The Lord God is kneeling on the washboard again

At this moment, in the Prime Minister's Mansion, the Prime Minister looked at his son lying unconscious on the bed, his heart burning with anger.

He clenched his fists, his face grim and gloomy. "How dare this damned Shangshu's son use such a harsh hand!" the Prime Minister said, gritting his teeth.

The lady beside him had already cried until her eyes were red and swollen, "Master, you must avenge Yu'er!"

The Prime Minister took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "Don't worry, Madam. I will never let that brat go."

He turned to look at the butler beside him, "Go and find out for me exactly what happened today."

The butler nodded quickly, "Yes, sir, I'll do it right away."

The Prime Minister looked at his son again, his eyes filled with heartache. "Yu'er, you must get through this. Dad will seek justice for you."

At this time, the doctor from the palace came in, saluted the Prime Minister and said, "Prime Minister, the young master's injuries are serious and he needs to be taken care of."

The Prime Minister frowned, "No matter what method is used, we must make sure that the young master recovers as soon as possible."

The doctor replied timidly, "I will do my best."

The Prime Minister paced back and forth in his room, mentally debating how to demand an explanation from the Shangshu Mansion. "This time, I must get a satisfactory explanation from the Shangshu Mansion, or I will not give up."

The entire Prime Minister's Mansion was shrouded in a haze, and the servants were all cautious, fearing that they would anger the Prime Minister.

Madam, rest assured. I will report this to Your Majesty and make a report to the Minister of Shangshu at the morning court tomorrow.

The Prime Minister spoke to his wife with a serious face, his eyes full of determination. His wife looked at him worriedly, "Master, you must be very careful about this matter. The Minister of State is quite powerful in the court. Don't let this bring disaster upon yourself."

The Prime Minister snorted coldly, "Don't be afraid, Madam. Even if the Minister has power, what good does it do? His son injured my son so terribly. If I don't avenge him, I would be unworthy of being a father. I will make Your Majesty aware of their evil deeds and give my son justice."

The lady sighed softly, "Master, I know you love your son, but the officialdom is complicated and people's hearts are hard to predict. I'm afraid this will cause more trouble."

The Prime Minister took his wife's hand and said, "Madam, I have been in the officialdom for many years, so how could I not know the pros and cons of this? But this time, I have made up my mind. Even if it means taking risks, I will seek justice for my son."

The lady had tears in her eyes, "Master, please be careful then."

The Prime Minister nodded and said, "Madam, don't worry. I know what to do. Tomorrow at court, I will make that minister pay the price."

It was late at night, but the Prime Minister was still pacing back and forth in his study, thinking about how to word his memorial tomorrow so that His Majesty would take the matter seriously and punish the Minister severely.

At this moment, in the Imperial Palace, Emperor Nanyuan sat on his high throne in the main hall, quietly listening to the ministers' advice. The Prime Minister bowed and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, you must make the decision for this old minister."

Emperor Nanyuan raised his eyes slightly and looked at the Prime Minister, "Prime Minister, what is so urgent?"

The Prime Minister's face was filled with grief and indignation. "Your Majesty, the Minister's son beat my son severely in a restaurant, leaving him unconscious. He has not woken up yet. I beg Your Majesty to seek justice for me."

Emperor Nanyuan frowned slightly. "Is this really true? Minister, how do you explain it?"

The Minister of State hurriedly stepped out of the ranks and knelt in greeting. "Your Majesty, there's a hidden story behind this. It was the Prime Minister's son who provoked me first, and I acted impulsively. It was definitely not intentional."

The Prime Minister glared at him, "You are clearly making excuses! Many people present saw it with their own eyes. It was your rebellious son who committed the crime while drunk."

The Minister argued, "Your Majesty, you must not listen to the Prime Minister's one-sided statement. My son has always been a dutiful person, and he must have been angered by the Prime Minister's son."

Emperor Nanyuan coughed lightly, "Alright, stop arguing. I will send someone to investigate this matter. If it is true as the Prime Minister said, you are a poor parent and will be severely punished. If what the Prime Minister said is true, the Prime Minister must not continue to harass me."

The Prime Minister and the Chancellor could only respond in unison: "Your Majesty is wise and wise."

Emperor Nanyuan glanced at his ministers and asked, "My dear ministers, do you have anything else to report?"

The ministers looked at each other, and no one dared to step forward for a while.

At this moment, a minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please ask Li Yi, the son of Minister Li, so he can find out the reason."

Emperor Nanyuan nodded slightly and said, "Well, that makes sense. Come, quickly summon Li Yi to the palace."

Soon, Li Yi came to the hall in awe and knelt down to pay his respects: "Your Majesty."

Emperor Nanyuan stared at Li Yi with a sharp gaze: "Li Yi, I want to ask you, what exactly caused the conflict between you and the Prime Minister's son in the restaurant?

Li Yi shuddered and kowtowed hurriedly, "Your Majesty, this all happened because Lin Yu spoke rudely and even harshly to my sister. He used words that were unbearable to hear. I was so angry that I couldn't help but get into a fight with him. I hope Your Majesty will understand and make the decision for me."

Emperor Nanyuan frowned, "Is that true? Then why did Lin Yu insult your sister?"

Li Yi gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I don't know what Lin Yu's intentions are. Perhaps he is jealous of my Li family, or perhaps he is just evil by nature and acts recklessly."

Emperor Nanyuan glanced at Prime Minister Lin, "Prime Minister Lin, what do you have to say about this?"

Prime Minister Lin hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this is Li Yi's one-sided statement. Don't believe it. My son is definitely not such a rude person."

Emperor Nanyuan's expression was solemn. "I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If anyone dares to deceive me, I will not forgive them."

The atmosphere in the court became increasingly depressing, and everyone held their breath, wondering how this matter would end.

As the two men each argued their own side, a minister suddenly stepped forward, bowed to Emperor Nanyuan, and said, "Your Majesty, how about turning to the witness who was present at the time?"

Emperor Nanyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, and after a moment's thought, he said, "Well, this proposal is quite sound. Summon those who were present at the time to the palace immediately."

Soon, several witnesses were brought to the main hall. They knelt tremblingly and saluted, not daring to look directly at the emperor.

Emperor Nanyuan said in a deep voice, "Tell me what you saw and heard in the restaurant that day. If you tell me a lie, I will punish you severely!"

One of the witnesses spoke tremblingly, "Your Majesty, it was indeed Prime Minister Lin's son, Lin Yu, who first spoke rudely to Minister Li's daughter. This sparked the anger of Minister Li's son, Li Yi, and the conflict ensued."

Another person said, "Young Master Lin was discussing hunting in a restaurant. In his excitement, he spoke too loudly, drawing the attention of Minister Li's daughter. Then, without thinking, he made some frivolous remarks to Miss Li. Upon hearing this, Young Master Li approached him, and the two of them engaged in a fight after their disagreement."

Emperor Nanyuan frowned. "So, both parties are at fault. Lin Yu's words were inappropriate and provoked trouble; Li Yi acted impulsively and disregarded the consequences."

Minister Li quickly said, "Your Majesty, even if my son acted impulsively, it was to protect my sister's reputation, so it's understandable. But Lin Yu insulted my daughter in public, which is truly unforgivable."

Another one also said: "At that time, Master Li also insulted the fourth Miss Duanmu and said that the Regent was obsessed with beauty and refused the marriage granted by the Imperial Concubine."

As soon as these words were spoken, the court erupted in an uproar. Emperor Nanyuan's expression darkened instantly. "How dare you do that? Li Yi, you're so bold!"

Minister Li knelt down with a thud. "Your Majesty, please calm down. My son was outspoken and must have spoken without restraint. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy."

Prime Minister Lin took the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, Li Yi's nonsense not only offends the Duanmu family, but is also disrespectful to the Regent and the royal family. He must not be forgiven."

Li Yi was so frightened that his face turned pale. "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I was drunk and confused at the time, and I spoke nonsense. I beg Your Majesty to spare my life.

Duanmu Jin snorted coldly, "Minister Li, Miss Li took advantage of the Regent being out to look for my daughter, but Miss Li moved into the Regent's Mansion openly."

His voice was icy, filled with suppressed anger. "Minister Li, you failed to educate your daughter properly. You allowed her to do such shameless things."

Minister Li's face turned pale, and he quickly knelt down to explain, "Master Duanmu, there must be a misunderstanding. My daughter is definitely not such an ignorant person."

Duanmu Jin snorted coldly, "Misunderstanding? It's spread all over Kyoto, how could it be false? Could it be that your Li family is relying on the position of Shangshu to act so recklessly?"

Minister Li sweatdropped, "Lord Duanmu, I am truly wronged. My daughter may have been bewitched by someone and committed such a foolish act."

Duanmu Jin glared at her, "Bewitched? I think she's coveting the splendor and wealth of the Regent's Palace and trying to curry favor with him."

At this time, everyone in the court was whispering and discussing.

Emperor Nanyuan slapped the dragon throne and said, "Everyone, be quiet! I will investigate this matter myself. If it is true, I will not show mercy."

Emperor Nanyuan swept his gaze majestically over his courtiers, his voice steady and forceful. Silence fell over the court, and the ministers all bowed their heads in silence, seemingly pondering whether there was anything else important to report.

After a while, no one came forward. Emperor Nanyuan spoke again, "Since none of you ministers have anything to report, let's adjourn the court."

Just as Emperor Nanyuan was about to stand up and leave, a military officer suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Emperor Nanyuan sat back on the dragon throne and said, "Speak."

The general's expression was solemn. "Your Majesty, the barbarians on the border have been harassing us frequently recently. Although our army has fought hard, the enemy is cunning and often makes feints to the east and attacks in the west, which has put our defenses under great strain. I implore Your Majesty to send reinforcements and replenish our armaments to ensure peace on the border."

Emperor Nanyuan frowned slightly, and after a moment's contemplation, he said, "I am aware of this matter. I will discuss countermeasures with the ministers and will definitely not let the barbarians succeed."

The generals thanked the emperor and returned to their original positions.

Emperor Nanyuan waited for a while, and when no one else came to speak, he stood up and said, "Dismiss the court!"

All the ministers shouted in unison: "Farewell, Your Majesty!" Then they dispersed one after another, and the huge court gradually returned to calm.

The ministers left the hall, and one of them asked, "Why hasn't the Regent come to court in recent days?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a minister next to him looked around nervously and said in a low voice: "Hush, don't talk about this kind of thing casually, be careful not to cause trouble."

Another minister came over, frowned slightly, and said, "Could it be that the Regent is dissatisfied with the recent government decisions and is deliberately avoiding us?"

"Don't talk nonsense. The Regent has always put state affairs first. There must be some special reason." An elderly minister shook his head and said.

"Is he ill? We haven't heard any news about him." Someone murmured in confusion.

"Perhaps there was an emergency on the border, and the Regent went to deal with it personally." A minister who looked like a military general speculated.

"No matter what, I always feel uneasy when the Regent is not in the court." A minister sighed worriedly.

Everyone was talking at once, but they were all just guessing secretly, and no one dared to be sure of the real reason.

Another minister said, now that he has his beloved wife in his arms, maybe.

Before he could finish his words, someone beside him interrupted him: "Don't dare say such things carelessly. If the Regent hears about it, neither you nor I will be punished."

The minister was unconcerned and continued, "What are you afraid of? He has a lovely wife in his arms now, and he's probably lost in the gentle pleasures of life. How could he care about the affairs of the court?"

A more stable minister frowned and rebuked, "Stop talking nonsense! Everyone can see what kind of person the Regent is. He is definitely not someone who is obsessed with women."

"Hmph, that may not be true. Even a hero cannot resist the temptation of a beautiful woman." The minister said sarcastically.

"Shut up! If you keep talking nonsense like this, I'll report you to His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent and the atmosphere became very tense.

Another minister also said that the fourth Miss Duanmu had disappeared for five years and now she had finally returned. The Regent was still a young boy and it was inevitable that he would be unable to control himself.

As soon as he finished speaking, a minister next to him glared at him and whispered, "How can you say such things casually? You'll lose your head!"

The minister stiffened his neck and replied, "I was only speaking the truth. The Prince Regent is still young, and it's only natural for him to be a little careless when it comes to the one he loves."

"You are talking nonsense! The Regent has always put state affairs first. How could he delay state affairs because of his children's personal affairs?" Another minister retorted.

"Hmph, that's hard to say. Fourth Miss Duanmu is as beautiful as a fairy, and she has been separated from the Regent for many years. Now that they have reunited, it is not impossible for the Regent to be temporarily obsessed with her."

"How dare you! You are being disrespectful to the Regent. If anyone with ulterior motives hears this, both you and I will be in trouble."

Everyone was arguing with each other, and at this moment, a majestic voice was heard: "You are talking nonsense here, how can you behave like this!" Everyone turned around and saw that it was an old and respected minister. Everyone was immediately silent and dared not say anything.

Duanmu Jin's eyes widened in anger, his tone filled with anger and majesty: "What do you mean? How dare you say such a ridiculous thing! My daughter of the Duanmu family is dignified, virtuous, and well-educated. How could she do such a foolish thing!"

His eyes were like torches, sweeping across the faces of the ministers one by one, and no one dared to look him in the eye.

"My daughter and the Regent are truly in love, and their love is stronger than gold. What is your intention in making such malicious speculations?" Duanmu Jin clenched his fists, and his knuckles turned white.

One of the ministers quickly bowed and apologized: "Master Duanmu, please calm down. We just spoke carelessly and have no ill intentions."

Duanmu Jin snorted coldly, "A slip of the tongue? If such words were to get out, what would happen to my daughter's reputation? And what would become of the Duanmu family's reputation?"

Another minister also said tremblingly: "Sir, we know we are wrong and will never speak nonsense again."

Duanmu Jin took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "I hope you all remember what I said today. If such rumors spread again, don't blame me, Duanmu Jin, for being rude!"

After saying this, he turned away, leaving the ministers looking at each other in bewilderment, filled with regret.