Morning court.
The officials were all in their places, Xiao Yunzhou arrived half a cup of tea late.
Also arriving late was Master Liu.
"Your Majesty, the morning court concerns important state affairs, it concerns the rise and fall of the dynasty, how can one be late so casually!?"
Just as Xiao Yunzhou had finished adjusting his dragon robe and sat down on the dragon throne, someone scolded him.
His face immediately turned dark.
Officials from the Imperial Cabinet and the Censorate stood up to accuse Master Liu!
"For those who arrive late to morning court, the punishment shall be a month's salary deduction for minor offenses, and one hundred strokes of the cane for major offenses!"
"I plead with Your Majesty, Liu Wenchang, as an Imperial Censor responsible for overseeing the officials, should set a good example himself. His tardiness to morning court should be severely punished!"
Liu Wenchang's face changed.
His granddaughter hadn't mentioned this.
Xiao Yunzhou took a deep breath.
Anyone with eyes could see that Liu Wenchang arrived at the same time as him.
These people were just finding fault!
"Last night, I allowed Liu Wenchang to be late for today's morning court due to official business."
Lord Fucha, leading the Imperial Cabinet, stood among the officials. At this moment, his hands were calmly folded, and he remained silent.
But behind him, an Imperial Censor stepped forward, "Today, Your Majesty is also late to morning court. Could it be that Your Majesty is shielding Master Liu? Or is it because Master Liu's daughter is Your Majesty's recent favorite consort?"
"How dare you!" Xiao Yunzhou's anger surged.
The first to scold him for being late were from the Empress's family.
Now, those who insulted him with words were from the Noble Consort's family.
They thought by publicly reprimanding Master Liu, they could thwart the possibility of the Fifth Prince being named the crown prince?
Or were they planning to trample on his face as the Emperor, so that they could bring up the matter of naming the crown prince later, leaving him, the Emperor who was late and guilty, unable to object?
What a bunch of fools!
Xiao Yunzhou coldly snorted, "Bring him forward!"
Among the officials, except for Master Liu and the Imperial Guards, the rest looked puzzled.
But soon, several officials from the Censorate, including some who had previously petitioned for the naming of the crown prince, looked uneasy.
"Where is Lord Zhou?"
"Why isn't the Right Chief Censor at morning court today? Is he ill?"
"I played chess with him yesterday."
They all felt a sense of unease.
Before long, the sound of metal chains clinking echoed in the court.
With a thud, a man with heavy shackles and a foul odor was kicked to his knees by the Imperial Guards!
"The guilty official Zhou, Zhou Wuxin, pays respects to Your Majesty..."
"!!"
"!"
The officials were astonished.
Especially those who had been on good terms with Zhou Wuxin and had jointly petitioned with him before, looked bewildered.
Emperor Xiao Yunzhou snorted, "What have you done, speak!"
"I am not human."
"I attempted to commit adultery with my granddaughter-in-law while my grandson was not at home."
"!!!" The officials were shocked, their faces frozen in disbelief.
What on earth?
What did he say he had done?
"I also had illicit relations with three common women..."
The sound of shock echoed throughout the court.
Most of them were high-ranking officials, who had attended morning court for many years, had heard officials arguing, had heard advisors insulting the Emperor, but... for the first time, they heard an Imperial Censor, a high-ranking official of the third rank, admitting in front of the entire court that he had made advances on his granddaughter-in-law.
He even forcibly took common women!
How old is Zhou WuXin?
He must be almost sixty, right?
The officials were so shocked that they forgot about the Emperor being late.
"Humph, why was I and Imperial Censor Liu late? It's because we were investigating the despicable deeds of this scoundrel!"
Xiao Yunzhou slapped the report handed to him by the eunuch onto the table in front of the officials!
"Ministry of Justice, Censorate, Imperial Cabinet, Ministry of Personnel... What are you all doing?!"
"I rely on you to handle things, but it's no better than relying on the sun to rise from the west!"
"I don't want to be late for the morning court either, but if I don't go, this dog will continue to wear the third-grade official robes and harm the people!"
"Elders, Minister of Personnel, Censorate, just scolded those who were late for me—"
Xiao Yunzhou clapped his hands on the dragon throne.
"What do you think, should I be late today?"
"Should Imperial Censor Liu, who is handling this matter with me, be late?"
"Ah? Speak up!"
Xiao Yunzhou demanded, and the officials below remained silent.
Those who were named, those who were appointed to crown the prince, the prime minister of the Imperial Cabinet, the officials attached to the Noble Consort's and Empress's families, all knelt down together!
"Your Majesty, please calm down!"
The Emperor could see clearly from above, these people were all terrified.
They dared not utter a word.
Xiao Yunzhou felt great.
Today, he realized what it meant to be a happy Emperor.
It turns out that sitting on the dragon throne, scolding these lofty scholars with eyes on top of their heads, berating these courtiers who were eager to stand and support a new Emperor, was so satisfying!
Xiao Yunzhou took the tea cup handed to him by the eunuch and drank it with satisfaction.
Zhou WuXin's daughter-in-law was unwilling to tolerate this matter and would rather forfeit her honor than let Zhou WuXin go unpunished.
That suits him well.
Xiao Yunzhou immediately ordered, "Ministry of Justice, arrest Zhou WuXin immediately, investigate thoroughly within three days, and present the report! Zhou WuXin has violated the law, punish him severely!"
Zhou WuXin fainted in an instant.
The officials all hung their heads, never daring to raise them again.
They didn't understand how Zhou WuXin's misdeeds at home were caught by the Emperor so accurately?
Not even the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Personnel, or Ministry of Punishments heard any wind of it.
Could it be that the Emperor's Imperial Guards had eyes and ears everywhere?
In an instant, every official was nervous, sweat dripping down their backs.
Xiao Yunzhou admired their panic one by one.
He wouldn't bother explaining to them that this matter wasn't as complicated as they thought.
It was all because Concubine Liu, with her situation in the palace, reminded Liu Wenchang.
Liu Wenchang's ability to handle matters was decent, so he immediately focused on several leading officials in the Censorate.
To his surprise, with just one observation, Liu Wenchang found that Zhou WuXin was always punctual for his duties, and his robes carried a faint scent of powder.
Xiao Yunzhou recalled Liu Wenchang's answer to him and was very satisfied.
"The position of Right Chief Censor in the Censorate is vacant, and it will be temporarily filled by Deputy Censor-in-chief Ji Chengkang."
"Liu Wenchang, you will temporarily assume the position of Deputy Censor-in-chief."
Liu Wenchang, who was standing, trembled.
Deputy Censor-in-chief, a fourth-grade position!
Positions above fifth-grade were all very difficult to attain.
He never expected to be promoted so suddenly!
All because he listened to his granddaughter's words!
Liu Wenchang swallowed hard.
Promotion, turns out it's this easy!
"Starting today, all officials must conduct self-inspections. If any mistakes are made, they must promptly confess to me. Otherwise, if I catch them, they will be strictly punished!"
"If there's nothing else, you may leave the court!"
Xiao Yunzhou scolded, then promptly stood up.
The hundred officials below fell silent.
Xiao Yunzhou felt a wave of relief.
Finally, those officials who pressured him to crown a prince, led by Zhou Wuxin, quieted down!
First, they should clean up their own mess!
"Dismissed—" a eunuch promptly announced.
It wasn't until Xiao Yunzhou's figure disappeared that the officials began to move slowly.
Everyone's expression wasn't too good.
Xiao Yunzhou might not be the most wise emperor, but he had always been the most easy-going.
Since childhood, he had been taught by many court officials, especially several in the Imperial Cabinet.
Xiao Yunzhou was raised with the ideals of a wise ruler—never to kill those who offer counsel.
So, in front of him, the officials were quite bold.
But today, they were a little afraid.
"It seems like His Majesty... is a bit different."
"Shh."
Walking at the back, Liu Wenchang was soon invited by the Commander of the Censorate to have a drink.
He was flattered, but then a eunuch hurried over.
"Lord Liu, please wait!"
"Since you made a contribution last night, His Majesty has granted you access to the harem to dine with Concubine Liu, the Fifth Prince, and the Third Princess."
The Commander of the Censorate and the other officials who hadn't left yet looked at Liu Wenchang with complex gazes.
They no longer dared to underestimate him!
The Liu family was rising!
*
Meanwhile, as the old master of the Liu family walked into Concubine Liu's courtyard, ready to boast about his valor from last night, he heard the lovely voice of his granddaughter.
"Wow, Grandfather's here~"
"You were so majestic yesterday~ You're truly a great official~"
Liu Wenchang straightened his chest, his face flushed.
"Oh, stop it."
All thanks to his granddaughter's guidance.
"But Grandfather, don't be too happy too soon."
Liu Wenchang: "?"
"What's done by Xiao He can be undone by Xiao He. The Emperor only promoted you because you saved face for him by confronting the officials who advised against crowning a prince."
"But, Grandfather, my late father, the Emperor, if he continues to have a short life, will still die as usual in three years. Without a crown prince, the realm will fall into chaos."
Liu Wenchang: "!"
What, the Emperor is going to die so soon? Even sooner than this old man!
"Grandfather, for the stability of the state, the voices of officials seeking a crown prince will never cease. The Emperor will only become more irritable."
Liu Wenchang couldn't help but furrow his brows.
If the Emperor has a short life, then a crown prince must be established sooner.
Otherwise, when the court falls into chaos, what will happen to the people?
What about his daughters and grandchildren in the palace!?
No, he must advise the Emperor to establish a crown prince! And it must be a good one!
"But actually, there's a very good solution that can make the Emperor establish a crown prince without getting angry, nor will he be wary of our Liu family~"
Liu Wenchang perked up his ears.
Concubine Liu embroidered flowers, but her hands moved slower than before.
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