Chapter 45: Brawl at the Court Meeting

Chapter 45: Brawl at the Court Meeting

The Emperor stood up, paced around in frustration, and then stormed off.

Zhu Yan didn’t see him off. She lowered her head, fiddling with her fan. She had known it would end like this, hadn’t she? She summoned someone to move the ice mirrors further away, then lay back in the rocking chair, gently fanning herself. Through the sheer gauze of the canopy, she could see the sky densely strewn with stars, the Big Dipper shining, and the vast Milky Way.

Gazing up at the infinite universe.

Yet, she felt a sense of loneliness, like a traveler in the vastness of the world and cosmos.

After a while, her son ran in and hugged her arm, asking, “Mommy, why did Daddy leave?”

“Your Daddy has some matters to attend to.” Zhu Yan sat up, noticing her son had run all the way, sweating, and took a handkerchief from Zhong Fu Mu to wipe his sweat while fanning him with her other hand, “Has your third brother left?”

“Yes, Qian Fu Mu said it was getting late and it was time for third brother to sleep. She wanted to bring him to say goodbye to you, but Aunt Qu said there was no need for such formalities and that she would inform you, so they left,” Zhang Ji parroted, Qian Fu Mu being third brother's most trusted nanny.

Hearing this, Aunt Qu knelt down and took over fanning the Fourth Prince, smilingly praising, “Look how capable our young prince is, speaking for us.”

“You all just pick the good parts to say, making his little tail nearly reach the sky,” Zhu Yan handed the damp handkerchief back to Zhong Fu Mu and took her son in her arms, “It’s summer now, easy to sweat. Don’t run so fast next time.”

“Got it,” Zhang Ji, nestled in his mother's embrace, pouted and complained, “Daddy said he was coming here and that he wouldn’t leave tonight. Mommy, Daddy lied to Tian Tian again.”

The Emperor, a master of sweet talk and deception.

Zhu Yan inwardly cursed, unable to answer her son's question, and resorted to her trump card, “If you want your Daddy, I can have Aunt Qu take you to Qianyuan Palace to live with him.”

“No way!”

Zhang Ji shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum, “I want to live with Mommy.”

“If you want to stay with Mommy, then you must be obedient.” Not entirely reassured, Zhu Yan had Qiuye fetch a basin of warm water to clean her son again before finally coaxing him to sleep.

Once her son was asleep, Zhu Yan didn’t hand him over to Zhong Fu Mu but carried him back to her chamber herself, placing him in the adjacent small bed. She sent Zhong Fu Mu to rest and arranged for four young nannies and palace maids to take turns watching over the night. After sitting a while and seeing her son sleeping soundly, Zhu Yan returned to her own chamber.

Xiang Ru, waiting inside, quietly reported, “Your Majesty, the Emperor sent Eunuch Xing to take the young prince to Qianyuan Palace to spend the night.”

“Tell him to go back, say Tian Tian is already asleep and shouldn’t be disturbed,” Zhu Yan refused without a second thought, not bothering to check the time. So late at night, they remember the son only when it's convenient.

The next day was the grand court meeting.

Zhu Yan didn’t expect to be woken up at dawn by Xing En, following the Emperor’s orders to take Ah Ji. After sending her son off, she returned to her room to catch up on some sleep but couldn't, her mind too full of thoughts. She eventually got up for breakfast and listened to Aunt Qu report on some matters she had inquired about.

"After leaving last night, His Majesty visited the Yuhua Palace to see Consort Wang and the Fifth Prince, and later summoned Concubine Liu."

"You don't need to tell me these things."

Zhu Yan continued to eat her glutinous rice cake without pause, glancing back at Aunt Qu. Aunt Qu was diligent and devoted, an excellent subordinate, and Zhu Yan even considered her a good partner. The only flaw, perhaps, was her tendency to take initiative on certain matters.

Maybe this trait stemmed from her background in Qianyuan Palace.

"You're not a court historian, and I'm not the Empress. I don't need to know these things. Don't tell me anything I haven't asked about," Zhu Yan emphasized again, then shifted the subject, "Has there been any decision on the handling of Princess Xiangyang?"

"Not yet."

Aunt Qu replied immediately, inwardly sighing. She felt that Zhu Yan lacked ambition, but also thought it was good in a way. Having witnessed the rise and fall of many in the palace over thirty years, she knew the extreme contrasts between favor and disgrace.

The favor of an emperor is as fleeting as flowing water.

Keeping Zhu Yan's words in mind and setting aside her thoughts, Aunt Qu explained, "There's been a lot of disagreement about Princess Xiangyang's case. Xindu Princess lashed out at her, calling her a beast and morally corrupt, refusing to be associated with her. She even demanded that Princess Xiangyang be expelled from the royal family, stripped of her status, and put to death to set an example."

"Xindu Princess has been released?"

"She was released long ago. Normally, princesses brawling wouldn’t be a serious issue, but this time it fell into the hands of the new and strict Judge Qiu from the Ministry of Justice, who wouldn’t let them off easily," Aunt Qu continued, gesturing for others to leave before adding, "After Xindu Princess sent off her husband and son, who were exiled to Qinzhou, she has been causing a scene, insisting on mourning at the mausoleums of the late Emperor and the Temple of English."

The Temple of English refers to Emperor Yingzong.

Xindu Princess is the sister of the late Emperor and daughter of Emperor Yingzong.

In this era, making a scene at ancestral tombs was no small matter. Xindu Princess was clearly determined to escalate the situation, intending to bring ruin upon Princess Xiangyang.

Hearing this, Zhu Yan responded lightly, “Did she go?”

"Of course not, Tongle Princess, the senior-most among the royal princesses, is guarding her residence," replied Aunt Qu.

Zhu Yan sided with Princess Xiangyang in this matter. Although her methods were somewhat alarming, the way Princess Xiangyang acted was oddly satisfying to her, “What would the legal verdict be, if it were up to the law?”

"Currently, the Ministry of Justice insists on adjudicating according to the law, treating it as a case of assault. The aggressors were the princess's personal servants, considered an act of a slave injuring their master, a grave disrespect. The sentence is twenty lashes and exile for three thousand miles. The princess is to be punished for lack of supervision, with a possible reduction of her fief and ceremonial status."

"Why not follow the law if it's there?"

"The reformist faction strongly disagrees. Apart from intentional injury, this case largely relates to the moral and societal principles of marital relations. The censors and Imperial University officials demand a harsher sentence."

Aunt Qu added, "Moreover, according to our dynasty's laws, princesses not involved in treason can avoid punishment by paying a fine. This has been a key reason for princesses acting so freely."

"Additionally, some officials from the Three Departments and the Censorate hope to use this incident as an opportunity to amend the laws."

Aunt Qu recalled that when Xing En discussed this with her, he mentioned that the government halls were in turmoil, with ministers reporting in shifts to avoid direct confrontations.

At this moment.

Inside the Hanyuan Hall of the former dynasty, it was indeed chaotic.

Since two months ago, the Emperor changed the daily court assembly to once every five days and reformed the attendance. Previously, only officials of third rank and above from various ministries and departments attended, but now it was expanded to include deputy officials of fourth rank and above. In cases of national importance, even retired high-ranking officials like the Three Excellencies and Grand Tutors must attend.

As a result, the attendance more than doubled.

At the grand court assemblies, the hall was a sea of crimson and purple robes.

The argument at today's assembly was anticipated by the Emperor, as even the ministers were divided into three factions over Princess Xiangyang's case, unable to reach consensus even within a single ministry.

The moderates like Xie Wu of the Secretariat, Guo Wu of the Ministry of Rites, Zhang Yao of the Clan Affairs Department, and Fan Ning of the Ministry of Justice advocated for a legal and case-specific approach, maintaining the status quo without escalating the issue.

The conservatives, Huaguang of the Imperial Secretariat, Yan Xian of the Imperial Academy, Huang Cheng of the Censorate, and Zheng Shi of the Capital Prefecture, argued for harsh punishment of Princess Xiangyang to uphold moral and marital standards, aligning with cosmic principles and the virtues of the sages, correcting societal deviations.

The radicals, Linghu You of the Imperial Secretariat, Shang Quan of the Ministry of Rites, Zhou Xuan of the Censorate, and Qiu Yuyang of the Ministry of Justice, believed the existing laws were too lenient on the powerful, making them fearless and reckless. They strongly advocated for legal reforms to govern by law.

Five years into his reign, the Emperor was accustomed to the ministers' quarrels at court assemblies. As long as they reached a conclusion and devised a viable solution, he usually did not interfere. However, he did not expect that besides their verbal disputes, they would actually come to blows today.

It was truly unexpected and eye-opening.

From his time as the Crown Prince to now as the Emperor, having attended court assemblies for ten years in the Hanyuan Hall, this was the first time he witnessed such a scene. He was unsure who lost their temper first, but eventually, the three factions erupted into a physical fight.

The Emperor quickly recovered from his astonishment and, picking up a paperweight, banged it three times on the desk in front of him. The thunderous sound jolted the quarreling ministers below back to their senses, reminding them they were in the Hanyuan Hall, not the government halls where the ministers usually worked.

They all regained their composure.

They were terrified, breaking out in cold sweats.

Some straightened their robes, hats, and boots, while others bent over to find their ceremonial tablets or pick up their jade tablets, then returned to their designated positions…

"Father, why are they fighting?"

A childish voice, still with a hint of baby talk, echoed in the hall.

A bold few sneaked a peek and saw a boy about four or five years old, resembling a golden child from in front of the Guanyin, dressed in a purple round robe, walking out from behind the curtain to the left of the throne. Unintimidated, he was beckoned by the Emperor to his side and lifted up, asked, “Tian Tian, why do you think they are fighting?”

“Because they can’t win by talking.” Zhang Ji replied crisply, his voice resonating in the deathly silent hall.

The Emperor patted his son’s head and looked at the ministers standing stiffly below, his eyes cold and angry, “Grown men in their forties and fifties, yet not as wise as a four-year-old child. Do you really think your reasons are sufficient and feasible? I’ve been waiting in Qianyuan Hall, yet none of you has presented a convincing plan.”

“Do you think that whoever wins the fight in this hall will have their plan approved by me? If that were the case, I wouldn’t need you; I’d go straight to the generals.”

“All you do is argue and quibble before me every day.”

His anger grew as he spoke.

He seldom directly expressed anger at his ministers.

When truly provoked, he would demote or dismiss them, removing them from his sight.

But today, he was genuinely furious and loudly called the names of Yinhou, Minister of the Imperial Sacrifices, and Hong Yuan, Minister of Rites, “You who are in charge of ceremonies, come and explain to me. You, ministers and pillars of the state, fighting in the court hall – what kind of behavior is that? Huaguang, lead and educate everyone on court etiquette for half a month.”

He had clearly seen that the most aggressive fighter was the Prime Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Huaguang. This old man, usually stubborn and eloquent, often wept in remonstrance. Unexpectedly, he was just as fierce in a fight.

A man of both pen and sword.

The Emperor thought he had indeed left a talented person in his service. He often caused him trouble, but he couldn’t just let him go.

“Also, the Director of the Palace Servants, record the names of all ministers who engaged in the fight. Penalize them with a year's salary.”

The Emperor set down his son, Zhang Ji, and stood up, sweeping his gaze over the bowed heads of Yinhou and Hong Yuan, the flushed face of Huaguang, and the silent ministers. "Secretariat Director, both Deputy Prime Ministers, Left and Right Vice Ministers, Censor-in-chief, Ministers of the Imperial Clan and Justice, and the Imperial Academy's Libationer, all nine of you, come to my Qianyuan Hall at the beginning of the sixth hour."

Having said this, he called for the court to adjourn and left the hall with his son, Zhang Ji.

Author's Note:

Today's update~~ Kisses~~