Chapter 5 Something's Wrong
A tall and slender figure appeared at the entrance of the hall.
Lin Xiang was dressed in a scarlet official robe, which made his face look like jade and his appearance exceptionally handsome. As he walked, he exuded a gentle and refined scholarly air.
Lin Qingyan walked straight into the hall without glancing to the side and bowed deeply to Yuan Hua, who was sitting at the head of the table.
"Your humble servant greets the Empress Dowager."
The voice was clear and pleasant, like a mountain spring, bringing peace to the heart.
Yuan Hua raised his eyelids slightly, his tone distant.
"Prime Minister Lin, please do not stand on ceremony. I am currently handling family matters here. May I ask what brings you here so late at night, Prime Minister Lin?"
She picked up the teacup beside her, gently skimming off the foam with elegant movements, but her eyes were sharp and piercing.
"If you want to plead for the Crown Prince, then you don't need to say anything."
Upon hearing this, Consort Mei, who had just been helped up by Granny Wen, went limp again and almost collapsed once more.
She looked at Lin Qingyan with hopeful eyes; he was her son's only lifeline!
Granny Wen quickly supported her from behind, whispering to comfort her, "Your Highness, don't worry, let's see what Prime Minister Lin has to say."
Lin Qingyan seemed oblivious to Consort Mei's pleading eyes, maintaining his composed and serene demeanor as he cupped his hands in greeting.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager has misunderstood."
"Since the Crown Prince has committed a transgression, he should be punished; this is the law of the land and the rules of the family. As the head of all officials, how could I possibly bend the law for personal gain and come to protect him?"
These words greatly alarmed Consort Mei.
It's over!
Lin Xiang ignored Jing Chuan!
Is her Jingchuan really going to die here?
Consort Mei's vision went black, and she was utterly desperate.
Yuan Hua was somewhat surprised. He put down his teacup, a hint of inquiry flashing in his phoenix eyes.
"Oh? Then, in your opinion, how should this matter be handled?"
Lin Qingyan spoke slowly and respectfully, his voice echoing throughout the hall.
"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people. Although the eldest prince is of royal blood, his plot to harm the emperor is an unforgivable crime and he should indeed be severely punished."
He first affirmed the Empress Dowager's words, then changed the subject.
"But before that, shouldn't the Imperial Clan Court and the Three Judicial Offices conduct a joint trial to get to the bottom of this matter? There should be a clear procedure to clarify what the Crown Prince did wrong and what he did wrong, and to announce it to all civil and military officials to set the record straight."
"Otherwise, if the Crown Prince is punished severely without a clear explanation, it may cause turmoil in the court and the country, which would be detrimental to the nation!"
His words were perfectly reasonable and showed a great deal of impartiality.
Yuan Hua sneered inwardly.
Lin Qingyan is quite the character; he's definitely not someone to be trifled with!
What a brilliant move – retreating to advance!
To bring the matter to the imperial court and have the Imperial Clan Court and those old ministers handle the trial?
Anyone with a brain knows how those old guys who have long disliked her being in power and have been hoping for her to be deposed and replaced by the eldest prince will interrogate her!
In the end, the wrong became right, the murder became a misunderstanding, and Zhao Ning suffered such a great injustice for nothing.
This group of people has long wanted to remove her and Zhaoning from their positions!
Yuan Hua's eyes grew cold, and he was about to speak in rebuttal.
On the dragon bed, Yu Zhaoning, who had just recovered, quietly observed the handsome prime minister in the hall.
[Sigh, Uncle Lin is really handsome, but he's not very bright.]
Why are you helping that wicked prince? Does my becoming emperor really bother you so much?
She naturally supported her chubby cheeks with her hands.
Why does Prime Minister Lin dislike me so much?
[Could it be because I discovered last time that Lin Xiang's younger brother secretly took his worn underwear and sold it to wealthy women in the capital?]
[Impossible, right? Lin Chengwen even gave me a hundred taels of silver as hush money, begging me not to tell anyone. He wouldn't be a blabbermouth himself, would he?]
[If it's not about that, then why does Prime Minister Lin dislike me so much? I really don't understand!]
Yu Zhaoning sighed inwardly with worry.
[System, system, do you think he has a problem?]
The system's cheerful voice sounded at just the right moment.
[Host, according to the system's database analysis, perplexing human behaviors are diverse, and this possibility cannot be ruled out.]
Yu Zhaoning nodded vigorously in her heart, deeply agreeing.
[Hmm! It's definitely not my fault! It must be his own fault!]
Inside the hall, Lin Qingyan, who was about to continue his petition, suddenly froze.
What did he just hear?
A child's voice, sweet and innocent, rang clearly in his mind.
Is it just my imagination?
But that voice was clearly His Majesty's voice!
What His Majesty said next almost made him lose his soul.
younger brother?
Underwear?
Sold to a wealthy woman in Beijing?
They even gave him a hundred taels as hush money?!
Lin Qingyan felt a rush of heat to her head, her vision blurred, and she almost collapsed on the spot!
That wretched child!
No wonder my younger brother kept saying he didn't have enough clothes to wear recently, and would come to ask him every few days if he had any old clothes he had changed out of!
He thought that the spendthrift son had finally changed his ways and learned to be thrifty. Just a few days ago, he even praised him in front of his father!
Unexpected!
I never imagined he would do something so disgraceful and disgraceful to the family!
His reputation! The reputation of the Lin family! That bastard has utterly disgraced them!
Lin Qingyan was so angry that her face turned red, and her hands clenched into fists in her sleeves, trembling uncontrollably.
I can't even imagine how things will turn out if this gets out.
So, what he just heard was His Majesty's innermost thoughts?
He struggled to lift his head and looked toward the dragon bed.
Right in front of me were a pair of big, dark, watery eyes.
The little empress was lying on the edge of the bed, her little face full of melancholy, as if she was also deeply worried about his illness.
Their eyes met.
Lin Qingyan's lips moved as if he wanted to ask something, but he found that he couldn't utter a single word.
It was as if an invisible force was gripping his throat, preventing him from revealing even a trace of the secret he had heard.
He instantly understood.
This must be true!
He truly heard His Majesty's innermost thoughts! Moreover, he couldn't reveal this matter to anyone!
This is absolutely bizarre!
He turned his gaze to Yuan Hua, who was standing to the side, with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
Upon closer inspection, it was immediately noticed that the Empress Dowager's hand holding the teacup seemed to tremble slightly.
The muscles in her cheeks twitched unnaturally twice, as if she was trying her best to endure something.
The thought that crossed his mind seemed utterly absurd to him.
Could it be that the Empress Dowager could hear it too?
Why didn't the others react?
What exactly happened?
Over here, Yuan Hua was indeed desperately trying to hold back.
She forced a smile down her face.
He cleared his throat, his expression returning to its previous hardness.
"Prime Minister Lin is overthinking it. The Crown Prince's actions are supported by both witnesses and physical evidence. I have investigated thoroughly, so what is there to discuss?"
"I have already decided to..."
However, before Yuan Hua could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a cheerful voice.
[Sigh, Grandmother is going to argue with Uncle Lin again. Hopefully, there won't be any more unexpected events this time.]
Yu Zhaoning rolled around on the bed, feeling bored, and started chatting with the system in her mind.
[System, system, how should we eat gossip tomorrow to accumulate points quickly? I want to redeem that super powerful gene-improving potion as soon as possible, to make me and my grandmother awesome!]
The system responded immediately.
[Wait, this system is detecting. Ding! Detection complete! Reporting to the host, according to data, enjoying gossip in front of all the civil and military officials in the imperial court yields a special points bonus! The more sensational the gossip, and the more participants, the higher the points!]
Yu Zhaoning's eyes lit up instantly.
[Wow! Such a good thing? That's fantastic! Since I'll be attending court every day from now on, I can finally get my hands on all the gossip!]
[Let's start with those old men who talk bad about me all the time! Humph! I'm going to dig up their whole history!]
[Especially the eldest prince! When we get to court, I'll expose him completely! I'll make sure he's left with nothing but his underwear! Who told him to deliberately push me into the water?]
This conversation clearly reached the ears of Lin Qingyan and Yuan Hua.
Although Lin Qingyan didn't understand what "eating melons" or "points" meant, he could still understand the phrase "dig up everything and leave nothing but your underwear."
A very ominous premonition instantly filled my heart.
He instinctively felt that if His Majesty were to attend court, something absolutely terrible would happen!
However, before they could figure out how to respond, they heard Yuan Hua, who was sitting at the head of the table, suddenly change his tone completely.
Yuan Hua slowly put down his teacup, raised his eyes, looked at the bewildered Lin Qingyan, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
"but..."
"What Minister Lin just said makes a lot of sense."
Yuan Hua leaned back in her chair and said casually, "It was my oversight. This matter concerns the prince, and it should indeed be tried publicly to give the world an explanation."
"In that case, let's do as Prime Minister Lin says."
"At the morning court tomorrow, I will personally issue an edict ordering the Imperial Clan Court, together with the Three Judicial Offices, to thoroughly investigate this matter!"
"..."
"???"
Lin Qingyan was completely dumbfounded.
He had prepared a whole host of arguments, ready to argue with the Empress Dowager, and was even prepared to be dismissed from his post.
That's it?
You agreed so easily?
He always felt that something was not quite right.
The Empress Dowager's smile looks exactly like she's dug a pit for him to fall into.
There's definitely a trap!