205 The people before the palace gates petition collectively

Who in the capital didn't know about the affair between Prince Li and Miss Ye It's just that since the Ye family chose to turn a blind eye, others naturally pretended not to know either. Now that some...205. Citizens Petition before the Palace Gate

205. Citizens Petition before the Palace Gate

The sudden disappearance of a nation's emperor in broad daylight was definitely not a trivial matter; it required an immediate lockdown and thorough search of every household within the entire city and imperial palace. Those who were aware of the situation inside the palace were also in a state of panic.

Even Empress Dowager, who had long retired to the harem and no longer involved herself with affairs of state, came out now. Present alongside her was the empress and Concubine Liu. Leading eunuchs and guards as well as officials like Chancellor Liu whom Emperor had called upon before were all kneeling on the ground. The Empress Dowager angrily scolded them with a stern face: "In broad daylight, the emperor just disappeared; what have you people been doing What use is it to keep you in the royal family" No one dared to argue back and could only beg for mercy. Among those present, Chancellor Liu felt most innocent as he had merely requested an audience with His Majesty to discuss some matters. How was his disappearance related to him Only because he was the last person seen by Emperor before his disappearance did it naturally place responsibility on him.

"Carefully investigate for me! You must ensure the emperor returns safely! As for your lives, we'll talk about them when His Majesty is back!" The Empress Dowager coldly commanded. Everyone repeatedly agreed to her demands. After venting her anger, she turned to Chancellor Liu kneeling on the ground and asked: "Chancellor, what did the Emperor discuss with you" Chancellor Liu replied: "To inform Your Excellency, we merely discussed some matters of state affairs without anything unusual." The Empress Dowager could easily see through Chancellor Liu's evasive words. With a serious look she said coldly: "Tell me in detail." After hesitating for a moment, Chancellor Liu answered: "Because of the morning court session, His Majesty was rather upset and didn't discuss any important matters; he mentioned that we should resume discussions tomorrow at morning court." It wasn’t because Chancellor Liu wanted to hide anything from Empress Dowager; it was due to the secret nature of how the Xu family would be dealt with. As long as an imperial edict hadn’t been issued, no one could reveal it or else they would face trouble.

Empress Dowager suspiciously looked at Chancellor Liu who calmly and sincerely let her do so. An old fox like him, when he truly wanted to hide something, how could anyone see through his deception

In the end, Empress Dowager only impatiently dismissed everyone. Seeing that everyone had left, the maidservant attending on her cautiously asked: "Your Excellency, what do you think about His Majesty's matter…" Closing her eyes and calming herself, she lightly said: "I have long retired to the harem and cannot concern myself with such matters. These things will be taken care of by the empress and officials. Where is Prince Li now" The maidservant whispered: "After agreeing to a ceasefire with His Majesty, Prince Li promised to return to the capital this year for Empress Dowager's birthday celebration; counting time, he should already be on his way."

The Empress Dowager nodded and said, "Good, send a message to Prince Li urging him to quickly enter the city. Also, about that person... Ye Ying whom Prince Li left in the capital, wasn’t she pregnant"

The maidservant nodded and replied: "Your Excellency is right; Concubine Ye gave birth to a son for Prince Li who is already nearly one year old."

"Send someone to look after her." The Empress Dowager instructed, waving the maidservant away. Thinking of her two sons, Empress Dowager's expression couldn't help but darken. Others said she was fortunate; in a harem where it was difficult for concubines to bear children, only she gave birth to two, with her eldest son becoming emperor and making her empress dowager by virtue of his position. But who knew that this elder son of hers, suspicious even towards his own mother, guarded against her out of fear of her power threatening him. If not for this, she would happily serve as empress dowager without scheming with her younger son about the emperor. Over these years, although she seemed honored in the palace, it was merely a facade; the emperor often opposed even his own mother over a favored concubine, and Empress Dowager had no influence over power within the harem at all. How could such an empress dowager who had spent her life plotting be satisfied with this situation

Saying goodbye to Consort Liu, the Empress returned to her own palace, and her originally calm expression revealed a hint of worry and confusion. She waved away the maidservants following behind her, then pushed open the door and entered her bedroom. Upon entering the room, she walked over to the table and sat down, saying coolly, “Come out.”

A moment later, Feng Zhirao emerged from behind the curtains of the phoenix bed, quietly looking at her. The Empress frowned slightly; before she could speak, Feng Zhirao said, "I came here to take something and will leave immediately." The Empress was taken aback and asked, "Take what" Feng Zhirao replied, “A white jade box that Emperor Mo Jingqi entrusted you with eight years ago.” After a moment of thought, the Empress looked at him and said, “Was it you who captured the emperor”

“Yes,” Feng Zhirao admitted. "Do you want to send someone to capture me"

The Empress walked quickly up to him and said, "Kidnapping a national ruler You’re rather bold! The capital city and the imperial palace are now under complete lockdown; I’ll see how you plan to handle this!" Feng Zhirao raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled faintly, “If I can get in, then I can also get out. Besides… Emperor Mo Jingqi’s life is still in my hands.” The Empress glared at him angrily and shook her head, saying, "Following the Prince of Ding all these years, haven’t you used your own brain Do you think everyone truly hopes for the emperor's safe return Many might wish that you could kill him."

"I indeed hope to kill him!" Feng Zhirao said with hatred.

“Nonsense!” The Empress sternly scolded. "Kidnapping the Emperor can’t be Prince Ding’s idea; what are you here for then" Feng Zhirao paused and replied, “To retrieve a blue lotus flower at Consort Wang's order.”

"A blue lotus flower" The Empress frowned. She knew nothing about medicine and thus didn't know the use of a blue lotus flower. Irritably she looked at Feng Zhirao and said, "Given that Prince Consort Wang sent you here, it must be an important item. Why can’t I help you look for it Are you happy with such a big commotion" Feng Zhirao snorted lightly, “If there isn't this much of a fuss, no one will find the thing. Emperor Mo Jingqi values the blue lotus flower greatly; in all these years, even those who gave him gifts and his most favored Consort Liu don’t know about it. How could he tell you Besides, if you probe into its whereabouts, it would implicate yourself.” The Empress sighed helplessly and asked, "So you already know where the blue lotus flower is"

Feng Zhirao nodded. “Emperor Mo Jingqi said half a year ago that he gave you the item. Do you still remember this white jade box”

The Empress lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then nodded, saying, "I remember now. Wait here." She turned around and went inside; soon she came out holding an extremely finely crafted white jade box. She handed the white jade box to Feng Zhirao and asked, “Is this it” Feng Zhirao accepted the box carefully and opened it. Inside was indeed a light green flower resembling peony, which looked like stone but felt soft when touched; there was also a faint peculiar fragrance. The flower had been picked for quite some time but showed no signs of withering, as if it were made of jade. Feng Zhirao compared the blue lotus flower's appearance and features to what Mr Shen told him, concluding that this white jade box contained the legendary blue lotus flower.

The Empress said softly, “Take the item with you and quickly return the emperor then go back northwest.” Feng Zhirao put away the box and looked deeply at the Empress. "You really want to spend your life in this imperial palace" The Empress smiled faintly, saying, “Where else can I stay other than the palace Go carefully.” Feng Zhirao stared at her, asking, “Aren’t you afraid that I might kill Emperor Mo Jingqi” Smiling lightly, the Empress said, "You won't do it. If he dies now, it’s no benefit to Prince Ding's household. Although nobody has spoken yet, there must be many in court who suspect Prince Ding’s household already. Should the emperor not return, whether or not they did it, those people will still blame Prince Ding."

Feng Zhirao grunted unhappily but couldn’t deny her words; he turned and said, “I’ll go now!”

The Empress nodded. "Be careful on the way." As Feng Zhirao walked away, he turned back to smile at her, saying, “Do you know what your emperor did He’s going to confiscate the Xu family’s property!" The Empress was stunned and by the time she recovered from it, Feng Zhirao had already disappeared. She could only sigh lightly, her beautiful face showing a bitter smile.

With Mu Qingcang secretly protecting him, even though the imperial guards were strict, Feng Zhirao still left the palace without any trouble. They returned to where they kept Mo Jingqi hidden; Leng Haoyu was sitting in the room watching over Mo Jingqi and waiting for news. Seeing them enter, he quickly asked, “Have you got the item” Feng Zhirao raised the box in his hand and said, "I’ve taken it, but only the emperor can confirm if it's real."

Mo Jingqi’s face was dark; he said, “You’ve already taken the item. What else do you want” Feng Zhirao smiled and said, “I’m quite suspicious. I heard that this blue lotus flower isn’t just a miraculous medicine but also an extraordinary remedy for injuries. A little of it can immediately heal wounds. Is this true" Mo Jingqi was stunned; he stared at the dagger in Feng Zhirao’s hand and asked, "What do you want to do" Feng Zhirao gave him a malicious smile and said, “Of course, I’m asking the emperor to try out the blue lotus flower's effects. After all this effort getting it, if we find out it’s fake, wouldn’t that be laughable”

Mo Jingqi gritted his teeth and said, "I guarantee that this is genuine!"

Feng Zhirao shook his head and said, “The emperor's promise isn't worth much.” He stabbed Mo Jingqi’s shoulder without hesitation; the latter cried out in pain as blood flowed. A look of satisfaction flashed across Feng Zhirao’s eyes as he brandished a knife at the blue lotus flower in the white jade box, saying, "How do we use this Oh, it seems one needs to scrape off powder with a dagger. This beautiful flower would lose its value if scraped; let's try scraping below." Mo Jingqi hurriedly said, “Don’t use a dagger! A blue lotus flower must be stored in a jade box and cut with a jade knife to retain its medicinal properties.”

"Oh, thank you for the advice." Feng Zhiyao flipped his hand to put away the dagger and then carefully placed Biliu flowers back in their box. He looked at Leng Haoyu and asked, "Do you have some medicine for wounds Give it to him."

Leng Haoyu raised an eyebrow but remained silent as he took out some medicine and casually sprinkled it on Mo Jingqi's wound. Mo Jingqi winced in pain and glared fiercely at Feng Zhiyao, "I won't let you off easily!" Feng Zhiyao sneered, "If you have the time to threaten us, why not think about how you're going to return to the capital As far as I know, there are quite a few people who don’t want to come back like you. It's said that the Empress Dowager has already sent a message to Prince Li asking him to quickly head towards the capital. Looks like our Emperor is also one of those children without any affection from their parents."

"You!" Mo Jingqi was hit where it hurt, but there wasn't much he could do while under someone else's roof.

Feng Zhiyao didn't care about Mo Jingqi's mood and happily put away the Biliu flowers. He nodded at Leng Haoyu and said, "Leave him to you then. There’s no need to rush back; it might cause trouble for us before we leave." Leng Haoyu smiled and replied, "Don’t trust me Go take care of your own business then." Feng Zhiyao nodded, glanced at Mo Jingqi, and said with a smile, "Considering how cooperative the Emperor is, would you like a free tip"

Mo Jingqi glared coldly at him, clearly not believing that he would give him any information willingly.

Feng Zhiyao didn’t mind. He smiled and said, "The message about your trusted minister, Tan Daren’s situation. It's said that Tan Daren is actually named Lin Yuan originally. His identity is a descendant of the previous royal family. Emperor, do you know what ‘Yuan’ means Could it possibly mean he wishes for your imperial reign to be short and without blessings" With that, Feng Zhiyao burst out laughing and left with his back straight, leaving Mo Jingqi’s face changing colors uncontrollably.

Feng Zhiyao retrieved the Imperial Ancestor's edict from Su Zuodie before she died and quietly disappeared from the capital. No one else knew that Feng Zhiyao had returned to the capital except for those close to him. Leng Haoyu didn’t hesitate, keeping Mo Jingqi locked up in a small room for three whole days until the fourth day morning when he heard news of Prince Li's imminent arrival to the capital. He then ordered someone to carry an unconscious Mo Jingqi out and dump him at the city gate just before dawn. Throughout this entire process, Mo Jingqi had no idea where he was being taken or held captive by whom. Neither Feng Zhiyao nor Leng Haoyu nor Mu Qingcang were people that Mo Jingqi could remember well, so this time around, his loss was total and silent.

Furious, Mo Jingqi returned to the palace amidst everyone's different looks at him. Ignoring the empresses and court officials who came forward to greet him with flattery, he immediately issued several imperial edicts in a fit of rage. The first one was an arrest warrant for those who dared kidnap him; second, a thorough investigation into all officials closely related to Tan Jizhi and his recent movements, capturing Tan Jizhi back for trial; third, the confiscation of the capital's Inspectorate Xuyu household, the Xu clan in Yunzhou, and Lishan’s far-off branches. His family was immediately arrested and thrown into the imperial prison.

The first two edicts were understandable, but the third one stirred a hornet's nest. Chancellor Liu just left the palace gates with officials to confiscate property when suddenly he saw hundreds of scholars kneeling outside the gate, pleading for Xu’s innocence. Looking around, Liu realized that many of them were already officials in court. Knowing Xu was the leader among literary figures across the land, Liu didn't expect him to be so beloved by people. Not even an hour after issuing his edicts, so many people had gathered here, and there would likely be more as time went on. Filled with envy and resentment, Chancellor Liu declared the imperial edict at the palace gate, but these scholars refused to bury their heads in the sand and spoke out against it.

It wasn't that these literati were fickle; Emperor’s edicts didn’t make sense to everyone because they neither clarified what Xu's household had done nor who was guilty. Normally, there wouldn't be many people daring to challenge imperial edicts, but the Xu family's influence was so great and their contribution to nurturing literary talent in the Chu Kingdom since its founding was enormous. Scholars were a peculiar lot; while soft on surface, they could be incredibly stubborn inside. Seeing that hundreds of scholars had gathered outside the palace gates, Chancellor Liu knew something bad would happen. His guards behind him also felt helpless as these scholars weren’t easy to deal with without the Emperor's approval.

Seeing the people kneeling before him and pleading for mercy, Chancellor Liu could do nothing but send someone back to the palace to report to the emperor.

Hearing his guard’s report, Mo Jingqi was so furious he almost fainted. Ignoring his wound on shoulder, he hurried towards the gate with Empress Osprey. Since ancient times, scholars were ranked first among society's four classes; they governed the country throughout history. If anything went wrong with them, it would be a matter of time before the nation crumbled. Mo Jingqi arrived at the palace gates after only two periods of time (about 40 minutes), but already hundreds more had joined the crowd outside.

Seeing the emperor come out, those kneeling became even more agitated and shouted for mercy and justice for Xu’s household.

"What's going on here!" Mo Jingqi roared.

The young man in front of the group cried out loudly: "Xu clan has served Chu faithfully since its founding. Their ancestors taught and nurtured generations of talents with great dedication to Chu’s prosperity. Your Majesty, what crime did Xu commit that warrants their total destruction"

Mo Jingqi choked on his words; his anger flared up even more: "Xu clan plotted treason, they deserve death! As citizens of Chu, how dare you plead for these traitors and villains!

A person in the crowd looked up and said, "Xu plotted against the Emperor. What evidence is there Please let His Majesty show us!"

When they heard this, all those who had knelt before the palace gate called out loudly, "Please let His Majesty show us." The implication was obvious—if the emperor really had proof that Xu had committed treason, then no one could say anything.

Meng Jingqi did not have any evidence. In fact, when he first charged Xu with a crime, it wasn't even for treason. It was only because of these scholars' uproar that Meng Jingqi's anger flared up and he carelessly pinned the most serious charge on Xu. Besides, if he were to say that Xu had conspired with Ding Wang, then originally, Ding Wang's reputation among common people would not be weaker than Xu’s. Then there might be a big uproar.

"Disrespectful! Get out of here quickly! The Emperor pardons your crime!" Meng Jingqi said.

"Xu is innocent! Please let His Majesty see clearly!" These people dared to come and plead for Xu at the palace gate. How could they be scared off by a few words from the emperor There was an uproar in front of the palace gate, and many ordinary citizens came as well, nearly surrounding the entire palace gate. It became even harder to take action.

"Your Majesty! What crime has Xu committed that you want to confiscate their property" Just then a loud voice rang out. People made way for an elderly man with white hair and beard walking forward with a group of people behind him—this was the old Duke Huo. Meng Jingqi's face turned black as ink, glaring at the imposing Duke Huo in his mind calling the old man names. The old Duke Huo came forward, lifted up his clothes, kneeled on the ground and said, "Xu is loyal and just, and Teacher Qingyun’s reputation spread across countries. But what crime has Xu committed that makes Your Majesty so angry Please let His Majesty show us." Those behind him were mostly upright officials in court, some of whom were even members of the royal family or retired old ministers from the previous emperor's era. They all had a good relationship with Teacher Qingyun and Xu’s family. All of them loudly echoed the Duke Huo.

Meng Jingqi was furious, "Xu plotted against the Emperor! Do you want to protect these traitors too"

The old Duke Huo raised his head and said in a loud voice, "If Xu really plotted against the emperor, I will be willing to take responsibility for it. But Your Majesty, where is the evidence"

Meng Jingqi said, "Xu is the maternal family of Ye Li, wife of Mo Xiuyao who now holds the northwest and seems like he’s going to fight against the court. How can Xu not be punished"

The old Duke Huo did not back down, saying in a loud voice, "Whether Ding Wang wants to fight against the government is still unknown. But everyone understands that Xu has never had close ties with Ding Wang and they have never said good words about him either. How can Your Majesty punish Xu just because of this It’s hard for others to accept!"

"Duke Huo, you are disrespectful!" Meng Jingqi's chest rose and fell as he pointed at the old Duke Huo but could not say anything else. Lady Liu who was standing beside him quickly reached out to support him. Meng Jingqi took a few deep breaths and just when he wanted to speak, an eunuch’s sharp voice suddenly rang in from inside the palace gate, "The Empress Dowager has arrived! The Queen has arrived!"

Before they could turn around, another loud announcement came from the other end of a street, "Great Princess Fu Xi and Lady Chang Princess have arrived!" As if Heaven was still not satisfied with Meng Jingqi's busy day, when he saw Great Princess Fu Xi and Lady Chang Princess's carriages approaching slowly, hooves galloped down another street. The suspect was Li Wang Mo Jingli who had been away from the capital for a long time. Just then, Mo Jingli jumped off his horse and quickly walked to the palace gate with several people, actually arriving before the great princess.

"Your younger brother greets His Majesty. I pay my respects to mother," said Mo Jingli as he finished bowing. He said with a smile just after getting up, "Why is there such a commotion in front of the palace gate What are you all doing"

——Interlude——

The readers must be missing Mo Xiuyao and Aili. But they’re busy raising their children right now, so there’s nothing going on... This section about the capital seems necessary.ight pearls, the shopkeeper would have no worries about making ends meet for at least half a year.Thinking of this, the shopkeeper was even more eager to show Ye Li some drawings. "Please take a look,...