Ink Burns

Chapter 276: Borrowing Strength to Fight (Part 2)

The Linde Hall was completely silent.

Without irrefutable evidence, it would be impossible to directly name Jing'an!

Has the Grand Princess Jing'an, who ruled two dynasties, finally met her end here?! — All because of a mere private army?!
The ministers remained silent!

Of the officials present, besides Yuan Wenying, there were four others involved with "Qingfeng". The rest of the officials were either newly promoted officials promoted by the emperor or officials from the Qingliu faction who never got involved in power struggles.

In the shadows, the five members of "Qingfeng" engaged in a subtle and veiled struggle, their anxieties and worries intertwined.

Having experienced the "Tethering the Cliff" incident, Yuan Wenying felt a strange sense of relief rising within him: if this battle could completely drag Jing'an down with them, would he and his group of "Qingfeng" be free? He had come this far; he could give up the "Qingfeng" title.
and many more.

"Pulling the loom".
If the "tethering mechanism" is not resolved, he will never be able to escape it!
If only there were an antidote for "the pulling mechanism".
While Yuan Wenying was silently struggling with her inner turmoil, Emperor Yongping's gaze fell on Xue Xiao. After a moment, he slowly nodded, his voice low and deep: "Princess Xuanjing'an."

While waiting, Emperor Yongping offered a seat, and an unfamiliar palace maid bowed and brought out square pastries and fresh persimmons. The persimmons were a clear orange color, and the palace maid had already peeled them down to just a handful of tender stems for decoration. A small, silvery two-pronged fork was placed discreetly next to the persimmons.

Emperor Yongping was very friendly and spoke warmly to the emperor.

When dealing with elders, one should inquire about their descendants.

"The Grand Master Yue's grandson is starting his formal education this year? Four years old might be a bit too early? If it weren't for the auspicious age of waiting for a great scholar, five or six years old, when his finger bones are stronger, would be more prudent for him to hold a pen—and your cough, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau says this winter will be the coldest in ten years, like silver threads of charcoal."

They are more easygoing with younger people.

“Ze Shan is thirty-one now. Are your parents still in northern Shaanxi? After this year’s ginkgo leaves are processed, I’ll have Liu Si distribute two baskets to you. The temperature of ginkgo leaves is just right for the slightly dry north.”

They greeted each other about the past, turning a serious meeting into a friendly tea chat.

The young emperor memorized everyone's family background, relatives, origins, and origins, and treated his ministers, whether from noble or humble backgrounds, equally.

This scene had never occurred before during the reign of Emperor Zhaode: Emperor Zhaode considered himself a "literati emperor," and those with refined tastes disliked the mundane world. Chatting with his officials about everyday matters would be beneath the dignity of a scholar, and Emperor Zhaode had always disdained to do such a thing.

Whether it was an act or not, the fact that Emperor Yongping, who was now proceeding cautiously step by step, had managed to achieve this level of success deeply moved the veteran officials who had served two dynasties.

The wait was rather long. Princess Jing'an was no ordinary person who could be summoned at a moment's notice. Eunuch Wu arrived in haste and whispered something in Emperor Yongping's ear. Emperor Yongping remained expressionless, smiled slightly, and said in a voice that everyone present could hear: "Since my aunt is unwell, she naturally has no time to take care of my cousin. Tell my aunt that I will send someone to the Marquis of Wuding's residence to bring my cousin to the palace and personally take good care of her."

Supervisor Wu bowed and withdrew.

Emperor Yongping smiled warmly and turned his head: "Where was I?"

As the officials were moved, a slight chill ran through them.

In the eight years since Emperor Yongping ascended the throne, his presence has been minimal. In the minds of his officials, he is remembered only by two words: "humble" and "silent." The only outrageous thing he did was to write a red ink note praising Xue Xiao's second-class rank, but he quickly listened to the advice of the censors and demoted Xue Xiao, who had accused his mentor, to a remote post.

Just as Emperor Zhaode rarely showed affability, Emperor Yongping never displayed domineering power.

When did Emperor Yongping begin to show his true colors?
last year.

Since the Xue Changfeng case last year, the pacification of Jiangnan, the overturning of wrongful convictions, the killing of Chang Lin, the purge of the palace, the removal of powerful officials, the replacement of Xishan, and the coercion of Jing'an have all been carried out step by step, silently purging the inner palace and the court!
Recalling the past, when Emperor Yongping sat silently on the dragon throne, listening to his contemplators like Yuan Wenying, Han Chengguang, and Chang Lin discuss the affairs of the country and express their opinions, what was the expression on the young emperor's face and what were his thoughts behind the slightly swaying jade pendant? How deep his scheming and how heavy his mind was.

These eight words, if applied to a treacherous official, would certainly send chills down one's spine.

But if it were the monarch, the officials would feel nothing but fear and reassurance.

For example now——

After exchanging pleasantries for so long, Emperor Yongping did not grant Xue Xiao the grace to leave and wash and change his clothes. Instead, he silently placed him aside, leaving him covered in blood and grime to wait, facing off against Grand Princess Jing'an in the most direct and visible manner.

******
Less than a quarter of an hour after Wu Dajian left, one could hear the heavy, dragging footsteps in the corridor and the rustling sound of twelve horse-face skirts trailing on the ground.

Princess Jing'an was summoned to the palace.

The elegant old woman wore a luxurious silk brocade cloak, with gold-embroidered melon and rat patterns on her eyebrows. A slender vine stretched out in a regular pattern, leading out a profusion of fruits. Among the fruits, bared-toothed weasels darted about, their large eyes revealing their desire to possess the fruits.

"Please excuse the Grand Princess from bowing." Emperor Yongping spoke calmly, leaning slightly against the chair and raising his hand slightly: "Please take a seat and serve tea."

Princess Jing'an raised her hand, the sleeves extending from the outside to her abdomen, the wide robes concealing her tired, curled-up figure, her haggard, sickly appearance only able to be covered by layers upon layers of makeup.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man who should have died long ago sitting at the head of the table, his blood-stained clothes silently accusing her.

Last night, none of the fifty elite soldiers I sent out survived.

Some were even found dead, their bodies never seen again.

Those were the fifty elite warriors she had carefully cultivated—she had nearly a thousand private soldiers on her estate, but the best of them were these fifty. She had personally selected them one by one from among the children; they were all top-tier warriors who had fought their way out of bloodshed, and were by no means mediocre people who only knew how to talk about war on paper.

She didn't believe that Xue Xiao could take on all fifty people by himself.

But the end is just around the corner.

Xue Xiao is still alive, completely intact, and even has the strength to appeal to the emperor.

Jing'an's gaze swept past Xue Xiao and went straight to Emperor Yongping, her demeanor composed: "No need for tea. We've finished our conversation in a few words, and I'll be returning to my residence to rest now. I'm getting old, not like I used to be. Ten years ago, when the Emperor couldn't understand memorials and couldn't distinguish when to use vermilion annotations and when to use his seal, I could still stand here in Linde Hall and painstakingly teach him. Now, times have changed. The Emperor is adept at reviewing memorials, and I no longer have the energy and magnanimity I once had."

Emperor Yongping lowered his head and drank his tea.

Xue Xiao raised his head, his gaze sharp: "Is the Grand Princess Jing'an aware of the attack I suffered last night?"

Jing'an turned around and said, "I know. My palace servants came to tell me about it."

"You just found out?" Xue Xiao asked back.

Jing'an's gaze remained calm, still not looking at Xue Xiao, but only at Emperor Yongping: "Is Lord Xue questioning me?"

I'm declaring that Emperor Yongping is my favorite male character in this book. He's a cold and aloof emperor with a seemingly detached exterior.