diskusbooks Chapter 263 Breaking in
Chapter 263 Breaking in
"This imperial edict truly came from the Emperor's palace. I was merely a messenger and have no idea what the inside story is!"
The eunuch turned pale with fright at Zheng Yuxiang's words and hurriedly tried to explain.
Zheng Yuxiang handed the imperial edict directly to the other civil and military officials. The officials took the edict and examined it carefully. The handwriting on the edict was indeed somewhat different from Xue Huaiyu's usual handwriting.
The ministers exchanged bewildered glances, their faces showing shock, before questioning the eunuch: "Falsifying an imperial edict is a capital offense. How many lives do you have to die?"
"Hurry up and tell the truth!"
Just then, Chen Tongyu suddenly stepped forward, smiling and speaking calmly on behalf of the eunuch: "Gentlemen, please be patient. His Majesty has been unwell recently, so it's understandable that the handwriting on this imperial edict is slightly different from usual. Why should we make things difficult for a messenger?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a minister chimed in, "Lord Chen is quite right. Judging authenticity solely by handwriting is far too hasty."
Chen Tongyu nodded and continued, "Even if the Emperor is in poor health, he is still the ruler of the country. How could a mere eunuch dare to forge an imperial edict?"
Zheng Yuxiang, who had been observing coldly, finally spoke up, his voice tinged with sarcasm: "Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. If something really happens to the Emperor, can you bear the responsibility?"
"The most important thing now is the safety of the Emperor. If the Emperor is harmed by a villain, I will be the first to offer his head as a sacrifice to the heavens!" Zheng Yuxiang's expression was solemn, his eyes fixed on Chen Tongyu.
Chen Tongyu naturally knew that Zheng Yuxiang was threatening him, that he wanted to use his head as a sacrifice to the heavens.
Chen Tongyu maintained a facade of indifference, but inwardly he was already plotting how to kill Zheng Yuxiang.
"I must see His Majesty today! To confirm His Majesty's safety! Otherwise, no one will be allowed to leave this palace today!" Zheng Yuxiang said, giving Zheng Luoqi a meaningful look.
Zheng Luoqi nodded, immediately understanding what Zheng Yuxiang meant.
Then, she made a move to go find Xue Huaiyu, but as she turned to leave the main hall, she was stopped by two guards. Zheng Luoqi raised an eyebrow and smiled, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Lord Zheng, His Majesty has already retired for the night. Please do not trouble me."
"Go away!"
Zheng Luoqi originally intended to simply walk past the two guards, but to her surprise, the two guards showed no intention of moving at all.
Upon seeing this, Zheng Luoqi felt a surge of anger, but he did not immediately lash out. Instead, he suppressed his anger, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips.
"Oh? Could this also be the Emperor's decree?" Zheng Luoqi's voice carried a hint of sarcasm.
"Lord Zheng, His Majesty has indeed rested. I was only acting under orders, so please do not blame me."
Zheng Luoqi snorted coldly, clearly dissatisfied with the guard's answer. He suddenly flicked his sleeve and shouted angrily, "Insolence! Who do you think you are? How dare you obstruct my audience with the Emperor?"
Having said that, Zheng Luoqi strode forward, trying to force his way past the guard. Seeing this, the guard quickly reached out to stop him, saying, "Lord Zheng, please don't make things difficult for me."
Zheng Luoqi's face grew increasingly gloomy. Suddenly, he launched a powerful kick at one of the guards. Caught off guard, the guard was sent flying backward by the unexpected kick and crashed heavily to the ground.
Immediately afterwards, Zheng Luoqi kicked another guard, who was also kicked to the ground, groaning in pain.
After doing all this, Zheng Luoqi didn't even glance at the two guards again, and turned to walk straight outside.
When the other ministers from the Prime Minister's faction saw Zheng Luoqi's actions, they were first taken aback, then they all realized what was happening. They exchanged glances and then followed Zheng Luoqi outside without hesitation.
Seeing that Zheng Luoqi dared to hit someone in the imperial court, Chen Tongyu was so angry that he jumped up. He pointed at Zheng Luoqi's nose and shouted, "Zheng Luoqi, how dare you! Do you have any respect for the law? Where do you place the laws of my Great Xia?"
Just then, Zheng Yuxiang stepped forward and said loudly, "Today's events were all due to my excessive concern for the Emperor's safety, which led me to resort to this desperate measure. If there is any guilt, I will bear it all!"
After saying this, Zheng Yuxiang led a group of officials from the Prime Minister's faction and followed Zheng Luoqi.
At this moment, the other officials in the court looked at each other, unsure whether they should follow the prime minister's faction to find out what was going on, or stay and wait for news.
An awkward silence fell over the court.
The officials looked at each other, exchanging glances, seemingly waiting for someone else to make the first decision.
Some people wanted to follow, but were worried about being ostracized by the prime minister's faction; while others felt it was safer to stay here, but were afraid of missing important news.
In this atmosphere of hesitation, time passed slowly, and in the end, most officials chose to stand still and watch the prime minister's faction of officials leave.
Seeing that Chen Tongyu had no intention of leaving, the officials from the Chen family faction decided to stay and wait.
On the other side, Zheng Luoqi and Zheng Yuxiang strode through the corridor, the sound of their boots striking the ground echoing between the silent palace walls. Several ministers followed closely behind, their footsteps disordered, but no one spoke; a tense silence filled the air.
“Your Excellency the Prime Minister!” an older official called out in a low voice, his tone tentative. “It would be inappropriate for us to barge into the inner palace so rashly.”
Zheng Yuxiang paused, glanced at him sideways, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Inappropriate? The Emperor's safety is the biggest inappropriate thing." After saying that, he quickened his pace.
As they turned a corner, several palace maids approached. Upon seeing Zheng Luoqi and her entourage, they immediately bowed and hurriedly made way.
Not long after, the person I expected came towards me. She was dressed in a gorgeous phoenix coronet and wedding gown. The bright red color complemented her fair skin, making her even more beautiful and charming.
She wore a golden phoenix hair ornament on her head, inlaid with exquisite gemstones, which swayed gently with her steps, making a crisp sound.
Behind her followed a group of eunuchs and palace maids, who bowed their heads respectfully and followed her steps carefully, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
As she approached, everyone bowed and said in unison, "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty the Empress!"