Chapter 26

Just as Minister Chu was slowly regaining consciousness, he heard Li Dean’s trembling voice: “Grand Princess also said that if the Empress Dowager does not leave the palace within two hours, she will cut off the leg of the second son of the Chu family and send it to the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager still does not leave the palace, she will… she will cut off the third son’s manhood…”

The ministers were all shocked, almost terrified by Yan Donghuang’s actions.

“Your Majesty!” Minister Chu was scared out of his wits and knelt, crying and begging, “Please save my family. I am willing to die, but they are innocent. Please save my sons, Your Majesty!”

Emperor Zhaoming stared at the brocade box in Li Dean’s hands, his voice trembling imperceptibly: “Is this really Chu Yuanzheng’s hand?”

Li Dean nodded fearfully: “I saw it with my own eyes. It was… it was General Yaoguang of the Qingluan Army who gave a dagger to a concubine’s son of the Chu family and cut it off…”

Minister Li’s eyes were bloodshot: “Which concubine’s son? Which concubine’s son is so heartless and ruthless?”

Li Dean turned to look at him, his expression complicated, and he hesitated to speak.

“At this point, Eunuch Li, just speak honestly,” Prime Minister Pei said calmly. “Why did the Grand Princess cut off the hand of the eldest son of the Chu family? Why is she forcing the Empress Dowager to leave the palace? And who is this concubine’s son?”

Li Dean dared not say more, only looking uneasily at the Emperor.

“Li Dean, just tell the truth,” Emperor Zhaoming paced anxiously. “What else did Yan Donghuang say?”

“The Grand Princess didn’t say much, but her actions…” Li De’an trembled, “A large amount of gold and silver was found in the Chu family. General Yaoguang of the Qingluan Army also mentioned the delay in grain supplies last March. He said… he said Minister Chu embezzled military funds, almost causing the Qingluan Army to starve on the battlefield. This account must also be settled with the Chu family.”

Upon hearing this, the ministers’ gazes towards Minister Chu changed instantly.

The Grand Princess led troops to raid the house, and every raid was accurate? Over five million taels of silver and nine hundred thousand taels of gold?

This amount of gold and silver could not have been obtained merely by embezzling military funds; there must have been other means of corruption.

Minister Chu, hearing this, almost fainted again. He crawled up and knelt on the ground, shouting hoarsely: “Your Majesty, I am innocent, I am innocent!”

“Innocent?” Prime Minister Pei turned to look at him, seemingly puzzled. “Then where did the large amount of gold and silver confiscated from the Chu family come from? Could it be that the Grand Princess had someone place it in your family’s storeroom beforehand and then led people to raid it?”

Minister Chu angrily retorted: “How would I know? The Grand Princess has gone mad; she is capable of anything!”

“The Grand Princess is indeed mad today, but there were no signs of madness before yesterday,” the Prime Minister said calmly. “Moreover, millions of taels of silver, nearly a million taels of gold, and countless jade vases, antiques, and paintings could not have been quietly placed in the Chu family’s storeroom. How did these boxes of treasures enter the Chu family? Can Minister Chu explain?”

“Prime Minister, now is not the time to pursue this,” Emperor Zhaoming frowned. “You should think about how to stop Donghuang from continuing her madness.”

Prime Minister Pei was silent for a moment: “Your Majesty, I believe it is precisely the time to pursue Minister Chu’s corruption. If he had not embezzled grain supplies, the Grand Princess would not have gone to such lengths to raid his house. If the Chu family had not been raided, the Grand Princess would not have cut off the eldest son’s hand to threaten Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager. Minister Chu may not be the sole culprit, but he cannot escape responsibility.”

Minister Chu roared: “Prime Minister, you know nothing and are convicting me based on Yan Donghuang’s one-sided story?”

“One-sided story?” The Prime Minister turned to Li Dean. “Eunuch Li, was the gold and silver confiscated from the Chu family’s storeroom?”

Li De’an looked uneasily at the Emperor, hesitant to speak.

“Eunuch Li saw it with his own eyes; it should not be false,” the Prime Minister said, looking at Minister Chu again. “If Minister Chu denies embezzling military funds, can he explain where his family’s wealth came from?”

Minister Chu’s face turned pale, only knowing to cry and beg the Emperor without answering the Prime Minister’s question.

“Your Majesty,” the Prime Minister bowed, “I believe the simplest way to calm the Grand Princess’s anger is to unconditionally support the punishment of those she considers guilty according to the law.”

Emperor Zhaoming’s expression darkened: “Unconditionally punish all of them?”

“Yes,” the Prime Minister nodded. “The Duke’s attempt to poison the Grand Princess is a capital crime. Your Majesty has already ordered the Duke’s household to be imprisoned. Minister Chu’s embezzlement of military funds, leading to the delay in grain supplies for the Qingluan Army, is a disgrace to the Qingluan Army. Your Majesty should hand Minister Chu over to the Qingluan Army for punishment.”

Minister Chu’s face changed dramatically: “Your Majesty, I am innocent—”

“The Prime Minister is right,” the Minister of Rites nodded. “Last year’s delay in grain supplies must have caused great dissatisfaction among the Qingluan soldiers, possibly even misunderstanding Your Majesty. Seeing the mountains of gold and silver in Minister Chu’s house, how could those soldiers who almost starved on the battlefield not feel resentment? Because this gold and silver were saved from their mouths, they fought at the border while Minister Chu cut off their livelihood. How could the Qingluan Army not hate him?”

“Your Majesty should issue an edict to hand Minister Chu over to the Qingluan Army for punishment to calm their anger and resentment.”

The wind seemed to change direction instantly.

Led by the Prime Minister, the officials strongly supported handing Minister Chu over to the Qingluan Army for punishment, hoping to quickly calm the Grand Princess’s anger.

Minister Chu’s face turned ashen, and he was at a loss, unable to even plead or defend himself.

Emperor Zhaoming’s face was stern. He silently watched Minister Chu kneel on the ground. Thinking of his mother’s earnest instructions, he felt torn. If handing over Minister Chu could calm Yan Donghuang’s anger and make her stop, he would be willing to do so as long as it could ensure the stability of the country.

But would Yan Donghuang stop?
No, she wouldn’t.
She used the excuse of being poisoned to go mad, and she wouldn’t stop until the capital was in chaos.

If he handed Minister Chu over to them, she would only become more aggressive and raid other officials’ residences.

Seven days, even if only seven days.
She would turn the capital into a bloody storm.

“Your… Your Majesty,” Li Dean spoke cautiously, “The Grand Princess only gave two hours. She said if she doesn’t see the Empress Dowager, she will…”

“Your Majesty!” Minister Chu knelt on the ground, kowtowing, “Please save my sons, please ask the Empress Dowager…”

Prime Minister Pei watched the scene thoughtfully.

The Emperor’s unease was genuine, and Minister Chu’s fear was real. Yan Donghuang insists that Empress Dowager’s leaving the palace could not be for a mother-daughter reunion. What did the Emperor do to make the loyal Grand Princess mad?

“Ying Rong, go out of the palace and tell the Grand Princess,” Emperor Zhaoming turned to Ying Rong and decisively ordered, “I did not intend to harm her. Please give me some time to prove my innocence. Do not cause panic and instability in the country!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Ying Rong got up and left.

“Your Majesty,” Prime Minister Pei spoke, “For the safety of Minister Chu’s family, why don’t I escort the Empress Dowager out of the palace to persuade the Grand Princess?”

Emperor Zhaoming’s face turned ugly. He couldn’t let the Empress Dowager leave the palace, or it would be like sending a hostage to Yan Donghuang. Even if everyone else died, he could say Yan Donghuang’s ruthless and cruel actions caused chaos. But if the Empress Dowager fell into her hands, he would have to save her because she was his mother.

If the Empress Dowager fell into the hands of the rebels and the Emperor was powerless, it would show his incompetence and great unfilial piety.

He, as the Emperor, would become a laughingstock to the world.