Chapter 1037 - Chapter 1037: Chapter 1035: His Background
Chapter 1037: Chapter 1035: His Background
Su Yingxue alone would be fine, as she was not yet crowned queen, and Chu Yihan wouldn’t have to kill Zhuo Junli directly.
But it was different with the pregnant Su Yingxue; carrying the royal blood of the imperial family, if Zhuo Junli caused her any harm due to agitation, no number of his lives would suffice to compensate for it!
It might even implicate those who went with him—his two little granddaughters from his own family.
Leng Yi’s heart at this moment turned into an ice ball, rolling down the steps, clinking with a crisp sound.
It hurt.
“Emperor, Zhuo Junli, he…”
“Prime Minister, I have already spoken so clearly, do you still wish to plead for Zhuo Junli? Having served the court for so many decades, do you not understand how I intend to deal with Zhuo Junli?”
Every word from Chu Yihan was laden with immense pressure.
How could Leng Yi not understand, “The emperor’s intention is to kill him as an assertion of authority.”
“Since you understand, then return to your residence. No one can change what I have decided. For the sake of a child not of our line, there’s no need for the Prime Minister to grieve. The Prime Minister’s other sons-in-law all serve in the court; I will surely award them more generously, safeguarding the Leng family’s honor without implicating others.”
At this moment, any other Lord would have knelt in gratitude for Chu Yihan’s imperial grace and proclaimed the emperor’s sagacity.
To not implicate and to bestow rewards upon other children was already an immense honor.
He was only claiming Zhuo Junli’s life.
But for Leng Yi, this was as painful as gouging out his own heart.
He couldn’t watch Zhuo Junli die.
But he, the Prime Minister all these years, could not blatantly let Chu Yihan act unjustly to spare Zhuo Junli.
He knelt for a long time in front of Chu Yihan. When Chu Yihan had someone help him up, he stayed down.
As if after careful deliberation, and more thorough contemplation, he bent down, and with a thud, his head struck the ground heavily as he said in a deep voice, “Emperor, this old official… has a request. Please grant it, considering that this old official has served loyally through three reigns and the Leng family has for generations been devoted to the royal court.”
“Aside from sparing Zhuo Junli’s life, speak, Prime Minister,” said Chu Yihan with a slight lift of his hand, his gaze deep.
“I implore the emperor to allow this old man, just this once, to be presumptuous. I am willing to trade this Prime Minister’s seal for Zhuo Junli’s life!”
Leng Yi bowed deeply, his tone heavy as a mountain.
This turn of events was beyond Su Qingzhi’s expectations.
Yet he still stood aside without saying a word, though reminded of an incident.
Years ago, before he left for the border, Leng Yi had asked him out for a drink, saying he was very pleased to have found a young son—a very handsome and clever boy.
He even brought him along once for him to see, a charming young man.
But during that drinking session, he expressed his troubles, “The child hates me. At this old age, I’ve wronged his mother, failed to take them in after the deed, leading to his mother’s demise. He has suffered for so many years, hence he refuses to call me father or study to become an official. What should I do with the boy?”
Zhuo Junli’s birth was an accident.
His mother was a maidservant in the home of the prefect of Bingzhou. To please him, the prefect offered his mother, and he after drunkenness lay with the maidservant.
However, the current prefect of Bingzhou carried numerous crimes. If he accepted his mother, he would inevitably be implicated.
So after an indulgent night, he left, and upon clearing up the prefect’s crimes, he executed his entire household.
But he was not irresponsible. He had looked for the maidservant, but the prefect, failing to secure his protection, dismissed her shortly after his departure.