amaotonovel Chapter 344 Summoned into the Palace
Chapter 344 Summoned into the Palace
Chapter 344
Luo Shuiyao stood up with his help, subconsciously glanced at Emperor Yuan Zhen, and seeing that there was no displeasure on his face, she nodded and said, "Thank you, eunuch. Let's get started."
Tonight's treatment went much more smoothly than yesterday's. Ye Yunzhou's cooperation was excellent, which made Luo Shuiyao feel less tired. After the needles were collected, Luo Shuiyao excused herself and left the hall.
Eunuch Su had already prepared snacks and tea and asked her to use them first. Luo Shuiyao was not polite. After thanking him, she carefully savored the snacks in the palace and waited for Ye Yunzhou to come out.
.........
Inside the palace, Emperor Yuanzhen, with the help of Eunuch Su, changed into a clean set of pajamas and then leaned back on the couch. He stared at Ye Yunzhou's neck with interest and said with a smile, "This girl looks weak, but she is actually cruel."
Ye Yunzhou naturally knew that Emperor Yuanzhen was not referring to the teeth marks on his neck, so he apologized, "I have offended General Zuo Wei without asking for permission from Your Majesty. This is a dereliction of duty. I hope Your Majesty will punish me."
Ye Yunzhou was saying words of apology, but his expression was calm as usual, without any fear on his face, as if he was not accepting the emperor's accountability at the moment, but talking about a very ordinary little matter.
Emperor Yuan Zhen had long been accustomed to his expressionless look, so he didn't take it to heart. He just looked at him with a half-smile, "I thought you did this on purpose, just to avenge your sweetheart."
"Your Majesty, you have misunderstood. General Zuo Wei has allowed his son to abduct women and oppress the people, completely disregarding the laws of our Zhou Dynasty. While this action may seem like revenge, it is more important to eliminate this parasite from our Zhou Dynasty. I hope Your Majesty will understand."
"So, I have to thank you, don't I?"
Listening to Emperor Yuanzhen's ambiguous words, Ye Yunzhou hurriedly lowered his head and said respectfully, "I dare not."
Emperor Yuanzhen threw the book in his hand aside, stared at Ye Yunzhou for a long while, and then smiled and said, "Get up. You are also considering the people of Zhou Dynasty. I will naturally not blame you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ye Yunzhou stood up as he was told and said again.
"Tell me, in your opinion, how should I deal with General Zuo Wei's mansion now?" Emperor Yuanzhen asked Ye Yunzhou with a sharp gaze.
When Ye Yunzhou heard Emperor Yuanzhen asking about serious matters, he thought for a moment before answering, "In my opinion, General Zuo Wei, as a minister of the court and a commander of a region, should have protected the people, but he allowed his son to do evil."
"I have already found out all the people his son has harmed over the years." As he said this, he took out a memorial from his sleeve and handed it to Eunuch Su.
It was impossible for him to easily uncover evidence of General Zuo Wei's guilt in just half a day. However, ever since he learned that General Zuo Wei and his men harbored ulterior motives, as the head of the Hidden Dragon Guard, his duty was to assist His Majesty in resolving any difficulties. He immediately dispatched personnel to conduct a comprehensive investigation of General Zuo Wei's residence. He knew that General Zuo Wei would eventually face disaster, and when that happened, he would need to present a complete set of evidence to His Majesty. Presenting the collected evidence now, though sooner than expected, was unlikely to impact the overall situation.
Eunuch Su took it with both hands and immediately handed it to Emperor Yuanzhen. Emperor Yuanzhen opened the memorial and examined it one by one, his expression gradually growing colder. Without even looking up, he stared intently at the list of crimes, saying, "You continue."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunzhou continued, "As the saying goes, a son pays his father's debts. Similarly, a father should also shoulder the responsibility for his son's debts. General Zuo Wei's son has committed numerous crimes, which are unforgivable. Even if General Zuo Wei wasn't directly involved, he cannot escape blame for his son's misdeeds. I believe Your Majesty should take this opportunity to revoke his military command and impose severe punishment. Only in this way can you live up to the people's trust."
"You think I don't want to?"
Emperor Yuanzhen's face was solemn, and his tone was filled with a hint of helplessness. "I want to take back General Zuo Wei's military seal more than anyone else. However, General Zuo Wei is the leader of an army, and he has long been respected and has many young generals serving under him. Although his son's crime is unforgivable, and we can use this as an excuse to bring him to justice, rashly taking back the tiger seal would be too radical and would only lead to dissatisfaction among many of General Zuo Wei's generals. Although I am the emperor, I cannot act arbitrarily. Naturally, I must carefully consider many aspects."
Ye Yunzhou naturally understood Emperor Yuanzhen's concerns, having already considered them. He responded calmly, "Your Majesty's concerns are understandable. Since directly reclaiming the Tiger Tally would be inconvenient, Your Majesty might as well take this opportunity to order the transfer of General Zuo Wei's Tiger Tally to one of his capable subordinates. I doubt any subordinate would be unmoved by such a rare opportunity of promotion. This way, you won't anger General Zuo Wei's generals, and you'll foster internal competition and checks and balances. Your Majesty only needs to wait and see how the situation develops, and you can reap the benefits."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanzhen's eyes lit up, and he burst into laughter, saying, "What a great way to reap the benefits while sitting back! Yunzhou, I am so lucky to have you."
Ye Yunzhou was neither humble nor arrogant, and did not show any joy at all. He just replied respectfully: "Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty. I am humbled."
Emperor Yuanzhen had been troubled by this matter for some time. Now that he had a solution that could both resolve General Zuo Wei's concerns and was reliable, his mood suddenly improved. He waved his hand, no longer interested in keeping Ye Yunzhou here, and said, "Alright, go back now. Miss Luo is still waiting for you outside the palace."
.........
Outside the hall, Luo Shuiyao had already finished her snack. Unlike the curious look she'd shown when they'd first met yesterday, she now idly fiddled with her teacup. Suddenly, she heard the door open. She put down her teacup and turned to see Ye Yunzhou coming out. An unconscious smile spread across her face, and she softly asked, "Sir, should we go home?"
Seeing her smile, Ye Yunzhou couldn't help but feel the softest part of his heart tremble. This scene was too beautiful, so beautiful that he couldn't bear to destroy it. If only time could stop at this moment forever, if only he could see such a moving smile every day from now on, how wonderful it would be.
He was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and nodded gently, with a gentle smile unconsciously rising at the corner of his mouth, "Well, let's go back."
Only after the two men left did Eunuch Su, standing by, close his mouth, gaping in surprise. "Oh my goodness!" he thought to himself. Ye Dusi, no matter what situation he found himself in, whether in the court or when His Majesty was furious, always remained calm. He had assumed that even if he got married, he would be dull and uninteresting towards his wife. But today, he had seen him so gentle. As the saying goes, "A land of gentleness is the grave of heroes." Could even a man as cold-faced as Ye Dusi be unable to escape the test of love?
After expressing his feelings, Eunuch Su turned around and returned to the inner hall.
As Emperor Yuan Zhen grew older, he became less and less sleepy. Recently, he had been feeling unwell, and his sleep was even less. Although he was half-leaning on the dragon bed, his eyes were clear of sleep. Hearing the noise, he turned to look at Eunuch Su, "Is he gone?"