26: Chapter 26 The Boy and a Group of Die-Hard Old Fools

"Lord Huang is absolutely right! Please move, Third Imperial Prince; this is not a place for you to stand!" Qi Tai, a Ministry of Rites official, followed closely, his words sharp.

"The laws of our ancestors are supreme! His Majesty is still alive, and the Grand Imperial Heir is the rightful successor to the state. Your actions, Third Imperial Prince, are casting your sovereign and father into unrighteousness!" Fang Xiaoru, a professor from Hanzhong, was also flushed with anger, his heart aching with grief.

In an instant, the group of civil officials surged, stepping out one after another to echo his sentiments. The clamor rose wave after wave, as if they intended to drown people with their spit.

"Bullshit!"

A vulgar, angry curse exploded from the ranks of the military generals.

General Wang Bi, the Marquis of Dingyuan, had his dark face flushed purple. He had long found these old codgers an eyesore, and at this moment, he was beyond furious. He pointed at Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng's nose and cursed: "A bunch of spineless cowards who only know how to wag their pens and stir up trouble! What kind of gibberish are you blindly spewing?"

"You... you mere brute of a soldier, how dare you utter such filth in the imperial court!" Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng was so angry his beard trembled.

"This is how I am, so what?" General Wang Bi glared, his eyes wide. The murderous aura honed from piles of corpses surged forth, making Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng's heart tremble, causing him to instinctively take half a step back. "Third Imperial Prince is the legitimate son of Crown Prince Yiwen, and The Emperor's legitimate eldest grandson! That bitch Lady Lu wanted to take his life; what is wrong with the Prince defending himself? You bunch of bastards who have read the sage books only to feed them to the dogs, all you know is how to shout about the ancestral laws. Why don't you talk about Lady Lu plotting to harm the Imperial Grandson? According to the ancestral laws, what should her punishment be?!"

"The Marquis is absolutely right!"

"Exactly!"

The Huaixi Nobility erupted as well. Chang Sheng's eyes were bloodshot; if not for General Feng Sheng and General Fu Youde holding him back on either side, he likely would have rushed up to physically fight Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng.

In an instant, inside the Fengtian Hall, the civil and military officials stood in confrontation.

The civil officials cited classics and historical precedents, bitterly denouncing Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong for being disloyal and unfilial, labeling him a usurper.

The military generals cursed back, saying they were just talking big without consequence and twisting the truth.

Both sides spewed spit, arguing incessantly, turning this most solemn hall of the Great Ming into a noisy marketplace.

Yet, at the center of the storm, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong sat peacefully on that rosewood chair, his expression without a hint of fluctuation. His gaze fell upon Eunuch Wang Fu, the head eunuch who had been standing by the hall door, bowing and acting as if none of this concerned him.

"Eunuch Wang."

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong spoke. His voice was not loud, but it caused the entire Fengtian Hall to fall into an eerie silence. Everyone's gaze focused on the youth sitting high above.

Eunuch Wang Fu bowed his body and stepped forward with small, quick steps, saying respectfully: "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the chair, making a "tap, tap" sound. He looked at Eunuch Wang Fu and said slowly: "The Emperor asked me to preside over the morning court; does this mean I have the authority to act as I see fit?"

Act as he sees fit? Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng and the others heard this and their expressions changed drastically. What is he trying to do?!

Upon hearing this, the smile on Eunuch Wang Fu's face became even more humble. He bowed slightly again: "Replying to Your Highness, The Emperor has commanded that all matters in the court today are to be decided by Your Highness... The Emperor is waiting for me to serve him, so I shall take my leave."

He finished speaking, straightened up, and his turbid eyes swept across Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng and the others one last time, continuing: "The Emperor cannot do without my service, so I shall take my leave."

With that said, Eunuch Wang Fu turned and left, leaving the surging waves of the entire Fengtian Hall to the young figure behind him.

Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng and the others were stunned. All matters decided by the Prince? Who can tell me what the hell "all matters decided by the Prince" means?

In the deathly silence, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's gaze finally shifted to the pale-faced Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng.

"Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng." He spoke indifferently.

"Ah... this subject... is here." Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng's throat felt dry, and his voice was somewhat hoarse.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong shifted to a more comfortable seating position and said slowly: "You will not be seeing The Emperor today." "And you will not be seeing the Grand Imperial Heir either." "Therefore, in this Fengtian Hall, today, I have the final say."

He leaned forward slightly, and an invisible pressure surged towards them, making Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng and the others standing in the front row feel as if even breathing had become difficult.

"Whatever grievances you have, whatever brilliant plans you possess, feel free to speak your minds; I am listening attentively."

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong changed his tone, his voice suddenly turning cold. "However, if anyone else dares to question The Emperor's decree, or questions why I am sitting here..."

He paused, his icy gaze sweeping across every face in the hall, and said with resonant finality: "You may take off your official robes right now and get out of this Fengtian Hall!"

The three words "get out" carried no trace of anger, yet they struck the hearts of the civil officials, causing them to tremble.

Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng's face turned red and white. Humiliation and anger churned in his chest. As a Hanlin Academician, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? That scholar's pride and obsession with orthodoxy ultimately overcame his fear.

"Third Imperial Prince!" He raised his head, his tone tragic and mournful like a cuckoo crying blood. "Acting this way, how are you any different from Jie of Xia or Zhou of Shang?! You may block our mouths, but can you block the mouths of all the people under heaven? We eat the sovereign's salary, so we must be loyal to the sovereign's affairs! Even if we bleed on this golden hall today, there is absolutely no reason for us to wag our tails at a rebel!"

"Well said!" Qi Tai also stepped forward, standing side-by-side with Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng, his expression resolute. "We scholars must establish the heart for heaven and earth, and establish life for the people! If Your Highness wishes to commit an act of usurpation, then please step over our corpses first!"

Good heavens, this was going to be a scene of scholars dying for their remonstrance.

The Huaixi military generals watched in dumbfounded silence. General Wang Bi even nudged General Fu Youde next to him with his elbow and whispered: "Old Fu, have these sour scholars lost their minds? Are they tired of living and actively offering their necks to His Highness's blade?"

General Fu Youde furrowed his brows and said nothing. He saw deeper than General Wang Bi; Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng and the others were not crazy. They were betting with their own lives, and even the lives of the entire civil official group, gambling that Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong would not dare to defy the world and carry out a massacre in this Fengtian Hall.

As long as Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong backed down, they would win.

On the imperial steps, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong sat on that rosewood chair, resting his chin on one hand, watching these two clowns, and a smile actually appeared on his face.

"What a fine 'eat the sovereign's salary, be loyal to the sovereign's affairs'." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong clapped lightly, the crisp sound of applause sounding exceptionally jarring in the deathly silent hall. "What a fine 'establish the heart for heaven and earth, establish life for the people'. Well said!"

"You say, you want to die?"

Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng raised his head, looking at death as if returning home. "For the sake of the Great Ming state, we will not yield even in death! If Your Highness remains obsessed and refuses to repent, please drink our blood first!"

Qi Tai followed closely, shouting: "Benevolent government cannot be abandoned, and the principles of order cannot be chaotic! Today, we use these remnant bodies to prove the integrity of our Confucianism!"

The surrounding military generals widened their eyes. General Wang Bi could not help but snort coldly and stepped forward, waiting only for Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's order to drag these sour scholars out and behead them. But Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong waved his hand, stopping the generals' impulse.

He stood up and slowly walked in front of Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng.

Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng instinctively shrank his neck, but immediately straightened his back again, closed his eyes, and adopted the appearance of waiting to be executed.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong looked at him, almost unable to hold back a laugh, and said coldly: "You don't think that dying in the Fengtian Hall today will earn you a place in the history books, do you? Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng, you value yourself too highly."