The Daily Life of a Concubine

Chapter 81 - The Imperial Concubine's Plea

When Defu entered, the Emperor was in a heated debate with his ministers. Defu could guess that it was about how to handle the matter with Chancellor Tan, as the ministers refused to believe that Tan Xiang would commit treason. They thought the Emperor was simply discarding him after he had served his purpose, which infuriated Zhao Jinrui to the point where he wanted to have all these ministers dragged out and beheaded.

Defu's entrance paused the quarrel.

"Who is it?" Zhao Jinrui asked impatiently.

Defu respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, Lan Guifei requests an audience."

At the mention of Lan Guifei, the hall fell into complete silence.

If possible, Zhao Jinrui would have preferred to eliminate everyone who opposed him. Unfortunately, he couldn't, as his own people weren't yet ready to fully take over.

"Where is she?"

"She is waiting outside, Your Majesty. I asked her to wait in the side hall."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinrui visibly relaxed. No matter what, Lan Guifei couldn't be harmed right now. If something happened to her, he feared the wrath of the scholars and officials across the country.

Being emperor was exhausting.

"Enough. We will discuss this matter further later. If Chancellor Tan is truly innocent, I trust he will handle the matter in Jiangnan properly. If he has no connection to Prince Duan's rebellion, I expect he will provide a satisfactory explanation."

With that, Zhao Jinrui strode out.

Defu glanced at the officials left behind, shaking his head inwardly. More than half of them were protégés of the Tan family, so it was no surprise that they were pleading for the Chancellor's innocence. However, they too would face the consequences once this matter was settled.

"Honorable ministers, your carriages are prepared outside," Defu said politely, gesturing for them to leave.

Helping each other up, the ministers thanked him, "Many thanks, Eunuch Defu."

As they slowly walked out of the hall, Zhao Jinrui arrived at the side hall where Lan Guifei awaited, greeting him with a formal bow.

"Your Majesty, my father has served the Da Yue Dynasty loyally all his life. He would never commit treason. Please, I beg you to investigate thoroughly." She then began to plead her case.

Zhao Jinrui said nothing at first, simply looking at her. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "So, Lan Guifei, you came here just for this matter?" His voice was cold, with an undercurrent of anger.

But Lan Guifei had long since lost her composure. Ever since hearing of her family's predicament, she had been in constant fear, barely able to function. Were it not for her concern over her family's fate, she would not even be able to leave her bed.

"Your Majesty, you know my father. His loyalty to you and to the empire is unwavering. How could he commit treason? He has been framed, Your Majesty. He is innocent!"

Zhao Jinrui felt a deep sense of disappointment. Though he had used Lan Guifei, his affection for her had been genuine. Yet, it was clear that in her heart, he was second to her family.

Initially...

He stopped that train of thought.

Forget it. He would let her have this one, for the sake of their bond as husband and wife.

"I understand. You are unwell, and you should focus on recovering. Don't worry about this matter." Zhao Jinrui gently helped her up, his voice tender. "If Chancellor Tan is truly innocent and has no connection to the rebellion, I will see that justice is done."

Lan Guifei's relief was immediate. "Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you!" In her mind, the deep relationship between her family and the Emperor would surely protect them. She could not believe that her father would ever do something so treacherous.

"Take care of yourself and don't listen to any unfounded rumors. I was personally taught by your father, and I would never fall for slander." As he spoke, Zhao Jinrui handed her a small hand warmer, noticing how cold her hands were.

"Go back and rest. I'll come to see you later."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will be waiting." Relieved by the Emperor's promise, Lan Guifei felt the tension in her body release. But as she relaxed, her frail body, already weakened by illness, could no longer hold out. She barely made it out of the hall before she collapsed.

Just as her attendants were about to call for a physician, one of the young eunuchs from Zhao Jinrui's side arrived with the imperial physician.

Seeing this, Lan Guifei's attendants let out a collective sigh of relief. Clearly, the rumors about Chancellor Tan must be false. If Tan Xiang were truly guilty of treason, the Emperor wouldn't care for Lan Guifei's well-being like this.

As for Prince Duan, Zhao Jinrui wasn't worried. The more the prince rebelled, the easier it was to identify which of his subjects were loyal and which were treacherous.

Not long after, as the Empress was preparing for the New Year's banquet, shocking news arrived—Prince Duan was dead.

The Empress lost her bearings upon hearing the news. "Quickly, help me to the QinZheng Hall!" If the prince had died, she had to speak with the Emperor, for the New Year's banquet might have to be canceled.

The news of Prince Duan's death spread rapidly. The Empress wasn't the only one taken aback—both the Empress Dowager and the entire Changchun Palace were also informed shortly after.

Upon learning that Prince Duan had died, the Empress Dowager flew into a rage, smashing everything in her chamber and cursing the Emperor. Her erratic behavior frightened everyone in her service.

Meanwhile, at Changchun Palace, upon hearing of Prince Duan's death, Zhang Wenke fainted on the spot. Those who didn't know the full story assumed that her distress was due to grief over losing her cousin, as Prince Duan was both the Emperor's brother and her maternal cousin.

No one thought too much of it, and they quickly summoned a physician for her.

Zhao Jinrui, however, relaxed upon seeing the report about the prince.

"Where is he? Has he been secretly escorted back to the capital?"

Indeed, Prince Duan was not actually dead. The Emperor's secret agents had captured him, and the public announcement of his death was merely a ruse to bring the rebellion to a peaceful end. The man who had died in his place was none other than Dezhong, Prince Duan's biological father.

"Your Majesty, he is on his way back," one of the secret agents reported coldly.

"Good. When he arrives, bring him straight to the palace. I'm sure the Empress Dowager will be delighted to see him."

A secret son of the royal family, a prince conceived in an illicit affair... Ha, the Zhang family's downfall was inevitable. "Is there anyone from the Zhang family left?" Zhao Jinrui asked.

"The Prime Minister and his son have been replaced by our secret agents. None of the women in the household have been touched."

"In that case, let them remain for a while longer," Zhao Jinrui said. "It's about time we clean up the imperial harem."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The rebellion in Jiangnan concluded with Prince Duan's supposed death and the arrest of numerous officials led by Chancellor Tan. The Emperor personally selected new officials to oversee Jiangnan, and Chancellor Tan's treason was made public.

Zhao Jinrui wanted to ensure that Chancellor Tan's trial was conducted openly, as the Tan family had a tremendous influence on scholars across the country. Without a transparent trial, the Emperor's future dealings with civil officials would be severely hindered. Only a public trial would quell the scholars' outrage.

As a result, students across Jiangnan calmed down. Many had already begun their journey to the capital to witness the trial, even before the next imperial examinations.