The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 1152 - 1131: Out of Control

Chapter 1152: Chapter 1131: Out of Control

Prince of Yizhou also shouted loudly, "Mother," as he rushed forward to support the Empress Dowager.

The emperor immediately snapped back to reality and said, "Come, quickly help the Empress Dowager down and summon the imperial physician."

After speaking, he also rose to escort the Empress Dowager.

Bai Shan curled his lips, and having already started, naturally it could not end so easily. He bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, I have here evidence of the Prince of Yizhou currently harboring a private army, including the location, number of soldiers, and weapons. Your Majesty, the people of Yizhou have been greatly weakened by the flood disaster five years ago, and back then nearly every household was left empty. They cannot withstand another war."

Manbao lay prostrate on the ground alongside Bai Shan, loudly pleading, "Please grant the people of Yizhou a way to live, Your Majesty!"

The emperor’s expression changed slightly.

Suddenly, the Empress rose from her chair, walked to the emperor’s side, pushed him aside to take the Empress Dowager, and whispered, "Your Majesty can handle the state affairs here; this servant will attend to the Empress Dowager."

The emperor glanced at her, received her stern look, and involuntarily let go. The Empress Dowager suddenly opened her eyes, crying out as she woke.

Yet, the Empress did not stop her actions, but halfway embraced her and said, "Empress Dowager, let this servant take you down to rest, let them headache over these court matters."

The Empress Dowager, clutching her hand, cried, "Empress, it’s rare for me to celebrate my birthday, but it’s turned into such a mess because of these two, and as a mother, I’m bullied like this, yet none of my sons are of any use."

The Prince of Yizhou then angrily said, "Mother, wait, your son will flay them!"

Wei Zhi bellowed, "Prince of Yizhou, are you trying to silence them by killing?"

The Empress Dowager began to cry, pushed the Empress away, and pointed at Wei Zhi at the top of the hall, screaming, "What silencing? These are baseless accusations, just on the word of two young boys you believe them? They are so young, how could they find out these things, yet you all know nothing..."

The Empress Dowager, having a moment of realization, eyes brightened and said, "Right, are you all just idling away? These young children know of it, yet you all know nothing?"

Manbao said, "That’s because the Prince of Yizhou is good at blocking news; Your Highness, you don’t know how hard the people of Yizhou live."

Taking advantage of his young age, and with a mix of fear and hatred in his heart, Manbao simply burst into loud tears, and while crying said, "When the flood disaster occurred in Yizhou, the people fled Yizhou to escape the floodwaters. As soon as the waters receded, they returned home, only to find their houses occupied and their land taken, all seized by the Prince of Yizhou into desolate and wild land. Those who could not produce property deeds were driven away by the Prince’s house, and those who could were beaten and had their documents burnt..."

The Prince of Yizhou, with wide eyes, furiously said, "You slander this Prince—"

"That is the truth," Manbao shouted back even louder, saying, "The people of Yizhou City despise him deeply in their hearts, but they dare not speak for fear of being overheard by his men and being taken to toil, they only dare to curse in their hearts."

"See for yourself," Manbao pointed to a scratch on his face, "This injury, just now in the garden, I accidentally uttered a word against the Prince of Yizhou, it was Commandery Princess Yunfeng who whipped me, if you don’t believe it, ask the Fifth Prince and Commandery Princess Changyu, whether it was Commandery Princess Yunfeng who hit me."

Everyone then turned to look at the Fifth Prince and Commandery Princess Changyu and others still standing atop the hall.

Both were stiff and dared not speak, but Ji Hao knelt on the ground and loudly responded, "I can testify, it was indeed Commandery Princess Yunfeng who hit him."

Ji Xiang, kneeling at the very front: ...

Lord Tang, also kneeling on the ground, seeing that no one else spoke, then reached forward and twisted Wei Zhi a little, and Wei Zhi spoke loudly, "Ji Xiang’s family is in Yizhou; he must know something about these matters, didn’t Ji Hao just come from Yizhou?"

Ji Xiang: ...

Ji Hao looked up at Bai Shan and Zhou Man kneeling at the top, bit his lip and said, "I don’t know about other matters, but I know that there are many displaced people in Yizhou, and they haven’t been well settled to this day."

The Empress, supporting the Empress Dowager, said, "Empress Dowager, the imperial physician has arrived, your son will help you back to your quarters to rest first."

The Empress Dowager pushed the Empress aside and then plopped back down on the chair, exasperatedly said, "Very well, you seem to have chosen today specifically to discomfort me; I want to stay here and listen, what else have you all prepared?"

Lord Tang knew that with the Empress Dowager here, this case could not be continued, so he spoke loudly, "Empress Dowager, this matter involves the foundation and fortune of the state, right and wrong cannot be clarified in a moment, perhaps it’s best to take the accused away first and thoroughly investigate the evidence they brought."

The Empress Dowager pointed at Bai Shan and Zhou Man and asked, "Do you trust the things brought by these two inexperienced children?"

"True or false, we will know after the investigation." Lord Tang insisted, "Please, Your Majesty, do not interfere in state affairs."

"What if I insist on intervening?"

Lord Tang then looked towards the Emperor and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty!"

The Emperor then bowed to the Empress Dowager, "Mother, please return to the palace and rest assured, I will definitely clear Five’s name."

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she raised her hand to hit him, but her hand stopped mid-air, unable to come down; she could only say in a low voice with red eyes: "Erlang, I gave birth to four sons, and now only you and Five are left, you must not, you must not..."

The Emperor said with downcast eyes, "Mother, rest assured, your son understands it all."

The Empress then supported the Empress Dowager to leave, slyly giving Maid Shang a meaningful look.

Maid Shang quietly withdrew.

She left the grand hall, summoned a trusted little palace maid, whispered in her ear, and then she quietly left, speeding towards the palace gates as soon as she was out of the grand hall.

The Empress Dowager was helped away.

Only then did the Emperor sigh, turned back, and sat down in his chair, saying in a deep voice, "Alright, speak now if there’s anything to say."

Ji Xiang ground his teeth and could only take the lead to bow and say: "Your Majesty, I would like to see the ledger they have collected."

The Emperor glanced at Minister Gu, who subtly nodded, and the Emperor then nodded, "Pass it down."

Minister Gu then took out a ledger and handed it down, checking quietly to make sure it was the original before handing it to Ji Xiang.

This was the ledger for the iron mine.

Ji Xiang flipped through it then turned around and handed it to Liu Hui.

Liu Hui took it over and flipped through...

Important ministers began passing it around, and the officials who were already somewhat convinced now even more so, their gazes towards the Prince of Yizhou completely changed.

The Fifth Prince and Princess Changyu also knelt down on the ground, both still somewhat in disbelief.

So, did Zhou Man have a grudge for killing his parents with the imperial uncle from the beginning?

No wonder she called the imperial uncle shameless.

The Fifth Prince quietly looked up at his father above, recalling the note still in his possession, and belatedly realized, Bai Shan was led out by him, so this is...

The Fifth Prince swallowed.

In Changyu’s heart, only full of astonishment remained, feeling surprised by everything.

Hidden outside the hall, Mingda pulled the Sixth Prince and turned to leave.

The Sixth Prince asked in a low voice, "Sis, aren’t we going in?"

Mingda shook her head and said softly, "Let’s go see the Empress Dowager and Mother."

There’s no use for them to go inside now; staying here would only mean kneeling and zoning out, better to find their mother instead.