Dingbei Wang, full of vigor and pride, entered the palace in armor and sword to attend the imperial audience, handing over his weapons to the palace attendants before stepping into the hall.
Inside the hall, civil and military officials stood in two rows. On the imperial throne sat the somewhat frail figure of the Young Emperor. Beside him stood a man in black robes with wide sleeves, the official court attire. The hall was deep and vast, making it difficult to see the man’s features clearly from a distance, but the aura emanating from him made He Runsheng certain—this was the Imperial Uncle.
“Your subject, He Runsheng, pays homage to Your Majesty. In this campaign, I have not failed the Late Emperor’s command. I drove the invading Yuwen Tribe back over two hundred li, beheaded more than five thousand, and captured nearly ten thousand. Under the protection of the imperial court, I have upheld the prestige of our Great Jin.”
As these words were spoken, the expressions of the civil and military officials in the court varied, their eyes collectively turning toward the man beside the Young Emperor.
Yet, the Imperial Uncle stood with his back to the crowd, facing the emperor, unmoving and majestic.
Instead of waiting for a single word from the Imperial Uncle, they heard the Young Emperor speak: “You have worked hard, dear subject. We shall surely reward you.”
He Runsheng’s eyes swept over the Imperial Uncle’s back. He took a deep breath. The letter his family general had delivered to the Imperial Uncle’s residence had not been rebuked, suggesting tacit approval.
Thinking of this, his heart settled. He immediately said, “Your humble subject is willing to exchange this military achievement for Your Majesty’s permission to annul my engagement with the Lady of the Gu family. Thanks to the Late Emperor’s great kindness, I have been engaged to the Lady Gu for three years. However, regrettably, our temperaments are incompatible, and our interests differ. Although Lady Gu is exceptionally beautiful, she is willful and reckless, lacking literary refinement. Such a straw bag is truly someone I cannot coexist with. I beg Your Majesty’s gracious permission.”
The entire court erupted in murmurs. Who could have imagined that Dingbei Wang would exchange his military achievements for the annulment of an engagement?
Moreover, although Lady Gu had no reputation for talent, the term “straw bag” was unheard of. To break off the engagement, Dingbei Wang did not hesitate to tarnish Lady Gu’s reputation—this… this seemed rather lacking in gentlemanly conduct.
Fortunately, Minister Gu was absent from court today due to illness. Had he heard these words in person, he might have been driven to his grave in fury.
The Young Emperor looked anxiously at the man beside him. He had never encountered such a situation—could an engagement decreed by the Late Emperor be revoked?
A pair of panicked eyes met the Imperial Uncle’s calm, dark gaze. The Young Emperor swallowed hard, his body trembling slightly. He tried to force a smile but found it looked more pitiful than a grimace.
Everyone saw the Young Emperor’s eyes turn toward the Imperial Uncle, but with the Imperial Uncle’s back to the crowd, no one could see his expression. After a long pause, the Young Emperor spoke in a trembling voice, “Granted!”
The Imperial Uncle’s cold and imposing figure remained as unmoving as a mountain. No one in the court dared to act recklessly. The Young Emperor lowered his head in silence, and the officials exchanged glances, not daring to comment. Only He Runsheng was overjoyed, kowtowing in gratitude.
After the court session ended and the officials withdrew, the Young Emperor looked at the Imperial Uncle and mustered the courage to speak in a trembling voice, “Imperial Uncle, although Dingbei Wang exchanged his military achievements, he still defied the Late Emperor’s decree. How… how could you grant it?”
The Imperial Uncle’s narrow eyes lifted slightly as he glanced at the Young Emperor. “With the feudal lords carving up territories and the barbarian tribes encircling us, He Runsheng is still useful. He cannot be killed.”
The Young Emperor pressed his lips tightly together, stubbornly staring at the Imperial Uncle. After a long pause, he said, “But we still have you, Imperial Uncle.”
In his view, He Runsheng’s defiance of the Late Emperor warranted imprisonment and punishment.
“The way of imperial authority lies in balance and in… endurance. Besides, there are other ways to make him suffer utter humiliation.”
The Young Emperor watched the Imperial Uncle’s tall figure gradually disappear from the great hall, yet his words continued to echo in his ears.
A few days later, the Young Emperor finally learned how the Imperial Uncle had utterly humiliated He Runsheng!
He couldn’t help but feel that the Imperial Uncle had endured great indignity just to make He Runsheng lose face.