nucmednet Chapter 465 Returning to the Capital to Report
Chapter 465 Returning to the Capital to Report
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao's clasped hands, his tone becoming even more sarcastic: "What I don't want, is none of your business."
"Cui Zhihao, don't you even look at your own status? Are you worthy of Shi Wanxia?"
"You bastard!"
Shi Wanxia was completely enraged by his shamelessness.
She abruptly pulled away Cui Zhihao, who was blocking her way, and raised her left hand, about to slap Shen Yanchu's face again!
This time, Shen Yanchu was on guard and grabbed her wrist.
He used tremendous force, squeezing Shi Wanxia's wrist until it ached, as if the bones were about to break.
But Shi Wanxia didn't back down at all. With her other hand on her hip, she continued to berate him:
"Shen Yanchu! Listen to me! Don't even mention being a concubine. Even if you were to invite me to be your principal wife right now with an eight-bearer sedan chair, I, Shi Wanxia, would not deign to give you a second glance!"
"Go ahead and tell them! I'm not afraid of you!"
"As the saying goes, a good reputation can be bad. The past is the past, but now it's a pervert."
"You really are Zhang Fei dressed as a woman, so arrogant and domineering!"
"You can learn if you're uneducated, you can get plastic surgery if you're ugly, but there's no cure for your malicious heart."
"I've lived all these years and I've heard of foot binding, but I've never heard of cerebellar binding."
"You really do nothing when it comes to human affairs!"
"Go back and put the oil in the pot, and see if the oil splatters or if you're just being cheap."
"You want me to be your concubine? You're incredibly arrogant!"
Her voice was loud and resolute, echoing throughout the main hall: "I would rather never marry and live my whole life protecting the people of Chuzhou than ever step into the gates of your Xiang Prince's Mansion!"
"Who do you think you are? Do you really think you're the best man in the world? Keep dreaming!"
"Forget about cursing you to your face, if you can't hear me, I can carve your name on a tombstone."
"roll!"
She called out one last time, her voice trembling with tears, yet still resolute.
"Get out of Chuzhou right now! I don't want to see your disgusting face again!"
"Otherwise, my palm is the perfect fit for your face, and it's even custom-made!"
Shen Yanchu's face turned completely dark, his eyes blazing with terrifying rage and obsession.
He stared intently at Shi Wanxia, as if trying to etch her image into his very bones, then glanced at Cui Zhihao, his eyes brimming with hatred.
He abruptly shook off Shi Wanxia's wrist, the force so great that Shi Wanxia staggered back two steps, but fortunately Cui Zhihao caught her in time.
"good very good!"
Shen Yanchu gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "Shi Wanxia, Cui Zhihao, you just wait!"
"You don't know what's good for you! I won't waste my breath on a woman like you!"
After saying that, he stopped looking at anyone, turned around abruptly, and the hem of his dark robe swept across the ground, stirring up a gust of wind.
He strode out of the prefectural government office with an aura of unyielding hostility, almost kicking the threshold over.
The people in the hall were still reeling from the intense conflict that had just occurred.
Shi Wanxia leaned against Cui Zhihao's chest, her wrist already bruised. She was trembling with anger, and tears finally streamed down her face.
It wasn't fear, it was grievance, it was anger, it was disgust at Shen Yanchu's arrogant and shameless behavior.
Choi Ji-ho gently patted her back, his voice extremely soft: "It's alright, he's gone. Don't be afraid, I'm here."
But everyone knows that this conflict tore off the mask of civility in the most intense way.
Shen Yanchu's obsession and possessiveness have completely transformed into a terrifying hatred.
The sky over Chuzhou did not seem to clear up with the disappearance of the remnants of the Rongyang King; a new storm was quietly brewing in the direction of the capital.
When the Crown Prince's entourage arrived at the city gate, Pei Xuan, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was already there with his officials, waiting respectfully.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince's carriage, Pei Xuan immediately stepped forward and bowed in greeting:
"Your humble servant, Pei Xuan, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, has been ordered by His Majesty to welcome His Highness the Crown Prince back to the capital! Your Highness must be tired from your journey!"
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Shen Yanzhou's slightly tired yet still dignified face.
He spoke calmly, "I know. Thank you for waiting here for so long, Minister Pei."
"Lead the way, I will go to the palace to see my father immediately."
"Wei Chen obeys!"
Pei Xuan quickly agreed, mounted his horse, and led the way.
The Crown Prince's entourage marched through the streets of the capital, reaching the Imperial City.
The people along the way gave way and bowed, whispering among themselves, all knowing that His Highness the Crown Prince had just returned from the turbulent Chu Prefecture.
In the Golden Palace, civil and military officials stood on both sides, while Shen Yuxi sat solemnly on the dragon throne.
Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou entered the main hall with steady steps. Although he was travel-worn, he showed no signs of being disheveled.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" Shen Yanzhou knelt down and bowed.
"Your Majesty, rise."
Shen Yuxi's voice carried a hint of concern, "I have heard about the matter in Chuzhou. Thank you for your hard work. Please tell me the details."
Shen Yanzhou stood up, his voice clear and steady, and began to report to the emperor and all the civil and military officials:
He first detailed the severity of the flood in Chuzhou, and how Yuan Xiaomiao, Wang Qinian and others neglected their duties, embezzled disaster relief funds and materials, which aggravated the disaster and caused the people to suffer.
Next, he focused on reporting the post-disaster reconstruction work: "Thanks to the Emperor's great blessings, Heaven has protected the land."
The disaster victims in Chuzhou have now been initially resettled. Lord Shi, appointed temporarily as prefect in this critical situation, has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the task, working tirelessly day and night.
"She organized the people to repair roads and water conservancy projects, promoted new building materials (cement) to reinforce dikes and houses, guided agricultural production, and comforted the affected people. The administration of Chuzhou has been initially restored, and people's livelihoods are gradually stabilizing. This is all thanks to Lady Shi and a group of assisting officials."
Then, his tone became extremely solemn: "However, what I encountered in Chuzhou was far more than just natural disasters and man-made calamities."
"Furthermore, it was discovered that the two traitors, Yuan and Wang, were actually colluding with the remnants of the Prince of Rongyang!"
Inside the Golden Palace, a gilded bronze incense burner held the finest ambergris, its smoke curling and swirling around the beams and pillars, yet it could not dispel the somber mood in the hearts of the court officials.
As Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou finished speaking, the copper bells on the eaves outside the hall were just rustled by the wind, their soft ringing sounding particularly clear in the deathly silent hall.
Shen Yuxi unconsciously stroked the Taotie pattern on the armrest of the dragon throne with his fingers. His gaze swept over the Crown Prince, who was standing bowing in the hall, and then over the officials on both sides with their various expressions. He said in a deep voice, "The remnants of the Prince of Rongyang colluded with corrupt officials, coveting my country and my people. Such crimes deserve to be punished by the extermination of nine generations of their families!"
His tone suddenly turned stern, his imperial might overwhelming, and everyone in the hall held their breath and fell silent, "Minister Pei!"
Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Pei Xuan, immediately stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Your humble servant is here!"
"I hereby order you to immediately take the lead, in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, to thoroughly investigate the case of the remnants of the Prince of Rongyang!"
"All those involved, regardless of their official rank or background, will be investigated and dealt with strictly. The mastermind behind this must be found within half a month!"