bayedsolid Chapter 161 Illegally Ascended the Throne
Chapter 161 Illegally Ascended the Throne
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhongliang hesitated but dared not offer any further advice. He could only lead Chu Qingyin to a side hall and order a eunuch to serve her tea and snacks.
Chu Qingyin picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and appeared relaxed and at ease, but her mind had already wandered far away.
Before she could even sit down and rest for long, she heard a quarrel coming from the study.
It sounded as if a teacup had been overturned and smashed on the ground, making a crisp cracking sound.
Just as Chu Qingyin was wondering, Chen Zhongliang rushed in with a flustered expression and said, "Your Highness, please go and persuade His Majesty. He's arguing with Lord Lu."
Chu Qingyin was taken aback, her brows furrowing. "What's wrong?"
"This is not something this old servant should have said, but... but..."
Chen Zhongliang gritted his teeth and said, "Recently, rumors about the resurgence of the old faction of Crown Prince Zhangxian have been spreading like wildfire inside and outside the palace. His Majesty has been busy with this and is exhausted. Just now, he invited Chief Minister Lu to discuss this matter, but they couldn't come to a conclusion. Therefore, His Majesty was furious and smashed the teacup at Minister Lu."
Chen Zhongliang sighed and lamented, "But that Lord Lu is so stubborn, he just stood there and didn't dodge! Now his forehead has been smashed open and he's already gone to fetch the imperial physician."
"I see."
Chu Qingyin nodded. She had heard some of those rumors, many of which were in defense of Crown Prince Zhangxian. Some even claimed that the late emperor's ascension to the throne was illegitimate and that he was a shameless person who slandered his brother and seized the throne.
How could Pei Yuanling not be furious about this!
As a result, several people who spread rumors have been arrested and are being held in the local government office.
However, the law does not punish the masses, so the government could not arbitrarily beat or kill those people. They could only detain them for a few days and then release them.
Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed the food box from the table and hurriedly followed them to the study.
Before long, the two arrived at the study door, and Chen Zhongliang entered with trepidation to announce their arrival.
Pei Yuanling, who was still angry, softened his expression slightly when he heard that Chu Qingyin had arrived, but his tone still held a hint of anger: "Let her in."
Chu Qingyin moved gracefully into the study.
The room was in complete disarray, with shattered teacups littering the floor. Lu Zhiheng stood to the side, blood streaming down his face, a horrifying sight.
The man remained upright, his expression cold and his gaze even more icy. Dressed in a white robe, he was handsome and dashing, as if the injury did not affect him at all.
Chu Qingyin's heart skipped a beat, and she didn't dare to look any longer, so she quickly lowered her head.
She stepped forward gracefully, curtsied, and said softly, "Your Majesty, I greet you. Please calm your anger and do not harm your health."
Pei Yuanling snorted coldly, his eyes wide with anger: "Those ignorant fools dare to spread such treasonous words right under my nose! How can I not be angry!"
Chu Qingyin lowered her head and gently comforted him, "I understand Your Majesty's anger, but Your Majesty must take care of your health and not let these petty people disturb your peace of mind."
As she spoke, she put down the food box in her hand, took out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, and wanted to wipe the sweat from Pei Yuanling's forehead.
Pei Yuanling waved his hand impatiently, signaling her to stand aside. He then turned to Lu Zhiheng and asked coldly, "Tell me, how do we quell these rumors?"
"Your Majesty, this matter should be investigated from the root. Simply arresting people is not a long-term solution. We need to find out who is deliberately manipulating these rumors behind the scenes in order to resolve this issue completely."
Lu Zhiheng stood straight, neither humble nor arrogant, blood trickling down his brow, yet his expression grew increasingly calm.
"These rumors did not appear out of thin air. They only started after the assassination attempt at the Xishan hunting grounds. I believe that these two events are inextricably linked."
"Hmph, the root cause?"
Pei Yuanling laughed angrily: "Are you also trying to say that this is all my fault? That I wronged Zhang Xian's old party?"
Hearing this, Chu Qingyin was taken aback.
So it was Pei Yuanling who intentionally threw mud at Crown Prince Zhang Xian, making everyone think of that Crown Prince Zhang Xian again, which led to the spread of rumors.
"That is not what I meant."
Lu Zhiheng remained standing in place, showing no intention of kneeling down no matter how angry the other party was.
Seeing that things were not going well, Chu Qingyin quickly interjected, "Your Majesty, I have heard that these rumors were initially only circulating in some taverns and teahouses. It was only due to Lord Wang's extensive search that the people misunderstood them."
Her words were pointed, implying that if Wang Chengxun hadn't been incompetent, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the most urgent task is to appease the people and we must not allow these rumors to disrupt the foundation of our Great Qing."
Pei Yuanling remained silent for a moment, his emotions having calmed down somewhat.
Looking at Chu Qingyin's serious expression, his eyes softened slightly. "Yinyin is right. I was too hasty."
Seeing that he had regained his senses, Chu Qingyin took the initiative to step forward and took his hand, saying, "Your Majesty's actions are out of filial piety; concern can cloud judgment."
After all, this matter involves the late emperor, and even more so, the legitimate line of the royal family.
"That's enough. There's no point in investigating this matter any further. Just listen to Yinyin and release all those who have been arrested. Anyone who dares to spread rumors again will be killed without exception."
Pei Yuanling had been so busy these past few days that he was completely exhausted and had no heart to investigate any further.
He looked at Lu Zhiheng with displeasure: "Prime Minister Lu, why aren't you going yet?"
Lu Zhiheng remained expressionless, accepted the order, and took his leave, saying, "Your humble servant obeys the decree."
He bowed in greeting, and when he looked up, his gaze swept over Chu Qingyin's stunningly beautiful face, the red dot between her brows making her even more alluring.
A single glance from her can stir a man's heart.
Lu Zhiheng took a deep breath and then quietly withdrew.
Once there was no one else in the hall, Pei Yuanling, as if he had exhausted all his strength, suddenly sat down on the dragon throne, leaning back, utterly weary.
"Your Majesty, you've had a long day these past few days. Let me give you a shoulder massage."
Chu Qingyin went around to the back of the chair, her slender hands resting on the man's shoulders, gently massaging Pei Yuanling's shoulders.
"Only when you are by my side can I relax for a moment."
Pei Yuanling closed his eyes, seemingly enjoying this moment of relaxation, and murmured, "The affairs of the court are far too complicated; sometimes I truly feel overwhelmed."
Chu Qingyin replied softly, "Your Majesty is the ruler of the world, bearing the weight of the nation on your shoulders. These troubles are only temporary."
"I hope so."
Pei Yuanling sighed and then fell silent.
Chu Qingyin silently massaged him, her thoughts drifting away unnoticed.
The injury on Lu Zhiheng's forehead just now looked quite serious; it's unclear how severe it is.
That man is stubborn too; how come he didn't even try to avoid the cup when he saw it?
After a long while, Pei Yuanling opened his eyes: "It's done."
He took Chu Qingyin's hand and pulled her into his arms.
With her warm, soft body in his arms, he buried his head in her soft neck, breathing in her fragrance, as if only in this way could he find a moment of peace.
"Yinyin, do you think I did something wrong?"
"Hmm?" Chu Qingyin turned her head to the side, not hearing what he said.
"It's nothing, let me hold you for a while."
Pei Yuanling said in a hoarse voice, tightening his grip on her as if afraid she would suddenly disappear.
Chu Qingyin nestled obediently in Pei Yuanling's arms: "Your Majesty, please don't worry about this. The affairs of the court are like a game of chess, and the situation is constantly changing. Your Majesty only needs to stay true to yourself and follow the will of the people, and I believe that those rumors will eventually fall apart on their own."
Pei Yuanling hummed in agreement and said softly, "Don't say anything more, I want to sleep for a while."
He hasn't been able to get a good night's sleep these past few days.