books44 What kind of sins did Chapter 163 commit!
What kind of sins did Chapter 163 commit!
"Only Yinyin would care about me like this."
Pei Yuanling remained calm for a long time, his gaze always fixed on the woman in front of him. The man's cold and sharp eyes softened considerably at this moment, as if he were looking at a rare treasure.
Although Pei Yuanling was a prince, his birth mother was of low status, just an unfavored low-ranking concubine. The two of them were like invisible people in the harem, rarely noticed by others. He also suffered a lot of scorn from others when he was young.
His situation only improved slightly after his birth mother passed away and he was sent to live with the current Empress Dowager.
Chu Qingyin, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Chu at the time, was the only one who was willing to treat him with courtesy and care for him.
He still remembers that Chu Qingyin, who was just a little girl at the time, had eyes as bright as stars and was as beautiful as ice and snow. She followed behind him, calling out "Brother Ling" over and over again.
They went through thick and thin together, from the prince's residence to the imperial palace, he became the emperor, and she became a concubine.
He thought that once he ascended to the throne, all his hardships would be over, but in the end, he couldn't protect the little girl who had protected him back then.
Even her family...
He couldn't keep him either.
It cannot be kept, nor... it is impossible to keep it.
The familiar face in his memory gradually overlapped with the person in front of him. The cinnabar mole between the woman's eyebrows seemed to be reminding him that the person in front of him was no longer his Yinyin, and his Yinyin would never come back.
Pei Yuanling never believed in ghosts or gods, but in this matter, he desperately hoped that the person in front of him was his Yinyin.
But why won't she acknowledge herself as her father?
Is she still resenting me? If so, why did she have to enter the palace again to be selected for the imperial concubine selection and come back to my side?
The two looked at each other in silence, but Chu Qingyin could clearly feel the man's surging emotions, as if he were looking through her at "someone".
Taking a deep breath, she forced an innocent smile, buried her head in the man's chest, and nuzzled against him, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't overthink it."
***
Since Lu Zhiheng took over the matter of the rumors, those rumors have gradually disappeared, as if they had never existed.
Ordinary people would forget about it after hearing it, and life would continue as usual.
Wang Chengxun was furious at home because of this!
It's one thing for Lu Zhiheng to disregard the Wang family, but he even attributed the cause of the rumors to his extensive search!
Unfortunately, because of this incident, many officials in the court were dissatisfied with him. His Majesty even punished him by deducting three months' salary for his poor performance. If the punishment had been more severe, he might have been sent home to retire.
Despite receiving such a punishment, he dared not utter a single word. After all, the Wang family was at fault in the assassination incident, and Pei Yuanling was already giving him face by using this opportunity to punish him as a warning!
"Father, I think His Majesty is increasingly disregarding our Wang family." Wang Jinglin, the second son of the Wang family, was even more furious than his father.
He had just been promoted to the rank of fourth-grade captain, and his position was not yet secure. His father was punished, and he would inevitably be implicated. The thought of this made him even angrier.
Based on Pei Yuanling's background, if it weren't for the Wang family's support, would he have been able to sit on the throne?
Now they're here to do this ungrateful thing of discarding someone after they've served their purpose!
"Say less!"
Wang Chengxun lowered his voice, a hint of coldness in his eyes: "Since His Majesty already knows that those assassins were carried out by us, this is already a small punishment to deter him. If he pushes his luck any further, who knows what he might do!"
Pei Yuanling is no longer the greenhorn who just ascended the throne.
His power in the court is growing, and with the help of that scoundrel Lu Zhiheng, if things continue like this, the Wang family will be devoured by him sooner or later.
Wang Jinglin said defiantly, "Father, our Wang family has been cultivating relationships in the court for many years, and our disciples and former officials are all over the country. Are we afraid of Pei Yuanling?"
Wang Chengxun was so angry that he raised his hand to hit him: "What do you know! His Majesty has now firmly established himself on the throne, and his foundation is solid. Moreover, there are many forces in the court that support him. We cannot act rashly."
His second son had no talent whatsoever in studying or taking the imperial examinations, so he took the path of military examinations and became a fourth-rank military officer, a military officer with some real power.
Unfortunately, he wasn't as quick-witted as his elder brother, who was sent to serve as an official in a remote area.
Wang Jinglin dodged his father's slap and muttered, "Are we just going to let it go like this?"
"Of course we can't just let it go like this."
Wang Chengxun said in a deep voice, slowly sitting down: "From now on, we must plan our actions carefully and not act rashly as before. You should restrain yourself recently, do your job well, and don't give anyone any leverage against you."
"How about we have our elder sister speak to the Empress Dowager?" Wang Jinglin was still unwilling to give up. "This matter cannot be left like this."
It was the emperor who was unjust first!
They used to dote on Chu Qingyin, and now there's Qiao Qingyin. If he hadn't acted so outrageously and favored her, they wouldn't have regarded Qiao Qingyin as a thorn in their side!
Their Wang family is a prominent and influential family that has produced three empresses. How could they possibly be controlled by a puppet emperor who only ascended the throne by relying on the power of the Wang family?
“Your elder sister is already in a difficult situation because she is not favored by the Emperor. Now that Consort Qiao has appeared, you should not add to her troubles.” Wang Chengxun glared at him, his expression serious but also showing signs of exhaustion.
How could he have given birth to such a good-for-nothing son!
And then there's her own youngest daughter, who dared to go on a hunger strike for Lu Zhiheng!
One after another, they're all causing him no peace of mind. What kind of trouble has the Wang family committed?
***
Upon learning that her father had been penalized with a three-month salary reduction, Empress Wang was deeply worried and paced back and forth in the palace.
This is the first time His Majesty has been angry with the royal family since ascending the throne. Although it was only a minor punishment, his meaning was crystal clear.
If they don't learn their lesson, who knows what might happen next time.
But he doesn't even consider why he was able to ascend to the throne!
If it weren't for the Wang family's support, he would never have become the current emperor!
Just then, an announcement came from outside the door: His Majesty had arrived.
Empress Wang looked surprised, and her heart was filled with unease.
His Majesty has not visited her palace for a long time, why has he come today?
She quickly straightened her clothes, put on a dignified smile, and stood at the palace gate, bowing respectfully: "Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, respectfully welcome you."
Pei Yuanling remained silent, coldly walking past her and straight into the hall.
This attitude made Empress Wang's heart tighten. She quickly followed behind and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, is there anything you wish to do today?"
Pei Yuanling remained silent and sat down on his own.
After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Presumably, the Empress, with her keen senses, already knows what happened in court today."
"Your Majesty, the women of the inner palace should not interfere in politics. As for matters of the court, I dare not inquire too much, but..."
She bit her lip, cautiously observing the emperor's expression. "But I am truly worried when I hear that my father has been punished."
"My father has always been loyal and devoted. This time, he only made a slight mistake in his actions. I hope Your Majesty will consider my many years of service and not be too harsh on him..."
Before he could finish pleading, a sharp, piercing gaze came from above.
"Empress, do you really think I know nothing?"