bullyxtreme Chapter 218 Rewarding Me?
Chapter 218 Rewarding Me?
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events, and in an instant, the court was thrown into chaos.
A fleeting hint of panic crossed Empress Dowager Wang's face, but she quickly regained her composure.
Empress Wang was so frightened that her face turned pale and she staggered back a few steps.
Pei Yuanling looked at the corpse on the ground, still bleeding profusely, and felt a mix of emotions.
"Hmph, this is the truth!"
Empress Dowager Wang seized the opportunity to say, "This madman knew his crimes were unforgivable, so he atoned with his death. Your Majesty, the Wang family's injustice has finally been cleared. You must not be deceived by villains again and wrongly accuse loyal and virtuous people."
The hall was completely silent.
No one could have imagined that a traitor would die so heroically in front of everyone.
The court officials all knew perfectly well that the royal family was behind this.
But everyone present was shrewd and no one wanted to get involved in this mess, much less antagonize the Wang family. They could only keep their eyes closed and remain silent.
"Your Majesty, do you have anything else to say?"
Seeing that the young emperor on the dragon throne remained silent for a long time, the Empress Dowager held a sword in her hand and stared intently at the monarch on the high platform with her sharp, cloudy eyes.
Pei Yuanling smiled bitterly and sighed, "Your subject has nothing to say."
"Men, drag this traitor's corpse away and tear him apart by five horses!"
Seeing his reaction, Empress Dowager Wang sneered repeatedly and asked, "Your Majesty, are you satisfied?"
Lu Zhiheng frowned. He knew that the Wang family's power was deeply rooted, but he did not expect that the late emperor had even bestowed upon them an imperial sword.
The matter had slipped out of his control, and he was at a loss for what to do.
"Your Majesty is decisive and efficient in handling affairs, and I have no complaints."
Pei Yuanling sat on the dragon throne, his face expressionless: "Since General Chu has not colluded with the enemy or betrayed the country, he shall be released from prison immediately and reinstated to his original position. All members of the Chu State Duke's family who were exiled shall be recalled to the capital."
Empress Dowager Wang's expression changed drastically.
She originally thought that Pei Yuanling would give in and stop pursuing the Wang family's matter, but she didn't expect that even now, he still insists on overturning the case for the Chu family.
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?"
Empress Dowager Wang's eyes widened in anger, and she gripped the imperial sword in her hand even tighter.
Pei Yuanling remained calm, his gaze fixed intently on the Empress Dowager: "Mother, the evidence presented by Lord Lu is right before our eyes, and the culprit has already submitted to the law and apologized. It is clear that the Chu family has not colluded with the enemy or betrayed the country. Since they have been wronged, how can I face the world if I do not give them justice?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiheng immediately stepped forward and echoed, "Your Majesty is wise. Only in this way can the fairness of our dynasty be demonstrated and the people of the world be convinced."
The courtiers looked at each other, and a few of the bolder ones stepped forward, exclaiming, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Soon, voices of agreement began to rise from the court.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Wang Chengxun felt resentful but dared not utter a word.
After all, His Majesty has already made his decision, and now we can only act according to the circumstances.
Empress Dowager Wang was so angry that she trembled all over, but she could not refute Pei Yuanling's words.
She glared fiercely at Lu Zhiheng, then sheathed her sword: "Since His Majesty has made up his mind, I will not say more. However, you must be cautious in your future actions and not be deceived by treacherous people again, failing to distinguish right from wrong!"
That's extremely blunt.
The courtiers all lowered their heads in fear, their backs sweating.
Pei Yuanling subtly tightened his grip on the dragon throne, nodded slightly, and said in a low voice, "Thank you for the reminder, Mother. I will handle it properly."
Feixue Palace.
Chu Qingyin got up early this morning and personally escorted Pei Yuanling to court.
Today is the final moment of decision; whether the Chu family can be exonerated depends on this one moment.
"Xianglan, has there been any news from the front yet?"
She was so flustered that she didn't even know where to put her hands and feet.
"Your Majesty need not worry. His Majesty said before he left that the evidence is conclusive and General Chu will be released without charge. The Duke of Chu's mansion will also regain its former glory."
He never uttered a single false promise.
But the people they are fighting against today are the vast Wang family.
Just as Chu Qingyin was feeling restless, Kang Luhai finally brought good news.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty sent someone to deliver a message. He said that everything has been resolved and General Chu will be sent back to his residence shortly, so you can rest assured."
With her heart finally at ease, Chu Qingyin let out a long sigh of relief, but still felt exhausted.
She slumped into a chair, calmed herself down, and then instructed Xianglan, "Since I cannot leave the palace right now, have Kang Luhai find a few people to clean the house properly. The Duke's mansion has been uninhabited for almost a year, and it must be quite dilapidated now."
Xianglan smiled and said, "Your Majesty need not worry. His Majesty sent the Imperial Household Department to tidy up the Duke's Mansion a few days ago. Now the Duke's Mansion is fully equipped and there is nothing lacking."
Chu Qingyin paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Okay, that's good."
But after a while, she hurriedly got up again, "Brother has suffered so much in prison, his health must not be as good as before. You should quickly ask a royal physician to go to the Chu family and take a good look at him."
She urged Xianglan on.
"Your Majesty, please don't worry."
Xianglan helped Chu Qingyin sit down on the edge of the couch. "His Majesty also sent word that the general has just been released from prison, and now all the eyes of the court are on him. It is not convenient for you to have any open dealings with him, so it is best to keep a low profile."
She paused for a moment, then added, "His Majesty said that whatever Your Majesty wants to do, we'll discuss it when he returns."
At this moment, Chu Qingyin only wanted to fly to the Duke of Chu's mansion to see her brother, and she wished she could move all the good things she had saved up to the Chu family.
Now, listening to Xianglan's words of comfort, he had no choice but to suppress his excitement and joy and sit down.
"Never mind, it won't make a difference in a little while. I just feel sorry for my brother who suffered so much in prison."
The Chu family suffered a sudden and drastic change in the past, all of which was orchestrated by the Wang family.
Chu Qingyin took a deep breath, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, "If it weren't for the Empress Dowager supporting the Wang family, I would have made them pay."
***
Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, the morning court session has ended.
Several ministers gathered together, chatting idly, mostly discussing the Chu family.
The Chu family was suddenly convicted last year, and many people felt that there was something strange about it, but no one dared to investigate easily.
But no one expected that His Majesty would use this opportunity to turn the Chu family's fortunes around.
And in full view of everyone, he confronted the Empress Dowager like this.
Could it be that the political situation is about to change?
Pei Yuanling stayed in the Imperial Study for a long time before changing into civilian clothes and heading to Feixue Palace.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw the woman who seemed to be in a hurry.
"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects."
"I have never seen Yinyin so worried. If I didn't know that General Chu is your own brother, I would be jealous."
"His Majesty……"
Chu Qingyin was simply eager to know the current situation of the Chu family. Hearing the man's words, she looked up, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance, "Your Majesty clearly knows that I am worried about my brother, yet you say these things to make fun of me..."
"Alright, I was just joking with you."
Pei Yuanling chuckled and took her hand: "I know you're worried about your brother, so I've already made arrangements."
Chu Qingyin was slightly taken aback. "Hmm?"
Pei Yuanling reached out and gently pinched the tip of her nose. "After lunch, a carriage will be arranged for you to leave the palace so you can reunite with Chu Tianheng."
"His Majesty……"
Chu Qingyin's eyes lit up with surprise, and when she saw the doting look in the man's eyes, her heart couldn't help but flutter.
"Your Majesty treats me so well."
She bit her lip, then looked up and said, "I heard that Your Majesty defied the Empress Dowager in court today because of my brother's matter... It was my fault for causing Your Majesty trouble."
When the Empress Dowager was mentioned, Pei Yuanling's eyes darkened slightly.
Seeing the ashamed look on the woman's face, he squeezed her hand and comforted her, "The Empress Dowager has been protecting the Wang family all these years and has long since forgotten about me, the emperor. I have a long-standing grudge against her, so one more thing won't make a difference."
In the past, he would naturally not have dared to confront him so openly.
But now that the Wang family is becoming increasingly flamboyant, he no longer needs to hide it.
It was the imperial sword in the Empress Dowager's hand that was really too much of an eyesore.
As they spoke, the two walked together to the edge of the tatami mat and sat down.
"Your Majesty, may I truly go to see my brother today?"
Chu Qingyin was still a little worried, fearing that if she drew too much attention, her brother, who had just been released from prison, would be implicated again.
"Since I have promised you, how could I go back on my word?"
Pei Yuanling's brow relaxed, and he lightly flicked the other's forehead: "Does Yinyin not trust me?"
"How could this be! I am overjoyed and can hardly believe it..."
Chu Qingyin quickly explained that she hadn't been this happy in a long time.
Unexpectedly, the case of the Duke of Chu's mansion was reopened so quickly, and the Wang family's reputation was damaged in the process.
Pei Yuanling suddenly pulled her into his arms, tightly binding her waist with one hand. "Since my beloved consort is so pleased, shouldn't you reward me?"