HCB Chapter 1182 The Empress with Great Ambition
Chapter 1182 The Empress with Great Ambition
Liang Chongyue called out to the outside, "Ping An, serve the meal."
She didn't want to stay up all night reading the Yun family's testimonies.
If one family commits a crime, does she, a dignified emperor, have to suffer through the night as well?
Let's talk about it after I wake up tomorrow.
Liang Chongyue rushed around, ate a quick meal, washed up briefly, and then lay down to sleep.
It was just past 9 PM when Jiang Jiaoyun knelt before the Hall of Mental Cultivation with the Yun family's confession.
Before he could even utter a few words requesting an audience with His Majesty, Fei He sent him away.
The next day, when Liang Chongyue woke up, he heard about this from Fei He.
He secretly admired his thoughtfulness.
"Very good, do it this way again next time something like this happens."
Fei He has served His Majesty for so many years and understands him better than anyone else.
If the situation were truly urgent, His Majesty would not be able to sleep.
Yesterday, His Majesty finished his meal in a hurry, did not even take a walk, and went to bed.
This clearly shows that they are hiding from someone.
"Your Highness is too kind. Miss Jiang is still in the side hall. Shall we summon her now?"
Liang Chongyue waved his hand.
She was in a hurry to go to court, but looking at her pile of confessions, she had no time for that.
"Let's talk about it after I finish court."
As Liang Chongyue had expected, the morning court session this day revolved around the Yun family.
There was a lot of discussion, with all sorts of opinions, and many people pleading for them.
Liang Chongyue looked at those who were pleading for mercy with a dark and unreadable expression.
Write down the names of these people one by one.
After the court session, she handed everything over to Jiang Jiaoyun to investigate.
If they're pleading for mercy even in such a dangerous situation, there might be some hidden story behind it.
After those who pleaded for leniency finished speaking, they all looked at Prime Minister Jiang, hoping that he would say something "fair".
Do you know that she already told Prime Minister Jiang everything yesterday?
Those who pleaded for leniency did not receive a word from the old Prime Minister Jiang. Without a leader, they fell into disarray.
The commotion didn't last long before it ended.
After a noisy morning court session, the first thing Liang Chongyue did after the session was to summon Jiang Jiaoyun.
"Since you're here, have something to eat with me."
This wasn't the first time Jiang Jiaoyun had eaten in the Hall of Mental Cultivation; when they were little, she and her friends often ate here together.
This time, however, my state of mind was completely different.
"His Majesty."
Before Jiang Jiaoyun could speak, Liang Chongyue raised her hand to interrupt her.
"Eat first, then we can talk after we've eaten."
While Liang Chongyue was speaking, Yunling had already set out the bowls and chopsticks for Jiang Jiaoyun.
Seeing His Majesty's attitude, she could no longer refuse.
Jiang Jiaoyun found the meal tasteless; even though the table was full of delicacies, she couldn't taste anything.
After breakfast, Liang Chongyue didn't have time to review the memorials because there was a child standing in front of him who was about to break apart.
It's hard for her to ignore it.
"Alright, alright, just bring the things here."
When Jiang Jiaoyun heard this, her eyes lit up for a moment, and she immediately turned around to get the Yun family's confession and handed it over.
Liang Chongyue flipped through the pages quickly. After she finished reading them all, Jiang Jiaoyun obediently sat on the chair below, waiting for her instructions.
Do you believe what they're saying?
Liang Chongyue casually tossed the stack of confessions in his hand.
Jiang Jiaoyun shook her head, then nodded.
“I am familiar with the Yun family. Even if the Yun family really has some bad people, there will always be some different people in the mansion.”
Liang Chongyue did not shatter Jiang Jiaoyun's naive fantasy.
Even if she's right, bad bamboo can produce good shoots sometimes.
But the Yun family is clearly not like that.
They're just trying to fool a little girl like her; they're a bunch of beasts.
"Sometimes people's eyes and ears can deceive them. How can you guarantee that this testimony is true?"
Jiang Jiaoyun frowned. His Majesty was the most powerful person she had ever met in her life.
Does Your Majesty mean that she's investigating in the wrong direction?
"Your Majesty, please make it clear."
Liang Chongyue could tell from the dark circles under Jiang Jiaoyun's eyes that she hadn't slept all night.
Liang Chongyue tossed the confession aside and gestured for Jiang Jiaoyun to come with her.
Liang Chongyue led her to a sand table in the outer hall.
"This is the land and territory of the Great Xia Dynasty. Do you remember what it looked like before I ascended the throne?"
Jiang Jiaoyun shook her head; she had only been born a few years prior at that time.
Even the Crown Princess was still young at that time.
Although she had heard of it in history books and seen it.
But ever since she could remember, this was the map of the Great Xia Dynasty in her mind.
Liang Chongyue didn't ask any more questions and led her directly to another covered sand table.
Lifting the gauze covering the sand table reveals a sand table inside that is in a state of utter devastation compared to the previous one.
"This is the Great Xia Dynasty before I ascended the throne. What do you think?"
She rarely showed the sand table under the gauze to others; she only lifted it to look at herself when she was tired or confused.
"A few decades, a world of difference."
Liang Chongyue nodded:
"Your relationship with the Yun family is the same as mine with the Great Xia, but after a few decades, the difference is like heaven and earth."
Jiang Jiaoyun suddenly understood and looked up to meet His Majesty's gaze.
Liang Chongyue raised an eyebrow at her.
"The Jiang family will not be involved in the Yun family's affairs. As long as you don't fall, you will help the Yun family even if they only have one bloodline left. The Yun family's resurgence will only take a few decades."
Several decades, three generations, is enough.
The Yun family has a strong foundation, and in recent years, members of the Yun family have passed the imperial examinations almost every spring.
With the Jiang family as a powerful backer and Jiang Jiaoyun as a capable newcomer, the Yun family has made a brilliant move.
"When a group of people are faced with extreme temptation, they are always more united than you can imagine. It's understandable, but you need to understand that I have already handed over the people in the Yun family who need to be dealt with to you. As for the rest, I said I would give them a break, and I will."
The Yun family went too far in this matter, and all of the hundred or so members of the Yun family in Shuoyang were also killed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I had been thinking too simply."
At this moment, the relationship between Jiang Jiaoyun and Liang Chongyue was not just that of ruler and subject; it seemed as if they had returned to the time when they occasionally accompanied the Crown Princess to His Majesty's residence to hand in their homework, and His Majesty would explain the problems and answer their questions.
Liang Chongyue affectionately reached out and patted her head:
"Don't put so much pressure on yourself. When they did these things, they already knew what price they would pay. Even if it wasn't you, someone else would have done it. It's just that it was destined that they would hand it over to you."
Jiang Jiaoyun looked up at the emperor, who was described as cruel and tyrannical in unofficial histories.
Many people still cling to the fact that His Majesty murdered his father.
Those old-fashioned, feudal men still felt that women were not worthy of being called empresses.
Only after witnessing His Majesty's grand strategy and vision can one understand how shallow their understanding is.
"Go ahead and do it. Go ahead and do it boldly. Aside from those few extra words for writing history, will you take them to your grave a hundred years from now?"
Jiang Jiaoyun was amused by His Majesty and shook her head.
"Since we bring nothing into this world and take nothing away when we die, what is there to fear?"