12dz Chapter 151 Chi Yunjing's Anger
Chapter 151 Chi Yunjing's Anger
Seeing that Zhang Yanguan had shut up, the Crown Prince did not press the matter further.
Because he knew that Zhang Yanguan was a good official, but his personality was too extreme and straightforward. So it was okay to suppress him occasionally, but keeping him in the court would be more beneficial than harmful!
Therefore, he solemnly addressed the officials with his next words.
"I know that the arrest of Prince Jin's remaining followers has caused quite a stir these days, and most of the officials present have been thoroughly investigated. It's understandable that everyone has grievances. These days, the Emperor has been recuperating in the inner palace, and his health has improved considerably. The arrests and trials that needed to be conducted have been completed. Therefore, from today onwards, there will be no more trouble. All the officials who were previously detained will be released one by one. However, I still want to remind everyone present to be careful on the path you are on. If you stray from the right path, I will not tolerate any wrongdoing!"
"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
He was aloof and rarely spoke.
But since the word had been spoken, and there had been several months of turmoil beforehand, no official dared to resist.
Most importantly, after the previous case involving Prince Jin's Mansion and this case involving the remaining members of Prince Jin's Mansion, he has consolidated his power once again. Therefore, although he still holds the title of Crown Prince, he is no different from the Emperor.
After the court session ended, Zhang Yanguan stepped out of the main hall and saw the Hai brothers and Qiao Er, whom he had just impeached. He was not flustered at all and even greeted them. The three of them replied with forced smiles.
Only after he left did Qiao Er mutter something.
"This person is so straightforward that I have nothing to say to him. I feel uncomfortable even if he doesn't."
Haiyu agreed with his words, while Haijin responded with approval in his eyes, "Isn't this how a subject should act? To argue only for the truth, not for the sake of the ruler. Compared to him, our thoughts are not so pure."
That's true, and Haiyu and Qiao Er both understand it.
All three of them were biased towards the Crown Prince, so they supported whatever the Crown Prince did, unlike this one, who believed in the truth above all else and possessed the loyalty and integrity of a great Confucian scholar who was willing to sacrifice his life.
After the investigation of the remaining accomplices came to an end, Chi Yunjing and the others were released from the East Palace dungeon. They looked like they had been drained of their energy and spirit. Although there were no obvious wounds on their bodies, the mental torment they had suffered was enough to make them suffer.
The butler received the news and drove to pick him up. When he saw Chi Yunjing, he rushed over and burst into tears. He found it strange, but the next sentence made him feel as if he had been struck by lightning.
"Master, please come home quickly! The old lady has passed away, and the young master born to Concubine Zhao also perished!"
Upon hearing this, he could barely stand.
If the butler hadn't been quick enough to pull him back, he probably would have fallen to the ground.
"How could this be? How could this be?" He had been locked up in the dungeon for a few days, how could his family have suddenly been destroyed? For some reason, images of Madam Guo and her son and daughter suddenly appeared in his mind. Could it be that there really is karmic retribution?
"Let's go, let's go home!"
At this moment, Chi Yunjing's eyes were bloodshot and her steps were unsteady. After getting into the carriage, she went straight to the Vice Minister's residence. After the guards at the gate explained the situation to He Lingyi, a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.
Now you understand what it means to be powerless to struggle.
But it's too early. This feud won't be over until your life is sacrificed!
"Send men to keep an eye on the Vice Minister's residence. If they make any unusual moves, report back immediately!"
"Yes, Princess."
They hurried back to the Vice Minister's residence. As soon as they got off the carriage, they saw white lanterns hanging at the entrance. Chi Yunjing felt a little weak in the legs, but the steward helped him straight to the mourning hall in the main hall.
Today marks the sixth day since the old lady passed away, and the seventh day since he lost his son.
Upon seeing the coffin in the mourning hall, tears streamed down his face. He cried out, "Mother, your son is too late!" Then he rushed to the memorial tablet, heartbroken.
The family had already performed the ancestral rites, so apart from the servants, no one watched his "performance," leaving Chi Yunjing both angry and resentful.
He had been thinking about how to contact other officials after he got out and impeach the Crown Prince to His Majesty. Who knew that after he got out, his mother and his youngest son were gone. In an instant, he was no longer qualified to enter the court and had to observe three years of mourning for his mother.
They have this reputation but are about to be stripped of real power. How tragic!
Therefore, the more he thought about it, the more genuine his tears became. Just as he was about to stop crying and think about how to proceed, Aunt Zhao arrived.
She was still in her postpartum period and shouldn't have gone out in the wind.
But when she suddenly heard that Chi Yunjing had been released, she thought the storm had passed and rushed out, tears streaming down her face. She weakly and aggrievedly threw herself into Chi Yunjing's arms, almost knocking him over, and then began to complain.
"My lord, our child is gone... Every day I hear him whispering in my ear, 'I'm cold, I'm in pain,' my lord... my lord..."
She was heartbroken only for her son, but Chi Yunjing was heartbroken for his mother, for his future, for grudges, and only lastly for his son. Therefore, when he heard Aunt Zhao's lament, he felt a nameless anger rise in his heart, so he coldly pushed her away and scolded her.
"Hmph, you're such a useless mother, unable to give birth to a healthy child, and you still have the nerve to cry here? When your mother passed away, you didn't even come to keep vigil, and you still have the nerve to cry here? Go back, I don't want to see you!"
These words left Aunt Zhao completely dumbfounded.
Just a few days ago, the two were all lovey-dovey discussing what would happen after the child was born, but today they've turned on each other. A bad feeling immediately rose in Aunt Zhao's heart.
Was she about to fall out of favor? She didn't want that!
So, as a last resort, she knelt before Chi Yunjing and began to change the subject, saying with red, tearful eyes.
"My lord, I swear to God, the reason I had a difficult childbirth was because of the Qiao family. You were inexplicably arrested before, and I thought I couldn't just sit and wait to die, so I went to the Zhenguo General's Mansion to ask the eldest daughter for help. But I was kicked out by the Qiao family before I could even see the eldest daughter. I know I am just a concubine who is not worthy of being in the public eye, but I am doing it all for you and for this family. After all this trouble, the child was finally born. If everything had gone smoothly, I would definitely have given you a healthy and strong little prince."
With just a few words, he turned his attention to Chi Guiwan and the Qiao family.
Chi Yunjing's face was even more unpleasant than before. He had already suffered "betrayal" from the Marquis of Haibo's mansion while in prison, and now he was being "treated coldly" by his son-in-law's family. His anger was so intense that he lost all reason. Then he heard Aunt Zhao add fuel to the fire.