He sat there, his eyebrows relaxed, expression fearless. His icy eyes were lowered, as if he was truly prepared for death.
Li Zong's fingers hanging at side trembled faintly, and his jaw clenched hard, nearly gnashing his teeth. But he couldn’t say a single word.
Today, Han Chan had laid bare all his thoughts, leaving him without a shred of hope. He took several steps back, then turned and strode away. When he reached the doorway, he saw that Cui Xi had arrived with the Shence Army, waiting outside the door.
Seeing Li Zong emerge, Cui Xi hurriedly shook open a cloak and stepped forward to greet him, draping it over the emperor's shoulders. "Your Majesty, would you like to return to the palace first to change your clothes?" he asked
Li Zong's was solemn. He turned around to gaze at the plaque above the entrance of Imperial Tutor’s manor, which he had personally written by his own hand. He closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly making a final decision. He said in a hoarse voice, "Deliver my imperial decree: Imperial Tutor Han Chan has colluded with traitors and plotted against the state. Henceforth, all his official positions and titles are revoked. He is confined to Imperial Tutor’s manor for life, never again allowed to see the light of day!"
"Your Majesty, is this... perhaps not entirely wise?” Cui Xi cautioned softly. “I’m afraid the court officials may criticize such action."
"Let them discuss among themselves." A cold sneer twisted Li Zong's lips. "Soon enough, they'll have more pressing matters on their minds than gossip." With that, his expression hardened once more, and he climbed into his sedan chair. "Return to the palace!"
As Cui Xi followed him, he cast one last glance back at the closed gates of Imperial Tutor’s manor, the corner of his mouth curling imperceptibly upward.
The invincible Imperial Tutor had finally reached the limit.
--
Upon returning to the palace, Li Zong headed straight for Imperial Medical Bureau. He no longer needed to feign injury, so the imperial physicians who had been standing by day and night could finally return to the Imperial Medical Bureau. Now, only the attending palace servants remained alongside the Ruan brothers.
Seeing him arrive weary and covered in snow, the two brothers exchanged glances. The elder brother stepped forward. "Your Majesty, would you like to bathe?" he asked in a soft voice.
The sudden sight of them caught Li Zong off guard.
He approached, reached out to grip this elder brother's chin, and scrutinized him closely for a moment before letting out a scoff. "Not really."
These two brothers had been procured by Cui Xi for Li Zong. Their appearance bore only about six or seven parts similarity to Han Chan's, while their temperament and talents were vastly different. Though Li Zong occasionally visited them, most of the time he simply stared blankly at portraits of Han Chan.
He looked upon the anxious faces of the brothers, and suddenly felt a sense of weariness. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Go find Cui Xi and collect your reward money. Then leave the palace."
"Your Majesty no longer wants us? Haven’t we done well?" The brothers, startled, hastily dropped to their knees, clearly bewildered by what they'd done wrong.
Perhaps still reeling from his encounter with Han Chan, Li Zong found himself unusually patient towards these two, who had once brought him some pleasure. He squatted down, his gaze scanning between their faces, before asking, "Cui Xi mentioned you volunteered to come because you needed to repay your father's debts."
Unsure why Li Zong was suddenly bringing this up, the Ruan brothers only nodded in agreement.
Their birth father had amassed a massive gambling debt. When collectors showed up at their door demanding payment, they and their father was at their wit’s end. It was then that Cui-changshi approached them, offering them an opportunity to serve a nobleman. Not only would they be able to pay off the gambling debts, but if fortune smiled on them, they could also enjoy limitless wealth and prosperity. The two brothers, seeing no other option for survival, agreed.
They never could have imagined that this "nobleman" would turn out to be none other than the current emperor himself.
Though the emperor's moods were unpredictable, within the palace walls, the Ruan brothers at least had food to eat and clothes to wear. They no longer needed to face their gambling-addicted father or worry about debt collectors showing up unannounced.
Li Zong let out a soft chuckle. "How foolish," he murmured.
He stood up and looked at the two of them. "Once you leave the palace, find somewhere safe where you can live in peace. There's no need to return home. That gambling father of yours cares nothing for your well-being, so why should you concern yourselves with him?" As if exhausted, Li Zong waved wearily at them before turning back towards the inner chambers. "Go see Cui Xi. Have him arrange clean identities for you. Take some silver and leave the palace immediately."
The Ruan brothers exchanged glances, realizing he wasn't joking. Hurriedly, they kowtowed several times in gratitude behind him. Then, they set off together to seek out Cui Xi.
--
The news of Imperial Tutor Han Chan's dismissal and house arrest spread like wildfire.
Colluding with traitors to attempt rebellion was a grave offense punishable by extermination of nine generations of the family, and yet he hadn't even been sent to the Court of Judicial Review's prison. Instead, his only penalties were dismissal from office and house arrest at the Imperial Tutor’s manor?
It was far too lenient, a joke!
Many court officials harbored mixed feelings as they awaited morning court. They planned to submit memorials impeaching Han Chan, asking the emperor to impose stricter punishment as a deterrent to others. Of course, there were also those who had previously sought ways to escape. Fearing repercussions for themselves, these people resolved to keep their mouths shut tight and say nothing.
But for three consecutive days, the emperor did not appear at court.
Instead, the Duke of Qi, Ye Zhili, and the Nieyang Commander-in-Chief, Shen Zhongyu, were summoned into the palace. Accompanying them was a young man who appeared to be in his twenties.
After three days, Li Zong finally reappeared in the imperial court, his expression even more menacing than before.
Before any minister could present their memorial, he cut straight to the chase. "Seize these individuals immediately!"
At his command, hundreds of Shence soldiers rushed into the hall from outside, swiftly taking control of nearly half the ministers present. Chaos erupted in Taihe Hall as cries of innocence and protest filled the air.
Those spared from arrest remained bewildered, fearing they might be next. They fell to their knees one after another, too afraid to utter a word.
Only Qiao Hairen, the Imperial Minister known for his upright character, dared to voice what everyone else thought. "Your Majesty, what crime have these ministers committed? Even if you intend to bring charges against them, shouldn't there be specific charge and due process? The case should then be handed over to the Three Judicial Commissions for proper investigation. Seizing people directly from within Taihe Hall has no precedent!"
His question prompted the detained officials to join in chorus.
From atop the Dragon Throne, Li Zong observed with an air of disdain. He listened indifferently to their howling for several long moments before breaking into a cold smile. "My dear subject Qiao is right; we must indeed hand this matter to the Three Judicial Commissions for thorough examination. Let’s see just how many people have turned their backs on me and betrayed me just when I was gravely injured and vulnerable!"
As soon as he said this, the faces of most ministers paled. They realized that the emperor had come to settle scores from the past.
Their eyes swept subtly across the detained officials. These were men who had been actively seeking connections in recent days. It was likely that they were being taken away because of incriminating evidence.
But among those not yet apprehended, there were many who still harbored ulterior motives but had been more covert. After all, news of the emperor's grave injury had spread like wildfire. Even the Imperial Tutor hadn’t been able to sit still. How could anyone doubt its truth? Most people were planning for a way out for themselves.
The court officials’ hearts raced with fear, none daring to speak up or plead rashly.
Li Zong observed their silence and let out a mocking laugh. "Wang Qie, this case will be handed to you. If you don’t have enough manpower, draw personnel from the Ministry of Justice. Make sure every one of them confesses their accomplices."
With those words, the assembled officials felt their hearts sink, their eyes sweeping over their detained comrades in panic.
"Since my dear ministers have no other things to report to me today, we’ll adjourn the court session." Li Zong, having seen enough of the varied expressions playing out in the hall, rose gracefully, his sleeves sweeping behind him as he walked away.
Shen Zhongyu and Ye Zhili swiftly saw this and hurriedly followed after him.
--
When Li Fengqi heard the news, his first thought was that Han Chan truly had Li Zong completely under his thumb. Despite being handed such damning evidence against him, Li Zong merely stripped him of his position and confined him to house arrest. His second thought was that Li Zong must have genuinely lost his mind.
The news of the emperor's grave injury and near-death would likely have stirred thoughts in most of the imperial court members. If each were to be rooted out and punished, it could only lead to a reign of terror akin to the infamous literary inquisitions.
It was said that laws weren't meant to convict large numbers of people. By making this sudden move, Li Zong risked throwing both the court and country into utter turmoil, causing a situation that would only become increasingly unfavorable to him.
"Since when did Li Zong start favoring the Duke of Qi again?" Ye Yunting, however, was focused on another aspect of the situation.
While Li Zong hadn’t openly expressed anger after Yin Sheng’s military campaign, he distanced himself from Ye Zhili for a while due to the marital ties between the Ye and Yin families. But now, with Ye Zhili back at court, Li Zong seemed to be warming up to him again, which was something that struck Ye Yunting as strange.
"It seems that it’s because the Duke of Qi’s nephew saved the emperor's life during the battle of the Zao River. They say he took an arrow for His Majesty," Wu Geng explained. "I think his name is Ye Boru; lately, he's been entering the palace with the Duke of Qi."
"Ye Boru?" Ye Yunting furrowed his brow. "I've never heard of any such person among the Ye family relatives."
For Ye Zhili to have chosen him and recommended him to the emperor, this individual couldn't be some distant relative. However, there was no one by that name among the Ye family’s close kin.
Noticing Ye Yunting's expression of hesitation, Li Fengqi instructed Wu Geng, "Go investigate this Ye Boru. I suspect he might have something to do with how Li Zong escaped Yin Xiaozhi's ambush."
They had been puzzled as to how Li Zong managed to deceive both Yin Xiaozhi and Han Chan scrutiny by feigning a serious injury. Now it seemed that it was Ye Boru had taken an arrow meant for Li Zong. In the chaos of battle when the two armies clashed, Yin Xiaozhi would probably only know that he'd struck someone down, but not realized that the arrow had been blocked by another.
The question remained whether Ye Zhili's last-minute recommendation for Ye Boru to accompany the emperor was mere coincidence or intentional design.
--
In the same moment that Ye Yunting was harboring doubts about Ye Boru, Ye Boru was mentioning him at the Duke of Qi’s estate.
"Father plans to open the ancestral hall and put my name back on it. Should we inform Eldest Brother?"
"It would be good to let him know. I’ve wronged you for so many years." Ye Zhili’s expression filled with tender affection as he gazed upon this son who most resembled himself.
Ye Yunting had taken after his mother since childhood and remained distant from his father. Ye Wang, bearing the bloodline of the Yin family, had an even more stubborn temperament to the point of being unruly due to his mother's indulgence, and was unfit to inherit the Duke’s estate. Among them, only Ye Boru, resembling his father, was the most obedient, well-spoken and closest to him.
During the recent uprising by the Yin family, Ye Zhili had noticed certain clues but couldn't be entirely sure. To be on the safe side, he'd seized the opportunity to send Ye Wang away to Yunrong. This move served two purposes: first, it would allow him to distance himself from suspicion before the emperor; second, without Ye Wang around, bringing Ye Boru back under his wing would seem perfectly natural.
Moreover, Ye Boru had followed his instructions well. By staying close to the emperor, he managed to save His Majesty's life at just the right moment, earning the emperor's trust. As a result, favor had once again fallen on Ye Zhili.
He gazed at his second son's face, still bearing traces of convalescence, and patted him on the shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry. For all these years I've owed you and your mother, I'll make it up to both of you."
"Thank you, Father. But neither myself nor Mother have ever lacked for anything." Ye Boru lowered his eyes, seeming to be a little uncertain.
Hearing this, Ye Zhili shook his head and let out a sigh. "It seems you two are content with what you have. Rest assured, I've kept track of every debt I owe you over these years. It will be made right."
A flicker crossed Ye Boru's lowered gaze, and he obediently murmured, "Mmn."
--
===Author’s Notes==
77: Let me see which little lowlife is thinking about my wife. 😊
===Translator’s Notes==
Man, I really do enjoy Li Zong's character as a villain.
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