Chapter 571: Chapter 571. Killing a Chicken To Show The
Monkey
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Seeing Zhou Wen’s terrified look, Xiao Zeyu felt much better. Since you caused our Celestial Empress to fall out, I’ll make an example out of you.
When the officials saw that Xiao Zeyu was serious, those who didn’t take a concubine were very calm. Those who did were so frightened that they kept wiping their sweat. Their eyes were filled with fear as they hated Zhou Wen. They couldn’t bear to deal with the beautiful concubines at home, but they couldn’t be greedy for beauty if they wanted to be an official.
Some of them knew what memorial Zhou Wen had handed to the Emperor, but who dared to speak up for him? Since the Emperor was doing this, he wanted to punish Zhou Wen and release a message. If he didn’t take a concubine, those who advised him to take a concubine wouldn’t have a good ending.
In the future, who would dare to bring up the matter of the Emperor taking a concubine? Aren’t you afraid of losing your job?
Su Hanxuan was extremely smart. From Zhou Wen’s reaction and Xiao Zeyu’s determination to deal with him, he could tell that the memorial Zhou Wen had submitted was definitely for the Emperor to accept a concubine. It was likely that his daughter was angry, so the Emperor dealt with Zhou Wen to appease her.
This also proved that his daughter was critical to the Emperor, so vital that he didn’t want to take concubines. Su Hanxuan was very gratified. His daughter had good taste. Forget Xiao Zeyu being the Emperor; how many rich men wouldn’t take concubines?
Zhou Wen was brought out of the hall by the guards in fear. Xiao Zeyu swept his gaze across the civil and military officials and warned,
“Dear ministers, do your job well. Don’t worry about unnecessary things.”
The ministers understood immediately when they heard that. He had just finished dealing with Zhou Wen when he warned them. He meant no one was allowed to interfere in the royal family’s matters.
After the court session, none of the officials dared to discuss it. They hurriedly returned home to deal with the beautiful concubine. It was naturally a life-and-death parting. Some wanted to keep the beautiful concubine at home in the name of a maidservant, but when they heard that Zhou Wen had been beaten fifty times and his legs broken, they were so frightened that they didn’t dare.
After dealing with Zhou Wen, Xiao Zeyu called out to his father-in-law,
“Father-in-law, I haven’t drunk with you for a long time. Why don’t you stay and have a drink?”
He lowered his status very much. As the Emperor, even in front of his father-in-law, he should not address Su Hanxuan as his father-in-law. He should always address himself as ” I” and should not address him as “father-in-law.” This gave Su Hanxuan enough face.
“This subject is more respectful than obedient.”
Su Hanxuan knew clearly that his son-in-law wanted him to stay and persuade Qing’er. Since he was so attentive to Qing’er, he would help the Emperor this once!
After leaving the palace and returning to the inner palace, Xiao Zeyu first invited his father-in-law to Yangxin Palace Hall and sent someone to invite the Empress over. He emphasized to the eunuch,
“Tell the Empress that the old country father is here.”
Xiao Zeyu knew that if he didn’t mention his father-in-law, Su Qing’s stubborn temper wouldn’t respond.
“Alright!”
The eunuch knelt and agreed. He hurriedly got up and went to pick up the Empress.
Since last night, when the Emperor had guarded the Empress’ door for the entire night, everyone knew that the Empress and the Emperor were at odds and had locked the Emperor outside the door.
Even the Emperor feared the Empress, so they were even more afraid. They waited on Su Qing for the entire day in silence.
Fortunately, the Empress didn’t vent her anger on everyone, but she didn’t listen to their advice either and planted for the whole morning.
After the eunuch left, Xiao Zeyu personally poured tea for his father-in-law. Su Hanxuan would not be spoiled and quickly knelt to thank him. Xiao Zeyu quickly reached out to pull his father-in-law up.
“Father, Su Qing will be angry if he sees you kneel.”
Good lord, he had not even coaxed Su Qing properly. If she saw her father kneeling to him, she would be even angrier.
“Heaven and earth, you are the Emperor, and I am a subject. I should kneel. Qing’er understands this principle.”
Su Hanxuan wasn’t one of those treacherous officials who took advantage of his daughter to gain favor and took everything for granted, who didn’t care about the Emperor’s status and ended up miserable.
Therefore, one had to be clear about one’s position and pay attention to maintaining boundaries.
“Father, I won’t hide it from you. Qing’e and I are at odds.”
Seeing his father-in-law being so polite, Xiao Zeyu sighed and began to complain to his father-in-law about what happened last night.
Father, I didn’t read Zhou Wen’s memorial. Qing’er returned the moment I opened it. I casually placed it on the dragon table, and she was furious when she saw it. Quickly help me persuade her not to be angry and ruin her health.”
“I see!”
Wasn’t this what Su Hanxuan had guessed? According to the law, it was customary for the Emperor to take in a concubine. If the Empress did not allow the Emperor to take in a concubine, she would be narrow-minded and violate the three obedience and four virtues. Without virtue as a queen, the Emperor could ultimately depose her.
“Yes, father-in-law, I’ve been wronged.”
Xiao Zeyu frowned. Su Qing ignored him. He couldn’t eat, drink, or sleep.
He feared that Su Qing would leave without saying goodbye like last time. When he went to court, he had arranged for guards. When the Empress left the palace, he let them go to the throne room to find him.
This morning, he was also absent-minded in court. He had been worried that Qing’er would run away from home.
“It’s quite unjust. I’ll persuade Qing’er later.”
Seeing Xiao Zeyu sighing, Su Hanxuan hurriedly comforted him.
“Thank you, father-in-law.”
Hearing that his father-in-law had agreed, Xiao Zeyu hurriedly thanked his father-in-law.
If she refused to go back, he would have to keep watch until Qing’er calmed down.
Su Qing was currently hoeing the ground in her own Hidden Phoenix Pavilion. The bricks in the courtyard had been raised, and she was preparing ridges, digging holes, and burying seeds. She was doing it very seriously as if what happened last night had never happened.
Xiao Ying had accompanied her sister-in-law the whole time, serving tea and pastries. Seeing Su Qing working without saying a word, Xiao Ying knew that her sister-in-law was in a bad mood and didn’t want to talk, so she stayed by her side silently.
Although she didn’t know why Sister-in-law was angry with her brother, to be able to make her so angry, her brother must have done something that she couldn’t forgive.
She had already thought about it. If the Eldest Brother let Sister-in-law down, she would go back to Mo City or Jingshi Dao with her Sister-in-law. She would want a Sister-in-law instead of an Elder Brother.
Su Qing buried the last corn seed into the pit and began to bury the soil. Although it was tiring, she would not let her imagination run wild.
She wanted to leave as well, but because she had wrongly accused Xiao Zeyu last time, she wasn’t so impulsive this time.
Although she understood it in her heart, she still couldn’t let it go so quickly.
As long as she thought about how Xiao Zeyu had deliberately opened the memorial for her to see, to test her bottom line, Su Qing felt like a giant stone had been placed in her heart, weighing her down.
Her current emotions weren’t suitable for meeting Xiao Zeyu. She had to calm herself down.
“Sister-in-law, let’s rest for a while!”
Xiao Lanxin saw that Su Qing still wanted to water the plants, so she came over to stop her. She was pregnant, so how could she work like this?
“I’m fine.”
Su Qing pulled down her sister-in-law’s hand. She had to work to vent her anger.
“Reporting to the Empress, the Country Father is here. The Emperor invites you to Yangxin Hall.”
Just as Su Qing and his sister-in-law talked, the eunuch greeted Su Qing.
“My father is here?”
Su Qing frowned. Why was he here at this time?
When Xiao Lanxin heard that Su Hanxuan had arrived, she urged her sister-in-law,”
“Sister-in-law, let’s go over quickly. Don’t let Uncle Su wait anxiously..”