latelenovela Chapter 184 "Calm down, my little darling."
Chapter 184 "Calm down, my little darling."
Lin Shiming killed anyone who stood in his way. By the time Emperor Longyun, who had been watching the show with great interest, came to his senses, several people in the court had already been dragged out and beaten by Lin Shiming, or had simply fainted from anger.
They truly slaughtered everyone, leaving no one alive.
When Prince Ping rebelled, many court officials surrendered to the enemy to his face. Today, Lin Shiming dealt another blow. Emperor Longyun, sitting at the head of the table, looked around and found that the once bustling hall was now much emptier.
Ah, this feels so good! Is this what it's like to be invincible?
At this moment, Emperor Longyun's paternal love for Lin Shiming reached its peak.
He glanced at the crowd, who were too intimidated to even lift their heads by Lin Shiming's imposing display of power, and spoke with a very kind expression.
"The Crown Princess is still young and has a bit of a temper, please bear with her."
"I dare not wait."
Emperor Longyun smiled peacefully, "Whether you dare or not is not just a matter of words. However, although the Crown Princess is young, what she said makes a lot of sense."
“A hundred years from now, you and I will also be ancestors. Since no one in history has advocated ‘rule of law’, it doesn’t matter. Let’s start with me.”
"His Majesty--"
"You know that I am the Emperor!"
Emperor Longyun suddenly turned hostile and threw a memorial heavily to the ground.
With a loud "smack," everyone in the hall knelt down and cried out, "Your Majesty, please calm down!"
However, Your Majesty need not be angry, for he is not truly angry. Losing one's temper is sometimes a means of controlling others, and Emperor Longyun is a master of this, using it with effortless skill.
"I thought you had forgotten who the ruler of the world really is, which is why you dare to use the so-called filial piety and reputation to manipulate me time and time again, making me forgive and tolerate enemies who have killed my son or killed me."
"You have also forgotten that you are subjects of Changping, forgotten that you are paid by the emperor and have a duty to be loyal to him, and have repeatedly advised me to let go of those who threaten the foundation of the country and commit regicide and rebellion!"
Emperor Longyun's words were a fatal blow to a subject. A subject deemed a traitor and disloyal to the country was essentially nailed to the pillar of national shame, never to rise again.
The officials below were trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice.
"I don't dare!"
"Whether you dare or not is not up to you to decide."
The ministers lowered their heads again, clearly lacking the courage to oppose Emperor Longyun.
Emperor Longyun was somewhat satisfied with achieving his goal as expected. He leaned on his desk, bringing his years of planning to a perfect end.
"Issue the imperial decree. Prince Ping has plotted rebellion. He shall be stripped of his title and reduced to commoner status immediately, imprisoned in the imperial jail, and given poisoned wine on the fifteenth of August."
"Empress Dowager Qin is guilty of countless crimes and is unfit to be the mother of the nation. The Imperial Clan Court is hereby ordered to remove her from the imperial clan register and the imperial genealogy, and to strip her of her maternal clan. She is to be stripped of her titles of Empress and Empress Dowager and demoted to commoner status. On the fifteenth of August, she shall be beheaded and her nine clans shall be exterminated."
After so many years, we can finally drive the Qin family out of the royal family, kill them openly and justly, and exterminate their entire clan.
The thought that the crimes and fate of the Qin family would be recorded in history books in the future made Emperor Longyun feel extremely pleased.
Today is the most comfortable day he has had in years.
"The rest of the people involved in the case shall be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for punishment in accordance with the law, and there is no need to report to me again."
"Retreat!"
Li An flicked his whisk, his voice melodious, "Court adjourned—"
July is a wonderful time of summer, with bright sunshine and shady trees.
*
Removing someone from the clan might be easier for an ordinary family, sometimes taking only a day or two. However, for the royal family, with its strict rules and complex etiquette, removal from the clan is no simple matter.
But Emperor Longyun didn't want to wait even a day longer.
Using the excuse that important matters had been settled and his mind was in turmoil, he delegated all state affairs to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and made a lot of time specifically to summon the Imperial Clan Commander to the Xuanzheng Hall at a fixed time every day to inquire about and urge the progress of the Qin clan's extermination.
Thanks to his tireless efforts, in just four days, his mother, the Empress Dowager, who had caused him years of suffering, completely disappeared from the Lu family's genealogy.
This directly led to Emperor Longyun's extreme joy turning to sorrow; after a night of heavy drinking, he fell ill.
"Father, you're amazing. In the August weather, you caught a cold. Did you take a cold bath all night?"
As Lin Shiming brought the steaming hot medicine to Emperor Longyun, he couldn't help but make a few more sarcastic remarks.
Lying in bed, Emperor Longyun, his voice hoarse and groaning in discomfort, was unable to retaliate against the sarcastic remark. He could only glare angrily at this rebellious son who took advantage of his vulnerability to mock him relentlessly.
Unfortunately, this level of attack power was negligible against Lin Shiming, better than nothing. He happily ignored Emperor Longyun's angry glare, watching Emperor Longyun frown and down the bowl of medicine that looked incredibly bitter in one gulp, and then continue his attack.
"It's not that I'm criticizing you, but your illness has come at a very inopportune time. I originally wanted to invite you to go with me to deliver 'good news' to the Qin family from the prison today, but you fell ill, so the Crown Prince and I have to go by ourselves."
Emperor Longyun's eyes widened, and ignoring his sore throat, he patted the bed and asked, "How could you not call me?"
How could Emperor Longyun be absent from this moment of triumph, when he's kicking someone when they're down and mocking the losers?
He doesn't accept it!
"Oh dear, it's no use getting anxious now. We were already back from the Heavenly Prison before we came to the Xuanzheng Hall. You know what, this kind of villainous behavior—kicking someone when they're down, watching them despair and suffer, and crying their eyes out—is really satisfying!"
"The traitor! The traitor!" Emperor Longyun was heartbroken.
"Why is Father so agitated? If you really want to see it, you can go again after you recover."
How can they be the same? Of course, the first time you do something, the effect is the best. Have you ever seen anyone achieve the same effect with a second strike as with the first?
He had meticulously planned and schemed, painstakingly waiting for this opportunity to mock him for so many years! How could he have let those two little brats reap the rewards so easily?
What's the difference between this and studying hard for over a decade, finally becoming the top scholar, only to have someone change the exam paper overnight?
This was too much of a blow for Emperor Longyun to bear. He strained to speak, his throat dry and sore.
"You...you go, go to the Fengxian Hall and kneel before me as punishment!!"
Lin Shiming chuckled: "What? Father, what did you say? I can't hear you!"
Emperor Longyun was utterly despondent.
Lu Yuxi, who was reviewing memorials nearby, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He put down his pen, stood up, and pulled away the Crown Princess who was jumping around and acting up again.
"Calm down, my little darling."
No wonder she was so eager to personally serve her father his medicine; that's what she was planning.
Lu Yuxi was also convinced.
Fortunately, the little ancestor had already accomplished his mission of causing trouble today, so he stopped struggling and half-heartedly let Lu Yuxi sit down in the chair and start reviewing the memorials for him.
“Father,” Lu Yuxi presented a plate of dried fruit to Emperor Longyun, “Why are you arguing with Shiming? He’s still young.”
Emperor Longyun closed his eyes and remained silent, preferring to suffer in silence rather than accept Lu Yuxi's advances.
"...Or shall your son kneel in the Fengxian Hall in place of Shiming?"
Emperor Longyun remained motionless.
Lu Yuxi sighed, "Then tell me, how can I be forgiven?"
The Emperor Longyun, who had just been haggard and aloof, suddenly sat up. "Are you serious? You'll agree to all the requests I made?"
Lu Yuxi politely added, "Except for your abdication."
"Get out! Both of you get out!"
Despite it being the height of summer and having avenged a great grudge, Emperor Longyun somehow exuded a desolate and bleak feeling, like the chill of autumn.
He turned over sadly, ignoring Lu Yuxi behind him.