zChapter 936 - None in the Xuan Family Are Reasonable (1/2)
Feng Yu Heng’s words had succeeded in capturing the Emperor’s attention, and they had succeeded in causing Assistant Minister Liu to break into a cold sweat. He had originally thought that it was impossible for Feng Yu Heng to bring up what had been said in the yard to the Emperor; moreover, given the situation in the room, it was not the time to talk about such things! Also, who had ever heard of tattling to the Emperor after just a bit of an argument?
Yet Feng Yu Heng had done just that!
She did not care about anything like the atmosphere. She just knew that the Liu family was part of the eighth prince’s faction. Getting her into the palace to treat his younger sister’s illness, there was something fishy about it, no matter how one thought about it. Concubine Liu was indeed severely sick. Her earlier preliminary examination had found that there was a problem with her kidneys, but this did not mean that she could skip over the earlier matters. She had kindly come into the palace to treat your younger sister. Instead of feeling grateful, why should your Liu family get to curse her out?
Her eye twitched, as she coldly looked at Assistant Minister Liu then very pitifully added: “His Highness the ninth prince is one of Da Shun’s dignified princes, and he is Father Emperor’s son. Why is it that saving a life is considered not acting properly? What exactly did Assistant Minister Liu’s earlier words mean? A-Heng is still unable to understand and is feeling extremely flustered.”
The Emperor had already been biased in favor of Feng Yu Heng. When he heard that the situation also involved his most beloved son, he immediately lost it. He just glared at Assistant Minister Liu but did not ask anything of him. Instead, he said to Zhang Yuan: “Come! What just happened? How is it that Our son has been acting improperly?”
Zhang Yuan did not have much of a good impression of Assistant Minister Liu. He stood on Feng Yu Heng’s side, thus he immediately repeated what Assistant Minister Liu had just said in the yard to Feng Yu Heng. The Emperor’s expression became livid, especially after the last thing that was said. That had poked at his most sensitive point: “Our son and daughter-in-law are not living properly in Da Shun? Liu Huai, you really have some good thoughts!”
Liu Huai quickly dropped to his knees and kowtowed, immediately defended himself: “Your Majesty, this is all a misunderstanding! This official misspoke and had been angered by what His Highness the ninth prince had said! You don’t know it, but His Highness the ninth prince said…”
Before he could even finish speaking, the Emperor immediately flared up: “You’re a standard third rank official of the court, and Our son is a member of the imperial family! A prince! What, can he not say a few words about you? Then if We curse you as being a bastard, would you then respond with your own curse?”
Liu Huai trembled with fear on the ground, as he mentally cursed Feng Yu Heng millions of times, but the Emperor was in the middle of being furious. He did not dare say anything. After all, what he had said was right. If a prince cursed you, what right do you have to retort? Had things been flipped?
Feng Yu Heng continued to play pitiful: “Assistant Minister Liu naturally does not dare curse His Highness the ninth prince, but he is such a bully toward a young wife.”
“He dares!” The Emperor exploded and immediately stood up. Extending his hand, he pointed at the unconscious and severely ill Concubine Liu, loudly saying: “This is your younger sister, your own younger sister! A-Heng came into the palace to treat your younger sister’s illness. You don’t express gratitude and instead use such vile words to deride her. Just how cruel and unscrupulous is your Liu family? As We see it, you don’t really have much intention to have Concubine Liu treated. Urging Us to bring A-Heng in to examine Concubine Liu was most likely to criticize her, right? Don’t think that We don’t know. Back then, your father had many complaints about Imperial Concubine Yun and tried numerous times to have Us chase Imperial Concubine Yun out of the palace. Today, We will repeat what was said to your father at that time, so listen well. Which concubines are favored and which are demoted is my family matter. There is no room for you lot in the courts to make bluffs and threats over! We are Da Shun’s ruler. If even Our family matters are being controlled by the officials, the world’s matters might as well be left to you!”
The members of the Xuan family had never been reasonable. The Emperor was not reasonable, and his sons were even less reasonable. Back then, the Emperor really had said this to Minister Liu in court, nearly causing Minister Liu to faint in fear. Today, those same words were spat at Liu Huai, and he immediately broke into a cold sweat. Not only was he afraid, but he was also very frustrated with his earlier outburst. He had managed to get Feng Yu Heng into the palace to treat Concubine Liu. Why was it that he could not hold back? If the eighth prince found out that things went wrong because of him, he was worried that he would be unable to provide an explanation!
Liu Huai gritted his teeth and frankly kowtowed toward Feng Yu Heng while saying: “Would Princess Yu please hand down punishment. This official had misspoken earlier because of Her Highness Concubine Liu’s illness causing me to feel anxious. This official wishes to kowtow and apologize to Princess. Would Princess not blame this official.” As he spoke, he kowtowed another two times.
Feng Yu Heng did not say anything, but the Emperor’s anger had not been reduced, as he said to Feng Yu Heng: “A-Heng, you can leave the palace! It was Father Emperor’s mistake and should not have called you into the palace. Everyone in the Liu family is a thankless ingrate. This sort of person is not worth pitying. Since Concubine Liu’s illness can no longer be treated by the imperial physicians, her illness should have been fatal. Nobody can be blamed. Go on! There’s nothing for you to do here.”
Upon hearing that the Emperor would have Feng Yu Heng leave the palace, Liu Huai lost it and really began to tear up. He crawled forward a bit along the ground and endlessly sobbed, saying very pitifully: “Your Majesty please show some grace! I’m begging Your Majesty to show some grace! I beg Your Majesty, on the years that Concubine Liu has remained at Your Majesty’s side, you can’t just watch her wait to die like this! Princess Yu is a divine doctor with miraculous abilities. She is definitely able to save Her Highness Concubine Liu’s life. I beg Your Majesty to not abandon Concubine Liu!”
Feng Yu Heng looked at him like this and suddenly asked: “Precisely which imperial physician was it that told Assistant Minister Liu that this princess could treat this illness? Even if I am a divine doctor with miraculous abilities, I am not a deity. How can you be so certain that this princess can treat her?”
Liu Huai froze for a moment then spoke through sobs: “This official had just heard about it after court was dismissed. As for precisely which imperial physician, this official cannot recall clearly. At that time, I had just been thinking about getting treatment for Her Highness, and my mind was a mess. But Princess Yu being a divine doctor is something known around the world. Princess is a great and magnanimous person, so please do not argue with this official. I beg princess to save Concubine Liu!” Liu Huai had gone ahead with it, repeatedly kowtowing. His head thunked with each one. Where was that appearance of going tit for tat from earlier in the yard?