frightfiction Chapter 169 still has to be the most reliable and reassuring brother-in-law in the entire Changping!
Chapter 169 still has to be the most reliable and reassuring brother-in-law in the entire Changping!
Yesterday, Emperor Longyun was full of energy and high spirits, saying he would compete with Lin Shiming to see who could outlast whom. Now, reality has worn down his edges, and he just lies on the bed with his eyes closed, silent and still.
His surrender finally made even the Crown Prince, who was usually very willing to defend Lin Shiming, feel a little guilty.
"enough!"
Lu Yuxi sternly stopped the noisy and weeping concubines.
"Shut up."
Since Emperor Longyun did not speak up to stop them, the concubines knew what to do.
Although Lu Yuxi was a prince, a generation lower than them in terms of seniority, he was the crown prince, a half-emperor, whose status was second only to Emperor Longyun.
The emperor's power is unpredictable, not to mention that His Highness the Crown Prince has a decisive and ruthless Crown Princess who is a military general and dares to confront even the Empress Dowager. Who knows if they might develop a different kind of person from sleeping together?
Therefore, with Emperor Longyun's tacit approval, these concubines naturally dared not disobey in the slightest. The moment Lu Yuxi uttered the order, they immediately stopped crying and knelt on the spot, trembling and not daring to utter another sound.
The Xuanzheng Hall, which had been noisy all day, finally quieted down, and even Li An breathed a sigh of relief without showing any sign of it.
After the concubines shut up, Lu Yuxi stopped looking at them and simply told them to leave.
"Get out of the Xuanzheng Hall and kneel outside!"
Lu Yuxi's voice was still full of impatient anger, and beneath her imposing demeanor, it seemed as if she could take their lives at any moment.
The concubines kneeling on the ground were terrified. They didn't care about losing face or being out of favor. They hurriedly got up and rushed out of Xuanzheng Hall as if their lives depended on it.
With the source gone, the fragrance in the hall naturally lessened considerably, but the remaining part still filled every corner of the hall, as if it had been submerged in the aroma.
Lu Yuxi had endured it for a long time but could no longer bear it. She waved her hand and summoned Li An, ordering him to lead people to sweep and tidy up the hall, open the windows where necessary, and ventilate the room to dissipate the smell.
After an incense stick had burned, the eunuchs quickly cleaned the hall, and the fragrance gradually dissipated. Only then did Lu Yuxi, who was sitting to the side, order someone to set out dinner.
"Chief Steward Li."
"The slave is here."
"Go and send a message to the Crown Princess, telling her to come over after dinner and take those concubines at the gate away to discipline and punish them properly. I will check his results when he gets back."
Emperor Longyun, who appeared serene on the bed, quietly listened intently, then smiled with satisfaction.
Li An accepted the order and left. The other eunuchs also prepared the dinner according to the rules, and then Lu Yuxi dismissed them all. Only the father and son remained in the hall.
"Father, please rise and have your meal. Your son will personally serve you."
"I have a headache, chest pain, and backache..."
"Father, you are the absolute ruler of Changping. Do you think I have more authority than you in front of those concubines?"
Just put on a show, let's each take a step back and stop while we're ahead. I'll go back and give Shiming a lecture and that'll be it. You've gone too far, and in the end, we'll both suffer.
"Crown Prince! Which side are you on?" Emperor Longyun, that old fox, naturally understood the implication in Lu Yuxi's words. He slammed his fist on the table in anger, "Let me tell you, if you don't teach your Crown Princess a lesson, I, I will..." No, the omnipotent and merciful god Bai Qiongzhu has lost his memory and can't help him. There must be a new candidate.
Emperor Longyun racked his brains, and after a long while, he barely managed to think of a second person. "I will write a letter to that old scoundrel surnamed Lin to complain!"
Who should I complain to?
"What did Father say?"
You call delivering yourself to someone's doorstep to be laughed at "complaining"?
Lu Yuxi's pupils dilated in shock. Had her father lost his mind from anger?
Upon hearing this, Emperor Longyun himself fell silent.
He couldn't help but feel a surge of sorrow.
These are tough times! I, the Emperor, have no one to rely on... Zitong, I miss you! Please come back and see me. You've only been gone a few days, and I'm already being bullied by my son and daughter-in-law... Waaaaah...
“Father,” Lu Yuxi finally gave Emperor Longyun a way out, “I promise that I will go back and have a good talk with Shiming. You also promise me that you and Shiming will stop playing this lose-lose game.”
Emperor Longyun remained silent, overcome with grief.
Lin Shiming's voice could be faintly heard outside, along with rustling sounds, as if someone had been gagged and taken away.
A short while later, the owner of the voice and another person slowly walked in together.
"I see your Majesty."
"My son, I will meet my father."
Lin Shihe? What's he doing in the palace right now?
"Get up." Emperor Longyun, no longer bothering with his act, asked, "Why are you here, my dear minister?"
Lin Shihe smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I was suddenly informed of the imperial edict and decree yesterday, and I was worried, so I came to see you."
After saying that, he kicked his younger brother as a warning.
"Reporting to Father Emperor," Lin Shiming said reluctantly, his voice suppressed by his bloodline, "Your subject has already ordered people to take the outsiders away and will definitely keep them under control. They will then be made to serve Father Emperor, and from now on, they will never cause Father Emperor any more trouble."
Double entendre.
Lin Shihe nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Emperor Longyun with a questioning gaze.
The steps have been laid out for you, but this is a one-time opportunity, so we suggest you take them down as soon as possible.
"Father!" Seeing that a period of peace was just around the corner, Lu Yuxi quickly spoke up, "It's almost June, we really need to get busy."
After being persuaded by the two, Emperor Longyun finally relented and agreed to a ceasefire, realizing that he himself could not continue such an extravagant act.
"The Crown Princess did a good job. Let's do it that way."
Lu Yuxi breathed a sigh of relief.
The palace finally enjoyed a long-awaited period of peace.
He has to be the most reliable and reassuring brother-in-law in the entire Changping district!
Lu Yuxi was deeply moved and wished she could immediately erect a longevity monument for her brother-in-law.
"Alright." Outside the Xuanzheng Hall, Lin Shihe stopped Lu Yuxi, who wanted to see him off, "That's enough. I can go back on my own."
Lu Yuxi was deeply grateful, but ultimately expressed it simply as, "I still want to thank my brother."
"There's nothing to thank me for. I should be thanking Your Highness for taking such good care of Shi Ming." Lin Shihe glanced at Lin Shi Ming, who was lost in thought behind him, and said with an exceptionally gentle expression, "As the eldest brother, aren't we just supposed to clean up our younger brother's messes for the rest of our lives?"
"Alright, that's all for now. Your Highness, please go back and rest. Today was just a swift and decisive move, catching them off guard. Three days is enough time for them to react. The real battle will be at the court assembly the day after tomorrow."
*
Without the chaos caused by Emperor Longyun and Lin Shiming, the palace finally welcomed the court assembly on May 27th in peace.
At the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the sun had already illuminated the earth.
The ministers stood in unison, their demeanor solemn.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived——"
"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Lu Yuxi sat down on a chair next to the dragon throne amidst the eunuch's loud voice.
"Everyone, please stand up."
"Speak if you have something to report; otherwise, the court may adjourn."
"I have this memorial."