The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 1024 - 103 Admonition

Chapter 1024: Chapter 103 Admonition

For three consecutive days, Bai Shan brought Mianzhou and Yizhou’s unique pastries to the Imperial Academy. He quickly became familiar with five or six classmates and even joined them for two poetry gatherings after school, through which he met other students from different classes.

Meanwhile, Wei Zhi had just entered the palace to inform the Emperor, "Your Majesty, they dare not be unfilial."

It took the Emperor a moment to understand, then he was speechless for a while, "They dare not be unfilial, but do they dare to be disloyal?"

Lord Wei solemnly said, "Your Majesty, your words are too harsh. They did not refuse, and I was about to admonish them. Now that you know of their grievances, why not summon them to Taiji Hall for questioning? They can then plead their case before Your Majesty."

The Emperor was silent for a long time before he said, "I can ensure their safety through the ordeal of the beating stick; let them plead during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"Your Majesty," Lord Wei, lifting his robe and kneeling down, exclaimed, "You cannot disregard their lives just because of the Third Prince and the Crown Prince. You have the heart of a father; why not think of Bai Qi and Zhou Yin beneath the nine springs? They too are fathers."

"How dare you!" The Emperor, outraged, slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Wei Zhi, do you dare to pry into the inner palace? Do you believe I would exterminate your family?"

"The Eastern Palace is the foundation of the state, not within the inner palace. Over the past few days, the people of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince have been slandering each other in court. Your Majesty, I am neither deaf nor blind, and it is not only I who know this—all civil and military members of the court know and are aware."

The Emperor’s face darkened and he clenched his fists, remaining silent.

Wei Zhi stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty suspects that the Prince of Yizhou is sowing discord, and thus wishes to expose this matter early. But Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, soon followed by the Grand Empress Dowager’s thousandth spring anniversary; will pleading now indeed be effective?"

The Emperor replied, "That is a matter for the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Justice and Punishments, and the Censorate."

Wei Zhi choked back his words and, unable to contain himself, exclaimed while straining his neck, "In any case, I cannot force two children to meet their doom. If Your Majesty insists on this, then please issue the decree yourself."

Issuing the decree would be equivalent to informing the Empress Dowager that he knew of the matter beforehand, and even that he had conspired with others.

He could not let the Empress Dowager know, nor could he let the people of the world know; otherwise, how would they view him?

Upon seeing the Emperor so agitated that his chest heaved, Wei Zhi sensed he was close to a breakthrough, and quickly pointed to the secretary, who was nearly invisible, kneeling in the corner, "Your Majesty, are you not afraid that future historians will condemn you? Those are two lives at stake, and they are both children."

The secretary gently lifted his eyelids, glanced at Wei Zhi, then lowered his head and continued writing, "Wei counsels the Emperor: ’Do you not fear the historians of posterity...’"

The Emperor also glanced at the secretary, a slight pain in his heart, and said irritably, "I’ve already said, they won’t die. The ones going to be whipped are people I’ve arranged in advance; it’s just a formality. Whether they plead before the beating or directly plead in court, isn’t it all the same? Later, I will send people to protect them. I cannot guarantee elsewhere, but here under the Son of Heaven’s feet, who dares to kill them?"

The Emperor demanded, "Why do none of you believe me? Am I such a man of empty promises?"

Wei Zhi bowed and said, "Then why do you not allow them to plead before Your Majesty directly?"

"Does Courtier Wei really not know, or is he pretending not to know?" the Emperor said. "This is beneficial to the grand scheme."

He sighed, "I specifically summoned them, and it would be difficult for the Empress Dowager not to know afterwards. When she inquires about the crime, I myself have nothing to worry about, but what about them? However, by coming in through the beating of the complaint drum, the Empress Dowager, seeing their resolve for death, would not seek them out to inquire about their crimes."

Wei Zhi sneered inwardly, doubting his words.

The emperor’s lips were full of deceit.

Wei Zhi remained silent, not agreeing, and the emperor, driven to desperation, simply pulled him aside and gave him a long lecture, explaining what a benevolent ruler is and what it means to love the people.

Now it was the emperor’s turn to have a headache. Finally free of Wei Zhi, the emperor stormed back to the empress’s palace, kicking a chair in his path out of the way, which sent the chair flying but also hurt his toe terribly.

The empress, pale-faced, hurried out from the inner chamber, covered her mouth to cough a few times, quickly stepped forward to support the emperor, and urgently sent for the imperial physician.

The emperor waved his hand and said, "It’s not serious, just a momentary pain."

Seeing the bloodless face of the empress, he then supported her and made her sit on the bed, sighing, "Has your angina improved? Do you need to see the imperial physician again?"

The empress forced a smile, "It’s much better, nothing serious. Your Majesty, what has made you so angry?"

"It’s Wei Zhi, that old fool. One day I shall have him beheaded."

The empress laughed, "Your Majesty, you speak nonsense again. Lord Wei is a pillar of the state, haven’t you told Dalang how rare good ministers are? You might neglect Lord Wei, but why speak such heated words like a child?"

"Do you know what that old fool just said to me?" the emperor angrily said, "He all but pointed at my nose and called me a tyrant..."

After saying this, he recounted everything that had happened that day.

The empress pondered for a moment and then said sternly, "Your Majesty, Lord Wei is not mistaken. Isn’t everyone a child of parents? The love of parents for their children is the same, just as the Queen Mother loves the Prince of Yizhou, as I love Dalang, Sanlang, and Chengyue; their parents must love them too. If they knew their children were in danger, imagine how heartbroken they would be."

The empress continued, "Moreover, their parents have sacrificed themselves for the country and the people, leaving behind only this child; their elder family members would feel even more heartache. Your Majesty’s order for them to beat the complaint drum is like putting their lives on the edge of a knife. Not to mention Lord Wei, even I think Your Majesty is being too harsh."

"I will arrange for someone, the plank will be raised high and laid down gently, what could possibly go wrong?"

The empress, with a serious face, said, "We fear not for the expected but for the unexpected. The loving heart of a parent cannot withstand ’what ifs.’ Should there be an accident..." The empress paused, "I have seen execution rods, as thick as a man’s thigh, wielded by very strong and skilled soldiers and police officers; one strike can leave the skin unbroken yet rupture the internal organs. Not to mention their relatives, even a stranger like me feels a tightness in the heart when hearing it. Did you just say those children are only twelve or thirteen years old?"

The emperor fell silent.

The empress sighed, "The sin committed by my son would be atoned by the lives of two innocent people, I will have troubled days and nights."

"Zitong, you, this is... Alright, alright, I will not have them beat the complaint drum for now," the emperor, frustrated, got up and walked a few steps, but his big toe spasmed in agonizing pain. He felt particularly unlucky today and merely sat down on the bed again, "But their complaint will be made sooner or later. Without the complaint drum, it will not reach the ears of the world, and I will struggle to hold back the Empress Dowager."