Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times - Chapter 120

Two more days passed, and the remaining toxins in Shen Yining’s body had been completely expelled. She was now able to sit up, leaning against the soft pillows behind her to rest comfortably.

As for Little Miss Prim (Xiao Guban), her arms had gradually begun to regain mobility over the past few days. However, the imperial physicians were still concerned about the risk of tearing her wounds and advised her not to move too much.

Seeing that his daughter was no longer in serious danger, Shen Kaiyuan felt it inappropriate to have Zhou Zixuan accompany Shen Yining in the palace every day. Over the past few days, Little Miss Prim had been under the constant care of the Empress and the imperial doctors.

Now that his daughter’s affairs were mostly resolved, Shen Kaiyuan had no choice but to face the flood of memorials arriving at court like falling snow. Aside from a few reports detailing the plight of refugees and the disasters in the central and southern regions, most of the memorials revolved around Shen Yijia and Shen Yiqian.

The matter had been escalating over the past few days, with many still unclear about what exactly had transpired that day. Some even refused to believe that Shen Kaiyuan had truly sentenced his own son and daughter to death. The debates were unending. In response, Shen Kaiyuan specifically dispatched messengers to notify all officials that she would be returning to court. All questions would be addressed in person.

On the day before her return to court, Shen Kaiyuan also had the inner court attendants send a message to the Wang Manor, reminding Shen Xingyue to attend the court session as well.

Early in the morning, Shen Xingyue and Shen Zhengchu arrived near the palace gates by carriage. They dismounted and proceeded toward the palace at a steady pace. Several officials familiar with Shen Kaiyuan, knowing that she and her family had frequent access to the palace in recent days, tried to approach and inquire about what had been happening.

“Your Highness, are the rumors circulating in the city true?” one of the older officials could no longer hold back and asked.

Shen Zhengchu merely smiled and replied, “His Majesty naturally knows the truth. It is not our place as ministers to make wild speculations. What matters is putting His Majesty’s interests first in all things.”

“Well said, Your Highness.”

Their conversation wasn’t the only one taking place. Many other officials gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves. The chatter continued even after they entered the Hall of Two Principles (Liangyi Hall), to the point that Shen Xingyue began to feel a headache from the constant noise.

Due to her unique status, none of the officials dared directly gossip with Shen Xingyue. They merely discussed in hushed tones nearby. Shen Xingyue remained silent, pretending to be mute. After all, while others didn’t know what had happened, she had been present for the entire ordeal—and had even played a crucial role in rescuing the Crown Princess using external help.

She glanced at the dragon throne atop the fourteen stone steps and let out a soft sigh. She could only hope that when Little Miss Prim one day sat on that throne, her reign would see fewer such dramatic events.

Soon, the ceremonial call of the palace attendants echoed from outside the hall. Instantly, silence fell within Liangyi Hall. Shen Kaiyuan entered, flanked by a group of attendants, and slowly made her way up the fourteen steps. Once seated upon the dragon throne, the officials followed Shen Zhengchu’s lead and knelt to pay homage to the Empress.

Shen Xingyue followed suit.

Shen Kaiyuan swept her gaze over the assembled officials and said coolly, “You may all rise.”

“These past few days have been hard on you all. I’ve reviewed the memorials you submitted. Today, I will provide an explanation to all of you. Wenjing, bring them in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wenjing responded and promptly led in two squads of imperial guards escorting several of the archers from that day.

Shen Kaiyuan glanced at the kneeling men before her and spoke calmly, “These are the assassins Shen Yiqian and Shen Yijia sent to kill the Crown Princess. They were apprehended on the spot by my secret guards. During interrogation, both Shen Yiqian and Shen Yijia confessed.”

At this, Cui Can lost his composure and quickly knelt. “Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly. Fifth Princess Shen Yijia has never been one for political struggle. She bore no grudges against the Crown Princess. She had no motive, Your Majesty!”

Shen Kaiyuan had anticipated that some would speak up. Her gaze shifted to Wang Mingda, Shen Yiqian’s maternal uncle, only to find him standing stiffly without a word of protest. This surprised her somewhat, considering Wang Mingda had tried to seek an audience at the palace gates just days before.

Several other officials also knelt with Cui Can to plead on the siblings’ behalf. Shen Kaiyuan cast a cold glance at them and asked sharply, “No motive? Only if the Crown Princess were removed would they have any hope of taking the Eastern Palace for themselves. Besides, these assassins are right here—what more evidence do you need?”

She paused before continuing, “That day at the southern gate, Shen Yijia incited the refugees into a riot, nearly causing a disaster. Later, both Shen Yijia and Shen Yiqian dispatched assassins to kill the Crown Princess—and they succeeded. The situation was dire. If not for the Grand Princess arriving with the Yuning Guard to save her, the Crown Princess would be dead by now. What do you all have to say to that?”

“Your Majesty, even if Their Highnesses are guilty, their crimes do not warrant death. The Crown Princess is ultimately unharmed. Please show mercy,” Cui Can implored again.

“Unharmed?” Shen Kaiyuan’s tone turned icy. “The Crown Princess was at death’s door that day. You people not only failed to assist me in governance, but now you twist the facts. She was struck by two poisoned arrows. It was only thanks to the Grand Princess calming the riots and bringing her back to the palace that she was saved. Otherwise, I might not have a daughter left today.”

“Your Majesty, what… what do you mean by this?” Cui Can’s hands were trembling. He had heard many rumors these past few days, but had never truly believed that Shen Yijia had already been sentenced to death. Now, he was desperately seeking an answer directly from Shen Kaiyuan.

Shen Kaiyuan stood up and spoke in a firm, commanding voice.

“Shen Yijia and Shen Yiqian committed treason by plotting to kill the Crown Princess and deliberately stirring up conflict among the refugees outside the city. I have already ordered their execution. However, I showed leniency by allowing them to be buried with the honors of a prince and princess. That is the greatest mercy I will grant. From now on, this matter is closed and should not be brought up again.”

Cui Can’s face turned pale as tears welled in his eyes. “How could this happen? Your Majesty, how could you do this? Even a fierce mother tiger won’t harm her own cubs!”

He choked up, then continued, “If that’s the case, then why are Noble Consort Cui and Noble Consort Wang under house arrest? They had no part in the attempt on the Crown Princess’s life.”

Shen Kaiyuan’s patience was wearing thin. “They are the mothers of Shen Yiqian and Shen Yijia. It’s possible they were involved. While I won’t deny them food or proper care, they will live out their days in their own palaces. That’s all.”

“This is unfair. Your Majesty, must it really come to this?” Cui Can’s voice trembled with emotion.

“Unfair? Was the Crown Princess not innocent?” Shen Kaiyuan snapped. “She was almost killed by assassins sent by her own brother and sister. What did she do to deserve that? My decision is final. There’s nothing more to discuss.”

She stared coldly at the officials still kneeling before her. “If any of you think I’m being heartless, you’re free to resign and retire. I won’t stop you.”

Cui Can was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected the Empress to be so firm. He suddenly found himself in an impossible situation. The other officials who had supported him quickly regretted stepping forward and bowed their heads low.

“We beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

Shen Kaiyuan gave a cold laugh, then turned her gaze back to Cui Can. “Minister Cui, what about you? Do you still have something to say?”

Cui Can looked straight at her. “Since Your Majesty has made her position clear, I have nothing more to say. I resign from my post to prove my innocence.” He removed his official hat and placed it on the floor in front of him.

Shen Kaiyuan returned his stare. She knew Cui Can was trying to pressure her. The Cui family held many positions throughout Beichuan, and Cui Can was the highest-ranking among them. If he stepped down, it might lead many other Cui family members to follow, creating a large gap in the government.

But Shen Kaiyuan had long disliked how these powerful noble families threw their weight around. And now they dared to threaten her in front of the entire court? If it had been another matter, she might have tolerated it—but this involved the Crown Princess, and she would not back down, not even an inch.

Her eyes narrowed. “Very well. The Ministry of Justice’s two deputy ministers will share the responsibility for now. Cui Can, after today’s session, you will no longer have any duties in court.”

Cui Can hadn’t expected her to call his bluff. He had only meant to apply pressure, not actually lose his position. But now it was too late to back down. If he knelt and begged now, it would ruin his reputation and make him a laughingstock. With no other choice, he lowered his head and said:

“This subject thanks Your Majesty for her grace.”

Shen Kaiyuan gave a slight nod. “Then let this matter be put to rest.”

Just then, another official stepped forward from the crowd. Shen Kaiyuan frowned slightly. “What is it? Speak.”

The official bowed and said, “This subject wishes to formally accuse the Grand Princess of using excessive force at the southern gate. She even had the bodies of the rebels hung from the city walls. Such cruelty is unbefitting of our customs and laws, Your Majesty.”

The official was a censor—an officer known for publicly criticizing those in power.

Shen Xingyue hadn’t expected to be dragged into this. But since she was the one being accused, she had to speak for herself.

She stepped out of line, bowed deeply to Shen Kaiyuan, and said calmly:

“The situation at the southern gate was extremely dangerous. There were tens of thousands of rioters, and I had only two thousand Yuning Guards under my command. The Crown Princess was trapped in the middle of the chaos. If I hadn’t ordered my guards to fight, then tell me—who was going to save her? You?”

The censor was momentarily stunned. Then he tried to argue, “It was right to save Her Highness, but why did you hang the bodies of the rebels on the city wall? That was barbaric.”

“I’ve already explained,” Shen Xingyue said, her voice steady. “My soldiers were outnumbered. They were only human. Against such a massive crowd, we had to use force to scare them into retreat. If we hadn’t, the mob could’ve overrun the southern gate—and the whole capital would’ve fallen into chaos. I did what had to be done. What was wrong with that?”

“It still goes against proper conduct,” the official insisted stubbornly.

Shen Xingyue gave a short, cold laugh. “Laws and rituals are fixed. People are living, breathing beings. Censors like you are supposed to help correct mistakes—not nitpick over details. You’re being unreasonable. If you had been there that day, you’d have fainted from fear before anything even happened.”

“You—! Beichuan has always upheld tradition. You’re just making excuses!” the censor shouted.

“Tradition without flexibility leads to ruin,” Shen Xingyue replied sharply. “If I hadn’t used force to stop the riot, even more people would have died. Would that have followed tradition? Or do you believe that your personal beliefs are the law, and anything that disagrees with you is wrong? What’s the use of a censor who doesn’t know how to adapt?”

She let out a bitter smile. “You weren’t there when people were dying. But now that it’s over, you stand here judging me—trying to find fault in someone who risked their life to protect the city.”

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