Noble families placed great importance on reputation. These senior ministers from prestigious clans did not know that the fabricated stories of noble ladies’ conflicts circulating among the commoners were orchestrated by Concubine Yun. They assumed it was Gu Yuanyao’s doing. Although these rumors did not name names, the range of speculation among the people was even broader. Many noble ladies were portrayed as ruthless and vicious women, causing significant damage to their families’ reputations. Naturally, they could not let Gu Yuanyao off easily.
Gu Yuanyao was caught off guard when he heard someone impeaching him, utterly confused. Seeing several ministers step forward one after another, actually agreeing to the proposal to punish him, he truly believed he had offended these people in some unknown way. These influential noble families had deep-rooted foundations, far beyond what he, a commoner by birth, could compare to. Instantly, beads of sweat formed densely on his forehead as he desperately pondered what to do.
Prime Minister Su and General Su glanced at him subtly from the corners of their eyes, both maintaining a tacit silence. Prime Minister Su stroked his beard, inwardly sneering: That scoundrel Gu Yuanyao, thinking his wings have hardened, actually dared to allow a lowly concubine-born daughter to bully his granddaughter. If his granddaughter hadn’t informed him in advance, saying she wanted to handle this matter herself, he would have long since kicked Gu Yuanyao out of this court.
In the vast court hall, no one spoke, and the atmosphere froze for a moment. Only then did the Crown Prince step forward: “In my opinion, this matter is, after all, Minister Gu’s family affair. It may not be appropriate for us outsiders to intervene. Moreover, since Minister Gu assumed office, he has been diligent and dedicated. Even if he lacks merit, he has put in hard work. Punishing him over a mere family matter would likely chill the hearts of the officials.” Gu Yuanyao had already pledged allegiance to him; they were on the same boat, so naturally, he had to protect him.
“The Crown Prince makes a valid point…” The Emperor, accustomed to following the Crown Prince’s advice, was growing old and always sought to pave the way for the son he valued.
“Your Majesty is mistaken.” The Emperor’s words were cut off by the Regent. Yuan Jue sat to the side, his demeanor cool and detached: “Minister Gu, as a high-ranking court official, cannot even manage affairs within his own household. What face does he have to stand in this court?” When Gu Nanyin interacted with him, she mentioned this father without the slightest trace of affection, seemingly harboring deep disgust. Whatever his A Yin disliked, he disliked as well.
Since the Regent had spoken, the Emperor knew it was no longer his place to comment and simply fell silent.
The Crown Prince’s gaze shifted back and forth between the Emperor and the Regent, a cold chill hidden deep in his eyes. His father was too weak. No matter what, the Regent was merely a subject. How could a supreme emperor be constantly constrained by a subject? Once he ascended the throne, he would definitely kill Yuan Jue.
The Crown Prince thought his gaze was well concealed, but Yuan Jue merely glanced at him briefly and understood exactly what he was thinking. He recalled what Gu Nanyin had said to him last time: “Prince, the Crown Prince appears refined, gentle, and dignified on the surface. In reality, he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. You must be careful of him, Prince.” A Yin’s insight into people was sharp; she saw at a glance that the Crown Prince was nothing but a hypocrite.There are always those who think he, the Regent, is merely a figurehead, dreaming of replacing him, yet they never consider why he has remained in the position of Regent for so many years. However, a mere greenhorn brat is not worth his attention.
“In my view, Minister Gu shall be suspended for one month and have his salary docked for three years,” Yuan Jue said lightly, as if pondering for a moment. He would first vent some anger on A Yin’s behalf; the rest would have to be settled by A Yin herself.
Once the Regent’s words were spoken, they were set in stone. No matter how indignant Gu Yuanyao felt inside, he could not show the slightest hint of resentment on his face; he even had to kneel and express gratitude for the mercy. As a third-rank official, he had been suspended today—even if only for a month—and with all the court ministers witnessing it, who wouldn’t secretly mock him? How could he face his colleagues in the future?
Gu Yuanyao stormed back to his residence and, as soon as he entered, sent a servant out to investigate. He needed to understand why he had been targeted today.
When the servant hurried back with the news, he finally learned what had been happening outside these past few days. He immediately went to Concubine Yun’s courtyard. As soon as Concubine Yun saw him, she greeted him with a warm smile: “Master, why have you returned from court so early today?”
Seeing Concubine Yun’s gentle and attentive demeanor, Gu Yuanyao’s anger subsided slightly. “Where is Lian’er? I suffered a great misfortune today because of her.”
Concubine Yun’s heart skipped a beat, but she pretended to know nothing. Softly, she said, “Lian’er has been unwell ever since she was beaten by the eldest young lady last time. Today, she felt a little better and insisted on going to the temple to pray for your blessings. Though I worried about her health, how could I stop her when it concerns you, Master?” Concubine Yun spun lies effortlessly. She had deliberately kept the rumors about Gu Qinglian outside the residence from Gu Yuanyao; otherwise, given how widely the matter had spread, how could he have remained unaware until today? But seeing that Gu Yuanyao had sent a servant to gather information as soon as he returned home, she sensed trouble and had Gu Qinglian hide away.
After hearing Concubine Yun’s words, Gu Yuanyao felt no anger toward the mother and daughter at all. Lian’er had idolized him, her father, since childhood, and now she had even dragged her sickly body to the temple for his sake. How could he not soften? He did not know that his colleagues’ targeting today was due to Concubine Yun ordering people to fabricate stories that implicated the noble daughters of their households. He simply assumed that his colleagues, coming from orthodox backgrounds, disapproved of the blurred lines between legitimate and illegitimate children in his household and had thus impeached him.
Seeing that he seemed to have calmed down, Concubine Yun gently asked, “What did you mean by suffering a misfortune earlier, Master?”
Gu Yuanyao’s expression darkened at the memory. “In court today, several colleagues jointly impeached me on the grounds that Lian’er attempted to harm Gu Nanyin. I was suspended by the Regent for a month and had my salary docked for three years.”
“Suspended?” Concubine Yun exclaimed in shock, her face instantly paling. She could hear nothing else; her mind was filled only with those two words.
She tugged at Gu Yuanyao’s sleeve and asked anxiously, “Will this affect your career?” Her master had worked so hard to reach his current position. If he were to be dismissed, how could she and her daughter maintain their current wealth and status?Gu Yuanyao was unaware of Concubine Yun’s little schemes, thinking she was simply worried about him. This warmed his heart considerably, and he even forgot he had come to confront her. “Yun’er, there’s no need to worry. This time it’s just a suspension, not a dismissal from office. However,” he frowned, “today I noticed several ministers seemed quite displeased with me. If I become isolated, my position in the court will become much more difficult.” Today, aside from the Crown Prince, not a single person had stepped forward to plead on his behalf—this was certainly not a good sign.