor! It was an offense punishable by beheading!
"Hmph, We trust you wouldn't dare. Minister Li is correct, We are in full agreement! The matter is settled. The Minister of Rites will choose an auspicious day and handle all arrangements. No objections will be tolerated! Court is dismissed!" Huo Jinyu declared, happily bringing the matter to a close and then hastily leaving the hall. She walked so quickly that she left all the civil and military officials staring at each other in bewilderment. The officials began to discuss the matter amongst themselves as they slowly dispersed.
"Minister, His Majesty requests your presence." Eunuch Li intercepted Minister Li as he was about to leave.
Minister Li had spoken out rashly in court and was worried the emperor might punish him. Although His Majesty had expressed approval of his words, who knew why the emperor was summoning him now? With an uneasy heart, he followed the eunuch deeper into the palace.
The study.
At this moment, Huo Jinyu was sitting at the desk in her study, toying with a luminous pearl the size of a pigeon's egg. Eunuch Li led Minister Li into the room. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Minister Li has arrived."
Huo Jinyu waved him aside and looked at the kneeling Minister Li. "Li Wenjie, do you know why We have summoned you today?"
Minister Li trembled slightly as he knelt on the floor. "This servant is slow-witted. I do not know."
"You may rise." Huo Jinyu handed the luminous pearl to Eunuch Wang. Eunuch Wang immediately understood, walked over to the newly risen Minister Li, and presented the pearl with both hands. Minister Li accepted it, bewildered, feeling as if it weighed a thousand catties in his hands. What does His Majesty mean by this...
"Minister Li's words today greatly pleased Us. Eunuch Wang, bestow upon him one hundred taels of gold." Huo Jinyu laughed as she ordered the reward, though her heart ached at the expense. A hundred taels of gold was enough to form a decent military unit. It seemed she would have to squeeze some flesh from the man known as "Wang the Rich," Wang Shu.
After giving the reward, Huo Jinyu said nothing more, simply waving her hand to have Eunuch Wang escort Minister Li out of the palace.
Eunuch Wang led the way, with Minister Li following closely behind, trailed by a line of guards carrying the hundred taels of gold.
Minister Li took two steps forward, pulled a silver bank note from his robes, and slipped it into Eunuch Wang's hand. Eunuch Wang rubbed the note, tucked it into his robes, and said in a low voice, "Minister, you understand His Majesty's meaning, don't you? This servant has accepted your kind gesture, so allow me to offer a word of advice. Since you have decided to follow His Majesty, do not entertain any other clever ideas. His Majesty can reward you, but he can also..." Eunuch Wang gave him a meaningful look, letting Minister Li understand for himself. They soon reached the palace gate. Eunuch Wang bid him farewell and headed back toward the study. Minister Li, with his guards and gold, hurried back to his residence.
The study.
Eunuch Wang returned to the study and presented the bank note.
Huo Jinyu glanced at the bank note and waved her hand. "Eunuch Wang, you may keep it. Report anything to Us immediately. We are tired. There is no need to follow." With that, she clasped her hands behind her back and walked alone toward her bedchamber.
She left Eunuch Wang and Eunuch Li staring at each other. The emperor's thoughts were truly difficult to fathom. As the ancients said, attending a monarch is like attending a tiger; they feared their little heads might not remain secure if they made one wrong move. At this thought, the two became even more determined to follow the emperor faithfully and not be led astray by petty schemers. Eunuch Wang tucked the bank note into his robes. This was a reward from His Majesty, after all!
Comments
Post a Comment