nycdaug Chapter 427 Hard to Accept
Chapter 427 Hard to Accept
This made all the civil and military officials feel extremely ashamed. After the emperor finished speaking, he looked at Qin Zhongting, who was kneeling on the ground and could not get up.
"Qin Zhongting, I never expected you to be so vicious. If you didn't want Chen Er to be promoted, you should have just said so. Why did you have to smear Lord Chen Er? So I'm demoting you one rank now and you can prepare to retire at home."
The Emperor's words were like a death warrant.
Qin Zhongting's body trembled uncontrollably. He had never imagined that the Emperor's punishment would be so severe. He would have been able to accept a demotion if it had been just one rank.
However, Qin Zhongting would find it difficult to accept the idea of retiring home early.
"Your Majesty, please have mercy. Although I have made a mistake, I did it for the good of my daughter. I hope you will show leniency."
Qin Zhongting's voice trembled slightly as he repeatedly pounded his forehead on the ground, hoping the Emperor would show leniency and not force him to retire early.
Zhao Beixing was also startled. Zhao Beixing and Qin Zhongting were on the same side; to put it bluntly, they were in the same boat. How could he allow Qin Zhongting to go home like this? Then Zhao Beixing would have a hard time getting along in the court.
"Your Majesty, Qin Zhongting was forced into this situation. I hope you can reconsider and not punish him so severely." Zhao Beixing's face was also gloomy as he pleaded for Qin Zhongting's life.
But the emperor still ignored him. Just then, Chen Er suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, I would rather not be promoted. Could you please rescind your punishment of Qin Zhongting? After all, I am Qin Zhongting's son-in-law and do not want him to leave so early and lose his position."
Chen Er knew in his heart that Qin Zhongting was a person who valued power and responsibility very much, and that he was not yet at the age to retire. If the emperor forced Qin Zhongting to go home to retire, it would probably be many times more painful than killing Qin Zhongting.
That's why Chen Er spoke up for Qin Zhongting. The Emperor was a little surprised to hear Chen Er's words. Logically speaking, if it were anyone else, they would probably have already held a grudge against Qin Zhongting for throwing mud at Chen Er without any regard for the consequences.
But Chen Er was different. Chen Er took the initiative to speak well of Qin Zhongting, which made the Emperor feel that Chen Er was truly rare and precious, a genius that appeared only once in a century in the Ming Dynasty. The Emperor immediately nodded in satisfaction at Chen Er.
"Chen Er, it is said that a prime minister's belly can hold a boat. It seems that this wise saying is about to come true today. From now on, Chen Er will be promoted from the first rank to the second rank. I hope you can help each other and do more for the Ming Dynasty. Stop thinking about scheming against each other. Alright, you can leave now. I'm tired."
After the emperor finished speaking, he left with a smile on his face.
Many people began to congratulate Chen Er: "Hey, Chen Er, congratulations! We didn't expect you to level up so quickly. We're so envious!" An old man bowed deeply to Chen Er.
Chen Er smiled in response. He knew that the waters in the imperial court were very deep. There were not only Wei Zhongxian's people, but also the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Of course, there were also those who had set up their own factions, or those who did not participate in any particular power. These people generally said that they had very little power and did not want to get involved in any major struggles.
Otherwise, they would probably be used as cannon fodder again. At this moment, Qin Zhongting looked very haggard. Qin Zhongting and Zhao Beixing walked out. Before leaving, Qin Zhongting suddenly looked at Chen Er. Qin Zhongting looked a little lost. Chen Er pretended not to see Qin Zhongting.
Zhang Xingchen was overjoyed. He hugged Chen Er tightly and laughed loudly.
"Brother, you're really amazing. From now on, you'll be the top figure in our Embroidered Uniform Guard. You must perform well and strive to bring glory to our Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Zhang Xingchen was so happy that he said something very loud, which reached Zhao Beixing's ears and made Zhao Beixing laugh.
"Zhang Xingchen, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has already been weakened, yet they still want to expand it. It's the funniest joke of the year. Of course, Chen Er's rise from a first-rank official to a second-rank official is something to be envied and resented. But I wonder how long he can wear this official uniform?"
Zhao Beixing didn't forget to make a few sarcastic remarks.
Upon hearing Zhao Beixing's words, Zhang Xingchen became furious. Since it was no longer court time and everyone was outside, he decided to settle scores and seek revenge. Zhang Xingchen was about to make a move when Chen Er reacted quickly and grabbed him.
"Hey, brother, haven't you heard the saying, 'If a dog bites you, will you bite it back?' So, don't take these old dogs too seriously. If you get sick from anger, no one will be there to take your place. Besides, Yang Xiaoqian is still so young. If you get sick from anger, Yang Xiaoqian will be left to live a life of widowhood."
Chen Er didn't forget to tease Yang Xiaoqian. Yang Xiaoqian had just recovered from her shock. When she heard Chen Er teasing her again, she rolled her eyes at him. Then, she cautiously said...
"Zhang Xingchen, I don't know if I was hallucinating just now, but I felt that the way the Emperor looked at me was very strange. Could it be that the Emperor has those kinds of feelings for me?"
Zhang Xingchen was startled, but he felt that such a thing could not happen. After all, who was the emperor? Having three thousand beauties in the harem was no joke. Even if each woman took turns, it would still take several years.
However, Chen Er spoke up again at this moment: "Zhang Xingchen, I feel that Yang Xiaoqian has a lot to say. You should be careful with the look in the Emperor's eyes just now. You'd better go home and farm. You might as well give the Embroidered Uniform Guard to me."
Chen Er didn't forget to crack a joke. As for that damned Zhao Tianming, he had already been taken back by Ma Dazhi and would be beheaded and displayed to the public by noon tomorrow.
Meanwhile, at the Empress Dowager's residence in the palace, Wei Zhongxian knelt on the ground with snot and tears streaming down his face, looking quite pitiful. However, if Chen Er were here, he would definitely be able to see that Wei Zhongxian's eyes were filled with rage.
"Little Wei, you've been with me for years, haven't you? If there's something wrong, get up and tell me. I'll definitely stand up for you. Did someone make you angry again?" The Empress Dowager was the Emperor's biological mother, and the Emperor respected her greatly.