GBP Chapter 150 The affair of Prime Minister Cen stirs up a storm
Chapter 150 The affair of Prime Minister Cen stirs up a storm
"Your Highness?"
"Yes, I have to take responsibility."
Shen Sangwan removed the person from her body and struggled to get up from the bed.
My limbs felt like they were at a car accident scene, sore and aching.
[Looking at this seemingly refined person, how come they're acting like a hungry wolf? They're really causing quite a stir.]
While responding to Wen Yuening's words with righteous indignation, he turned to look at the person inside the bed with an inquisitive gaze.
When I tried to pull the call button, I realized I was sleeping in a side hall.
Left with no other choice, Shen Sangwan had to get out of bed and pick up the undergarment that the other party had thrown away the night before.
My legs were sore and weak; if I hadn't been holding onto the edge of the bed, I probably would have fallen face-first into the mud.
"Your Highness, be careful."
Seeing this, Wen Yuening realized that she had gone a bit too far last night, and felt a little guilty. She quickly got up and helped the other person put on their clothes.
"It's all Yue Ning's fault. Should we summon a female physician to take a look?"
"Aren't you?"
Shen Sangwan responded almost subconsciously, but regretted it afterward.
If I let the other person check me, I'll definitely have to go through another ordeal.
After fastening the belt, I endured the discomfort and fled as quickly as possible.
"No need to see any female doctor. I have things to take care of, so I'm leaving now. You...you can do as you please."
As he strode out, he turned back and gave a timely word of advice.
Even after the figure disappeared, the smile on Wen Yuening's face did not fade.
After getting dressed, she quietly climbed out the window and returned to the Phoenix Palace.
Shuyi had been waiting outside the hall. When she saw Shen Sangwan walking out in a strange way, she quickly went forward to help her.
Shen Sangwan stopped her with a gesture, "I am fine. As for what happened to the Empress in Weiyang Palace last night, you..."
"This servant has never seen the Empress. Last night, only His Highness rested in the side hall."
Before Shen Sangwan could finish speaking, Shuyi interrupted her, spouting nonsense with a straight face to show his loyalty.
Seeing that the other party was aware of the situation, Shen Sangwan did not press the matter further.
"Send breakfast."
"Your Highness, a servant from Yun Guang Palace sent word earlier that Miss Ling Yuan has been insisting on seeing you, and Sister Ruo Ying is finding it difficult to resist, so she specially sent someone to ask Your Highness's opinion."
I got up a little late today, and it's already 9:30 AM. If Ling Yuan has been causing trouble since I left yesterday, Ruoying has really had a hard time dealing with her.
"If they make a lot of noise, have Ruoying tie them up and stuff a rag or something else in their mouth. If all else fails, just knock them out. Since we've entrusted them to her care, as long as they don't die, that's fine."
Shen Sangwan dared not see that pestering "spider demon" again.
He simply told Shuyi to go back as he had instructed.
After finishing breakfast, Shuyun brought a stack of booklets to see Shen Sangwan.
Looking at the pile of books on the table, Shen Sangwan asked in confusion, "What are these?"
“Last night, when I returned to the Princess’s residence, someone shot an arrow and left a note with an address on it. Because the perpetrator was highly skilled in martial arts and was hiding in the shadows, I was unable to catch him. After much deliberation, I decided to go and take a look. Unexpectedly, I found evidence of Prime Minister Cen’s crimes.”
Shuyun was somewhat pleased that someone had secretly sent her these pieces of evidence that had not been found in Li Xiucai's place or in Wuzhou City.
But Shen Sangwan's face was full of worry, "Where is this evidence hidden?"
"It was a dilapidated temple in the northern suburbs of the city. When I went there, it was so desolate that even beggars had nowhere to rest."
"Does Your Highness find these things inappropriate?"
Shen Sangwan casually picked up an account book, and after flipping through it, she found that it was a copy, which made her even more certain of her suspicions.
"Don't you think someone is manipulating things behind the scenes, gathering evidence first and then bringing it out at a suitable opportunity to nail Cen Zhouyuan to the ground? I bet Lin Chaoli of the Dali Temple will also have such evidence."
Has His Majesty and the others finished their morning court session at this hour?
"It's strange, it's already past 9 am, but the Xuyang Palace is still holding a meeting."
"Put these things away carefully. I'm going to Xuyang Palace."
Meanwhile, Shen Yuchen, sitting in the Xuyang Palace, was in a terrible predicament, while the ministers below him were divided into three factions and arguing incessantly.
Lin Chaoli of the Dali Temple belonged to a faction. With the evidence he had found and the physical evidence given to him by Shen Yujing, he submitted a petition to Shen Yuchen to have Cen Zhouyuan imprisoned.
Meanwhile, the court officials from the original Cen Zhouyuan faction argued their case based on reason, downplaying the seriousness of the matter and selectively acknowledging some insignificant pieces of evidence.
Other serious crimes, such as having someone take an exam for you or instructing officials to change exam papers, are not admitted.
They accused Lin Chaoli of slander and of taking the opportunity to smear him.
Another faction was Wen Yunhe's group, who were masters of mediating disputes and stirred up quite a commotion in the court.
When Shen Sangwan rushed over, two ministers were arguing vehemently in the main hall. If they weren't civil officials, they would have looked like they were about to come to blows.
"The Eldest Princess has arrived—"
The shouts of the eunuchs outside the hall brought a temporary halt to the noise in Xuyang Hall.
Shen Yuchen stared expectantly at Shen Sangwan as she approached, as if he had seen a savior.
"Wei Chen has met your Majesty."
"General who assists the state, please rise."
For Shen Yuchen, whether Shen Sangwan performed the ceremony or not was optional; for Shen Sangwan, she still had to bow down and pretend to be a subject in front of the court officials.
"The Xuyang Palace is quite lively today; anyone who didn't know better would think that you gentlemen were at a market."
The blunt sarcasm, when heard by some ministers, made them lower their heads in embarrassment.
"You're all acting like shrewish women from the marketplace, which is a disgrace to the Southern Jing court. From now on, there's no need to use the Xuyang Hall for meetings. Let's just bring you all a chair and have a proper argument, shall we?"
"I think Lord Qi, Lord Li, and Lord He are particularly capable. Why don't we form a delegation to accompany me to Qinzhou to negotiate with the envoys of the Northern Witch? If such eloquence is wasted, I'm afraid it would be a sign that our Southern Jing court has failed to recognize and employ talent properly."
Faced with Shen Sangwan's repeated rebukes, the court officials fell silent, not because they were afraid of Shen Sangwan, but because they felt embarrassed after being hit where it hurt.
In particular, the individuals who were named retreated into the ranks of court officials and dared not utter another word.
Are they all just paper tigers? Why are they so afraid to speak up after being criticized a few times?
Weren't you arguing quite fiercely just now?
Some people dare not speak out, but there are always those fearless officials who love to stir up trouble and say whatever they want to provoke Shen Sangwan.
"General, why have you come to the morning court today, and without your court attire? It is surely inappropriate for you to be dressed in women's clothing at Xuyang Palace—"
"I do not recall any time when women's clothing was forbidden during the morning court session. If Lord Qu is so inclined, he may wear women's attire."
Those around Qu Yun of the Censorate tried to suppress their laughter upon hearing Shen Sangwan's words, but the blush on their cheeks revealed the difficulty of holding back their laughter.