Chapter 12: The Charismatic Character Script?
Inside the Golden Palace, Yu Jingchuan remained as frantic as ever.
All the civil and military officials lowered their heads and looked down, wishing they could bury their heads in the cracks between the floor tiles, for fear of being implicated in anything.
Above, Yu Zhaoning was so excited she almost stood up.
[So it turns out the Emperor of Yan has more than just Consort Mei as a lover in my Great Yu!]
Once the inner thoughts are expressed.
All the officials and ministers, including the statues that had been trying to minimize their presence, twitched their ears in unison.
What is that?
Old flame? And more than one?
In an instant, Yu Jingchuan's desperate accusations were reduced to background noise that no one paid any attention to.
All the ministers subconsciously pricked up their ears, their focused expressions even more attentive than when listening to an imperial edict.
Even the old tutor, who had fainted from anger and had just been revived by his colleagues pinching his philtrum, was too breathless to catch his breath. His old eyes were wide open, as if afraid of missing a single word.
Yu Zhaoning had no idea what the group below was thinking; she remained engrossed in enjoying the gossip.
[Tsk tsk tsk, the Emperor of Yan has quite the unique taste.]
[He forsook his three thousand concubines and insisted on having a secret affair in our Great Yu.]
[And what's more, this other old flame turned out to be a man!]
Every single minister was petrified. A man?
[Wow, quite a high-ranking figure! A very important person in the imperial court!]
Yu Zhaoning's sweet, childlike voice continued to deliver the final blow, each strike precisely hitting the heart of the officials.
Now, the atmosphere in the imperial court has completely changed.
If just now everyone was trying to keep their eyes and noses closed and pretend they were invisible, then now it's time for everyone to examine each other.
In the ranks of civil officials, Minister Zhang glanced discreetly at Vice Minister Li beside him.
Well, Vice Minister Li is fair-skinned and refined, the kind of person who would attract an emperor with unusual tastes.
Li Shilang felt that gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately glared back.
Why are you looking at me like that! You old scoundrel, don't think I don't know you had homosexual tendencies when you were young! Could it be you?
The situation is also not peaceful for the military commanders.
The Minister of Revenue glanced sideways at the Minister of War's imposing figure, his mind racing with suspicion.
Could the Emperor of Yan have a particular taste for this? Strong enough, and safe enough?
The Minister of War felt offended and glared back with his large, round eyes.
What are you looking at! I like women! You're just a purse keeper, always scheming and petty. You're probably secretly colluding with the Emperor of Yan to try and get some benefits!
For a moment, although the Golden Palace was completely silent, the air was filled with the glint of swords.
Everyone is suspicious of those around them; everyone sees others as the adulterer.
The atmosphere was so tense that it seemed a single pin dropping could trigger a brawl.
Completely ignored, Yu Jingchuan was utterly devastated by what he saw.
He pointed at the group of ministers like a madman. They were clearly avoiding him just a second ago, but how come they started exchanging glances with each other the next second?
What are they doing!
Why won't you look at me! Why won't you listen to me!
"You, you..."
Yu Jingchuan was so angry that he felt a sweet taste in his throat.
A mouthful of blood gushed out, staining the gold bricks in front of him red.
He staggered back two steps, but was caught by Consort Mei.
She gripped her mother's arm tightly, her eyes sweeping across the room with venomous resentment.
"Mother! Did you see that?! They're all in cahoots! They've all conspired to deceive me!"
"They're all liars! They're all liars!"
Consort Mei was heartbroken and shook her head repeatedly, tears streaming down her face.
"Chuan'er, stop talking, stop talking..."
"Who told you to say those treasonous things in the imperial palace! Now look what's happened, we have absolutely no chance! Not a single chance left!"
She held her son and cried her heart out.
Cui Yue, who was standing next to her, was already terrified.
She stared blankly at everything, her mind a complete mess.
How did it come to this?
That's not how the story goes!
In the original story, the eldest prince endured humiliation and hardship, and was gentle and refined. In the end, with her help and encouragement, he gradually defeated the vicious Empress Dowager and ascended the throne!
And she naturally became the empress, and was loved and cherished for the rest of her life!
But what about now?
The eldest prince barked wildly in the palace like a mad dog, the empress lived a leisurely life, and the empress dowager was so ruthless and decisive that she was not human!
Is her life, filled with love and pampering, about to end before it even began?
Why! Why isn't everything following the script?! It's infuriating!
Cui Yue's mind raced, and she wisely analyzed the pros and cons at hand.
The Crown Prince's ship has completely sunk.
If she doesn't jump ship quickly, she'll have to go down with them!
At this thought, a resolute glint flashed in Cui Yue's eyes.
She scrambled to her feet, disregarding her disheveled appearance, and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing heavily towards the dragon throne.
"Your Majesty! Empress Dowager! This servant is guilty! This servant can testify!"
She raised her hand high, her voice sharp and loud, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
"It was the First Prince! It was the First Prince who pushed His Majesty into the pond! I saw it with my own eyes!"
This defection was swift and ruthless.
Yu Jingchuan, who was already teetering on the brink of collapse, suddenly turned his head and looked incredulously at the woman who had once been tender and affectionate towards him and swore to live and die with him.
"Cui Yue, you…"
He pointed at her, trembling with anger.
"You actually betrayed me?"
Another mouthful of blood spurted out, Yu Jingchuan's vision went black, and he could no longer hold on, falling straight backward and completely unconscious on the ground.
"Chuan'er!"
Consort Mei let out a piercing scream.
She raised her head, her eyes, red and swollen from crying, filled with a deep-seated hatred for Cui Yue, as if she wanted to pounce on her and tear her face apart on the spot.
But soon, the overwhelming hatred turned into endless despair.
She deflated, collapsed to the ground, and laughed foolishly.
"Hehehe..."
"The victor is king, the loser is villain; the victor is king, the loser is villain..."
She murmured to herself, then finally raised her head to look at the woman high above her on the phoenix throne.
"I, the Empress, accept my defeat!"
"Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you!"
The entire hall finally fell silent.
On the dragon throne, Yu Zhaoning swung her short legs, her little mouth slightly pouting, looking a little unhappy.
[Oh, is that all?]
[I haven't even finished digesting that other shocking gossip about the Yan emperor! How come the battlefield's already been cleaned up?]
[It feels like the court session is about to end, how boring.]
Once these thoughts were voiced, the civil and military officials, who had just turned their attention back to Consort Mei and her son, began to have their minds stirred once again.
Yeah! What a joke!
That shocking revelation isn't over yet!
Who is the adulterer?
In an instant, all the ministers' attention was no longer on the traitorous mother and son.
They were all screaming wildly in their hearts.
Your Majesty! Please ignore them! They are not important!
Your Majesty, please continue enjoying your melon! We, your subjects, are anxious!
Please! Tell me who that person is right now! Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep tonight!
At the rear of the military ranks, General Weiyuan, who had been publicly exposed for visiting the brothel, smugly nudged his colleague with his elbow.
He lowered his voice and mumbled in a whisper.
"Hey, Old Zhang, look at these civil officials, their faces have turned green. I want to see who's so audacious as to dare to meet with the emperor of an enemy country in secret!"
"It must have been done by those pedantic scholars who love to play at writing! They all look respectable, but who knows how filthy they are behind the scenes!"
General Zhang, standing nearby, nodded in deep agreement and whispered.
That's right! We military officers are all tough, upright men. Who would be all lovey-dovey with a man?
This is hilarious! I need to see who this unlucky guy is, and I'll definitely make fun of him for the next ten or eight years!
The two generals exchanged knowing glances, their gloating a silent exchange of smiles.
Beside them, a sharp-eared civil official noticed the commotion, couldn't help but roll his eyes, and replied in a very low voice.
"Heh, don't get too excited yet, it might just be the two of you!"
Upon hearing this, General Weiyuan immediately sneered, his face full of disdain.
"How could that be? His Majesty just finished discussing this general's affairs, how could he possibly mention me again? There's a proper order to things!"
He was very confident in his logic.
However, the next second...
That familiar, soft, and slightly surprised little voice resounded in everyone's minds once again.
[Huh? Let me check the information the system gave me...]
[Oh my! He's a general!]
The smile on General Weiyuan's face froze instantly.
[So, the Emperor of Yan is actually playing the role of a heartthrob? He's popular with both men and women, and he even has his eye on our Great Yu generals!]