Translator: Guy Gone Bad
“Highness Sheng, what do you say?”
Folding the memorials, Yan Shengzhi looked down at Yan Shengrui inexplicitly. Anyone from the imperial family, the first thing one had to learn was not to show his feelings on the face. And His Majesty was undoubtedly one of the best. No one could read anything from his face. Everyone’s eyes fixed on Yan Shengrui now.
Yan Shengrui just ignored His Majesty who was still waiting for his answer, but slowly turned to look at Censor Zhu, making the latter’s legs shaking like a sifter. Only when his face turned liver-colored did Yan Shengrui say slowly, “Since when does it need to bother the censor to care about my family thing? If you are too idle, I don’t mind transferring you to the army to supervise and correct the atmosphere there. So you won’t act like a nosy yenta on the court. My wife has just been in the capital. What is wrong for him to reward some beauties to those big families? Or you are not satisfied about him not sending you one? Then you should tell me earlier. I will let him pick some and send them over for you after I go back. I promise you will be contented about it.”
If it hadn’t been that Ling Jingxuan told him not to root them out once for all, he really didn’t want to waste any saliva with them. It was his luck, today he’d like to play a game with him.
“You…”
Hearing that, Censor Zhu got so mad. Stammering with the word you for quite a few times, he straightened his neck and argued back, “Only those holding ill intentions will maintain relationships using women! Crown Princess is a monster since he can even give birth as a man! And now he even kills people as he wants and abuse his power. That’s a disaster to the whole kingdom and its people. He should be removed from his title! Highness Sheng really shouldn’t destroy your own career for a monster!”
Finally, he even tried to tell Yan Shengrui what to do righteously. A lot of people applauded for him in their hearts, while those military officials all glowered at him. Most of them were Highness Sheng’s subordinates. The crown princess their Highness Sheng acknowledged crown princess was their only crown princess. Censor Zhu even dare to find fault with their crown princess! Today he couldn’t go back home in a whole piece!
“Ha ha ha…”
Surprisingly, instead of getting mad or what, Yan Shengrui laughed. Almost everyone was looking at him strangely, including both the emperor and empress. They all couldn’t understand why he could still laugh out for someone called his wife a monster who would only bring disasters to the kingdom and its people.
“Shengrui!”
Censor Zhu was so scared. His Majesty darkened his face and his eyes couldn’t be sharper. Before the court, he would he allow him to act wild here?
“Don’t you think it’s funny?”
The laughter gradually stopped. Yan Shengrui lifted his head to take a look at Yan Shengzhi, and then his deep peach blossom eyes turned to Censor Zhu again, “According to Censor Zhu, anyone who offers beautiful women to others is not a good one. I have a list here. If Your Majesty doesn’t object, please let Zhang Dezi to read it out before all officials here. And after that, you’ll know why I laugh.”
A brand new booklet slipped out of his sleeves. Yan Shengrui threw a look at Eunuch Zhang, while the latter went down the steps and respectfully took it from is hand, returned to his position, unfolded the booklet and read aloud, “In the second year of Tianwu, Zheng Weiqing sent two beauties and four maids, Xiao Heshan offered four beauties, four maids. In the third year of Tianwu, the Empress Dowager granted three beauties, three maids, Chu Xiangrong offered two beauties and two maids. His Majesty granted four beauties and maids each. And in the sixth year of Tianwu…”
“That’s enough!”
As Eunuch Zhang read more and more names, nearly half of the officials down there included. And His Majesty’s face got so distorted. He really didn’t expect that Shengrui would feel out such a booklet! Although this kind of thing was an open secret, with Censor Zhu’s words head, Yan Shengrui was like telling them, you want to declare my wife guilty only for this? Fine, then declare others, including His Majesty and the empress dowager’s guilty first! The seemingly mild means actually left them no back door. If they insisted using this as an excuse to abolish Jingxuan or seven declare him guilty, then Yan Shengrui would take on the side of justice. And whatever he did, others would have nothing to say. A man trying to defend his wife. What is wrong with that?
“Censor Zhu, anything else?”
Yan Shengrui was apparently giving him a warning. Before, he thought even if he couldn’t abolish Ling Jingxuan, at least he could cut Yan Shengrui down to size. But…finally he got himself set up.
“I…I…Your Majesty, even if granting beauties to others is a normal thing, what about him breaking into Your Highness’ mansion using force? Where did he put the dignity of the imperial family? And killed tens of maids and servants for no reason! And throwing those beauties out of the mansion is what a jealous woman would do. So many sins! He deserves to be abolished!”
As things came to this step, Censor Zhu also had no way back, so he could only toughen his scalp and list Ling Jingxuan’s ‘sins’. The left prime minister who had stayed silent suddenly stood out, “I support his proposal. Your Highness, please take those beauties you sent to my mansion back. I didn’t do anything to deserve it!”
“Me too!”
Under his leadership, other officials who received beauties from Ling Jingxuan all stood out. It was not the honey-trap itself was not good. In the world, few men aren’t lecherous. But Crown Princess didn’t offer those beautiful women to them, but as a reward. So after receiving those beauties, they couldn’t even say some harsh words at them. How would the first wife of the mansion regulate the whole back yard? And once the backyard got in a mess, how could their husband do things outside? Most importantly, the background of all those beauties was not simple.
Almost all civil officials knelt down, while those military officials didn’t move. And Yan Shengrui sitting up there felt so thrilled in his heart, but still maintained his composure there, and the hand holding the armrest was tapping lightly, as if he was considering something. And the atmosphere of the whole court instantly fell into dead silence. The most strange thing was that the always dominant and headstrong Highness Sheng still hadn’t had a cow yet.
Translator: Guy Gone Bad
“Highness Sheng, what do you say?”
Folding the memorials, Yan Shengzhi looked down at Yan Shengrui inexplicitly. Anyone from the imperial family, the first thing one had to learn was not to show his feelings on the face. And His Majesty was undoubtedly one of the best. No one could read anything from his face. Everyone’s eyes fixed on Yan Shengrui now.
Yan Shengrui just ignored His Majesty who was still waiting for his answer, but slowly turned to look at Censor Zhu, making the latter’s legs shaking like a sifter. Only when his face turned liver-colored did Yan Shengrui say slowly, “Since when does it need to bother the censor to care about my family thing? If you are too idle, I don’t mind transferring you to the army to supervise and correct the atmosphere there. So you won’t act like a nosy yenta on the court. My wife has just been in the capital. What is wrong for him to reward some beauties to those big families? Or you are not satisfied about him not sending you one? Then you should tell me earlier. I will let him pick some and send them over for you after I go back. I promise you will be contented about it.”
If it hadn’t been that Ling Jingxuan told him not to root them out once for all, he really didn’t want to waste any saliva with them. It was his luck, today he’d like to play a game with him.
“You…”
Hearing that, Censor Zhu got so mad. Stammering with the word you for quite a few times, he straightened his neck and argued back, “Only those holding ill intentions will maintain relationships using women! Crown Princess is a monster since he can even give birth as a man! And now he even kills people as he wants and abuse his power. That’s a disaster to the whole kingdom and its people. He should be removed from his title! Highness Sheng really shouldn’t destroy your own career for a monster!”
Finally, he even tried to tell Yan Shengrui what to do righteously. A lot of people applauded for him in their hearts, while those military officials all glowered at him. Most of them were Highness Sheng’s subordinates. The crown princess their Highness Sheng acknowledged crown princess was their only crown princess. Censor Zhu even dare to find fault with their crown princess! Today he couldn’t go back home in a whole piece!
“Ha ha ha…”
Surprisingly, instead of getting mad or what, Yan Shengrui laughed. Almost everyone was looking at him strangely, including both the emperor and empress. They all couldn’t understand why he could still laugh out for someone called his wife a monster who would only bring disasters to the kingdom and its people.
“Shengrui!”
Censor Zhu was so scared. His Majesty darkened his face and his eyes couldn’t be sharper. Before the court, he would he allow him to act wild here?
“Don’t you think it’s funny?”
The laughter gradually stopped. Yan Shengrui lifted his head to take a look at Yan Shengzhi, and then his deep peach blossom eyes turned to Censor Zhu again, “According to Censor Zhu, anyone who offers beautiful women to others is not a good one. I have a list here. If Your Majesty doesn’t object, please let Zhang Dezi to read it out before all officials here. And after that, you’ll know why I laugh.”
A brand new booklet slipped out of his sleeves. Yan Shengrui threw a look at Eunuch Zhang, while the latter went down the steps and respectfully took it from is hand, returned to his position, unfolded the booklet and read aloud, “In the second year of Tianwu, Zheng Weiqing sent two beauties and four maids, Xiao Heshan offered four beauties, four maids. In the third year of Tianwu, the Empress Dowager granted three beauties, three maids, Chu Xiangrong offered two beauties and two maids. His Majesty granted four beauties and maids each. And in the sixth year of Tianwu…”
“That’s enough!”
As Eunuch Zhang read more and more names, nearly half of the officials down there included. And His Majesty’s face got so distorted. He really didn’t expect that Shengrui would feel out such a booklet! Although this kind of thing was an open secret, with Censor Zhu’s words head, Yan Shengrui was like telling them, you want to declare my wife guilty only for this? Fine, then declare others, including His Majesty and the empress dowager’s guilty first! The seemingly mild means actually left them no back door. If they insisted using this as an excuse to abolish Jingxuan or seven declare him guilty, then Yan Shengrui would take on the side of justice. And whatever he did, others would have nothing to say. A man trying to defend his wife. What is wrong with that?
“Censor Zhu, anything else?”
Yan Shengrui was apparently giving him a warning. Before, he thought even if he couldn’t abolish Ling Jingxuan, at least he could cut Yan Shengrui down to size. But…finally he got himself set up.
“I…I…Your Majesty, even if granting beauties to others is a normal thing, what about him breaking into Your Highness’ mansion using force? Where did he put the dignity of the imperial family? And killed tens of maids and servants for no reason! And throwing those beauties out of the mansion is what a jealous woman would do. So many sins! He deserves to be abolished!”
As things came to this step, Censor Zhu also had no way back, so he could only toughen his scalp and list Ling Jingxuan’s ‘sins’. The left prime minister who had stayed silent suddenly stood out, “I support his proposal. Your Highness, please take those beauties you sent to my mansion back. I didn’t do anything to deserve it!”
“Me too!”
Under his leadership, other officials who received beauties from Ling Jingxuan all stood out. It was not the honey-trap itself was not good. In the world, few men aren’t lecherous. But Crown Princess didn’t offer those beautiful women to them, but as a reward. So after receiving those beauties, they couldn’t even say some harsh words at them. How would the first wife of the mansion regulate the whole back yard? And once the backyard got in a mess, how could their husband do things outside? Most importantly, the background of all those beauties was not simple.
Almost all civil officials knelt down, while those military officials didn’t move. And Yan Shengrui sitting up there felt so thrilled in his heart, but still maintained his composure there, and the hand holding the armrest was tapping lightly, as if he was considering something. And the atmosphere of the whole court instantly fell into dead silence. The most strange thing was that the always dominant and headstrong Highness Sheng still hadn’t had a cow yet.
