Chapter 92 – The Phantom

The emperor slowly closed his eyes and said, “You overestimated my patience, I underestimated your energy in the palace ……”

Rapunzel looked at the emperor and gasped, “I know, you have been giving me a chance, in fact, I have also been giving you a chance, as long as you don’t want to kill me, I simply …… can’t muster up the courage to harm you …… because in this life, I have been used to be behind you, want to stand completely opposite you, is not an easy thing, I don’t want to harm you …… so I have not been out.”

“However you made me despair.” Li Yunrui gasped, then smiled gently and said, “So kill me, if I live, I will definitely try to kill you by all means.”

“No one can kill me.” The Emperor said calmly, then his hand slowly exerted force. At this time, the knocking outside Guangxin Palace stopped in an extremely strange manner, and a trace of abnormality flashed in the eyes of the Eldest Princess.

“You are my sister.” The Emperor suddenly reached out his hand and gently caressed her cheek, murmuring, “Even if it’s very misbehaved, you’re still my sister.”

This was the last conversation the Emperor and the Rapunzel ever had in this world.

Then the palace door of Guangxin Palace was broken open hard by several snow-like sword lights, after hissing and crunching, the palace door collapsed, the Empress Dowager, who had a calm face yet unusually terrified eyes, accompanied by Elder Eunuch Hong, and under the arch of several tiger guards, walked into Guangxin Palace.

“Imperial son!”

The Empress Dowager screamed as she looked at the shocking scene in front of her.

The Eldest Princess glanced at the Emperor, who was close to her, with a somewhat disoriented gaze, and realized that a hint of a self-deprecating smile appeared on the corner of the Emperor’s lips after he heard the scream.

Yet, she did not know who this smile was mocking.

One finger, one finger, gradually loosened from the Rapunzel’s reddened neck, like a deadly poison ivy attached to a tree branch gradually becoming powerless.

The emperor closed his eyes and took a long time to calm his breathing, then slowly withdrew his palms, turned back to his body, slightly straightened his dragon robe that had been messed up by the Eldest Princess, and with an expressionless face, he greeted his own mother, held her hand, and said softly, “Empress Mother, let’s go back.”

The Empress Dowager’s gaze rested on the Eldest Princess who had collapsed paralyzed under the palace wall, stroking her scalding, reddened neck and gasping for breath without stopping, shivering all over.

The Emperor’s hand holding the Empress Dowager’s hand tightened slightly as he said softly, “Mother, let’s go.”

Although the words were gentle, although they indicated a compromise, they were also filled with an irresistible majesty. The Empress Dowager’s hands trembled once again as she said in a trembling voice, “Return to the palace, hurry back to the palace.”

The Emperor suddenly stopped at the entrance of Guangxin Palace, the expression on his face as calm as ever, but his brow furrowed slightly as he said, “I thought that all the people of this world are my people.”

The few tiger guards who had previously broken into the palace stared blankly.

A few wind sounds rang out, and several tiger guards following the Empress Dowager grunted miserably several times and fell into a pool of blood.

The Emperor respectfully held the Empress Dowager’s hand and left Guangxin Palace.

Elder Eunuch Hong followed behind with his sleeve.

The door of Guangxin Palace was closed once again, also shutting the sound of the Princess’s gasps inside.

Today’s court meeting was delayed by half an hour, and the time when the thirteen gates of Kyoto opened, was also delayed by half an hour. This half hour was enough for a lot of things to happen in the palace, and also enough for the civil and military officials in the court to know roughly what His Majesty had done.

So no one dares to really go to the imperial city after half an hour, all the ministers of the court, according to the original time, honestly waiting outside the gates of the palace.

Just today the atmosphere between the field is very strange, no one will get together to discuss small talk, even the pleasantries seem to have become a sin. That monstrous silence made all of them feel a wave of pressure.

Just before the early hours of the morning, most of the Rapunzel’s forces in the dynasty and the capital had already been swept away, and some of them were even forces that these officials were not even aware of in the past. This time the action came so swiftly, hand down so decisive and ruthless, closing the net so cleanly, let these officials feel a trace of cold.

It was said that the one who was in command of Kyoto was the old black dog of the Supervisory Yuan.

Of course the officials knew how high the level of this incident, however, standing in front of the imperial city, each speculating on the mind, but figured out, this world is ultimately his majesty’s world, not the world of the princes, not to mention the eldest princess’s playthings, as long as his majesty wants to move a little bit someday, naturally will be easy to clean up these people.

Only at this time did the officials return to their usual supreme reverence for the man who sat high above the dragon chair, and only then did they remember that they, the people, seemed to have grown accustomed to His Majesty’s silence over the years, and had forgotten his supreme glory and great achievements back then.

It was just that the officials could not accept this in silence either, for they did not know what would happen immediately afterward at the court. If it was said that His Majesty was going to use this matter to conduct another major cleansing of the court, those bosses at the Gate Under the Central Committee were worried about whether or not Qing’s bureaucracy would still be able to take on such a storm.

Fan Ti Si had already arrested too many officials.

If another batch was arrested, who would work for the court?

And even more people were speculating as to what Her Highness the Princess had offended His Majesty over to end up in such a situation. In any case, these officials could not guess the real cause of the incident, and naturally could not associate it with those bloody and miserable images in the palace.

There is no news coming out from the palace, it seems to be very calm.

Whip ringing jade, all the ministers in order to arrange on the temple, which includes the door under the Chinese book of the foremost Shu Hu two university professors, as well as the Ministry of the Secretary, the Ministry of the Household Secretary Fan Jian is also in the list, just under the dragon chair in the rank, has been missing a few people.

This number of people at this time is afraid to be in the Da Lisi or Supervisory Yuan.

The ministers lowered their heads and entered, a moment of calm but was shocked to find that there is no one on the dragon chair.

Shu Wu glanced worriedly at Grand Maester Hu, although he did not say anything, but his eyes had already conveyed enough information. This old maester had served His Majesty for many years, of course he knew the means of His Majesty’s heart and mind, since he said to postpone it for half an hour, that is, His Majesty must have the certainty that he would be able to end everything within half an hour.

With His Majesty’s temperament, he wouldn’t do anything without certainty, and he wouldn’t say anything either.

It is just that at this time half an hour has passed, but he still did not go to court, could it be that things in the palace are already in trouble to such an extent?

At this time the rain in Kyoto has long stopped, the sky is flooded with reddish sunset clouds, although there is no heat but enough to let the witnesses give birth to a few threads of warmth. Just these ministers of the Qing Dynasty on the Taiji Hall, the heart is cold and nervous.

With a eunuch singing salute, the man in dragon robe finally came late.

After the hail hail, in order to speak, handing over the medals, sent down the approval, all the procedures of the court appear to be so smooth and natural. On such a morning, no one dared to make His Majesty the Emperor slightly angry.

Shu Wu raised her head and peeked, and found that His Majesty was sitting on the dragon chair with a calm face, only slightly tired.

Anything that touched off bad luck always had to be done by someone, after all, the rules of the court were here, and the duties of the civil ministers were here. The two ministers were suddenly caught in prison, the imperial inspectorate ten to its three, Kyoto suddenly appeared two big blood, such a big event, a deaf and dumb, can not hide.

Shu Wu sighed, in the heart of their own secret apologies, out of the column slowly last night’s events out, and then respectfully ask the Oracle.

The emperor propped jaw in the chair, silent for a long time, slowly said: “monitor things, all have my will, these people are in prison.”

Shu Wu also dared to clash with his majesty, stern advice, but he knows, this is only his majesty needs to be such a slightly funny minister, but today’s matter is very big, how can not be rashly asked. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, moistened his throat that was a little dry from nervousness, and respectfully reported, “I do not know what Yan Shangshu’s people have committed.”

The emperor glanced at him, closed his eyes, and waved his hand.

Eunuch Yao has long since the yellow silk box next to the dragon chair to take out a number of folders and dossiers, jogging down the imperial platform, distributed to several old ministers standing in the forefront.

What is written on the folders and dossiers, like Shu Wu, Fan Jian, these old guys of course know well, have long guessed, but when they themselves circulated, still have to show shock, anger, guilt expression.

The dossier is of course the investigation of the Supervisory Yuan, for last night was solicited into the prison of those ministers of the crime, a Tsubo a Tsubo clear can no longer be clear, confessions are all in the evidence, human and material evidence has been into the Da Lisi, completely those ministers biting the dead, it is not possible to give them any chance to turn around.

And the court hall these ministers perform those three kinds of expression, naturally is to express to his majesty, their own people for the ministry of ministry of ministers Yan Xingshu all people’s crime know nothing, so shocked. As a colleague in the court, for these food king’s salary, but deceived the king, oppressing the good people’s sinful ministers incomparable anger …… As for guilt, naturally, because of the same dynasty for a number of years, actually did not be able to find out in advance that these sinful ministers of the wolves and ambitions, failing to inform His Majesty in advance, to expose the ugly face of these people, it is difficult to escape the crime of not recognizing the people, and hard to His Majesty’s sacred heart! The imperial ruling …… can not help but feel a little ashamed of your majesty, ashamed of the court, ashamed of the people of Qing.

These three kinds of expressions are done adequately, while the emperor’s expression remains faint, the corner of his lips showing self-mockery and mockery, the reason why he is half an hour late for the court today is naturally because he has to appease his mother in the Hall of Containing Lights, and he also has to take care of everything in the palace.

Obviously, he did not explain to the Empress Dowager the reason for his anger, but strangely enough, not being able to secretly erase the Eldest Princess, this Emperor’s Majesty was not how disappointed.

Among the group of ministers, in addition to the three expressions, there was another expression, that of fear and trepidation.

The dossier was passed around in the courtroom, there were already four officials kneeling on the ground, these officials are also the role of the Princess in the past, and the dossier on the matter can not be dissociated from, as soon as they saw the dossier, they knew their own doom has come.

These four ministers kneeling in the Taiji Hall kowtow desperately, but do not dare to call out His Majesty to spare his life, because they know that their Emperor, His Majesty, the most hated is those who shamelessly beg for forgiveness.

The Emperor indifferently glanced at these four ministers and said, “The crime is not as great as the crowd.”

The four ministers’ bodies shook, as if they did not expect that His Majesty would actually forgive himself so easily, the great joy after the great shock made one of them unable to hold back from sitting on the ground, unable to speak for a long time.

The emperor frowned and glanced at that person, and did not say anything more.

The imperial study after the pilgrimage. At this time the rest is the real center of power in Qing, the door under the middle book including the six ministries and three temples of the bosses are still sitting on top of the embroidered pier as in the past days, but today these big shots are like sitting on top of the tip of a needle, very sad.

Today there is no prince prince listening to the lecture, the ministers of the heart in the speculation, face but do not dare to show the slightest.

The emperor glanced at these people, slowly said: “some things, I can put in the courtroom to speak, some things, can only speak here, because all of you adults are the pillars of my country of Qing, the son of heaven family affairs, is also a member of the national affairs, you always need to know.”

The crowd’s hearts tightened, knowing that this was to say the matter of the eldest princess, and hurriedly bowed forward.

“Yan Xingshu and others, just minions, I will not kill lightly.” The emperor half leaned on the short couch and said, “In the courtroom, I will also not move greatly. It’s just a matter of time, you guys read it first.”

The dossier held in the hands of the ministers at this time was not the ones circulated in the courtroom, but some real secrets, so the ministers didn’t need to disguise those three expressions any more, because these three expressions were issued from the depths of their hearts.

Eldest Princess Li Yunrui betrayed Qing State Supervisory Yuan’s chief of secret spies in Beiqi, Yan Bingyun!

Collusion with the Ming family, secretly group pirates, robbing the internal warehouse goods!

Secretly making the Jiaozhou sailors slaughter the island!

Instructed assassins to assassinate court officials in the street!

Shu Daoshi’s fingers were trembling as he held the dossier. Although these officials knew that the Eldest Princess was powerful and wild at heart, how could they not have imagined that it would actually come to this extent, especially since these four charges were too frightening. Back then, when South Qing and North Qi negotiated, the North Qi people suddenly threw out the bargaining chips, and the Qing State was caught off guard, and the North Qi secret spy leader who was captured by the vibrating court …… was actually operated by the eldest princess?

When the vibration of that thing is too big, many ministers still remember, especially after the Kyoto and then drifted a speech paper snowflakes, paper words and phrases directly referring to the Princess, but also forced the Princess had no choice but to leave the capital …… speech ice cloud is now the Supervisory Yuan four chiefs, is the Royal Library of these ministers are clear about the matter, the ministers had thought that, that is only a verbal The attack, did not expect, actually is true!

“This …… this ……” Shu Wu heart a piece of anger, but simply can not repel what words.

The investigation provisions on the dossier are too detailed, the veins are too clear, so much so that even if these ministers don’t believe it, it’s also very difficult, especially the witnesses of the last three charges, who are still locked up in prison today.

“There’s a gadget called the Junshan Society.” The emperor closed his eyes and said, “It’s something Yun Rui came up with, and although the accountant ran away, he still let the Black Riders capture a lot of people after all. As for the matter of assassination in the street …… the two assassins are still in prison today.”

Hu Daoshi slightly more composed, although not clear why His Majesty wants to spread the royal family’s matter on the table to say, or sincerely asked: “Will …… there be a difference? After all, as much as a House of Supervisors a House of investigation gained.”

This was said in a very clear way, and the crowd also heard it. If these big crimes really point to the Princess, the future of the Qing Dynasty, there is no longer the possibility of the Princess to rise again, but everyone knows that since Fan Xian is in charge of the Supervisory Yuan, and the Princess in the dark, in Kyoto in the Jiangnan, the fight to the death, not happy.

If the Princess loses her power, then Fan Xian’s faction will become the most powerful party in the court.

That was why Grand Maester Hu had some reminders.

The emperor slowly said, “Things are indeed all investigated by Fan Xian, but this young man will not do such small means as planting evidence …… The assassin’s confession and the drawings of the Jiaozhou navy generals are all there, and the account books are also there, and the Ming family’s confessions are all out, so there is no need for further suspicion.”

Seeing that His Majesty did not listen to his own secret advances and knowing that His Majesty must have other plans in mind, Grand Maester Hu replied with silence.

“It is good that Yan Bingyun did not die.” The Emperor suddenly opened his eyes and said indifferently, “Otherwise how can I face the people of Qing. Whether it’s the sons and daughters of the army or the spies of the Inspectorate, they’re all good sons and daughters who have died for my Great Qing, but they’ve been sold out by the powerful and wealthy for their own selfishness, sold out!”

His voice raised in disgust, saying, “Disgusting ……”

The imperial study was quiet, after a long time, the emperor said tiredly, “But Yun Rui is after all my own sister, all the adults if you have grievances, as much as you can seize on me.”

The words out, all the ministers in the imperial study kneeled to the ground in unison, even said not dare, the heart are feeling odd to the extreme, the Princess of the status, does anyone dare to force the emperor to use the Qing law to cure her death? Just …… these things palace treatment is not better, why his majesty but must be so bare to tell yourself these people …… seizure? Oh my god, where did His Majesty get these words from?

“In order to avoid civil discussion, the eldest princess Li Yunrui seal is not removed, the fiefdom is not removed.” The emperor suddenly opened his mouth and said, “Ren Shaoan!”

Kneeling at the very back of the Taishang Temple’s main secretary Ren Shao’an hurriedly moved a few steps forward, his legs were shaking and his heart was drumming, originally the Imperial Study Room meeting had nothing to do with himself, he had been suspicious and afraid earlier, but only then did he realize that His Majesty wanted him to answer the decree.

Taishang Temple manages the starting and living behavior of the members of the royal family, and should be courtesy imperial.

“I’m here.”

“The eldest princess occasionally feel the wind cold, with into the west city of the royal courtyard quiet recuperation, not have the will of the person, shall not disturb, violators beheaded.”

“Under the watchful eye of the Supervisory Academy.” The emperor paused, and slowly closed his eyes again, and said wearily, “Whenever the embankment of the Great River is fully repaired, when to let her out.”

“I …… receive the decree.” Ren Shaoan was scared and almost cried, thinking that the Great River is ten thousand miles long, even if Yang Wanli can repair it again, I’m afraid that it will take a few hundred years, and at that time, the eldest princess will only become a skeleton early.