Chapter 44: Confrontation in the Imperial Study
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In just a short while, Jiang Ying led a large group of armored guards into the hall. They moved in an orderly manner as they carried a few large boxes in. These guards looked much more capable than the guards during the day.
Yu Yunxi frowned. She had just seen the blood stains on the faces of Jiang Ying and the guards.
‘What happened? What were they doing?’
Yu Zhongcheng was already furious, to begin with. As such, his tone was rather bad when he said to Jiang Ying, “I recognize you. You’re the Prince Regent’s guard and a lieutenant general in the Ministry of War. Why are you here?”
Jiang Ying scoffed before he said coldly, “The Ministry of War discovered a traitor recently so we searched the capital. We didn’t find the traitor, but we found a few boxes with the emblem of the Prime Minister’s Residence. The things in the boxes are really extraordinary.”
After saying that, Jiang Ying told the guards to open the big boxes, revealing gold and silver that piled up. They were almost blinding.
Old Madam Zhou felt a little out of breath and needed someone to support her upon seeing this.
“What… What’s going on?”
It had been a long time since all of them had seen such a thing after Yu Yunxi’s mother’s dowry.
“This should be worth twenty years of the Prime Minister’s salary, and to think that this is only the tip of the iceberg of what we found. Prime Minister, do you want to explain yourself?” Jiang Ying asked calmly, but his words were pressuring Yu Zhongcheng step by step.
Meanwhile, Yu Yunxi frowned as she wondered inwardly, ‘How did Jiang Ying and the others find the funds that Yu Zhongcheng embezzled?’
Jiang Ying lowered his voice and said to Yu Zhongcheng, “I have to say that you were really prepared. You moved them away and even hired experts to guard them. However, the Ministry of War isn’t to be trifled with.”
Although Jiang Ying’s voice was low, Yu Yunxi, who had excellent hearing, heard his words. With this, her frown eased. With this, it was confirmed that the locations in the book Jiang Ying had given her were real. However, Yu
Zhongcheng, the cunning fox, had moved the things away. Fortunately, Jiang Ying and the others managed to find the things in the end.
Yu Zhongcheng glared at Jiang Ying murderously as he asked, “Does the Prince Regent know you’re doing this?”
“It doesn’t matter if His Royal Highness knows or not. I think you should think about how you’re going to explain this to the Emperor,” Jiang Ying replied.
As soon as Jiang Ying’s voice fell, someone from the palace came.
“Prime Minister Yu, the Emperor summons you to the palace. Oh, you must be the County Princess of Xinan. The Emperor also invites you to the palace.” “County Princess, I’ll accompany you,” Qian Jiao said worriedly, wanting to stay by Yu Yunxi’s side.
However, the eunuch said with a straight face, “No, the Emperor only invited the County Princess. No one else can follow.”
“Qian Jiao, wait for me here,” Yu Yunxi said.
Although Qian Jiao was worried, she could only wait in the Prime Minister’s Residence.
Jiang Ying moved behind Yu Yunxi and whispered, “Princess Regent, don’t worry. The young marquis is also in the palace. Everything has been arranged.”
Yu Yunxi raised an eyebrow and asked bluntly, “Aren’t you afraid that your master will blame you for helping me?”
“Princess Consort, the Prince Regent…’
Yu Yunxi interjected coldly, “Forget it. Don’t mention him to me. I get annoyed whenever he’s mentioned.”
Jiang Ying frowned with a troubled expression on his face, but he did not say anything in the end.
Everyone involved boarded the carriage sent by the palace and quickly made their way to the palace.
When they arrived at the entrance of the imperial study, the eunuch holding a horsetail whisk said slowly, “Prime Minister Yu, Imperial Censor Yang, County Princess, the Emperor is waiting for you in the imperial study.”
Yu Yunxi glanced at the eunuch and said, “Thank you, Eunuch Lin De.”
Lin De’s body stiffened. His eyes flashed as he said, “I didn’t expect the County
Princess to still remember me after so many years.”
“Of course, Eunuch Lin,” Yu Yunxi said with a cold smile before she looked away.
Before going in, Yu Zhongcheng warned, “When you’re in front of the Emperor, watch your mouth and don’t harm the Yu family!”
“Father, you better think about how you’re going to explain yourself to the Emperor,” Yu Yunxi said before walking ahead.
“You…’
As soon as the few of them walked in, a porcelain teacup smashed heavily at their feet.
“Yu Zhongcheng, you’re really amazing!” a voice said furiously.
Yu Zhongcheng’s expression changed immediately. He ignored the porcelain pieces on the ground and quickly kneeled on the ground.
Yu Yunxi looked up and saw a man dressed in a dragon robe sitting on the dragon throne not far away.
The man’s gaze was sinister and cold. He was clearly in his prime, but there was quite a lot of white air at his temples.
At this time, a few young men stood next to the man. The young man standing in the lead was none other than Feng Weizhou. His gaze did not leave Yu Yunxi at all since the moment she appeared. A hint of anger, which was clearly directed at her, could be seen in the depths of his eyes.
“Yu Yunxi of the King of Xinan’s Residence greets Your Majesty, the Emperor,” Yu Yunxi said. She did not kneel down. Instead, she bowed, following the etiquette of a woman’s salute.
“You’re the goddaughter of the King of Xinan?” Feng Yijin asked sternly as he narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Yu Yunxi with an authoritative air.
However, Yu Yunxi was fearless. She looked up at Feng Yijin and replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How dare you!” Feng Yijin threw the memorial on the table at her, almost hitting her.
‘County Princess!’
Qian Mei and the envoy of Xinan looked at Yu Yunxi worriedly.
Yu Yunxi did not look frightened. Instead, she asked in a neither servile nor overbearing tone, “I wonder why Your Majesty is angry?”
“You were the one who told Minister Yang that your father embezzled money from the disaster relief funds and sent Xinan’s envoy to find the disaster victims from Minzhou, right?” Feng Yijin asked coldly. His imposing aura made the eunuchs around him tremble in fear.
“That’s right,” Yu Yunxi calmly replied.
“Do you know that framing an official of the imperial court is a capital offense? Moreover, the person you’re framing is your biological father! I won’t spare you just for the sake of the King of Xinan!” Feng Yijin said with a sneer.
Yu Yunxi was still calm as she replied, “Your Majesty, it’s the truth. How can it be called framing?”
At this time, Feng Weizhou strode over to Yu Yunxi and said threateningly through gritted teeth, “Yu Yinxi! Are you confused? Do you think just a few words from the unruly people of Minzhou and a few boxes of gold and silver are enough to convict someone?”
“Why is the Crown Prince so anxious? Father will naturally decide for himself if Prime Minister Yu embezzled the disaster relief funds or not. It’s inappropriate for you to speak to the County Princess in such a threatening manner. Or, do you play a part in Prime Minister Yu’s embezzlement of the funds?” the First Prince asked mockingly.
“Feng Weirui, don’t slander me!” Feng Weizhou said with an extremely gloomy expression.
“Enough! I’m not dead yet, but you princes are already suspecting each other and fighting?” Feng Yijin threw something at Feng Weizhou and Feng Weirui, and the duo stopped arguing immediately. Then, he stared at Yu Zhongcheng murderously as he asked, “Yu Zhongcheng, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Yu Zhongcheng clenched his hands and was silent for a long time before he finally kowtowed heavily and said loudly, “Your Majesty, my daughter resents me. Not only did she cause chaos in the Yu family recently, but she also wants to kill me!”
As Yu Zhongcheng spoke, he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, looking as though he had suffered a great grievance. He continued to say, “She’s my daughter, after all. Even if she goes overboard, I’ll let it be, treating it as a way to make it up to her. However, she shouldn’t have deceived Your
Majesty and framed me as a disloyal subject! Regarding the victims of
Minzhou, I admit that I was incompetent and didn’t solve the problem quickly. I’m willing to be punished for that. However, I’ll never admit to embezzling the disaster relief fund!”
At this time, Yang Qiang asked, “Then, Prime Minister Yu, can you explain these boxes that were found by the Ministry of War?”
“I’m ashamed to say this. In the past, Yunxi’s mother married into the Yu family with a great dowry. I felt that it would be safer to convert them to gold and silver and keep them somewhere else. I didn’t expect it to cause so many misunderstandings,” Yu Zhongcheng said, looking extremely indignant.
‘Convert the dowry to silver and gold? He really dares to lie so blatantly!’ Yu Yunxi smiled mockingly.
Feng Yijin snorted, but his tone softened considerably as he said, “You’re really not ashamed. You even dare to covet your concubine’s dowry.”
Coveting one concubine’s dowry and embezzling the funds from the national treasury were completely different things. With the former, Yu Zhongcheng would be despised by others at most. However, the latter could cause him to lose his head.
Feng Yijin waved his hand and said impatiently, “Since this is your family matter, go back and deal with it!”
Suddenly, Yu Yunxi asked, “Your Majesty, do you really think this is the truth?”
“Yu Yunxi, what do you mean?” Feng Yijin’s expression turned cold immediately.
At this moment, Lin De chimed in with his high-pitch voice, “County Princess, are you questioning His Majesty’s decision? Do you know that’s a crime that can cause you to lose vour head?”
Feng Yijin slammed his hand against the table and warned, “If you can’t give me an explanation or show me evidence today, I won’t let you go so easily.”
‘Evidence?’ Yu Yunxi tensed up. Her evidence had already been dismissed, but she was really unwilling to let Yu Zhongcheng go just like that. She had already reached this point where she was close to ruining Yu Zhongcheng’s career after all.
Just as Yu Yunxi was about to resign to her fate, a clear voice rang from outside the study.
“Imperial Brother, you want evidence? I happened to have evidence with me..”
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