Chapter 285: Demoted To Commoner Status
“I already said that this matter will be discussed later. Everything will wait until the Empress is buried.” Emperor Qin said through gritted teeth.
Jiang Minghuai had a smile on his lips as he glanced sideways at Lord Li.
Lord Li said, “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince killed the Empress. This is a grave offense against propriety. How can such a person be allowed to remain in the Crown Prince’s position? Please reconsider, Your Majesty.”
After he finished speaking, the kneeling people all shouted in unison, “Please reconsider, Your Majesty!”
Emperor Qin felt a throbbing pain in his head, his eyes filled with ferocity.
“All of you, shut up.” Emperor Qin shouted loudly.
The ministers below dared not speak again.
“I have considered the Empress’s many years in the rear position and our husband and wife bond, so the things she did are gone with her death. And the Crown Prince killing her was also justifiable. Are you all forcing me like this?”
“Your Majesty, although the Empress did many wrong things, no matter what, there are the laws of our Qin Dynasty to punish her. But the Crown Prince killed the Empress on his own initiative. Such a brutal, unrighteous person who scorns the laws of our Qin Dynasty—how can he bear the great responsibility? Therefore, please depose the Crown Prince, Your Majesty, and establish a virtuous person instead.” Lord Li remained unmoved and continued to persuade.
“Li Chaoyang, you—”
Emperor Qin angrily raised his trembling hand and pointed at him, but for a long time, he could not say a complete sentence.
Li Chaoyang seemed unafraid of Emperor Qin’s anger and shouted loudly again, “Please reestablish the Crown Prince, Your Majesty.”
The court ministers below also echoed in agreement.
“You have rebelled against me.”
Emperor Qin angrily threw the memorials on the table at them.
But they still remained unmoved.
Emperor Qin’s chest heaved up and down as he gasped heavily and coughed violently.
“Your Majesty, take care of yourself.” Jiang Minghuai, who had been silent on the side, said faintly.
After Emperor Qin felt a bit better, he looked at Jiang Minghuai with eyes full of hope.
“My dear subject, you are a reasonable person. Tell me, should the Crown Prince be deposed?”
“Your Majesty, this subject has just returned to the Capital and knows nothing of the truth, so I dare not speak recklessly.” Jiang Minghuai said indifferently.
Emperor Qin was choked for words, but thinking that he had always been like this, it was better than those ministers who only offered sweet words in front of him but did not stand by his side at key moments.
Moreover, he had merit in guarding the border, so Emperor Qin unconsciously became more tolerant and trusting toward him.
Meanwhile, the Second Prince, who had been silent beside him, rolled his eyes.
These years, his father emperor had become increasingly muddled.
He did not know how he had managed to secure the imperial throne for so many years.
“I permit you to speak.”
Jiang Minghuai slightly lowered his eyes, full of scorn in them, but when he raised his head again, they were clear and bright.
“Your Majesty, this subject also thinks these ministers are right. Our Qin Dynasty has always been founded on filial piety. Yet the Crown Prince, for personal grudge, risked great taboo and directly killed the Empress who personally raised him. This is matricide, that is, unfilial and disloyal.
As the future ruler of the state, such a person is unsuitable. If a prince commits a crime, he should not be treated the same as a commoner. This would damage Your Majesty’s future majesty.”
Hearing the last sentence, Emperor Qin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
His heart could not help but waver.
“Your Majesty, General Jiang is right. Please immediately issue a decree to depose the Crown Prince and reestablish one, to rectify the court discipline of our Qin Dynasty. Does Your Majesty really want to entrust the future of our Qin Dynasty to such a person?” Li Chaoyang immediately echoed.
And his successive questions also tipped the scales in Emperor Qin’s heart considerably.
He had long been dissatisfied with the Empress, and moreover, she had killed the woman he loved, so he hated her utterly.
But the Empress was a child of Heaven’s Mandate, and her presence could bring good fortune to the Qin Kingdom, so he had repeatedly tolerated her, even knowing she had done those treasonous things. For the sake of the Qin Kingdom, he had not thought of killing her but instead confined her to the Cold Palace.
This way, he could ensure she lived without affecting the national fortune of the Qin Kingdom, and it also punished the Empress.
But unexpectedly, Wei Chang killed the Empress right in front of him.
At that time, he was angry but also somewhat wary of Wei Chang’s audacity to kill in his presence, and it was the Empress of a nation.
In anger, he had him thrown into the heavenly prison, but thinking it was the child of the woman he loved, he could not bear to block all his paths, so he retained the Crown Prince position for him.
But now, persuaded by these ministers, the trace of affection he had for Wei Chang gradually diminished.
If he dared to kill the Empress, would he one day turn the blade on him? Thinking of this possibility, Emperor Qin’s eyes became fierce.
Glancing again at the majority of ministers kneeling below, his resolve strengthened even more.
“Someone come, issue my decree. The Crown Prince Wei Chang has committed matricide, he is unworthy of the position. Remove him from the Crown Prince position, demote him to commoner, and immediately exile him to Lingnan. He may not return to the Capital without an edict.”
The ministers all knew this was Emperor Qin’s greatest concession, so they said nothing more and all shouted, “Your Majesty is wise!”
The Second Prince was dissatisfied with this outcome, but thinking that who knows what might happen on the road to exile, he felt a bit relieved in his heart.
Jiang Minghuai had originally planned for Wei Chang’s Crown Prince position to be taken and then for him to be beheaded.
He was very dissatisfied with this result.
But he said nothing.
Now he still had many things to do; this was just one of them. Now that the Crown Prince had been removed, it was no longer a threat.
Jiang Ruanxi soon learned of this matter.
The cup in her hand fell directly to the ground. Even though the fragments pierced her foot, she felt no pain.
Her body also trembled slightly.
“Crown Princess, are you alright?” Yushui asked with a face full of concern.
Jiang Ruanxi shook her head.
Yushui did not dare to speak again.
She had long anticipated this day, but did not expect it to come so soon.
Yesterday Grand Tutor Ling had gone to the Southwest, but unexpectedly, Emperor Qin decided on deposing Wei Chang as Crown Prince so quickly.
If Grand Tutor Ling were here, he could still maneuver and delay some time.
It seemed some matters needed to be accelerated.
She raised her head and instructed Yushui.
“From now on, don’t call me Crown Princess. Just call me Madam.”
Yushui was stunned, realizing Wei Chang had been demoted to commoner, and nodded to her.
“Also, go now and find Master Bian Du and Qi Wu. Have them find a way to gather all the people from Nameless Island in the Capital together and wait for my message.”
Yushui heard that Jiang Ruanxi seemed to foresee something about to happen and did not dare delay, turning directly toward the door.
After Yushui left, Jiang Ruanxi’s face became complicated.
Wei Chang being deposed from the Crown Prince position—she had long prepared herself mentally for it, but did not expect it so soon.
However, fortunately, he was not beheaded, just demoted to commoner.
Thinking of the matters between them, now on reflection, in the current situation in the Capital, becoming a commoner was not necessarily a bad thing.
After thinking it through, Jiang Ruanxi could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
