Children of Loulan

Chapter 300 Cousin

After hearing this, Concubine Ru finally felt relieved. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "After the case of the Prime Minister is settled, we should take a break. It is best to keep a low profile and live calmly for a while, so as not to arouse the suspicion and attention of the king."

King Cheng nodded slightly, indicating that he agreed with Concubine Ru's words. He responded solemnly, "I think so too. When father has thoroughly investigated the case, I'm afraid there will be a large-scale investigation. So during this period, we must be cautious and not take it lightly!"

In this way, after more than half a month of intensive investigation, the various crimes committed by the prime minister over the years were basically found out one by one. Under the king's clear instructions, the court would disclose some solid evidence of the prime minister's violations of law and discipline to the people in the capital every few days.

At first, there were indeed some kindhearted and simple-minded people who firmly believed that the prime minister was framed and wronged. However, as new evidence of crimes was made public, and the number of evidences increased and the circumstances became more serious, the voices of those who had once spoken out for the prime minister gradually became weaker and were eventually drowned out by the surging public opinion.

Finally, one day in the court, the king solemnly announced in front of all the civil and military officials: "The prime minister has been an official for decades, but he has not thought about serving the country and the people. Instead, he has been corrupt, abused his power, and oppressed the people. His despicable behavior has seriously threatened the long-term stability of our Loulan State. According to the law, he should be sentenced to death immediately, but considering his advanced age and the fact that he has made some contributions to Loulan State, he has been pardoned and exiled to a place more than 3,000 miles southwest of the country."

The announcement of the verdict immediately caused an uproar in the court. Everyone was amazed at the king's wisdom, for being so magnanimous and lenient towards such a treacherous minister who had committed so many evil things. At the same time, they were also secretly glad that the country had finally eradicated a major scourge and could return to a peaceful and prosperous era.

Although a small number of people were dissatisfied and thought that the king's sentence on the prime minister was too lenient, they did not dare to express their true thoughts easily. The reason was that the prime minister still had a daughter in the harem who was deeply favored by the king. Even if her status had declined, who could say that this woman would not regain favor one day?

The court was in complete silence, and no one dared to speak out against the king's decision. Seeing this, the king shouted gloomily, "Dismiss the court!" In fact, the king had already anticipated the collective silence of the court officials. However, when this scene really unfolded before his eyes, the king could not help but feel an indescribable bitterness deep in his heart.

He knew that the reason why no one dared to stand up and firmly advocated the death penalty for the prime minister could be roughly attributed to the following three situations. The first was those officials who were in cahoots with the prime minister. They certainly hoped that the prime minister would be executed to ensure their own safety. However, no one dared to openly ask for the prime minister to be executed. Then the king would most likely order a further investigation into the matter. In this case, not only would the prime minister fail to be put to death, but he would also be implicated and even bring disaster upon himself.

The second is the faction formed by the princes. These people know the inside story of the private soldiers. Therefore, they are clear in their minds and know that the prime minister is not yet at the point of life and death, and must be eliminated as soon as possible. After all, letting the prime minister continue to live in the world can play a greater role and value to them.

As for the third category, they are the loyal ministers and generals. They have always been loyal to the king and never question any decision made by the king. In their eyes, as long as it is the will of the king, no matter what the order is, they should obey and execute it without reservation.

At this moment, the king was sitting on the dragon throne in the imperial study, thinking about the many ministers in the court. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh deeply: "Alas! How many ministers in the court can be called true loyal ministers now?"

Since Concubine Xian was demoted to a good lady and confined to the Palace of the Golden Harmony for committing a serious crime, she became depressed and listless. At the same time, the king carefully selected a more spacious and comfortable palace for Concubine He to live in. After nearly a month of convalescent care, Concubine He's physical condition gradually improved and she was finally able to get out of bed and walk.

After the fetus in her belly was completely stable, Mrs. He was still thinking about her beloved who had been demoted. So she mustered up the courage to ask the king for permission to visit him.

Looking at the pitiful and lovable appearance of his wife, the king finally softened his heart and nodded to agree to her request, but at the same time he also reminded her to be more careful and pay attention to her own safety. After all, no one could predict what his beloved would become at this time.

After receiving the king's approval, Madam He happily went to the Summer Palace with her personal maid Xianggui. When they arrived at the gate of the Summer Palace, they saw that the originally vermilion door was closed tightly. It had never been opened since the husband was confined. Standing outside the door, one could feel a stale and decayed smell coming towards them.

As the guard at the door pushed hard, a creaking sound was heard, and the heavy door slowly opened. Xianggui followed Madam He carefully and stepped into the palace that was once so magnificent. However, what was presented to them at this moment was a dilapidated and desolate scene: after only one month of no one cleaning, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds and withered yellow leaves scattered everywhere; it looked particularly desolate. The former prosperity and bustle had long since disappeared, leaving only a bleak and deserted scene.

Xianggui carefully supported Xilin and walked slowly towards the inner hall. The moment they stepped into the inner hall, they were shocked by what they saw. The virtuous concubine who was so glorious and respected in the past had become so haggard and old.

Her skin, which was once as smooth and delicate as mutton-fat jade, was now covered with deep and shallow wrinkles; her hair, which was once black and shiny, had already turned silver in a short month. Her eyes were empty and lifeless, and she sat blankly on the hard bed without the gorgeous quilt covering it, as if she had lost her soul.

Xilin looked at this heartbreaking scene without any sympathy in her eyes. She gently called out, "Cousin..."

Although the voice was soft, it was like a flash of lightning that broke the dull silence in the room. Concubine Xian, who was like a walking corpse, trembled violently when she heard the familiar call, and slowly raised her head. When she saw that the person coming was her cousin Xilin, her eyes instantly flashed with a glimmer of surprise and hope.