northernbook Chapter 159 Yu Zhong bows his head and admits his mistake
Chapter 159 Yu Zhong bows his head and admits his mistake
"Master, I will go with you to see His Majesty. Jin'er is so miserable, we can't just ignore her. Even if we have to kneel before the emperor for a whole day and night, we must beg His Majesty to spare Jin'er!"
Upon hearing the summons, Madam Yu pulled Yu Zhong's sleeve and wiped away her tears.
Yu Zhong pushed her away and said, "Woman's opinion! The palace is not a place where you can do whatever you want and act recklessly. Jin'er is acting like this now because you have led her astray!"
After scolding his wife, Yu Zhong naturally did not take her with him and went to the imperial study alone.
"Your Majesty, I, Yu Zhong, pay my respects to you."
After entering the door, he knelt down and bowed politely.
The emperor read the memorials without raising his head until he had finished reading three, then he raised his eyes slightly.
"Who's kneeling on the ground?"
Yu Zhong was startled, then he carefully bowed and kowtowed, saying again, "Your servant, Yu Zhong, has been summoned to meet Your Majesty!"
Xiao Yu smiled. "Oh, so it was me who summoned you, but I forgot. It's my fault. Cao Bin, please bow to Lord Yu and apologize on my behalf."
Cao Bin bowed and slowly moved forward, giving Yu Zhong enough time to apologize.
"Your Majesty, I am terrified and cannot accept this! I am deeply humiliated by this humble servant!"
"How can I be embarrassed? Lord Yu is loyal to the country. Yesterday, Zhao Ronghua mentioned that you were so worried about the national treasury that you refused to buy new winter clothes. Such a loyal person, I naturally cannot neglect." Xiao Yu said in a gentle tone, smiling, "Cao Bin, hurry over and apologize to Lord Yu. Say that I was busy and confused, and ask for his forgiveness."
Cao Bin didn't dare to delay any longer and quickly stepped forward to bow to Yu Zhong.
Before he could even open his mouth to apologize, Yu Zhong was so frightened that he prostrated himself on the ground, begging for mercy repeatedly.
But I was also wondering why the emperor did this.
The emperor then laughed and said, "Lord Yu, please stand up. What crime have you committed? While there are principles of hierarchy between ruler and subject, the law of nature prevails above all else. It's only natural that whoever is wrong must admit it. Zhao Ronghua understands this principle very well. You accepted her gift, so why wouldn't you accept mine?"
Yu Zhong finally understood the reason.
My heart was pounding and cold sweat broke out on my forehead.
I never expected that the emperor would support Fei Wan to this extent.
He also secretly blamed Fei Wan for being kind on the outside but vicious on the inside. She was polite on the outside but quick to complain behind people's backs. No wonder Jin Er fell into such a big trouble at her hands...
"Your Majesty, I dare not accept Zhao Ronghua's gift. It's just that Ronghua left in a hurry, and I tried to dodge the gift but failed to avoid it." He hurriedly knelt down to explain, saying that everything was a misunderstanding when they met just now. Fei Wan left without saying a word, and he was also very embarrassed.
Xiao Yu's smile turned a little colder.
He is indeed too proud of himself.
When the secret report of the great military victory reached the imperial court, Yu Zhong must have also received the news from the front. The matter was not made public because the official military report had not yet been delivered to the court, but the emperor and his ministers were aware of it.
Lord Yu was so proud of his achievements that he even dared to seduce right and wrong in front of the emperor.
"It seems that Zhao Ronghua has been ignorant of etiquette, offending Lord Yu and betraying my painstaking efforts to reunite you and your daughter. Since she is so ungrateful, how about I send her to Yanyun Palace to reflect on her actions? What do you think, Lord Yu?"
"Wei Chen is terrified!"
Xiao Yu sat on the quadrangular throne with two dragons holding a pearl, without saying a word. He lowered his head and continued to review memorials.
Cao Bin silently retreated to his original position, holding his breath and lowering his head.
Yu Zhong knelt on the ground, sweat dripping from his face, not daring to rise. A hundred and eighty thoughts raced through his mind, and he knew, over and over again, that he absolutely could not make any mistakes before the news of the great victory was made public.
Otherwise, while military merits could be achieved, and the emperor wouldn't negate his subjects' contributions for trivial matters, the way they were rewarded would be compromised. If those who had always opposed him were to stir up trouble again, not only would he suffer, but how he would maintain his victory in the northwest, and how he would protect General He's control over the border from being compromised... it would be completely uncertain!
Yu Zhong changed his mind and made a decision.
——I am small, my family and country are big. For the sake of the country and the people, what's wrong with obeying the emperor for once!
He raised his head with dignity.
He threw all the sinister and mean thoughts in his heart behind him, as if everything he was about to do was forced by the emperor's majesty and he was sacrificing himself for the greater good.
"Your Majesty, I acknowledge my guilt."
"Seeing Yu Gengyi's miserable appearance and frail body, I was heartbroken and took my anger out on Zhao Ronghua for no reason, which is why I offended her. I was foolish and not only failed to recognize Yu Gengyi's fault, but also betrayed Your Majesty's sincere care for me. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
"I will go and apologize to Zhao Ronghua right now, and I will also tell her in detail what happened back then. If Miss Ronghua is truly my lost daughter, I am willing to remain a vegetarian for the rest of my life and pray for Your Majesty's blessing as a token of my gratitude!"
"Long live your majesty!"
Admitting one's mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue. Xiao Yu put down the memorial and looked up, smiling faintly. It's okay to be arrogant for a while. As an official, one should constantly reflect on oneself and recognize one's own position.
"My dear Yu, please stand up. There is no need to be so frightened. I was only joking with you. Your apology is making me feel extremely guilty."
"It's my fault!"
Xiao Yu stood up, walked around the desk, and personally helped Yu Zhong to his feet. "My dear minister, you have always been loyal and courageous. Without you, I don't know what would have happened to the northwest. I will continue to rely on you in the future. How can we allow a rift between the ruler and the subject to arise over a trivial matter?"
"Your Majesty is wise and wise. It is my fault for not raising my daughter properly. Yu Gengyi's words and actions were rash just now. I will comfort her properly. The next time I see Lady Zhao, I will apologize sincerely."
Xiao Yu was very satisfied with Yu Zhong's bowing and panic.
He smiled and said, "No matter whether Zhaoqing is your daughter in the end, she is from the Yu Mansion after all. We are family and should not talk behind each other's backs. Today is worse than tomorrow. I will help you clear up the misunderstanding today."
He then ordered someone to immediately invite Fei Wan and Yu Tingjin to come before the emperor to talk.
Yu Zhong knew he couldn't escape today, so he bowed and said gratefully, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Chunxi Palace.
Fei Wan wasn't surprised to hear the news, as she had long anticipated an audience with the emperor. With Yu Zhong already summoned to the palace, there was no way today's incident would remain unresolved.
After she came back from Chuntang Courtyard, she took a bath and changed her clothes. Not only did she wash away the fishy smell she had picked up in Yu Tingjin's room, she also dressed herself up beautifully.
Before going out, she looked in the mirror and found herself so beautiful that she lost her fragility. She rubbed the corners of her eyes until they turned red, as if she had been crying.
Then he went to the imperial court.
At Chuntang Courtyard, the person who went to deliver the imperial edict was Cao Bin's adopted son Cui Liang.
After being ordered by Cao Bin to reflect on his mistakes, he behaved himself for a few days and just returned to work again.
He took the initiative to accept the mission to Chuntangyuan, hoping to see if Yu Gengyi had any chance of making a comeback.
After all, she was once a royal concubine.
Maybe, it will be easy to recover.
By then, she would naturally be Zhao Ronghua's mortal enemy...
With this thought in mind, Cui Liang arrived at Chuntang Courtyard. As soon as he received the imperial edict, he was knocked unconscious by a foul smell that rushed out at the sound.
"vomit……"
He really vomited.