EWRN - Chapter 33
Chapter 33: The Consort Selection Controversy (V)
"Your Majesty! This servant-consort doesn't understand what you are saying!" Bai Qing hadn't yet recovered from the various shocks, and now sensing something was amiss, she quickly feigned ignorance.
Huo Jinyu rolled up her cuffs to keep them from getting wet and looked up with a half-smile. "Noble Consort Bai, you have repeatedly disturbed the peace of the imperial harem. We ask you, do you know your crime?" Looking at Bai Qing's comical appearance, Huo Jinyu felt a little like laughing, but she had to keep a straight face.
"Replying to Your Majesty, this servant-consort would not dare disturb the peace of the harem even if it meant ten thousand deaths! This servant-consort is with child; it is absolutely impossible for me to do things that would damage my karmic virtue!" Bai Qing shook off the two guards on either side of her, crawled forward a few steps, and spoke with a frail expression.
"I think this Noble Consort Bai seems virtuous, gentle, and courteous. She doesn't seem like someone who would act against female virtue."
"Yes, yes, Prime Minister Bai's family education has always been strict. How could the daughter he raised disturb the peace of the harem?"
"Exactly, I fear she's been framed!"
Some ministers below the dais conversed in low voices. Seeing Bai Qing kneeling on the floor, looking delicate and weak, their hearts filled with pity. They wished they could go forward and protect this petite creature. This little thing was truly pitiable. They wondered if His Majesty had once again believed the deceit of treacherous people and misunderstood this young lady.
"Noble Consort Bai, We gave you the status of a Noble Consort, and you thought you could ascend to the heavens in a single step and do as you please? You ran to Jinxiang Palace and Yuzhe Palace time and again, using your status as a Noble Consort to bully the new consorts! You even dared to call yourself Our wife. We have only one wife, and that is the Empress! And the position of Our Empress is still vacant! Is the Bai family in such a hurry to climb to the top?" Huo Jinyu took a sip of water, then added with a heavier tone, "Take a look at your own character. Are you even worthy of being Our Empress?"
After hearing Huo Jinyu's heartless words, Noble Consort Bai's face instantly turned deathly pale. She raised a hand to cover her eyes as tears streamed down. "This servant-consort deeply loves Your Majesty! How could I dare be disrespectful to Your Majesty or the harem? Whatever Your Majesty loves, this servant-consort loves as well! This servant-consort is willing to prove my integrity with death! I only beg Your Majesty not to have your eyes clouded by treacherous people!" When the ministers saw Bai Qing weeping so sorrowfully, their hearts ached for her even more. Noble Consort Bai was willing to prove her integrity with death! And she said she loves whatever the Emperor loves—this was a rare, good woman. How could His Majesty bear to condemn her to death just because he believed the words of treacherous people?
Another round of whispers broke out below. Huo Jinyu, amused, propped her head on her hand and leaned against the armrest of the Dragon Throne, treating the imperial court like a theater and the civil and military officials, along with the Bai father and daughter, as the actors. She was enjoying the show. This was a play she wanted to savor slowly. Only by watching others slowly fall into a predicament, see a glimmer of hope, and then plunge into the abyss of complete despair could her heart feel gratified and at ease. Reborn into this life, her mind had become quite wicked.
"So, is Noble Consort Bai implying that Our eyes are blind?" Huo Jinyu said unhurriedly.
Prime Minister Bai had long since realized something was wrong, but he was anxious to protect his daughter. He kowtowed forcefully. "Reporting to Your Majesty! If you have any dissatisfaction with this old subject, you may say so directly. There is no need to make an issue of my pitiful daughter!" Prime Minister Bai said loudly.
"Is Prime Minister Bai suggesting that We are being unreasonable?" Huo Jinyu unhurriedly pulled a letter from her sleeve and threw it to the floor. "Pick it up and have a look," Huo Jinyu said languidly.
Prime Minister Bai stood up suspiciously, walked over, and picked up the letter. After unfolding it and seeing the familiar words, his hand suddenly felt as if the paper weighed a thousand catties, and the weight pressed him down, making him kneel with another "thump!"
"This subject was wrong! This subject was wrong! My crime deserves ten thousand deaths! I beg Your Majesty to show leniency! Spare Noble Consort Bai!" Prime Minister Bai kowtowed repeatedly in terror. The other ministers were bewildered, completely unaware of what had happened.
"Father! Father! What's wrong?" Noble Consort Bai quickly crawled over on her knees, took the letter, and upon reading it, her face became even more bloodless. With trembling hands, she explained to Huo Jinyu, "Your Majesty! I beg for your discerning judgment! This letter is a forgery! It must have been forged by my head palace maid!"
"This is evidence of your illicit communication with those outside the palace, and it is in your handwriting, Noble Consort Bai. How can you claim it is a forgery?" Huo Jinyu said leisurely.
"Replying to Your Majesty, that maid must have forged it out of resentment!" Noble Consort Bai insisted adamantly.
Seeing the resilient air Noble Consort Bai displayed, the ministers' hearts ached for her a little more. It must have been forged by a servant.
"If it was forged by a servant in your palace, Noble Consort Bai, why did Lord Prime Minister just bow his head and admit guilt?" This time, it was again Minister of Revenue, Lord Li Wenjie, who stood up and spoke. As he was on the Emperor's side, he naturally couldn't feel the same pity as the other ministers. If he were to feel pity, it should be for His Majesty.
Hearing this, the ministers grew suspicious again and turned to look at Prime Minister Bai. Huo Jinyu gave Minister Li Wenjie an approving look, and Minister Li, satisfied, "retreated after his success."
Under the gazes of the officials, Prime Minister Bai forced himself to calm down. He brushed non-existent dust from his sleeves and, still kneeling, said, "This old subject merely thought my daughter had done something wrong and, in a moment of worry, knelt to beg Your Majesty for mercy. Now that it is clear a servant has framed her, I ask Your Majesty to grant my daughter justice!" Prime Minister Bai's tone had become much firmer now, as if the letter in his hand were truly a fake.
"Heh heh." Huo Jinyu chuckled. "This letter was personally handed to Us by your head palace maid, Bi Luo. It was also We who permitted Bi Luo to go to the Bai residence to deliver the news. All the information you heard last night, Prime Minister Bai, was told to Bi Luo by Us. Otherwise, did you really think Noble Consort Bai, with no connections and no spies in the deep palace, could truly know that Miss An'er was an official courtesan?" Huo Jinyu clapped her hands gleefully. "Prime Minister Bai, what a fine calculation, turning the person by Our pillow into your own spy. Doesn't that mean you could take Our life with a single sword stroke while We sleep?!" Huo Jinyu shouted.
Prime Minister Bai trembled with fright again. Why was His Majesty suddenly shouting so much today? It was scaring the Prime Minister to death. The other ministers also gasped secretly. It was scaring the ministers to death!
"Your Majesty, this is an injustice! This subject has been wronged! That palace maid must have framed this subject and my family!" Prime Minister Bai refused to admit guilt.
"Then explain to Us how you knew We went to Jiang City, visited the Jade Spring Pavilion, and brought back its top courtesan? Hmm?" Huo Jinyu stared at Prime Minister Bai. "How is it that Our other beloved ministers did not know?"
"This… this… this subject…" Prime Minister Bai was tongue-tied, unable to utter a word for a long time. It was his anxiety to protect his daughter and help Bai Qing secure the position of mistress of the harem that made him speak without careful thought. Now it seemed he had walked right into the trap set by this dog emperor! He had now fallen into a situation where he couldn't even protect himself!
Seeing Prime Minister Bai speechless for a long time, the surrounding ministers also remained silent, not daring to breathe. Huo Jinyu was the first to break the silence. "Prime Minister Bai, do you know your crime!" she demanded sternly.
"This subject… this subject knows my crime! My crime deserves ten thousand deaths! I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness! Spare this old subject this one time!" Seeing no room for maneuver, Prime Minister Bai gritted his teeth and admitted it, then shamelessly begged for Huo Jinyu's pardon.
"Oh? You know to admit your crime now? Spare you? By what virtue or ability do you expect Us to forgive such a monumental error?" Huo Jinyu looked at Prime Minister Bai with amusement, letting loose a string of rhetorical questions.
That Prime Minister Bai was a thick-skinned man, his face thicker than the corner of a city wall. He opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty! This old subject has served three reigns. I hope Your Majesty will, for the sake of the late Emperor, forgive this old subject just this once!" As he spoke of serving three reigns, he was already weeping, looking exceptionally pitiful. The onlooking ministers all thought, That's right, Prime Minister Bai is a veteran official of three reigns. Even if he has no great merits, he has worked hard. Not to mention he assisted the late Emperor all along, creating a glorious era. Compared to that, this matter is not worth mentioning. However, the face of a veteran official would eventually be used up. It was uncertain if Prime Minister Bai could escape this time, but next time might not be so certain. It had to be said, these ministers were truly prophetic!
"Yes, We must consider your status as a veteran official of three reigns. For the sake of Our Imperial Father, We…" Huo Jinyu paused, watching Prime Minister Bai's nervously clenched fists and laughing inwardly. He's already playing the 'veteran official' card for such a small matter. I wonder if he'll have any escape route left after he hears what's next?! "…We have decided to spare you for now." After speaking, Huo Jinyu took a sip of tea. The Longjing she had purloined from Wang Shu's home was almost gone. It seemed she would have to find time to have someone fetch some more. Otherwise, what would she do when she got sleepy during the morning court session?
"Thank you for Your Majesty's immense grace! Thank you for Your Majesty's immense grace!" Prime Minister Bai kowtowed repeatedly. Heaven knew how many times he had kowtowed today. His forehead was already covered in bruises, with a faint swelling. The old officials who had worked with him for many years all sighed. This Prime Minister Bai, shrewd for so many years, had finally stumbled because of his daughter, Bai Qing. He had even thrown away the face of a veteran official of three reigns.
Noble Consort Bai had been kneeling beside her father, Prime Minister Bai, dumbfounded the entire time, unable to say a word. She wanted to defend herself, but she didn't know how the flames of war had spread to her father.
So, was she safe now?
Of course not. How could Huo Jinyu let go of this soft persimmon that could be kneaded at will?
"Prime Minister Bai, don't thank Us just yet. It is true that Prime Minister Bai is a veteran official of three reigns, but Noble Consort Bai is not. We never said We would spare Noble Consort Bai!" As Huo Jinyu spoke, the color drained from Prime Minister Bai's face, bit by bit. Bai Qing's expression was as if she had lost her parents.
"Your Majesty! This servant-consort knows her error! This servant-consort will definitely not trouble my elder sisters again in the future!" Noble Consort Bai prostrated herself on the floor with a tragically beautiful posture, once again stirring the pity of the men. Any normal man who saw this would feel a pang of tenderness. But the one Bai Qing faced was Huo Jinyu. Even if she could seduce every minister in the court, she could not seduce Huo Jinyu. It was all for naught. Huo Jinyu was not a man; she wouldn't fall for this act.
"Guards! Bring Bi Luo before Us."
Huo Jinyu clapped her hands. A palace maid walked in from outside the great hall.
Get instant access to all the chapters now.
Comments
Post a Comment