Chapter 146 – The palm and the back of the hand are both meat
Chu Qing-Yan thought she heard wrong, in disbelief and at a loss, she lifted her head to look at the smiling Eunuch Cao.
"His Majesty summoned me?" Her tone was uncertain.
Eunuch Cao nodded. Seeing her lips were pale with sweat coming out of her her forehead, he felt some pity and said. "Miss quickly get up, don"t continue to kneel, the ground is cold."
Chu Qing-Yan immediately nodded with both of her hands being supported she slowly got up.
The blood had already dried, only the skirt was stuck to the wound, so when she stood up, it tore. A pain came through and both legs lost footing and she couldn"t stand steadily. She almost kneeled down again.
Eunuch Cao promptly called two palace maids to support her, and after she could stand steadily, Chu Qing-Yan waved her hand to allow the maids to withdraw. Then, she turned towards Eunuch Cao to say. "Let us first go in. Can not let His Majesty wait for too long."
Eunuch Cao was slightly surprised, the young lady in front of him wasn"t delicate. She could endure hardship, and he couldn"t help but to have a new level of respect for her.
Chu Qing-Yan didn"t tarry, she endured the pain in her legs and entered the imperial study.
An incense burner made of gold and silver bamboo joint about a person"s height was leaning against a corner giving off spirals of fragrant smoke. The Four-Goat Square Zun was arranged on the table, the palace lamps hanged up high like a long letter chain. The carefully polished jade cup was at the corner of the table.
Everything was the same as the first time she entered the imperial study. Only that time, her heart was nervous, but now everything was already widely different.
Western Xuan Emperor sat up high behind a bright yellow, beautifully covered table. When she entered, he didn"t even lift up his eyes.
Chu Qing-Yan with great difficulty bent her knees and knelt. "Pay respects to Your Majesty. Majesty live long for ten thousands years!"
"You can get up!" Western Xuan Emperor put away the doc.u.ment in his hand and looked towards her.
"Thank your Majesty." Chu Qing-Yan slowly got up, the back of her cloth became wet just at this movement, but she bit her teeth, enduring the pain from her legs.
"What words do you want to say to I the emperor?" Western Xuan Emperor"s complexion was heavy. No one could tell the four human emotions from his expression.
Chu Qing-Yan lifted up her head, looked straight at Western Xuan Emperor as she firmly said. "Your Majesty, my family"s Highness has been wrongly accused. At that time, he was with Qing-Yan together, it was impossible for him to go a.s.sa.s.sinate Fourth Prince. Qing-Yan can testify on His Highness behalf!"
Western Xuan Emperor took a glance at her. "Sometimes making a move against someone doesn"t require the person to personally do so. You saying he wasn"t present at the scene doesn"t count."
Hearing this tone of Western Xuan Emperor, clearly he was certain this matter was something Big Block of Ice did. She couldn"t help but be a bit angry, but she still calmly said. "Your Majesty, based on your many years of understanding of your own son, do you really think he is the kind the person to disregard brotherly affection? A period before this, Fourth Prince was attacked by a.s.sa.s.sins on the street. If it wasn"t for my family"s Highness undertaking the task to save him, then Fourth Prince would have been in danger. Do you still feel my family"s Highness would slaughter brother based on that event?"
Western Xuan Emperor"s eyes flashed. "It"s hard to distinguish a person"s heart. Imperial power, politics is not as simple as you think."
Chu Qing-Yan somewhat wanted to sneer. "Your Majesty, in fact you don"t believe in my family"s Highness, your son right?! So based on first impression being the strongest he is being sentenced to the death penalty right?"
Western Xuan Emperor"s expression was slightly angry. "Chu Qing-Yan, are you questioning I the emperor? Do you know the consequences of questioning I the emperor?"
Chu Qing-Yan had already decided to throw caution to the wind, she wasn"t a bit afraid of defying his imperial power. "Your Majesty, if the nest is overturned, how could there still be an egg underneath? If His Highness is judged to be guilty, Qing-Yan as the fiancee he hasn"t married, how could I alone stand up? Therefore Your Majesty, Qing-Yan isn"t questioning you, rather I want to ask for justice for my family"s Highness."
"Didn"t see through you having a gifted tongue, really daring!" Western Xuan Emperor looked at her with cold eyes.
Chu Qing-Yan laughed at herself. "Your Majesty, it isn"t that Qing-Yan wanted to be disobedient to you the parent. Rather, my family"s Highness is really innocent."
"Speak and let me hear it." Western Xuan Emperor coldly smiled.
Chu Qing-Yan curtsied, then straightened her back to say. "Your Majesty, you say would there be someone this stupid? Using his own name to summon Fourth Prince under so many eyes, then dispatch people to a.s.sa.s.sinate him, to give someone his handle? No one would pit themself with such injustice."
"You don"t know there are some people who would do something like this because it doesn"t make sense? In this way, they could cast off suspicion." Western Xuan Emperor used cold words to refute.
Chu Qing-Yan"s bright clear gaze looked towards that person sitting up high and slowly said. "Your Majesty, but if that person knew you simply didn"t believe in that person a bit, would he still brave such danger?"
"Overly bold!" Western Xuan Emperor"s face was indignant as he coldly reprimanded.
Eunuch Cao on the side immediately went up to pat Western Xuan Emperor"s back. "Your Majesty, you must quell your anger."
Chu Qing-Yan kneelt down, but without fear as she met Western Xuan Emperor"s pair of furious eyes. Stressing each word, she said. "Your Majesty, it"s not that Qing-Yan wants to deliberately provoke your anger. Rather, it"s the several sentences in Qing-Yan"s heart I couldn"t help but pour out!"
Eunuch Cao saw she still wanted to say something and couldn"t help but sweat on her behalf.
"You shouldn"t believe that just because you are the bestowed granddaughter-in-law by the Retired Emperor, that I the emperor won"t be able to move you." Western Xuan Emperor angrily said. Maybe because it"s been many years since someone dared to talk back to him, he felt his dignity as the emperor was being provoked. His entire person burned with rage.
In any case, she had already provoked Western Xuan Emperor"s anger, so saying more won"t make a difference.
As a result, Chu Qing-Yan straightened her back and pursed her somewhat pale lips. With an unflinching expression, unbending and not sparing him, she said. "Your Majesty, His Highness dealt uprightly with people, treated people gently, handled matters wisely, and has a genuine and good temper. For so many years, he defended the border and protected the peace of this country. He never gave a trace of complaint. He doesn"t speak much, but practices what he preaches. For the people of the country, he would do things he ought to do. You have never praised him and never encouraged him, but he has always respected you."
"Even when he was being wrongly accused of a.s.sa.s.sinating his brother, his heart was only worried whether his younger brother was safe or not. He never had any expectation for his father but never disappointed anyone. Your Majesty, you have such an outstanding son, why couldn"t you ever see this?"
Chu Qing-Yan had just said to here but was coldly interrupted by the person on top. "Chu Qing-Yan, are you criticizing that I the emperor isn"t a good father, so you want to teach I this emperor how to bring up his own son?"
His overcast aura was thick as he said this, fuming with rage between gritted teeth. As if if Chu Qing-Yan just now nodded her head, he was waiting for her head to land on the ground.
Chu Qing-Yan nodded silently in her head. This kind of cold-blooded, heartless person who can"t tell right from wrong really isn"t a good father!
But one who adapts to the circ.u.mstances is a genius, so she didn"t want to be hung before rescuing Big Block of Ice.
"Your Majesty, this isn"t Qing-Yan"s meaning." Chu Qing-Yan had both hands folded respectfully, head bowed.
Western Xuan Emperor strongly suppressed his anger, if not for giving the Retired Emperor face, he would have already summoned people to drag her out.
"Get out, I the emperor don"t want to see you again!"
Eunuch Cao hearing this, immediately went up to lend an arm to Chu Qing-Yan and in a low tone said. "Miss, don"t continue to provoke His Majesty’s anger, go ah!"
Chu Qing-Yan took this opportunity to get up and didn"t plan on letting it go like this. She had kneelt for the entire afternoon, and still hadn"t said enough ah!
Eunuch Cao saw her crystal bright eyes look at His Majesty and knew this little girl was about to say something that would frighten the sky and make the underworld ghosts sob. His heart trembled.
"Your Majesty, Qing-Yan only has this last sentence to say."
Originally His Majesty didn"t want to pay attention to Chu Qing-Yan, but he heard this and looked towards her. That bursting in and out chest of his made clear his anger right now.
"The palm and the back of the hand are both meat, ask your Majesty to consider a bit!" Chu Qing-Yan looked at Western Xuan Emperor sitting there staring blankly, she curtsied then turned around and left the study.
"Bang——"
Don"t know what was smashed behind her, Chu Qing-Yan"s lip hooked up. She had stifled a belly full of words and finally finished scolding him. Her heart also felt more comfortable. What she said was the truth. Western Xuan Emperor wanting to place a criminal charge on her would be impossible. If he imprisoned her, then that would also be good, successfully helping to lock her and Big Block of Ice together!
But she knew that just relying on these words to scold awake Western Xuan Emperor would be impossible. She still needed to search for another way.