Chapter 185 The turmoil in the court
Xie Lingxiao sat in the study, with piles of things to deal with in front of him.
Seeing that the desk never got smaller no matter how he tried to deal with it, Xie Lingxiao couldn't help but feel annoyed.
If this goes on, it doesn't matter whether he can fall asleep tonight or not. What matters is that he can't go to warm Xuan'er's bed.
The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. Xie Lingxiao threw the pen in his hand onto the table and rubbed his forehead gently.
Ling Feng came to the study and was puzzled when he saw Xie Lingxiao's expression.
Why is this person, who was clearly working seriously just a moment ago, getting angry now?
He said carefully, "Master, Miss Shen asked Chuntao to bring you a box."
After saying this, Ling Feng waited anxiously, fearing that he would suddenly disturb Xie Lingxiao and make him angry.
Thinking that it was a gift from Shen Jingxuan, Ling Feng's heart calmed down again.
Xie Lingxiao stood up suddenly: "Really? Did Xuan'er really send it?"
He quickly stood up and walked towards Ling Feng, and he didn't even seem to notice that the desk hit his legs.
Ling Feng looked at Xie Lingxiao who was so anxious, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
He grew up with the prince, and he had never seen him so anxious and out of control.
"Yes, Chuntao delivered it personally." Ling Feng answered truthfully.
Before he could hand the box to Xie Lingxiao.
Xie Lingxiao took the box from Ling Feng first, held it in his arms, and returned to the desk impatiently to open it.
The moment the box was opened, Xie Lingxiao's lips curled up slightly, and he felt indescribably happy.
This was the first time Shen Jingxuan gave him a gift. Although it was different, it still made Xie Lingxiao happy.
Is there anything more joyful than being remembered by the one you love?
Xie Lingxiao drove Ling Feng out of the study and stared at the box given by Shen Jingxuan alone, with the corners of his lips raised for a long time.
The next morning, the rain still did not stop, but even heavier than the day before.
Xie Lingxiao, who had not cared about state affairs in the past, got up early today and took Ling Feng with him in a carriage to the palace gate.
As in the past, all the civil and military officials gathered in front of the palace gate, quietly waiting for the palace gate to open so that they could attend the morning court together.
Xie Lingxiao's carriage drove through the crowd, shocking all the civil and military officials in the court into silence.
Their eyes followed Xie Lingxiao's carriage, as if they wanted to confirm whether what they saw was real.
It was not until Xie Lingxiao's carriage disappeared from everyone's sight that the bold officials breathed a sigh of relief and began to discuss in low voices.
"The Regent actually attended the morning court today? Did something happen?"
"That must be the case, otherwise why would we trouble him to come?"
Everyone in the court, whether civil or military, knew that the Prince Regent did not participate in state affairs, nor did he attend the morning court sessions.
The few times he attended morning court, earth-shattering events always occurred.
"Alas, I don't know when the morning court will end today."
"The length of time is not that important, but I hope that no innocent people will be implicated."
This sentence instantly sounded the alarm for all the civil and military officials in the court.
It was just as that person said, in front of the Regent, nothing was important, the important thing was to protect himself from being implicated.
When the time came, the gate of the palace opened on time, and the group of people walked into the palace in order.
As they entered one by one, the heavy door gradually closed, instantly blocking out the noise outside the palace.
In the council hall, the emperor sat at the top, looking down at the civil and military officials below as they knelt and kowtowed to him.
Only Xie Lingxiao stood there quietly, looking particularly awkward.
When the emperor lowered his head and looked at Xie Lingxiao, Shang Ke suddenly felt uncomfortable.
After he asked the ministers who were kneeling on the ground to stand up, Eunuch Deng shouted: "If you have something to say, please report it. If not, please leave the court..."
Hearing what Eunuch Deng said, Xie Lingxiao sneered in his heart.
He had already noticed the look the emperor had given him just now, but he just didn't want to pay too much attention to it.
Xie Lingxiao could also see from this how worried the emperor was that something big might happen with his arrival, so was he trying to avoid it this way?
But what to do? He had already made all the preparations, just waiting for today.
As soon as Eunuch Deng finished speaking, a minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
The emperor glared at the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, wishing he could rush forward and shut his mouth.
Why not make a memorial at any time? Why did she choose to make it when Xie Lingxiao was attending court?
The emperor gritted his teeth and said, "I approve it."
The Loyal and Brave Marquis took a step forward and said, "Your Majesty, I am reporting to the Crown Prince that Xie Zihan has no virtue or achievements and is unworthy of the position of Crown Prince."
"I second the motion..."
Following the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery's request, ministers stepped forward one after another and shouted in support.
For a moment, the voices of ministers echoed throughout the entire meeting hall and did not fade away for a long time.
When the voice faded away, the emperor was slightly angry: "If I remember correctly, it was you who wanted to make Xie Zihan the crown prince."
"It was you who first proposed that there be a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, and that the position of Crown Prince concerns the foundation of the country, so you asked me to make the legitimate son the Crown Prince."
The emperor's words left the ministers speechless for a moment, but they would not easily give up the idea of deposing the prince.
Seeing that the other ministers did not say anything more, the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery continued, "Your Majesty, the prince was young at the time and his character was not yet clear. If he had worked hard to improve himself, he would not be like this now."
"Now, everyone knows about the Crown Prince and the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Some even say that the Crown Prince favored the concubine's maid and asked for her to be a concubine, while allowing the original concubine to be bullied."
"The Crown Prince's Mansion doesn't even have a principal wife, so the concubine is equivalent to the head of the mansion. What's the difference between this and favoring a concubine and destroying the wife?"
The words of the Lord of Loyalty and Bravery finally made the hesitant ministers make up their minds, and their opinions also coincided with those of the Lord of Loyalty and Bravery.
"I think that what the Crown Prince has done has brought disgrace upon the royal family and he is truly unworthy of continuing to serve as the Crown Prince."
"I think it is inappropriate for a prince to have no sense of propriety and promote a maid to be a concubine. He is indeed unworthy of the position of prince."
"I think that now that the Crown Princess is about to enter the palace, could it be that the Crown Prince really wants to favor his concubine over his wife? Your Highness the Crown Prince is truly unworthy of his position."
The ministers kept making comments, and the emperor was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead. He looked at the ministers below angrily.
Seeing that the emperor was angry but still did not make a decision, the loyal and brave marquis gritted his teeth and knelt down: "Your Majesty, I beg you to depose the crown prince."
After the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery knelt down and made his speech, the other ministers knelt down one after another: "I beg the emperor to depose the crown prince."
A loud voice suddenly sounded, spreading to every corner of the meeting hall without stopping.
The sound then spread outside the palace and continued to spread far away, frightening the nearby palace servants and causing them to flee in panic.
The prime minister stood among the crowd, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
He never imagined that just because of an affair between Xie Zihan and Lu Jinxuan, he would be impeached by all the civil and military officials in the court.
What was even more unexpected was that the court, which had always expressed different opinions, reached a consensus and made up its mind to depose the crown prince because of the incident of Xie Zihan.
The sudden change made Lu Zhong, who had wanted to stay out of it, unable to bear it any longer and he had to speak out to dissuade them.
Lu Zhong knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is the foundation of the country. No dynasty can arbitrarily depose the Crown Prince. Please think carefully."
No matter what, Xie Zi Han must not lose his position as crown prince, otherwise all his and the queen's efforts over the years would be in vain.