novelhk Chapter 203 Slapping the Face of the Treacherous General 11
Chapter 203 Slapping the Face of the Treacherous General 11
"Father! The letter in my hand is the correspondence between Du Rong and Feng Shi'an. In the letter, they mentioned that Feng Shi'an should imitate Feng Gu's handwriting to order the gatekeepers to open the city gates!"
Leng Yuexing held up the letter in her hand, and an attendant stepped forward to hand the letter to the emperor.
After reading each letter, the emperor threw it on the ground, his eyes unreadable.
He looked at Du Rong and Feng Shi'an, who were about to be taken away, and said in a cold voice, "What else do you have to say?"
Feng Shi'an prostrated himself on the ground, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Your Majesty! This humble subject was only misled by Du Rong! I will take responsibility for my own actions, and I beg Your Majesty not to implicate my family!"
Feng Shi'an slammed his head heavily onto the ground, and blood gushed out instantly.
Du Rong crawled a few steps on his knees, but was stopped by the guards. He then looked up at the emperor and said, “Your Majesty! If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a reason! These letters were forged by the Third Prince. I did not write them!” Du Rong’s voice was full of indignation.
The emperor's chest heaved with anger at his attitude, and he said in a cold voice, "Du Rong! You still don't know your mistake?"
"Your Majesty! I have been wronged!" Du Rong cried out.
The emperor, enraged, laughed instead. "So, you're accusing me of wrongly accusing you?"
"This humble subject dares not!" Du Rong lowered his head in fear.
The emperor was the type who would respond better to a soft approach than a hard one. If Du Rong had been able to admit his guilt like Feng Shi'an, he might have been given a lighter sentence. But he stubbornly refused to admit his guilt, believing that the emperor had wronged him.
Then, the emperor gave him a very cold look and said, "The criminal Du Rong will be executed along with his entire clan, and Feng Shi'an's entire clan will be exiled thousands of miles away. The court will never employ them again."
Du Rong looked at the emperor in disbelief, and wanted to say something, but was covered by a servant and taken away. Feng Shi'an staggered away from the main hall with the servant.
The hall was deathly silent, the atmosphere heavy, and time seemed to stand still. After a long while, the emperor slowly spoke, "General Feng Gu was framed. Although he was negligent, he sacrificed himself for the country, and his merits outweigh his faults. Therefore, he will not be held accountable, and his family can be spared exile."
As soon as he finished speaking, all the ministers shouted in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Leng Yuexing knelt down with the other officials. When he saw that Wenren Mo still wanted to present something to his father, he subtly shook his head at Wenren Mo.
He knew what Wenren Mo wanted to do; he wanted to take this opportunity to tell his father his true identity.
However, Leng Yuexing knew that she could not tell her father about this yet.
On the surface, it seemed that her father had exonerated General Feng Gu and severely punished Du Rong and Feng Shi'an, but Leng Yuexing knew that her father was currently in a fit of anger.
If Wenren Mo were to reveal to his father at this moment that he was Feng Mo, the son of General Feng Gu, his father would likely strip him of his position in a fit of rage, thus completely ruining his career.
Therefore, Leng Yuexing felt it would be better to look for other opportunities.
All the ministers could tell that the emperor was in a bad mood, so after this matter was resolved, no ministers reported anything further, and the morning court session ended abruptly.
Leng Yuexing was about to leave the main hall when she was stopped by Chief Eunuch Li, who was by her father's side. Chief Eunuch Li respectfully told Leng Yuexing that the emperor was waiting for her in a side hall.
Wenren Mo watched Leng Yuexing leave the main hall with the emperor's personal eunuch, and he looked at Leng Yuexing with a worried expression.
Leng Yuexing smiled slightly at him and shook her head.
In the years since Wenren Mo left, Leng Yuexing has gradually won the emperor's approval and trust.
He performed exceptionally well in handling government affairs, offering many helpful suggestions and reform measures. He never formed cliques and was solely dedicated to sharing the emperor's burdens.
The emperor's admiration for Leng Yuexing grew stronger day by day. In the emperor's heart, Leng Yuexing had long surpassed the other princes and become the prince he trusted and loved the most.
This time, Leng Yuexing's defense of General Feng Gu may displease the emperor, but it won't shake Leng Yuexing's standing in the emperor's heart.
When Leng Yuexing entered the side hall, the emperor was pruning a potted asparagus fern on the windowsill with scissors.
Leng Yuexing walked behind the emperor and bowed, saying, "Father, you wanted to see me."
The emperor didn't turn to look at Leng Yuexing. He pointed to the freshly trimmed asparagus fern and asked, "Come and see how well your father trimmed it?"
Leng Yuexing glanced at the asparagus fern on the windowsill. "Asparagus fern has always been associated with a gentlemanly demeanor. The asparagus fern that Father Emperor trimmed looks even more elegant and has a unique charm."
“The dead bamboo naturally possesses a unique charm,” the emperor said, turning to Leng Yuexing.
Looking at the golden asparagus fern that seemed to be radiating a dazzling light, Leng Yuexing really couldn't tell that it was a dead asparagus fern.
"My father watered him and let him bask in the sun every day, but he still gradually withered and died. Why do you think that is?"
Upon hearing this, Leng Yuexing lowered her head and said, "Perhaps the environment here is not suitable for his survival."
"Yes." The emperor turned around and patted Leng Yuexing on the shoulder. "Yuexing, not everyone is suited to survive in the court. If Feng Gu hadn't trusted the wrong person, he wouldn't have been framed and killed. I understand your desire to clear Feng Gu's name, but I hope this kind of thing will never happen again."
"Yes, Father, I understand," Leng Yuexing said in a low voice.
"Good that you understand. Go back now," the emperor said in a low voice.
After Leng Yuexing left, the emperor gazed at her retreating figure for a long time. His personal eunuch, Chief Eunuch Li, stepped forward and draped a cloak over the emperor's shoulders. "Your Majesty, the weather is cold. You should take good care of yourself."
"Ping An, do you think I can trust Yue Xing?" the emperor asked in a low voice, unsure whether he was asking himself or Chief Eunuch Li.
After a moment of silence, Li Ping'an replied, "I don't know about the other servants, but I think the Third Prince looks a lot like you."
"Like me?" the emperor retorted.
“The Third Prince is decisive and ruthless, possessing the same great talent and ambition as the Emperor,” Li Ping’an said, bowing his head.
The emperor glanced at him, then laughed heartily, "Well said, the Lotus in Clear Water dish for lunch will be yours."
"This servant thanks Your Majesty!" Li Ping'an said with a smile.
Inside the side hall, the emperor's previous displeasure had subsided, while Leng Yuexing, who had left, wore a solemn expression.
Wenren Mo had been waiting at the palace gate. Upon seeing Leng Yuexing, he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Yuexing, what did the Emperor say to you?"
Leng Yuexing looked around, then pulled Wenren Mo and jumped into the carriage parked to the side.
“Father may already know that you are Feng Mo, Feng Gu’s son,” Leng Yuexing said with some worry.
"Did he tell you that himself?" Wenren Mo asked.
Leng Yuexing shook her head. "Father only said that things like today's should not happen again, and he didn't say anything else."
"But I know that my father must know your identity. He wants to tell me not to make your identity public."
Wenren Mo stared into Leng Yuexing's eyes. "You think so too?"
“Of course I will try to restore your identity, but I need to think about what method to use,” Leng Yuexing pondered.
"Isn't that simple?" Wenren Mo raised an eyebrow.
Leng Yuexing: "?"
Seeing the confusion on Leng Yuexing's face, Wenren Mo leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Once you become emperor, you can reveal my identity at any time."
Leng Yuexing pursed her lips, "I thought you wanted Father to reveal your identity."
“I don’t care about that.” Wenren Mo stroked Leng Yuexing’s cheek with his right hand. “The Emperor has already cleared my father’s name. As for when my identity will be announced, I don’t care. I have no family to protect. I am all alone. I just need to know who I am.”
"Besides..." Wenren Mo's lips touched Leng Yuexing's, "I really like the name you gave me, and I'm reluctant to give it up. It's good to use it for a while longer."
Leng Yuexing raised an eyebrow and said, "But you have so much confidence in me? You think I'm definitely capable of ascending to that supreme position?"
Wenren Mo was slightly taken aback, then laughed, "Of course I believe you, especially since I'm here. I will definitely help you get what you want!"
Leng Yuexing smiled faintly and pressed her lips to his.
He didn't necessarily want to be emperor; it's just that the remaining fortune of the Son of Heaven could only be collected after he became emperor.
Wenren Mo's eyes darkened. He grabbed Leng Yuexing's head with one hand and wrapped his arm around his waist with the other, kissing him fiercely from top to bottom.
His kisses were deep and urgent, like a wolf finding the most delicious tender meat, biting and sucking, enjoying it to its heart's content.
Leng Yuexing's fox-like eyes curved into crescents as he launched a counterattack, not to be outdone, as if he were vying with Wenren Mo for the position of alpha wolf.