SWDnovel Chapter 82 Out of Control
Chapter 82 Out of Control
At this moment, Yinreng was no longer the arrogant and haughty person he had been when he met Yin'e in the palace that day.
He was now kneeling on the gold bricks of the Qianqing Palace, like a mouse cornered by a cat, his body and voice trembling slightly.
His forehead was pressed against the ground; he dared not raise it, dared not look Kangxi in the eye.
He knew that countless eyes were on him at that moment.
Some sympathized, some gloated, some were indifferent, and some just watched the spectacle.
"Your subject... Your subject believes that they must be punished, they must be severely punished."
His voice was halting, each word sounding as if it had rolled around in his throat several times before being squeezed out.
The voice was thin and weak, completely different from his usual loud and clear voice when he gave orders in Yuqing Palace.
The ninth brother stood in the queue and turned to look at the eighth brother.
His lips curled slightly upward, and his eyes were full of schadenfreude.
Lao Ba frowned and gently shook his head, signaling him to tone it down.
Emperor Kangxi sat on the dragon throne, looking down at his son kneeling on the ground.
His face was expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"How should the crime be punished? How should it be severely punished?"
Yinreng's brain was like a rusty machine, it just wouldn't turn.
He wanted to say "behead Gao Mengyuan and display his head to the public," but felt that was too lenient and not enough to express his anger.
He wanted to say "exterminate nine generations of relatives", but he felt it was too harsh. What if Kangxi thought he was killing people to silence them?
He wanted to say "let the Ministry of Justice handle it according to law," but he felt that was too perfunctory and seemed like he was shirking responsibility.
He thought and thought, but couldn't come up with a suitable answer; his mind was completely blank.
"Uh...this...this..." His lips trembled for a long time, but he couldn't say anything.
The silence in the main hall lasted for a long time.
Emperor Kangxi frowned.
His gaze shifted from the crown prince, he remained silent for a moment, and then stood up from the dragon throne.
The hem of the court robe swept across the armrest of the dragon throne, and all the civil and military officials in the hall lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at him.
Kangxi walked step by step to Yinreng and stopped.
"Gao Mengyuan, you know him, right?" Kangxi's voice came from above.
Yinreng's body jerked suddenly: "Yes...yes...I know."
"Did he serve in the Eastern Palace?" Kangxi asked again.
Yinreng's hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves, his mind racing.
What did Kangxi mean by asking these two questions? Did he already know something, or was he testing him?
How should he answer?
Saying "yes" is tantamount to admitting that Gao Mengyuan is his man;
If Gao Mengyuan says "no," a quick check of his resume will reveal that he lied, which is tantamount to deceiving the emperor.
"Yes... he used to be in charge of purchasing at Yuqing Palace. But... but that was several years ago. He resigned from his post and went into business. He hasn't had much contact with me since."
Kangxi did not respond.
He stood there, looking down at his kneeling son, pressing down on Yinreng so much that he almost fell to the ground.
The atmosphere inside the Qianqing Palace was almost freezing.
Logically speaking, since this matter involves the crown prince, Kangxi should not have reprimanded and questioned Yinreng in front of so many people.
This is far too disrespectful to the Crown Prince.
The crown prince is the foundation of the country, and the dignity of the crown prince is the dignity of the court. If Kangxi embarrasses the crown prince in front of all the civil and military officials, what will become of the crown prince's prestige?
Where is the Crown Prince's prestige?
But that's exactly what Kangxi did.
Yin'e stood in the queue, watching this scene, his heart filled with complex emotions.
He suddenly realized that Kangxi was not throwing a tantrum or losing control; he was doing it intentionally.
His dissatisfaction with the crown prince had been brewing for quite some time.
The Juxianju incident was merely the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Today, Emperor Kangxi questioned the Crown Prince in court not to hear what he had to say, but to publicly reprimand him.
Just as the silence in the hall was becoming suffocating, a voice rang out from the ranks.
"Father, I have something to say!"
The voice was urgent and loud, carrying the vigor of a young person.
All eyes turned in that direction.
The thirteenth prince, Yinxiang, stepped out of the queue with quick and large strides.
His face was filled with urgency; his brows were furrowed, his lips were pursed, and the muscles in his jaw were taut.
He walked to the crown prince's side, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt down.
"What is it? Speak."
Yinxiang raised his head and looked into Kangxi's eyes.
"Father, Gao Mengyuan did indeed serve in the Eastern Palace before, but he has been gone for several years now, which is a well-known fact."
What he does outside is neither known to His Highness the Crown Prince nor should be His Highness's responsibility.
"Now he runs a casino and lends money at exorbitant interest rates in the capital, which is his own crime."
He didn't mention the Eastern Palace or implicate His Highness the Crown Prince in his confession. Please, Father Emperor, investigate thoroughly!
Yin'e stood in the queue, looking at Yinxiang's back, and secretly admired him.
This thirteenth prince spoke up for the crown prince in front of all the officials in the court. Regardless of whether he was right or wrong, not everyone has that kind of courage.
He knew, of course, that Emperor Kangxi was furious, and that stepping forward at this moment might backfire, but he still stepped forward nonetheless.
What was the reason? It wasn't for profit or calculation, but for gratitude. The Crown Prince had been kind to him, and he remembered it and wanted to repay it.
After the thirteenth prince finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.
Then, another voice rang out.
"Reporting to Father Emperor."
The voice was rough and loud, and everyone turned their heads to look in another direction.
The eldest prince, Yinzhi, stepped out of the queue.
He was tall and burly, with a physique as imposing as a moving mountain.
His shoulders were so broad they could block two people's view, his arms were thicker than an average person's thigh, and he walked with a powerful stride.
He had a thick beard, dark eyebrows, and small but bright eyes.
As Yin'e watched the eldest prince's retreating figure, his heart skipped a beat.
He suddenly felt that today's court assembly was becoming more and more interesting.
The eldest son's dissatisfaction with the crown prince has been brewing for a long time.
He was the eldest son of Emperor Kangxi. According to the saying "if there is a legitimate heir, the legitimate heir shall be established; if there is no legitimate heir, the eldest son shall be established," he would have been the rightful heir if there was no crown prince.
He followed Emperor Kangxi in his campaigns across the country, achieving great military exploits and enjoying high prestige in the army. However, he was always just the "eldest prince," not the "crown prince."
He had been holding back his anger for over twenty years, with nowhere to vent it.
Now, the opportunity has arrived.
Gao Mengyuan is the Crown Prince's man, Xiao Guoxing is the Crown Prince's man, and Juxianju is the Crown Prince's property. As long as this matter is confirmed, even if the Crown Prince is not deposed, he will be severely punished.
Yinzhi walked to the center of the main hall, stood next to Yinxiang, and knelt down.
He pulled a folding book from his sleeve, held it with both hands, and raised it above his head.
The folded document was inscribed with the words "Draft of the Joint Trial of the Juxianju Case by the Ministry of Justice".