Chapter 201 The Morning Audience
It was in the morning audience next day.
Officials gathered in Yunjing City from different corners. Instead of whispering noisily as always, today everyone came silently, stood silently, and waited silently for the audience call.
As the time approached for the audience to begin, Wu Suijun was striding towards everyone from the palace gate. All the officials were astonished by what they saw, for this man was not wearing an official gown but an armor on the battlefield.
“No weapon carried.”
This was a relief to someone. Anyone like Wu Suijun whose house was searched and property confiscated might have been mad if not crazy. Wu Suijun was disrespectful showing up in armor, but he did not go nuts to bring a weapon.
Wu Suijun stepped straight into the palace hall and stood in the second position on the right side under the throne. Everyone was calculating.
It was obvious that Wu Suijun came today prepared. There would be a good show to enjoy this morning…
“The emperor is arriving!”
Eunuch Feng suddenly walked in front of the throne. A sharp and thick voice was echoing throughout the entire palace hall. Everyone was bowing and saluting.
“Long live the emperor!”
“Long live the emperor!”
“…”
Ling Ping was promoted to a general, in the same rank as Wu Suijun, who was standing in the second position on the left on par with Wu Suijun. Ling Ping lowered his head slightly, catching a glimpse of the cold face of Wu Suijun. He could not help but feel chilled inside.
After everything being through, Wu Suijun was still able to keep calm. What a man!
Soon Dongfang Xiao stooped in a dragon robe and walked towards the throne. He swung his sleeves and slowly sat down, scanning over all officials under him. Undoubtedly, this was the majestic bearing of the Dahan emperor full-fledged.
Eunuch Feng glanced at Wu Suijun and ordered as usual, “Report or retreat.”
The hall went silent. Eyes were fixed on Wu Suijun carefully. Unsurprisingly, Wu Suijun stood out from the crowd. He bowed and raised his head, staring the emperor with chilling eyes, “Your Majesty, I have something to report.”
Dongfang Xiao pretended to discover Wu Suijun in armor just now due to his poor sight and got surprised, “General Wu, state your matter please. Also, why this armor?”
A sour look was crawling on the face of Wu Suijun. Dongfang Xiao made it clear that he had to swallow the bitterness, but he refused to do so. “I need to report the Eighth Lord Dongfang Rui.”
“He stormed into my mansion and perpetrated a massacre in your name. No collateral relatives in the Wu family survived. Although my sister Wu Lirong deserved her death, Dongfang Rui went so far to cut her head. What a beast! I implore Your Majesty to bring him to justice”.
Dongfang Xiao, pushed by the tough attitude of Wu Suijun, restrained the gentleness on his face. He looked down, touched the ring on his finger and said absent-mindedly, “Duly noted, General. It is true that Wu Lirong should be blamed for hunting the royal princess. However, Lord Rui also went out of line. Eunuch Feng…”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Eunuch Feng.
“Request the audience of the Eighth Lord,” Dongfang Xiao nodded and ordered in a low voice.
“By the order of His Majesty, requesting the audience of the Eighth Lord.”
The voice of the eunuch spread throughout the palace. Wu Suijun grew flustered. How could he insist on righteousness since Dongfang Xiao mentioned the case of Wu Lirong?
Assaulting the royal princess would be a deadly crime for the whole family. Wu Lirong was lucky that Su Yun did not get married yet. But the Wu Family would not stand a chance to win if the case was discussed seriously.
Would Dongfang Xiao attacked him just like the way he had done to the Lin Family before?
Wu Suijun’s thoughts changed rapidly. He wore the armor to remind the emperor of the great contribution of the Wu Family to the Dahan Dynasty. But if Dongfang Xiao feared the Wu Family, his move would be a gesture of arrogance which further annoyed Dongfang Xiao.
Taking a deep breath, Wu Suijun controlled his anger. Although he was enraged at the collateral relatives of the Wu Family being annihilated, he had to reshape his view if Dongfang Xiao altered the attitude towards the Wu Family. It was unworthy to risk the real Wu Family for several irrelevant offspring and servants.
After a while, Dongfang Rui appeared, who stunned officials with his exaggerated attire.
Dongfang Rui was in mourning suits, pale, red-eyed with tears still on his face. It seemed that he was just crying.
With eyes twitching, Wu Suijun tried to ridicule but restrained himself. Prime Minister Ma De was laughing inside and thought Wu Suijun already lost the game today considering their appearances.
Walking near Wu Suijun, Dongfang Rui licked his pale lips and bowed his head, “Your Majesty!”
Dongfang Xiao stood up and said with a caring look on his face, “Rise, my brother. Why in the mourning dress? You just look terrible. I know you are sad but do keep yourself together. Someone brings him a chair. Eunuch Feng, remember to find a royal doctor for Lord Rui after the audience. Don’t let the sorrow get the better of him.”
“Yes, Your Majesty”
Eunuch Feng obeyed but his heart was full of doubts. Why the emperor suddenly became a beloved brother and was not angry with the Eighth Lord for the false oral instructions?
Dongfang Rui was also confused. Knowing that he had been used by Dongfang Xiao, he was alert enough to put on his mournful face some gratitude, and sat on the chair fetched by the eunuch, saying,
“Thanks for your understanding, Your Majesty. I was going to mourn the princess when I was summoned. It was too late for me to change attire, so, I had to dress this way.”
Both Prime Minister Ma and Tang rolled their eyes when hearing that. It took nearly one hour from the Mansion Rui to the Imperial Palace by horse, but Dongfang Rui came here in less than seven minutes. What a master of lies.
Rumor had it that Lord Rui was a rare honest member in the royal family, which turned out to be nonsense today.
“I see.” Surprise immediately turned into sadness on the face of Dongfang Xiao. “The princess has passed away for many years. Don’t be so sad. Since you have just found your daughter, it is better to take care of yourself and raise her.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty…”
The two kept talking without mentioning the Wu family. Instead, they discussed the mourning of Su Yun in peace. This frightened the entire officials in the hall.
It was the first time that the emperor acknowledged the identity of Su Yun as a princess. Did it mean that the Wu Family committed a major crime that Su Yun was hunted down by Wu Lirong?
The more Wu Suijun listened to them, the more regretful he felt. His mentioning of Dongfang Rui was an excuse for Dongfang Xiao to attack him. Would he have to implement the unmatured plan ahead of schedule?
Dongfang Xiao suddenly turned his head and shouted in a chilling voice.
“Do you confess, Wu Suijun?”
Flop!
Wu Suijun said nothing but kneeled. His forehead sweated, and he was no longer as assertive as he was before. “I confess!”
The U-turn of Wu Suijun astonished all the officials present who thought that Wu Suijun might argue with the emperor. To the surprise of everyone, he confessed.
Surprised for a little bit, Dongfang Xiao squinted his turbid eyes, slowed down his tone, and continued, “Then tell me what crime you are going to confess for?”
“I…”
Wu Suijun tried hard to figure out what Dongfang Xiao was contemplating. He understood that he was in great peril now. One wrong word might get him killed.
Dongfang Rui was sitting in the chair without any fears. Just as Su Li said, Dongfang Xiao did not mention anything about his false oral instructions. Instead, he stood with him to attack the Wu Family.
However, Su Li said that if Wu Suijun was smart enough…
At this moment, Wu Suijun said, “The concealing of information. My sister ordered the guards in the mansion to assault the Princess Rui and engaged warriors in Jianghu to hunt down the princess. It was really a great crime. My sister told me several years later but I chose to conceal the information. I’ve committed a serious crime because of sibling love! Punish me, Your Majesty!”
The hall remained in deafening silence.
Wu Lirong was already dead. The dead could not speak. Wu Suijun blamed his sister for all the crimes done. He called this sibling love?
Many officials were shocked by Wu Suijun’s cruelty and resolution. Dongfang Xiao hid away the fear in his eyes and concluded that Wu Suijun, unlike any members in Lin Family, was indeed a thorny issue.
“General Wu, if your sister were still alive, you could never escape the death sentence. You’ve already made a big mistake because of your sister. I will demote you to a Third-Grade General since you’ve pleaded guilty and were not informed from the very first. You will be assigned to guard the south border of Dahan Country and make amends for your crime. How do you think?”
Wu Suijun, though against this decision inside, faced the music eventually, “Thanks, Your Majesty.”
In comparison, Ling Ping was promoted to the Second Grade yesterday. He never thought that he would rank under Ling Ping one day.
However, he could do nothing but swallow the bitterness at this moment even if there was massive anger and resentment in his heart.
Wu Suijun lowered his head, and Dongfang Xiao resumed smile on his face. He turned his head to Dongfang Rui, “Lord Rui, you were guilty, too. No matter what happened, you should not vent your anger on ordinary family servants. Are you trying to turn us into royal tyrants?”
“I see. I am willing to accept any punishments for my wrongdoing.” Dongfang Rui did not mean to disobey Dongfang Xiao, though the so-called “ordinary family servants” were not ordinary at all.
Dongfang Xiao squinted and nodded, “No morning audience for three months and deprivation of salary for one year. Reflect yourself at home.”
Wu Suijun kneeled with his head on the ground. After hearing the punishment, he could not help but tremble his eyelids.
Was it a punishment? This was a holiday in a different name.
In addition, Lord Rui had not joined the morning audience for more than a decade. As for the salary, did Lord Rui really need salary since he had owned an auction house and Baishou Building?
“Aye, Your Majesty.”
After Dongfang Rui agreed to the decision, the morning audience was concluded. All officials had something similar ongoing in their minds.
The emperor was obviously on the side of Lord Rui.
Only the Prime Minister Tang was thinking something else. The morning audience ended in peace seemingly. But he really worried about Lord Rui who was just out of danger.
He outlived several emperors and of course he knew the relationship between Dongfang Rui and Dongfang Xiao. Now the two brothers were exchanging deadly blows for a princess who has been dead for many years.
They were restrained because they were in the royal family.
Prime Minister Tang couldn’t help but sigh. There was sorrow in his eyes. The royal family was so complicated… But his family was not much better.