Drunk Bamboo

There were lightning and thunder in the sky of Zhongdu, and a rainstorm came suddenly.

The people who had worked hard all day had no time to look up at the gorgeous sunset, and they were hurriedly packing up and anxious to go home.

The rain was pouring down on my body and it was extremely cold.

The rain came down in torrents, and soon water began to accumulate on the ground.

Inside the imperial palace, outside the Golden Stairs Hall, Prime Minister Wang Yan and a dozen other second-rank officials dressed in official uniforms knelt in the rain, asking to see the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has been away for nearly two years, working hard, sleeping in the open, supervising the dam construction on both sides of the river, and doing his best!"

"Your Highness has a noble character, is self-disciplined and respectful, and has never had any selfish motives in his heart, even if he has the king's worries and the people's wishes!"

"The Ministry of Justice is where prisoners are detained. Your Highness's affairs have not yet been investigated. You cannot enter the Ministry of Justice! You cannot be humiliated!"

The rain beat mercilessly on Wang Yan's body; his official uniform was already soaked and icy cold.

Although he was in a disheveled state, his back was still straight and his eyes were more determined than usual.

"Prince, please go back. His Majesty has already rested."

Eunuch Dong held an umbrella and tried his best to shield Wang Yan from the rain.

But the umbrella was not big enough, and the rain kept getting heavier.

The young eunuch next to him could barely shield Eunuch Dong from the rain.

Wang Yan raised his eyes and glanced at Eunuch Dong.

He will not leave until he sees Your Majesty.

Then he looked forward with a firm gaze and shouted with all his strength:

"Your Majesty! His Highness is loyal to the emperor and loves the people. He is respected by the people. He will never do anything corrupt or accept bribes!"

He looked up to the sky and shouted:

"Your Majesty, I ask you to take His Royal Highness the Crown Prince back to the East Palace!"

The people kneeling behind him said in unison:

"Your Majesty, I ask you to take His Royal Highness the Crown Prince back to the East Palace!"

"Your Majesty, I ask you to take His Royal Highness the Crown Prince back to the East Palace!"

"..."

Over and over again, the sound was like a loud bell, and even heavy rain could not stop it.

A bolt of lightning broke through the clouds and struck, and Eunuch Dong was so frightened that he shuddered.

Wang Yan and others did not move at all.

What is righteousness?

Not afraid of ghosts or gods.

And ghosts and gods are afraid when they see it.

"Pah, pah, pah--" The sound of rain falling on the umbrella brought Eunuch Dong back to his senses.

The right half of his body was soaked.

The young eunuch hurriedly moved the umbrella.

"Why are you covering it? The ministers are getting wet in the rain!"

Eunuch Dong cursed under his breath and walked quickly towards the harem.

The young eunuch knew that Eunuch Dong was in a dilemma at the moment, so he held the umbrella tightly in his hand and hurried to catch up.

"Father-in-law, what should I do?"

Even the junior eunuchs knew that something big had happened this time.

I felt inexplicably panicked.

"What should we do? Go find His Majesty."

Eunuch Dong quickened his pace.

"It's raining so hard, what shall we do if these old officials get sick..."

He muttered to himself with a worried look on his face.

"Your Majesty will surely be furious!"

The next second his face became tense again.

"Hurry to Fu'an Palace!"

The young eunuch dared not say much and followed closely behind.

Even Eunuch Dong, who is usually calm and steady, is worried and scared. This is really a big deal!

The emperor hid in Fu'an Palace, clearly not wanting to pay attention to these ministers.

But these are not ordinary ministers, they are high-ranking officials of the court.

There was a rule in the previous dynasty that after the keys of the imperial palace were locked, no one could enter the palace at will without the imperial decree of His Majesty or the Empress.

Unless ministers of the second rank or above in the court have urgent matters to report.

This is specially approved by His Majesty.

The emperor has only done this once since he ascended the throne.

It was the great victory at the border, when King Feng defeated the You Kingdom.

It was good news that the whole country celebrated.

But this time is different.

There was a thunderstorm outside the palace, but inside Fu'an Palace, there was peace and quiet with the smell of incense curling up.

"Your Majesty, is the strength of my massage appropriate?"

The Imperial Concubine spoke softly, her slender hands gently rubbing the Emperor's temple.

The emperor leaned half of his body on the imperial concubine's legs and closed his eyes to rest.

"Now, only you can give me temporary relief."

"This incense was newly made by Gao Fengyu. Does your majesty find it pleasant to smell?"

"Well, it's better than before."

His eyes were still closed, his voice was calm, and his brows were not relaxed.

"Father, this rain doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. My son has been crowned king, so it is against the rules for him to stay in the palace."

King Wen, who was standing aside, bowed respectfully, even though the emperor couldn't see it at the moment.

He was supposed to leave the palace before the palace was locked, but the emperor came and asked him to stay for dinner before leaving.

After dinner we had snacks and tea, and then it started to rain heavily.

Delayed until now.

"You are weak, so don't get wet in the rain, or you will catch a cold and your mother will worry."

The emperor opened his eyes and said, "Send the sedan chair."

In the palace, only the emperor and empress could ride in sedan chairs, and the imperial concubine could only use it once with the emperor's special permission.

Among the princes, Hua Qinming was the first.

"Thank you, father." Hua Qinming showed no emotion.

The Imperial Concubine said softly:

"Your Majesty favors Ming'er so much, I am delighted."

The emperor patted her hands with satisfaction.

"As long as you and your son behave well, I will be your supporter and I will treat you well."

The imperial concubine smiled and snuggled in his arms, her eyes full of contempt.

Hua Qinming performed all the etiquette exercises, but the moment he turned around, his smiling face turned into a cold iceberg.

Eunuch Dong and Hua Qinming passed each other.

"His Majesty……"

"Are they gone?"

"Prime Minister Wang and the others are kneeling outside the Golden Steps Palace, asking... to see His Majesty."

Eunuch Dong said cautiously, keeping his eyes on the emperor all the time.

"What else did they say?" His tone was not angry.

"They... begged His Majesty to take the Crown Prince back to the East Palace."

Eunuch Dong knew that this was a sign before the emperor became angry.

"I am the Son of Heaven, they are all my people, are they begging me?"

Sure enough, the next moment, the emperor sat up.

The imperial concubine consciously moved back.

"They are threatening me!"

He flicked his sleeves, knocking over a pile of plates, bowls and teacups, making a mess on the ground.

"Your Majesty, calm down!"

The palace maids and eunuchs in the hall all knelt down.

"If they want to kneel, let them kneel. Tomorrow, all the officials will come to court and try their crown prince together!"

The emperor sneered.

He originally wanted to suppress the prince's arrogance and lock him up in the Ministry of Justice for a night to sharpen his edge.

Since he is threatened, the prince should stay in the Ministry of Justice for a few more nights and come out after everything is clarified.

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is..."

Eunuch Dong was halfway through his words when a sharp look swept over him.

He immediately changed his words:

"The slave obeys the order!"

Eunuch Dong received the order and left Fu'an Palace.

The palace maids quickly cleaned up the floor, made new tea, and served new snacks.

"Your Majesty, it's raining heavily outside. Please ask the Prime Minister and his men to get up. They are all your loyal ministers, and the court cannot do without them."

The imperial concubine's eyes were shining, and she behaved very considerately.

"Do they think I will compromise like this? This world belongs to me, not to their prince!"

After hearing this, the emperor became even more dissatisfied with Wang Yan and others.

"Your Majesty, don't be angry. Don't hurt the dragon's body." The imperial concubine handed over tea and comforted the emperor.

"I am not well educated and do not understand government affairs. I have doubts in my heart. The prince is suspected of corruption. It is enough to investigate it thoroughly. Your Majesty is a benevolent and wise ruler and will clear the prince's name."

"Your Highness is virtuous and capable. I naturally believe in you."

Her soft eyes half-closed and half-opened looked at the emperor.

"But I have also heard that if a prince or noble breaks the law, he will be punished just like a commoner. Why did the Prime Minister bring all the court officials to oppose the Crown Prince's appointment to the Ministry of Justice?"

The emperor put his arm around her soft, boneless shoulders.

"You are right. They are well-read but do not even understand the most basic principles of rulership and subjectivity."

"I am the king, and my words are the law!"

The imperial concubine lay obediently in his arms and nodded obediently.

Under the eaves, Hua Qinming watched Eunuch Dong walk out of Fu'an Palace with his head covered in dust.

Xia Er came over holding an umbrella, "Your Highness, the sedan chair has arrived."

Hua Qinming walked into the umbrella.

After getting on the sedan chair, he ordered:

"Go through the Golden Gate."

The eunuch in charge of leading the way was stunned for a moment, then quickly responded.

"Yes."

The fastest way to get from Fu'an Palace to the main gate of the imperial palace is to go through Huaqing Gate. Moreover, it is raining heavily now, so it is better to take a shortcut.

But we go wherever the master tells us to go.

He didn't need to think much.