NCCnovel Chapter 126 Xu Longxiang is specially invited to the city to attend the ceremony!
Chapter 126 Xu Longxiang is specially invited to the city to attend the ceremony!
Li Si stood at the head of the civil officials, dressed in a purple robe with crane-patterned embroidery, his beard and hair all white, his face solemn.
He held a thick scroll of memorials in his hands, a joint letter of advice from fifteen important officials, their words earnest yet sharp as knives.
Standing behind him were Zhou Wenyuan, Minister of Rites; Wang Mingde, Minister of Personnel; Lu Mingyuan, Minister of Works; and Zhang Yannian, Minister of Revenue…
Almost all six ministers were present.
On the military side, Minister of War Wang Ben frowned deeply, and the old generals beside him also looked solemn.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
Finally, a long, drawn-out announcement came from outside the hall.
Everyone perked up and bowed in unison.
However, it was not the emperor's imperial carriage that entered, but Yunluan.
She was clad in silver armor, a long sword at her waist, her face cold and stern. She slowly walked into the hall and knelt on one knee before the imperial steps.
"His Majesty's oral decree—"
All the officials knelt down in unison: "Your Majesty, we respectfully await your decree!"
"The aftermath of the floods in Jiangnan is complex and affects the livelihoods of millions of people. I need to discuss with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works the allocation of disaster relief funds and measures to reinforce the dikes. Today's morning court session will be postponed. If any of you ministers have important matters to discuss, you may submit a memorial to the Hall of Mental Cultivation."
Yunluan's voice was clear and cold, echoing in the empty hall.
Dead silence.
After a moment of deathly silence, Li Si suddenly raised his head!
This veteran of three reigns, a prime minister who was usually calm and composed, suddenly had an uncontrollable rage burning in his eyes!
He slowly stood up, his hands trembling slightly with excitement as he tightly clutched the scroll of the joint memorial:
"Commander Cloud!"
Li Si's voice was hoarse, yet unusually firm:
"This old minister risks his life to ask: Your Majesty, when you speak of the aftermath of the floods in Jiangnan, are you referring to Your Majesty's personal trip to Suzhou to forcibly take Zhao Xushi, who had been married for six years, as your concubine?!"
These words caused an uproar throughout the hall!
Although the matter had already been widely discussed, the fact that it was said so bluntly in the imperial court still made many officials gasp in shock!
Li Si is... prepared to die for his remonstrance!
Yunluan's expression remained unchanged, and her voice was still calm: "Prime Minister, this matter is beyond my comment. His Majesty merely instructed me to convey a message."
"Good! Good! Good!"
Li Si uttered three "good"s in succession, his aged face filled with grief and indignation:
"Since Your Majesty does not wish to see us, we will wait here until Your Majesty is willing to see us!"
After saying that, he suddenly knelt down heavily on the ground with a "plop"!
He held the scroll of joint petition high above his head, as if cradling a heavy heart.
"His Majesty--!"
Li Si's voice, choked with sobs, echoed throughout the hall:
"This old minister has served three dynasties and two emperors, and has never seen anything like this... such a transgression against human ethics and disregard for propriety! Zhao Xu is a married woman! Her husband, Zhao Wenxuan, is still alive, and her father-in-law, Zhao Mingcheng, is still alive! Your Majesty forcibly takes my wife, where does this place the Book of Rites? Where does it place the fundamental principles of morality? Where does it place the opinions of the people of the world?!"
With each word he spoke, his forehead slammed heavily against the gold brick floor!
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The dull thud of kowtows, like war drums, struck the hearts of everyone.
Soon, blood seeped from Li Si's forehead, leaving dark red marks on the smooth gold brick.
"Prime Minister!"
"Li Xiang!"
Several senior officials rushed forward to help him up, but Li Si waved them away.
He remained kneeling, holding the memorial aloft, his voice hoarse and sorrowful:
"Your Majesty! Do you know what the people will say when this matter is revealed? How will the historians record it? How will future generations judge you? Forcibly taking a subject's wife, debauchery and immorality—these eight words will be forever etched on your name!"
Li Si was overcome with tears:
"This old minister is not afraid of death! What I fear is that the Qin Dynasty's centuries-old foundation will be destroyed in an instant! What I fear is that Your Majesty's illustrious reputation will be ruined in an instant!"
Zhou Wenyuan, the Minister of Rites behind him, also knelt down.
This old minister, known for his "strict adherence to etiquette," was now deathly pale, his voice trembling:
"Your Majesty! The Rites of Zhou states: 'The feudal lords do not indulge in lust, therefore the virtuous man keeps away from lust as a guide for the people.' The Book of Rites, Quli, says: 'Men and women do not know each other's names without a matchmaker; they do not have relations or intimacy without exchanging gifts.' Your Majesty is the ruler of the country and the model for all the people. How could you... how could you do such a beastly thing?!"
Zhou Wenyuan spoke with such emotion that he even imitated Li Si, banging his head on the ground:
"Your Majesty, I implore you to rescind your decree! Immediately send Lady Zhao Xu home! Apologize to the Zhao family and apologize to the world! In this way, perhaps your reputation can be salvaged!"
"I second that proposal!"
"I second that proposal!"
Minister of Personnel Wang Mingde, Minister of Works Lu Mingyuan, Minister of Revenue Zhang Yannian... one after another, important officials knelt down.
In the blink of an eye, a large number of civil officials knelt down!
Purple and scarlet robes covered the gold brick floor, like maple leaves swept away by the autumn wind, carrying a tragic and desolate color.
On the military side, the atmosphere was even more complicated.
Minister of War Wang Ben frowned, while the old generals behind him exchanged glances but made no move.
Most of them came from military backgrounds and did not value etiquette and law as much as civil officials.
However, this matter involves the Xu family—Xu Longxiang's sister from the Northern Border—so it's no longer a simple "emperor taking a concubine."
Xu Longxiang commanded 300,000 iron cavalry, guarding the northern border, and made outstanding contributions.
Now that the emperor is forcibly taking his sister as a concubine, this is practically... forcing the northern border to rebel!
In an instant, several military officers also knelt down.
Nearly half of the officials in the entire Golden Palace were kneeling.
Those who didn't kneel were either of low rank and dared not speak, or were the emperor's confidants, or... had ulterior motives and were observing the situation.
The air inside the hall was so heavy it almost seemed to solidify.
Sunlight streamed in through the high windows, illuminating the faces of the kneeling officials—faces filled with grief, fear, or resolve—and also the empty dragon throne on the imperial steps.
The dragon throne gleamed in the morning light, yet it exuded an indescribable loneliness and coldness.
Li Si still held the memorial aloft, the blood on his forehead already congealed and stuck to his gray hair, making him look both disheveled and tragic.
His body was trembling slightly—not from fear, but from extreme grief, indignation, and helplessness.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty..."
Li Si's voice lowered, choked with despair:
"I beg you... turn back..."
A dead silence.
Only Li Si's suppressed sobs echoed in the empty hall, sounding particularly jarring.
After a long while, Yunluan finally spoke, her voice still completely calm:
"I will relay your words to His Majesty without missing a single one."
She paused, then added:
"But since His Majesty has already issued the decree, this matter... is now settled. The investiture ceremony for Consort Hua will be held as scheduled in three days. If any of you gentlemen have congratulatory messages, you may submit them to the Ministry of Rites."
"you--!"
Li Si suddenly looked up, staring intently at Yun Luan, his eyes bloodshot:
"Commander Yun! You...you couldn't possibly be...?"
He wanted to say, "Are you also aiding and abetting evil?", but he swallowed the words back.
Yunluan was the emperor's personal guard commander, and her stance had always been very clear.
Yunluan met his gaze, her eyes calm as a deep pool:
"Your Excellency, Yunluan was merely relaying a message."
She said no more, turned around, and slowly walked out of the hall.
The silver armor gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the morning light, and his back was as straight as a spear.
He left behind a hall full of kneeling officials and a deathly silence of despair.
Li Si stared blankly as her figure disappeared outside the palace gate, the memorial in his hand falling to the ground with a "thud" and scattering.
The memorials were filled with densely packed words, all written in the blood and tears of fifteen important officials.
But at this moment, these words seem to have become a joke.
The emperor did not listen.
The emperor didn't care.
The emperor... went his own way.
"Hahaha……"
Li Si suddenly laughed, a desolate and sorrowful laugh that echoed throughout the hall:
"Heaven is going to destroy my Great Qin... Heaven is going to destroy my Great Qin!"
He slowly stood up, but because he had been kneeling for so long, he staggered and almost fell.
The officials beside him quickly helped him up.
Li Si pushed them aside and walked alone, staggering, towards the outside of the hall.
His gray hair fluttered in the morning breeze, his purple robe was stained with dust and blood, and his back was hunched and desolate.
This veteran of three dynasties, the pillar of the Qin Dynasty, seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
The other officials looked at each other, and eventually slowly got up and dispersed in twos and threes.
Every face was etched with heaviness, worry, and a hint of... fear of the future.
The emperor forcibly took Xu Longxiang's sister as a concubine.
Chaos is inevitable in the north.
The court has lost its authority.
The heavens of the Great Qin Dynasty... are about to change.
.......
The Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Qin Mu leaned back on the soft couch, playing with a white jade thumb ring in his hand, listening to Yun Luan's report.
When he heard that Li Si was kowtowing and bleeding, filled with grief and indignation, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"He is indeed a loyal minister."
His voice was very soft, and you couldn't tell what emotion he was saying.
Jiang Qingxue stood to the side, holding a teacup in her hands, her fingertips slightly white.
As she listened to Yunluan's description, the tragic scene in the Golden Palace flashed through her mind, and complex emotions welled up in her heart.
Those veteran officials... were genuinely worried about the country.
And Qin Mu...
She glanced at him secretly.
Qin Mu remained as lazy and casual as ever, as if everything that had happened in the Golden Palace was nothing more than an insignificant farce.
"Your Majesty," Yun Luan finished reporting and bowed her head, asking, "Will the investiture ceremony for Consort Hua in three days proceed as scheduled?"
"Of course," Qin Mu said calmly. "Not only will it be held, but it will be a grand affair. Tell the Ministry of Rites to prepare it to the highest standards."
"Yes."
"Furthermore," Qin Mu paused, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, "then..."
"Send an imperial edict to the Northern Border, saying that I have taken the eldest daughter of the Xu family as my concubine, which is a joyous occasion. I hereby invite Xu Longxiang, the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei, to come to the capital to witness the ceremony."
The teacup in Jiang Qingxue's hand trembled violently!