The struggle for the throne among nine princes—I really don't want to be the crown prince.

Chapter 465 Seeking an Audience with the Emperor: Open and Covert Attacks in the Court

For ministers, what was the worst thing about the dead of winter? It was definitely attending court!
The little wind blew whistlingly, as if it knew the way, and deliberately chose to sneak into the seams of the official's robe, making people's teeth chatter and their whole bodies shiver!
As a result, some elderly and frail officials would ask for leave whenever possible when attending court in winter—after all, their lives were more important.

The fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month is the last grand court ceremony of the year.

As is customary, on this day, Emperor Qianxi would give a year-end summary and praise the ministers who had performed well.

Even if something really happens, unless it's extremely urgent, it's usually left until after the New Year—after all, it's freezing cold, what could be so urgent?

But the atmosphere is a bit off today.

The ministers, who usually whispered and rubbed their hands to warm them up during court sessions, all had stern faces, as if they were frozen stiff.

Even the minor officials standing in the back row, who often secretly stomped their feet to keep warm, had serious expressions and dared not breathe too loudly.

Everyone knows the grand entrance the Duke of Yansheng made to the capital yesterday, and they understand even more what this means for the court—

Something big is about to happen!
The entire hall was filled with a tense atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing.

The process is still the same old one.

Under the command of the Ministry of Rites officials, the courtiers knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Their movements were so synchronized that they resembled rows of ice sculptures that had suddenly thawed and then quickly refrozen.

Emperor Qianxi sat on the Sumeru pedestal of the dragon throne, calmly smoothing the sable fur on his sleeves, seemingly unaware of what had happened yesterday or what drama would unfold today.

That steady, composed demeanor made him seem like someone watching a show, just missing a plate of melon seeds.

The personal eunuch, Liang Jiugong, raised his voice and shouted, "His Majesty has decreed: present your memorials if you have any, otherwise leave the court!"

The lingering notes were still echoing between the beams and pillars when the entire audience fell silent.

The ministers stood there like wooden stakes, motionless and silent.

Just as some people's toes were numb with cold, and they thought they would be able to leave court peacefully, Xu Yuanmeng, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, walked out shakily—his steps were unusually slow, whether from frozen legs or a deliberate attempt to create a tragic atmosphere, it was unclear.
"I have my heart and I want to report it."

Emperor Qianxi raised his eyes: "What does Minister Xu want to report? Keep it brief!"

"Kong Shangde, the eldest son of the Duke Yansheng, has arrived in the capital and requests an audience with the Emperor."

The Emperor, prepared for this, calmly replied, "The cause of Kong Yujin's death has not yet been investigated and decided by the Three Judicial Offices. Kong Shangde's matter will be discussed later!"

Under normal circumstances, when the emperor gets to this point, the ministers should wisely shut up and obediently return to their ranks.

But Xu Yuanmeng was different today; he continued, still bent over, and said:

"Your Majesty, the Duke Yansheng has passed away. According to the rites, Kong Shangde will be the next Duke Yansheng. From the previous dynasty to the present, for hundreds of years, there has never been a precedent of not having a descendant of a sage. I feel that... this is inappropriate!"

Goodness, directly saying the emperor is "inappropriate" is quite a defiant stance!

Emperor Qianxi's face darkened instantly. He stared at Xu Yuanmeng like a tiger eyeing its prey, ready to devour him at any moment.

But Xu Yuanmeng remained motionless, as steady as a statue, with only the feather on her hat swaying in the wind, as if shaking her head to say no on behalf of her master.

Then, another voice rang out:
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites is in charge of all etiquette in the realm, and I agree with Vice Minister Xu!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I also second the proposal!"

Suddenly, more than twenty officials stepped forward and began to offer suggestions to the emperor.

Emperor Qianxi's expression turned solemn.

He certainly understood that once he met Kong Shangde, he had to comfort and console him, after all, Kong's father had just died, and "the dead should be respected."

The imperial court needed the reputation of the Kong family, and the Kong family also needed the imperial court's recognition.

From yesterday's welcoming ceremony along the ten-mile-long street to today's official remonstrance in such a coup-like manner, these people have only one goal—

They forced him to immediately admit that Kong Shangde was the next Duke Yansheng.

With just a nod from him, Kong Yujin's case would have to be decided in favor of the Kong family...

Just as I was hesitating, a voice cut in, clear and with a hint of laziness:
"The case of Duke Yansheng Kong Yujin's suicide out of fear of punishment has not yet been resolved, and the Kong family has yet to provide the explanation His Majesty demands. Is it inappropriate to go and see a person who is guilty of a crime now?"

Crown Prince Shen Ye slowly walked out and looked directly at Xu Yuanmeng:
"What are your intentions in doing this? Could it be that..."

He paused, then suddenly smiled and said, "Having accepted the Kong family's specialties, you dare to say such things in front of the palace?"

Xu Yuanmeng's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected the Crown Prince to directly confront her, and in such a down-to-earth way.

This crown prince is no pushover; he has the Ministry of Revenue completely under his control, and he even dares to bargain with the emperor.

Xu Yuanmeng froze for a moment, forcing a smile through his numb face: "Your Highness, there is no precedent in history for not having descendants of a sage. I am only afraid... that it would tarnish Your Majesty's wisdom."

Shen Ye sneered: "Father's wisdom lies in his diligence in governing the country and caring for the people, and in bringing peace to the world, not in whether or not he meets with a criminal. Besides, if Father wants to meet with someone, he should meet with the Duke of Yansheng, not the suspect's family."

He paused, looked around, and glanced at the ministers who had bowed their heads and shrank their necks: "Or is it that—in your hearts, gentlemen, the name of the Sage is greater than the law of the land?"

These words caused a slight commotion in the court.

Several ministers standing by the door shivered in the cold wind, as if they had been frightened by the Crown Prince's words. The Crown Prince's meaning was clear: if Kong Yujin was truly guilty, whether his son could still become the Duke of Yansheng was another matter entirely.

A minor official standing in the back row nodded subconsciously, only to be nudged with an elbow by a colleague, and quickly resumed his expressionless demeanor.

At this moment, Chen Tingjing stepped forward to smooth things over, speaking earnestly:

"Your Highness, the Duke Yansheng has a thousand-year-old lineage with its own ancestral rules. If you break these rules, the court will likely become a laughingstock. We urge Your Highness to consider this carefully!"

The Fourth Prince, Yunzhen, stood in the queue listening to Shen Ye and Chen Tingjing's heated debate, secretly grateful to the Crown Prince.

He was so worried last night that he didn't sleep well, and when he woke up this morning he found a chilblain on the corner of his mouth!
He knew in his heart that if his father really met Kong Shangde, he would probably have to appease this legitimate son of the Kong family.

Under pressure from the crowd, Kong Shangde is likely to be appointed as the new Duke Yansheng.

In that case, the huge black pot that fell from the sky to blame for Kong Yujin's death would be firmly placed on his own head.

While it might not cost him his life, he'd certainly face some punishment.

Now, the Crown Prince's words, "a person with a criminal record," have relieved most of the pressure.

Yunzhen felt that the chilblains on the corners of her mouth didn't hurt as much anymore, and quickly replied:

"I don't quite understand the ancestral rules that Lord Chen mentioned. But when I was providing disaster relief in Mount Tai, I found irrefutable evidence that the Duke of Yansheng's mansion colluded with corrupt officials to embezzle grain and fodder! If we don't investigate such things that harm the people and tarnish the court, then we are truly breaking the ancestral rules!"

Chen Tingjing retorted coldly, his voice hard and unyielding:

"Fourth Prince, the Duke of Yansheng's mansion is not the only one."

"With so many people above and below, even if the Duke Yansheng is wise, he cannot control every member of the clan. It is possible that some wicked servants or scoundrels may act recklessly in his name, but the blame cannot be placed on the Duke Yansheng himself."

He spoke with great conviction, as if he had personally witnessed the evil servants of the Kong family write a guarantee promising that all the servants' actions were unrelated to their master.

Yunzhen's face turned ashen with anger, and he was about to explode when Shen Ye spoke up leisurely:
"All the credit is mine, and all the blame is on my subordinates—Master Chen, how clever you are at taking credit and shifting blame!"

As Shen Ye spoke, she strolled over to Chen Tingjing and said with a smile:
"No wonder the Censorate has been getting worse year by year, it's all because of you."

“Lord Chen is sitting in the capital,” Shen Ye suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice so that everyone could hear, “and he doesn’t even know what happened at Mount Tai, yet he can insist that Kong Yujin was not involved and that it was all the fault of the servants… His judgment is truly admirable.”

He straightened up, shook his head and sighed, "Tsk tsk, it's such a waste that Lord Chen doesn't set up a fortune-telling stall under the overpass, with his talent for making up stories!"

He turned to the Qianxi Emperor, suddenly raised his voice, and bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty, I congratulate you! Our court has produced another 'wise man' like Lord Chen! His insight and his skill in deflecting blame truly make him a pillar of our Great Zhou!"

Chen Tingjing's face turned green.

The Crown Prince's words were both insulting and vicious, criticizing his poor skills and questionable character, yet he couldn't refute them on the spot.

The scene was awkward for a while.

Emperor Qianxi finally spoke in a deep voice, first addressing Li Guangdi, a minister of the Southern Study:

"Li Guangdi, tell me what you think."

Li Guangdi had just been promoted to Grand Secretary and concurrently served as Minister of Rites. He stepped forward and responded with composure, each word spoken clearly and slowly:
"According to the rites, Your Majesty should meet with the Duke of Yansheng when he comes to court."

"But Kong Yujin is dead and cannot come to court at present. I believe that the three judicial departments should first investigate the death of Kong Yujin before Your Majesty meets with the new Duke Yansheng."

He emphasized the word "newly appointed" to imply that Kong Shangde had not yet taken office. After all, the appointment procedures had not been completed yet, so what was the rush?
Emperor Qianxi nodded calmly, then looked at Zhang Ying:
"Lord Zhang, what do you think?"

Zhang Ying was startled and quickly cupped her hands in greeting:
"Your Majesty, regardless of the reason for Kong Yujin's suicide, she has already given an explanation."

He spoke rapidly, as if he were in a hurry to leave court and go home to warm himself by the fire, "The royal family has always treated the lineage of the Duke Yansheng with great favor. I think that if we continue to investigate, it will only cause more trouble. It would be better to close the case here, as the court has many more important matters to attend to."

Emperor Qianxi nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Your words are wise and insightful, a testament to your experience in governing the country."

But before he could draw a conclusion, his gaze slowly shifted to Tong Guowei:

"What does Prime Minister Tong think?"

If Tong Guowei also agreed to close the case, Emperor Qianxi might have simply let the matter drop.

Tong Guowei spoke slowly, his words carrying a profound meaning:

“Your Majesty, what Lord Zhang said makes sense at first glance, but if we remain vague about it, it will set a bad precedent for future generations.”

“If such a thing happens again in the future, and the person involved simply dies, what will become of the court’s prestige? I suggest that this case be thoroughly investigated to give an explanation to the people of the world and to the scholars.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

Shen Ye listened and thought the words sounded high-sounding, but was Tong Guowei really thinking about the greater good?

He's not like that kind of person.

All eyes were now focused on Emperor Qianxi.

After all, the final decision rests with the Emperor.

　The second update for today is here! Please vote for me, everyone!

　
(End of this chapter)