Chapter 372
~ THE EMPEROR’S FAMILY LAW ~
There was a gentle smile on Jin Wang’s face, which was not the slightest bit different than usual. “Imperial Father asked us, the princes, to go over. Is there something important?” As he spoke, he handed over a box.
Eunuch Li, who had come to deliver the imperial edict, took it carefully and answered softly, “It seems that the Emperor has found out who framed His Royal Highness Yue Wang.”
The smile on Jin Wang’s face froze, and his heart shuddered uncontrollably. The corner of his lips moved involuntarily. “That’s great.”
At this time, within the Emperor’s tent, the Grand Princess Yi De was also present. Almost all of the princes came to the tent and kneeled down to pay their respects.
The Emperor didn’t call them out. He only looked at them coldly for a moment before he spoke to Grand Princess Yi De in a soft voice.
The princes did not dare to make a sound and remained kneeling on the ground. After nearly an hour, the Emperor turned his head and said straightforwardly, “Fourth Child has been frame, and I have already found out who the mastermind is.”
These words caused the faces of the princes to change.
The First Prince, Ling Wang, was the first to speak, “Imperial Father, you have always taught us to be brothers and be courteous. Fourth Imperial Brother just returned from Western Guangdong, and someone had set him up. These person is really vicious. Please, Imperial Father must be strictly investigated and punish them. Give justice to Fourth Imperial Brother.”
Yu Wang nodded in agreement, “That’s right. Eldest Imperial Brother’s words are reasonable. If we don’t find evidence this time, they might have succeeded in the plot. When that time comes, Fourth Imperial Brother will bear the responsibility of abusing and killing the young masters of aristocratic families. In addition, he will certainly be attacked by those ministers in the Imperial Court. When the time comes, the Emperor has the intention to be merciful and may not be able to keep his face, so Fourth Imperial Brother will suffered greatly. Third Imperial Brother, tell us how should we punish the mastermind?”
Jin Wang felt his heart tremble as he looked up at the Emperor’s face. He felt that the expression was as deep as the sea, without a hint of anger or joy. “I agree with what Eldest Imperial Brother and Second Imperial Brother said. We should investigate this matter thoroughly.”
The Emperor was furious. “The matter has been investigated. I know clearly who is the mastermind behind this. I am very disappointed about this. As a member of the royal family, I don’t have the ability to tolerate people who frame others. This peson will not become a great man.”
Jin Wang clenched his fists tightly, and his face turned pale. Could it be that Imperial Father had found out that he was the one who framed Yue Wang? There was also the evaluation of him not being able to become a great man. If this phrase fixed on him, he might not be able to get the throne anymore.…
The Emperor looked at their expressions seriously. After a long while, he called the imperial guards in front of the door and said, “Today, I am not the Emperor, but the patriarch of a family. If the sons is useless, father should teach them to go on the the right path. Thus, I decided to use family law.”
Jin Wang raised his head abruptly and looked at the icy-cold Emperor. His eyes were trembling, and there was a hint of fear in them. He was too impatient. If he had been remained calm, he would not have fallen into such a passive state today.
The Emperor had originally thought that since he had come to this point, Jin Wang might directly admit his mistake. However, he didn’t expect the other party to pretend as if nothing had happened, as if the matter had nothing to do with him from beginning to end. “Men, use the family law!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The guards who had entered the tent immediately went forward to detain the four princes, then took off their coats and picked up their sticks, ready for battle.
The eyes of the Grand Princess Yi De shifted to Yue Wang’s body. The wound on his back had already formed a scab, but it was not yet completely healed. This time...
“Father....”
The Emperor closed his eyes, and the aura around him was extremely stagnant. His voice was filled with rage as he said, “Use the family law!”
With that, the imperial guards whipped the four princes viciously on their backs, causing streaks of blood to appear.
The Emperor stood in front of the princes, his gaze sweeping over their faces one by one. The First Prince looked unsatisfied and felt that his innocence had been implicated. The Second Prince grimaced and shouted out from time to time in pain. The Third Prince’s expression was stoic, his face pale, and his eyes slightly swayed. Only the Fourth Prince’s expression was cold, and there was no sign of emotion in it as if the thorny stick had not hit him.
The Emperor’s fingers trembled. This child...
After the imperial guards had lashed out thirty times, the Emperor waved them to stop. “Do you know that you are wrong?”
The First Prince could not hold on any longer. Hearing the question, he nodded with much difficulty, “Father, this son knows his wrongs, and I should not have angered you.”
The Emperor looked at the silent Third Prince, Jin Wang. “Third Son, did you realize your mistake?”
Jin Wang raised his head and looked at the Emperor’s stern expression. A trace of guilt flashed across his eyes as he said, “Imperial Father, please take care of your health. Do not let your children’s mistakes anger you.” Unexpectedly, he still refused to tell the truth. The Emperor closed his eyes, and disappointment flashed across his heart, “You are my sons. You can fight for the throne, but you must abide by your bottom line and not hurt each other’s lives. I know this frame will not be the first or the last time, but I want to tell all of you, although I am old, I am still the Emperor of Dali Dynasty, and I still manage the great mountains and rivers. If I find out who among you are planning to plot against your brother’s life, I don’t mind imprisoning him in advance for the privilege!”
“Yes, this sons will remember this.”
“Put on your clothes and get down. I’ve had a headache these few days, so all of the imperial physicians are helping me study the prescription. Don’t let anyone disturb me, do you understand?”
“Yes, this sons understands.”
“Go down.”
Yue Wang retrieved the clothes at the side, donned them on, and bowed before walking out. Before he could leave the tent entrance, the clothes on his back were already drenched in blood, but he seemed to feel no any pain, his body did not feel any stagnation, as though a cold light had just left its sheath, and he was unwilling to bend in the slightest.
Looking at the blood on his back, the Emperor couldn’t help but set his gaze on the blood-stained thorns on the ground. He squatted down and picked them up, “Imperial Elder Sister, did I do wrong?” As he said this, he clenched the thorn stick tightly, and the thorn on the stick immediately pierced his palm.
The Grand Princess Yi De hurriedly stood up. She walked to the side of the Emperor and forcefully opened his hand, taking out some medicinal powder from the table, and carefully helped him bandage his wounds: “Imperial Brother, why do you have to go through so much trouble? It may be painful to hit them in your heart, but it’s not wrong to teach your sons a lesson as a father. What’s wrong with that?”
“Imperial Elder Sister, you know I’m not talking about this. I’m talking about Junyue … After all these years, I shouldn’t have exiled him to Western Guangdong. He had no mother since he was a child, and his father was also a vain. At the border of Western Guangdong, he must have had a hard time, or else he wouldn’t have developed such a cold personality.”
“Since you feel that what you did before was wrong, you should start to improve it bit by bit. Just like you said just now, you may be the Emperor, but you’re also their father. Which son would want to die because of their father?”
The Emperor thought about Yue WAng’s cold expression and felt a little awkward: “Imperial Elder Sister, if I give in suddenly, but Junyue that brat doesn’t care about me? As the ruler, where should I put my face?”