The atmosphere in the hall was tense. At Pan Hai’s signal, Little Lezi rushed to the Eastern Palace to report the news.
Jiang Si, who had been pondering why Emperor Jingming had summoned Yu Jin at this time, hurriedly inquired about the reason when she heard that Eunuch Le had arrived again.
Panting and speaking urgently, Little Lezi said, “The Crown Prince kicked Minister Gu!”
Fearing that Jiang Si might not know who Minister Gu was, he thoughtfully explained, “The Minister of Personnel!”
Jiang Si’s mouth twitched upon hearing this.
Of course, she knew that Minister Gu was the Minister of Personnel, the most powerful among the six ministries.
“The Crown Prince struck Minister Gu, and he might be sent to the Imperial Clan Court for reflection. This servant came to inform the Crown Princess,” Little Lezi added.
Whether the Crown Princess would try to help the Crown Prince escape punishment or pack his bags was beyond the concern of a mere eunuch like himself.
After hearing Little Lezi’s words, Jiang Si calmed down and asked, “Why did the Crown Prince strike Minister Gu?”
Little Lezi’s eyes flickered.
“Eunuch Le, please speak freely,” Jiang Si encouraged.
A Qiao immediately slipped him a heavy little purse.
Little Lezi then said, “Minister Gu suggested demoting you to a secondary consort and selecting a new Crown Princess—”
Before Jiang Si could respond, A Man, standing nearby, spat out, “Pah! Instigating someone to divorce his wife and marry another? What’s the point of keeping such an old lecher around?”
The secondary consort sounded nice, but wasn’t it just a concubine? It was truly too insulting!
Little Lezi’s eyes widened at the sight of A Man with her hands on her hips, glaring.
The Crown Princess’s palace maids were formidable indeed, daring to call the Minister of Personnel an old lecher—thinking about it this way, he suddenly felt that the Crown Prince kicking Minister Gu once wasn’t such a big deal after all.
“Demote me to a secondary consort? Minister Gu said this?” Jiang Si asked calmly.
Little Lezi suddenly felt a chill down his spine and forced a laugh, “Please don’t take it to heart, definitely don’t take it to heart…”
Why did he feel that the Crown Princess was even more terrifying than the Crown Prince?
Jiang Si stood up and walked out, “Eunuch Le, please lead the way.”
“L-lead the way?” Little Lezi stuttered as he followed.
Jiang Si glanced at Little Lezi with a half-smile, “I haven’t had the chance to visit the front hall of Yangxin Palace and I’m not familiar with the way. I trouble Eunuch Le to guide me.”
Little Lezi was caught between laughter and tears, “Crown Princess, the front hall of Yangxin Palace is where His Majesty handles state affairs. It’s not… not appropriate for you to go there!”
Even the Empress would meet with the Emperor in the rear hall when she visited, let alone the Crown Princess rushing to the front hall.
“Not appropriate?” Jiang Si raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes gleaming, “Is it appropriate for the Minister of Personnel to suggest that the Crown Prince divorce his wife? Or does Eunuch Le think Minister Gu’s suggestion is appropriate?”
Little Lezi nearly fell to his knees, his face bitter as he said, “This servant would never dare to think so!”
“In that case, please lead the way,” Jiang Si insisted.
Even as he obediently led the way, Little Lezi’s mind was in a whirl.
How did he get dragged into this? He was just a minor eunuch!
Did his master know that the Crown Princess was such an extraordinary woman who dared to storm the front hall of Yangxin Palace? Yet he had hinted for him to report to the Eastern Palace!
Forced into this situation, Little Lezi unconsciously quickened his pace. Upon arriving, he called out, “The Crown Princess has arrived—”
The hall immediately fell silent.
The ministers exchanged glances before looking towards Emperor Jingming.
Emperor Jingming frowned, “How could the Crown Princess come here? This is truly outrageous!”
The ministers silently nodded in agreement: Outrageous!
“Bring the Crown Princess in,” Emperor Jingming added.
The ministers were stunned. Had His Majesty been possessed?
Soon, a graceful woman entered with quick steps. Walking among the gathered high officials, she showed no timidity, as if taking a stroll.
“Daughter-in-law greets Father Emperor,” she said.
Looking at the Crown Princess as she gracefully curtsied, Emperor Jingming was momentarily silent.
Having never encountered such a situation, he didn’t know how to respond.
This silence couldn’t continue, so Emperor Jingming coughed, “Ahem, why has the Crown Princess come here? This is not a place you should be!”
Jiang Si calmly replied, “Your daughter-in-law has recently been troubled by rumors, feeling uneasy. Hearing that Father Emperor had summoned the ministers and the Crown Prince to discuss this matter, I came to inquire about the outcome of the discussion.”
The Minister of Rites, unable to contain himself, said, “His Majesty is in council with his ministers. How can the Crown Princess barge in like this? Where is the propriety?”
It’s over, they thought. The Crown Prince publicly kicked old Gu, and now the Crown Princess brazenly barges in. Is this the end of the Great Zhou Dynasty?
The ministers, sharing the same concern, unanimously requested Emperor Jingming, “We implore Your Majesty to strictly discipline the Crown Princess, lest the imperial family become the laughingstock of the realm.”
Emperor Jingming’s face darkened slightly, “Crown Princess, you may withdraw now.”
Disciplining the Crown Princess was the Empress’s responsibility. Why was it being pushed onto him again?
Thinking of the Empress hiding in Kunning Palace, eating grapes without having to spit out the skins, and then looking at the pack of ministers before him, Emperor Jingming’s mood soured considerably.
He had thought that establishing a Crown Prince would lighten his burdens, but clearly, he had been too optimistic.
Jiang Si curtsied slightly, lowering her gaze as she said, “Your daughter-in-law has been rash today, but I heard that Minister Gu was instigating the Crown Prince to divorce his wife. Is this true?”
Her tone was calm, but it carried a palpable killing intent, causing everyone to glance at Minister Gu, who had been given a small stool to sit on after being kicked.
Minister Gu could no longer sit still. Ignoring the dull pain in his old back, he sprang to his feet, his face flushed red, “Your Majesty, this minister’s every action is for the sake of the Great Zhou Dynasty, without a shred of personal interest. For the Crown Princess to disregard propriety and come here to accuse this old minister of instigating the Crown Prince, it truly leaves me with no place to hide my shame, no place at all!”
The old minister, overcome with emotion, stamped his foot and wailed, tears streaming down his face.
Yu Jin, who had been kneeling quietly, coldly interjected, “Better to demolish ten temples than to ruin one marriage. Understandably, Minister Gu feels ashamed when my wife learns of such a proposal—”
“Unfilial son, hold your tongue!” Emperor Jingming raised a white jade paperweight, gesturing threateningly at Yu Jin.
Considering the recent rapid depletion of white jade paperweights and the near-emptiness of the imperial coffers, Emperor Jingming quietly put it down again.
Minister Gu, now enraged, summoned the courage to confront Emperor Jingming directly, shouting, “The Son of Heaven has no private family affairs! The Crown Princess is Your Majesty’s daughter-in-law. Now that the people are petitioning for the Crown Prince to choose a new Crown Princess, how can this be equated with ordinary marriages? Your Majesty, if you let this matter slide, I fear the people’s hearts will be unsettled, the position of the heir apparent will be unstable, and the Great Zhou’s reign will be in jeopardy!”
Minister Gu’s triple emphasis on “instability” was forceful, with spittle nearly flying onto Emperor Jingming’s face.
Emperor Jingming, busy dodging the flying “projectiles,” couldn’t spare the attention to speak.
Jiang Si feigned surprise, “I never imagined that I, a mere woman, could be so important.”
Pan Hai, hiding in a corner, kept his head lowered, desperately trying to minimize his presence.
He shouldn’t laugh, but he found it hard to resist…
Seeing that Emperor Jingming was about to lose his temper, Jiang Si raised her voice to ask, “Minister Gu, why are the people petitioning for a new Crown Princess?”
Minister Gu bowed slightly, “Naturally, it’s because the people believe the Crown Princess lacks virtue, and Heaven has sent this great drought as a warning.”
It was the people who believed the Crown Princess lacked virtue; as for the truth of the matter, that was unimportant.
How could the Crown Princess possibly silence all the gossip in the world?
Jiang Si chuckled lightly, “I see. What if I could pray for Heaven to send down sweet rain?”