bestfiction Chapter 251
Chapter 251
The officials of the Censorate submitted memorials one after another, earnestly requesting Emperor Wenjing to severely punish Prince Xiang in order to uphold the law and appease public anger.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Xiang's evil deeds are well-known. If he is not punished, how can Your Majesty's wisdom be demonstrated, and how can the hearts of the people be won over?"
Meanwhile, some ministers who had old acquaintances or vested interests with King Xiang tried to plead for him.
“Your Majesty, Prince Xiang is young and impetuous, and may have been misled by treacherous people. I beg Your Majesty to be lenient and allow him to repent and start anew.”
"The Virtuous Consort is kind and generous, and has only one son, Prince Xiang. If Prince Xiang were to pass away, how could the Virtuous Consort bear the loss?"
Someone brought up the name of Consort Xian.
When Emperor Wenjing heard the words "Virtuous Consort," the coldness in his eyes melted for a moment.
The two factions of ministers argued endlessly, each sticking to their own version of events, plunging the entire court into chaos.
Emperor Wenjing's gaze swept heavily across the court, and only after they finished arguing did he slowly speak:
"The crimes committed by Prince Xiang are well-documented and unforgivable. However, out of consideration for the bond between father and son, I cannot bear to do so. I hereby strip Prince Xiang of his title and confine him to the Imperial Mausoleum to reflect on his mistakes. Without my decree, he shall never step out of the mausoleum for the rest of his life. His associates shall be thoroughly investigated by the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice, and severely punished without exception, as a warning to others."
The moment the decree was issued, the court fell silent.
Although the ministers who pleaded for leniency were unwilling, they dared not say anything more.
Although the ministers who advocated severe punishment felt that the punishment was not harsh enough, they could only obey the emperor's decision.
Su Mu sighed inwardly.
It seems that, in the final moment, Emperor Wenjing still considered blood ties and family ties, or perhaps he thought of Consort Xian, which is why he spared Prince Xiang's life.
This is enough.
For Li Ming, living in such a desolate place as the imperial mausoleum might not be any better than dying.
The news that the Prince of Xiang had been stripped of his title and imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum to reflect on his mistakes quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of Shengjing City.
The people who witnessed his evil deeds at the Dali Temple that day applauded the punishment.
Making him guard the imperial tomb for the rest of his life would be worse than death.
It would be more satisfying than killing him.
The Prince Qi's Mansion, beneath the wisteria blossoms.
King Qi lay on a rocking chair, his face covered by a folding fan.
Sitting beside him was a man in a white robe, whose face made it easy for people to lower their guard.
Her eyes are bright and warm, like amber. When she smiles, her eyes curve into crescent shapes. Sitting there, she looks like a harmless little lamb, exuding a gentle and friendly aura that makes people want to get closer.
This person is none other than the Ninth Prince, Prince Yong, Li Xuan, who is only seventeen years old.
Li Xuan's mother was Consort De, one of the four imperial concubines. Consort De and Consort Zhou were once close friends and had a close relationship.
Because of their relationship, Prince Yong was also very close to Prince Qi, and could be considered Prince Qi's little follower.
At this moment, Prince Yong frowned, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
He sighed, "Father did spare his life after all."
King Qi rocked back and forth in his chair, speaking leisurely, "What good is keeping my life? It's worse than being dead."
Prince Yong picked up his teacup, took a sip, looked at Prince Qi, and said thoughtfully, "Third Brother, I always feel that the timing of the rebellion of the Mongol-Li people in Yuanbei River is too coincidental."
"If the Mengli people hadn't been forced to rebel, given Father Emperor's love for Consort Xian, he wouldn't have abandoned Li Ming because of the deaths of a few commoner women."
King Qi removed the folding fan from his face, looked at King Yong, and said with a half-smile, "Do you think someone is plotting against you?"
Prince Yong nodded without hesitation, "Most likely."
"Who do you think it could be?"
Prince Yong narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "I think that Sixth Brother is eyeing the throne and may want to use this matter to weaken the various forces so that he can reap the benefits. Furthermore, Eighth Brother has always been meticulous and has a grudge against Prince Xiang. It cannot be ruled out that he is secretly stirring things up."
The sixth prince, Prince Jin, was born to a palace maid who died from postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth to him. Over the years, the sixth prince has been raised by Empress Su.
After the deaths of the eldest and second princes, Empress Su poured all her affection into Prince Jin and cared deeply for him.
Otherwise, how could the Prince of Jin, the son of a mere foot-washing maid, be qualified to compete with them for the throne?
The Eighth Prince, Prince Su, is the son of Consort Rou.
Consort Rou was a foreign woman, and Emperor Wenjing would never allow Prince Su to be the crown prince. Prince Su also acted neither vying for power nor competing for anything, but he and Prince Xiang had a grudge against each other.
King Xiang once spoke rudely and mocked Consort Rou, nearly driving her to suicide. King Su may have held a grudge against King Xiang because of this and wanted to take the opportunity to cause him trouble.
King Qi sat up straight, gently waving the folding fan in his hand, a playful smile playing on his lips.
"You suspect your sixth and eighth brothers, but why don't you suspect your seventh brother?"
Prince Yong was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. "Seventh Brother? How could it be him?"
The King of Qi smiled but said nothing.
The smile on Prince Yong's face gradually faded, and he frowned as he said, "Seventh Brother is in poor health and rarely goes out."
"He was so engrossed in calligraphy, painting, and music that he seemed to have no interest in court intrigues or the struggle for the throne."
King Qi gently shook his head, his folding fan swaying rhythmically, as if striking an invisible beat.
His eyes held a deeper meaning. "What you see is only what he wants you to see."
A look of disbelief flashed in Prince Yong's eyes. "Third Brother, do you mean that the mastermind behind this is Seventh Brother?"
King Qi stood up, walked to the wisteria trellis, and plucked a bunch of wisteria blossoms. "If you want to know, just look it up yourself."
After saying that, he casually tossed the wisteria blossoms on the ground.
Liuxia Palace.
When Consort Xian learned of Emperor Wenjing's treatment of Prince Xiang, she sat expressionlessly in her chair for a long time.
The head palace maid, Mo Xin, who had served her for a long time, couldn't help but ask with concern, "Your Majesty..."
Consort Xian raised her hand, her face showing no sadness or grief, and said in a calm tone, "This month's allowance should be paid by now, right? Go to the Imperial Household Department to collect it, and send it out of the palace along with the jewelry from my dressing case."
Mo Xin was taken aback. "Your Majesty, are you not leaving any at all?"
"These jewels are a burden, I don't like them, donate them all."
With one more hairpin, the impoverished people outside the palace could have one more bowl of porridge and live a little longer. In a way, she could atone for Li Ming's sins.
As the Prince of Xiang was stripped of his title and imprisoned, and was being escorted to the imperial mausoleum in a prison cart, the prison cart carrying Wang Xunzhen also arrived in Shengjing.
Wang Xunzhen was utterly wicked, driving the Li people of Yuanbei Hemeng to desperation and forcing them to rebel. Since he was not a prince, Emperor Wenjing naturally had no pity for him whatsoever.
He immediately ordered that Wang Xunzhen be executed by the most severe punishment—the punishment of being cut into a thousand pieces.
Emperor Wenjing did not severely punish the Mongol-Li people of Yuanbei River, but instead allowed them to make amends for their past mistakes.
He also sent some capable officials to assist them in rebuilding their homes damaged by the floods and to appease the people.
The Li people, deeply grateful for the emperor's favor, spread the word of Emperor Wenjing's benevolence far and wide.
When the news reached Emperor Wenjing's ears, the last bit of displeasure in his heart dissipated.
Not only did he not hold a grudge against the near rebellion of the Mongol tribes, but he also ordered the Ministry of Revenue to send them a considerable amount of supplies.