“Is that so?” Rong Jin replied, “Then I suppose I must be clearer.”
Rong Jin glanced at the memorial.
The memorial was opened by the attendant, and its contents were read aloud in the hall.
“Last night at midnight, the Minister of the Household was found in the bed of his fourth concubine, after which he insulted His Majesty, claiming that he was wasting the people’s efforts and resources on building temples, disregarding the welfare of the state, allowing eunuchs to seize power, and persecuting loyal ministers.”
As the reading concluded, the memorial was closed.
Rong Jin maintained a neutral expression, but the icy coldness in his eyes was intimidating. He said softly, “Do you have anything to add?”
“No, humble servant did not mean that. I have served in the court for over twenty years and have never harbored a shred of disrespect…”
Rong Jin raised his hand and smashed the teacup before him, shards scattering everywhere. “Are you implying that I have slandered you?”
The officials in the hall were so shocked that they knelt halfway.
Only a few cabinet ministers remained standing, but their expressions were equally grim.
Rong Jin turned to Zhang Yanru, the head of the cabinet, “Elder Zhang, as the chief of civil officials, what do you think of this matter?”
Zhang Yanru’s expression was slightly restrained.
He had worked alongside the Minister of the Household for decades and had always disapproved of this faction of eunuchs. He sincerely wanted to protect him, but the cabinet was now weak and no match for Rong Jin.
In this situation, he could only choose to protect himself, “The Minister of the Household has disrespected His Majesty and spread rumors, which should be handled by the Ministry of Justice.”
“Elder Zhang speaks correctly,” Rong Jin said with a light smile, though the smile sent shivers down the spine. His words were merciless, “There’s no need to trouble the Ministry of Justice. They are already swamped with affairs. I have ordered the Imperial Guard to detain everyone from the Minister of the Household’s estate to the interrogation cells.”
“What?!”
The color drained from the Minister of the Household’s face.
The interrogation cells of the Imperial Guard were notorious and dreaded by all.
Anyone detained there did not undergo questioning but was subjected to severe torture first, and even those who were fortunate enough to escape emerged utterly ruined.
At that moment, the Minister could no longer afford to protect his long-standing title and crawled forward on his knees, his knees bloodied by the shards of the teacup.
“Supervisor, Your Grace, if you must arrest someone, let it be me alone. This matter has nothing to do with my family; they are innocent!”
“My Lord, please rise. How can a humble eunuch like me accept such courtesy?”
Rong Jin picked up the small brass hand warmer again.
“My Lord, if you are dissatisfied with me, I have no objections. But Your Majesty regards you as a confidant, while you regard Your Majesty as an enemy. Disregarding the morality between ruler and minister is an inexcusable crime.”
“Take him away.”
With Rong Jin’s words, the Imperial Guards stepped forward and dragged the Minister away.
The blood and shards on the ground were cleaned up as well.
The atmosphere in the hall was dead silent.
Rong Jin’s minions were numerous, and it was well-known that they monitored and framed officials regularly.
Once ones fell into his hands, there would be no survivors; it would always end with a massacre of their entire family. This was the main reason everyone despised Rong Jin.
Tong Sui, assisted by the system, had witnessed the whole ordeal.
He looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar Rong Jin on the throne, sensing a coldness that evoked a degree of fear.
Perhaps after having just experienced a relatively peaceful world, he found it hard to accept this brutal slaughter.
“Isn’t the punishment a bit too harsh…”
Tong Sui whispered.
The system replied: [Otherwise, how could he be the villain?]
In the evening, two young eunuchs appeared again.
They intended to find fault but were surprised to see that Tong Sui had completed all the tasks they had assigned him, and the snow along the way was spotless.
Tong Sui said, “Can I go back to rest now?”
The two young eunuchs were momentarily taken aback, but Tong Sui had already left.
“How did this kid manage? We clearly assigned him so much work! What do we do now?”
Had they not known that no one would assist a powerless fool, they would not believe Tong Sui could accomplish this alone.
“Well, the higher-ups only said to make sure he couldn’t rest if he didn’t finish. Since he’s done, our tasks are accomplished, right?”
Tong Sui returned to his shabby little house.
He approached the door and found it had been tidied up and the windows repaired. Inside, the finest charcoal fire was burning, warming the entire room.
“You’re back, huh? Why so late?” Chu Yunyao poked his head out. “Did those people make you do more work again?”
Tong Sui took a careful look around the room.
The bedding on the bed had also been replaced with new ones, and a few new clothes were piled on the side. He asked, “Your Highness, did you have someone do this?”
Chu Yunyao replied, “You didn’t want to move, so I just had someone fix things up a bit. Do you like it?”
Tong Sui nodded, surprised that Chu Yunyao could be this considerate. He thanked him with a bow, “Thank you, Your Highness. I won’t have to freeze tonight.”
“No need for such formalities,” Chu Yunyao stepped forward, intending to take his hand but remembered Tong Sui’s injuries, so he instead grabbed his sleeve. “Come in and eat.”
The dishes from the imperial kitchen were exquisitely crafted, far beyond what ordinary palace residents could enjoy. Thanks to Chu Yunyao’s status, Tong Sui was rare to have had this luxury twice.
Chu Yunyao watched Tong Sui eat, and compared to his ravenous appetite yesterday, he was much more restrained today, though his cheeks were still stuffed.
His youthful face bore a smile.
In fact, he wasn’t the only one wishing to come over—several of the other princes also wanted to join in, but Chu Yunyao had chased them all away.
Over the next few days, Chu Yunyao came on time each day to bring him food.
One day, Chu Yunyao arrived later than usual.
He stood at the door for a moment, arranging his expression before entering.
Tong Sui saw through the window that Chu Yunyao seemed a bit unhappy, and after he came in, Tong Sui asked, “What’s wrong?”
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