After obtaining Lou Jin’s consent, Ye Xunyang was instantly filled with boundless drive.
With a fiery and hurried style, he blurted out: “Your Highness, just wait for me. I am going to look through some medical books, consult the estate doctor, and come up with a foolproof prescription for you.”
With that, he turned around and strode out briskly, even forgetting to pull the door shut gently behind him.
Quiet returned to the study, leaving only the faint birdsong outside the window and the soft rustle of pages stirred by the breeze.
Lou Jin gazed at the door that was still trembling slightly, stunned for a moment, and then burst into a low chuckle.
His laughter startled Wang Quan, who was standing guard in the outer room.
Wang Quan was practically frozen, completely forgetting how to breathe as he cast an incredulous, stolen glance toward the interior.
His Highness was actually laughing so heartily!
Ever since the upheaval three years ago, he had grown accustomed to the Prince’s cold indifference. When had he ever seen a smile like this, entirely devoid of gloom?
Wang Quan’s eye sockets grew somewhat warm, and he hurriedly lowered his head, feeling an indescribable wave of gratitude toward the Prince Consort in his heart.
Lou Jin laughed for a little while before slowly coming to a stop.
He raised a hand to gently press against his abdomen, which felt slightly sore from laughing too hard. Picturing Ye Xunyang’s expression, he understood that the young man must have encountered something outside.
He reined in his smile, recovering his usual composure, and said in a deep voice: “Wang Quan.”
“This servant is here.” Wang Quan immediately stepped inside and bowed.
“Send in Mu Shan, who accompanied the Prince Consort out today, to report to me.”
“Yes.”
A moment later, the attendant Mu Shan walked respectfully into the study, knelt on one knee, and said: “Your Highness.”
“Speak. What happened when you left the estate today?” Lou Jin’s voice carried no emotion, yet it possessed an inherent coercion.
Not daring to conceal anything, Mu Shan recounted everything from beginning to end without missing a single word: how they coincidentally ran into Zhao Pan and the others at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, how the other party spoke insolently, and how the Prince Consort refuted them before finally flicking his sleeves and leaving.
Lou Jin listened quietly, his expression devoid of ripples, save for the fingers resting on the armrests of his wheelchair, which tightened slightly.
Upon hearing that Ye Xunyang had said he would definitely get better, a deep sense of touch welled up inside his heart.
When he had suddenly fallen seriously ill years ago, many people had told him that he would definitely recover, but he knew those were all polite platitudes.
Yet, hearing those exact same words spoken by Ye Xunyang, he felt that they were entirely sincere.
When Mu Shan finished speaking, Lou Jin remained silent for a moment before waving his hand: “Understood, you may withdraw. Keep today’s events strictly confidential.”
“This subordinate understands!” Mu Shan bowed and retreated.
Once again, Lou Jin was left alone in the study.
He turned his wheelchair to face the window, where the afterglow of the setting sun outlined his profile, casting one half in bright light and the other in shadow.
He did not care about the mockery of those dissolute scions. Having experienced open spears and hidden arrows for years, idle gossip of this level could not harm him in the slightest.
However, Ye Xunyang’s reaction was quite interesting.
Lou Jin’s fingertips tapped lightly against the armrest.
His Prince Consort had suffered grievances on his account.
This could simply not be let go.
“Shanlan,” Lou Jin called out faintly to the empty study.
A black shadow appeared silently like a phantom in the corner of the study, kneeling on one knee with its entire body enveloped in black clothing, revealing only a pair of emotionless eyes.
“Master.”
Without turning back, Lou Jin spoke in a calm, flat tone that nevertheless carried unquestionable chill: “Zhao Yong, the Junior Minister of War, has failed to discipline his family properly, and his son Zhao Pan is unruly in speech and behavior, daring to assault the Prince Consort. He openly slandered the imperial lineage, showed profound disrespect to Prince Jing and the Prince Consort in his words, and even went so far as to curse an imperial prince.”
“Not only does this act undermine the dignity of the imperial court, but it is also a crime of supreme disrespect. The evidence is conclusive. Requesting Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate!”
With that, the Left Censor-in-Chief withdrew a memorial from his sleeve, which was presented before the throne by an attendant.
As soon as these words were spoken, all the civil and military officials in the grand hall were startled. Many cast stealthy glances toward Grand General Ye Qing, who stood at the front of the military officials’ queue, and Zhao Yong, whose face instantly turned ashen in the civil officials’ queue.
Zhao Yong dropped to his knees with a thud, cold sweat pouring down his face: “Your Majesty! This subject has failed to teach his son properly and deserves a thousand deaths! But my foolish son is young and vigorous, and perhaps he merely spoke foolishly while drunk; he certainly harbors no intent to look down upon the imperial family, Your Majesty!”
Filled with shock and terror, he recalled that yesterday his son had only mentioned in passing that he ran into Ye Xunyang at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion with some minor verbal friction. At the time, believing the General’s son turned Prince Consort would be easier to manipulate, Zhao Yong had not pursued the matter deeply. Who could have imagined that overnight, the Censorate would seize upon it and thrust it directly before the throne!
Before the Emperor could speak, another Censor stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, while recently reviewing old archives, this subject discovered that the accounts of Zhao Yong regarding the military equipment procurement case from three years ago appear unclear. Although the case was closed, doubts remain, and this subject earnestly requests Your Majesty to grant permission for a reinvestigation!”
For a time, cries of impeachment rang out one after another, with clear targets, all of them individuals and families connected to yesterday’s incident at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
Although each matter individually did not seem earth-shattering, stacked together, especially when cast forth in succession during this solemn morning court session, the effect was nothing short of thunderous.
Zhao Yong’s face was already ashen, and he collapsed limply to the ground.
He understood that this was by no means a coincidence; someone was out to destroy him. Scholar Wang and Junior Official Li were also breaking out in cold sweat, cursing their misfortune internally and wishing they could immediately rush home and break their rebellious sons’ legs!
General Ye Qing had maintained a blank expression from beginning to end, as though none of this had anything to do with him. However, his tightly clenched fists and slightly trembling mustache revealed his inner turbulence.
While he was angered that those dissolute youths had dared to insult his son and the Prince, he was equally shocked that this counterattack had arrived with such terrifying swiftness.
Whose doing was this?
Prince Jing?
Or was the Emperor utilizing this opportunity to keep certain people in check?
On the dragon throne, the Emperor swept a profound gaze across the kneeling Zhao Yong and the officials who had stepped forward to impeach him, showing neither joy nor anger on his face.
He fell silent for a moment, making the entire Golden-Domed Hall so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
“Zhao Yong,” the Emperor finally spoke, his voice calm yet carrying unquestionable majesty.
“This subject is here!” Zhao Yong’s voice trembled.
“You failed to discipline your family, allowed your son to speak wildly, and insulted the royal family. Do you know your crime?”
“This subject knows his crime! This subject deserves ten thousand deaths!” Zhao Yong kowtowed like pounding garlic.
“Considering your years of diligent service, the death penalty is remitted. Starting today, you are stripped of your post as Junior Minister of War, demoted to an Auxiliary Official, and placed on probation within the ministry for observation. Your salary for one year is forfeited. As for your son Zhao Pan, he is to receive thirty heavy bamboo strikes, be confined to the estate for a year, and reflect behind closed doors! If there are any further transgressions, both crimes will be punished together!”
“Thank you Your Majesty for your immense grace!” Zhao Yong wept tears of gratitude. This was already an extraordinary act of leniency; although he lost the real power of a Vice-Minister, he at least preserved his official rank and his life.
“Scholar Wang and Junior Official Li, forfeit half a year’s salary each and strictly discipline your respective youths. Should trouble arise again, there will be no forgiveness!”
“We subjects obey the decree and thank Your Majesty!” Wang and Li hurriedly stepped forward to kneel and express gratitude, a heavy stone lifting from their chests while remaining gripped by lingering fear.
“As for the old military equipment procurement case…” The Emperor shifted his gaze to the Assistant Minister of Revenue. “Let the Censorate, in conjunction with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, reinvestigate. If genuine problems are found, dispose of them according to the law!”
“This subject obeys the decree!” the relevant officials answered in unison.
When the court session adjourned, everyone in the court understood that even if Prince Jing remained bedridden, he was absolutely not a figure to be trifled with lightly. To think that after three years of silence, Prince Jing’s methods remained so ruthless that he brought down three entire households without even showing his face.
And as for that newly appointed Prince Consort, he was evidently the apple of Prince Jing’s eye; everyone would need to treat him with utmost respect in the future.
When the news reached the Prince’s Manor, Ye Xunyang was in the small kitchen, frowning deeply as he discussed medical books and herb properties with the estate doctor, trying to figure out how to match medicinal ingredients to nourish the body without harming Lou Jin’s vital energy.
When he heard about the events of the morning court from a young servant, he was utterly stunned.
“Zhao Yong was stripped of his post? Zhao Pan got beaten with boards and confined?” Ye Xunyang blinked, finding it hard to believe.
He had originally planned to use his own fists to seek payback for yesterday’s stifled anger at the first opportunity, but he never expected retribution to arrive so quickly.
Subconsciously, he looked toward the direction of Lou Jin’s study.
Was this his doing?