Chapter 9: Xu Tian Has Gone Mad—He Even Canceled Morning Court!

In the Golden Luan Hall,

a bizarre scene unfolded.

Li Hongru, the old Prime Minister who usually cared most about propriety, heard the Third Prince’s arrogant words and yet sat there like an old monk in meditation.

His eyelids drooped low, and he did not utter a single word.

The Confucian officials behind him were the same. One after another, they lowered their eyes, stilled their minds, and remained silent.

Chu Lan’s heart lurched.

A chill rose through her whole body.

She had known that Xu Tian’s conversion to the Confucian Dao would affect the civil-official faction.

But she had never imagined it would happen so quickly, nor that the impact would be so great!

“Good… very good!”

Looking at this entire court full of mutes, Chu Lan trembled with fury.

At last, she understood that even after bringing down Xu Tian, no one still cared in the slightest about her, the Empress.

And because of Xu Tian’s aptitude in the Confucian Dao, the Confucian faction, which had never gotten along particularly well with him before, had now completely thrown itself to his side.

So in the end, the root of all this was… Xu Tian!

In that case…

Chu Lan abruptly shifted the spearhead of her attack and fixed her gaze on Xu Tian, who was watching the spectacle with a smiling face.

“Prince of Qin!”

Xu Tian seemed to start in surprise and looked up blankly.

“Ah? What is it? Is it over? Then everyone—”

“Prince of Qin, did you hear what was said?”

Chu Lan could no longer endure it and went straight to the point.

“The Third Prince is acting with such lawless tyranny. He has even openly threatened officials of the court! As his elder brother, do you not bear the slightest responsibility?!”

“He is acting so recklessly, shaking the foundations of the state. Do you truly have nothing to say?”

At once, every gaze in the hall fell upon Xu Tian.

Xu Yong also turned to look at his elder brother, his hand tightening slightly around the hilt of his blade.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of worry in his eyes, only a smile he could not quite conceal.

Xu Tian blinked, and a helpless, bitter smile appeared on his face.

He stepped out from the ranks, cupped his hands toward the beaded curtain, and let out a sigh.

“I am nothing more than an idle prince now.”

He pointed at himself, then at Xu Yong, who was wreathed in balefulness from head to toe, and sighed again.

“How is a mere Confucian scholar like me supposed to discipline the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Were I to try, that would be what truly broke the rules, would it not?”

“Rules… you…”

Chu Lan felt her blood surge violently in her chest, and she nearly spat it out on the spot.

Everyone knew

that the Third Prince Xu Yong rampaged unchecked, knowing only the Prince of Qin and not even the Xia Emperor.

And he called himself an idle prince?

Who was it that had stepped into the Third Rank in a single stride yesterday in the Golden Luan Hall?

And who was it that had sent a severed head into the palace last night?

“Oh, right. The intelligence about Drunken Immortal Tower last night was provided by someone named Zhao Wuji.”

Xu Tian looked toward the beaded curtain, as if he could already see the Empress’s face changing color, and kindly offered a reminder:

“Zhao Wuji… he seems to have been from the Zhao Family, yes?”

“What a pity. He harbored evil intentions and tried to murder the Third Prince…”

The Empress’s face turned deathly pale. Her hands gripped the armrests tightly as she suppressed the panic in her heart.

Everyone knew the Zhao Family belonged to her Chu Family’s faction.

By bringing it up now, Xu Tian was clearly telling all under Heaven that it was the Chu Family who had leaked the intelligence.

Drunken Immortal Tower had indeed been destroyed, but the force behind it—the Five Aggregates Sect—still remained.

At the thought of this, her head began to ache.

Xu Tian truly was a man who never forgot a grudge.

Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, Xu Tian casually waved a hand and walked out of the Golden Luan Hall with Xu Yong.

“It seems there is nothing more to discuss, so everyone may disperse.”

When he reached the entrance, he stopped, turned back, and looked toward the officials, as though suddenly remembering something. With a smile, he said, “I am but an idle prince. From now on, I will no longer attend morning court, lest I violate the rules.”

Xu Yong’s eyes lit up at once, and he hurriedly chimed in:

“Then I won’t be attending either. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has too much work to do. I’ve got no time to stand around here playing children’s games.”

With that, the two exchanged a glance, smiled, flicked their sleeves, and left.

Clatter!

The Empress could no longer hold back. She pushed aside the beaded curtain and stood up.

She stared fixedly at the departing pair, her chest heaving violently.

What did those two think morning court was?

And what place did they think she, the Empress, held?

They came when they pleased and left when they pleased!

This was the Golden Luan Hall, the very pinnacle of Great Xia’s authority!

Her heart burned with fury.

But she soon discovered that she had grown angry too early.

“The rules of Great Xia must not be thrown into disorder!”

The silent old Prime Minister, Li Hongru, finally spoke.

Just as always, he began by setting the tone.

Hearing this, the Empress finally let out a breath of relief.

This old Confucian might be somewhat biased, but his temperament had always been rigid and unyielding.

This was good as well. Let the Confucian faction see just how overbearing the Third Prince was, and it would be easier to win them over later.

Just as the corner of Chu Lan’s lips began to curl upward, Li Hongru bowed deeply toward the Empress, his decorum flawless in every respect.

“Your Majesty, please return behind the beaded curtain.”

“Your actions have gone too far beyond the bounds of propriety.”

Damn it!

The Empress’s smile froze completely on her face.

She stared at Li Hongru in disbelief as he bowed with lowered head.

Where were you when the Third Prince was threatening the officials?

Where were you when Xu Tian ignored the court altogether?

And now that I have merely taken one step forward, you come out to prattle about propriety?

“Li Hongru, very good!”

Chu Lan’s face darkened at once. After taking two deep breaths, she gritted her teeth and stepped back behind the curtain.

“As expected of one of Great Xia’s foremost Confucian cultivators!”

As though he had not heard the fury she was suppressing at all, Li Hongru very naturally offered a modest response:

“Your Majesty overpraises this old minister. I am merely acting according to the rules.”

He gave a light cough and slowly said, “This old minister has been occupied with official duties of late and may not have the time to attend morning court. Henceforth, matters of morning court will have to trouble Your Majesty to handle personally.”

With that said, he paid another deep bow and slowly made his way out of the hall.

It sounded less like a request than a notice.

For an instant, the Golden Luan Hall fell silent.

Then, in the very next moment, voices rose like crashing mountains and roaring seas, one after another:

“This humble minister will soon be traveling outside the capital, so I may not be able to arrive in time for morning court…”

“My honored mother’s birthday approaches soon. This humble minister dares to request…”

“…”

As she watched one official after another withdraw, the Empress’s face went from fury to ashen white.

Back then, in order to gain a place in court and take part in state affairs, she had taken advantage of her First-Rank father’s closed-door seclusion and brought out her strongest backing.

Only then had Great Xia relented and allowed her, as Empress, to participate in state affairs.

But now, even morning court was about to disappear.

If she could no longer even see the assembled officials, then what use would this identity of hers still have?

Looking at the empty great hall, her eyes were filled with blank bewilderment.

Was all of this merely because Xu Tian had been stripped of his title?

And yet, the one even more bewildered than she was was State Uncle Chu Hao at her side.

Chu Hao scratched his face.

No, really, why was I called here?

Wasn’t I told today was supposed to be my stage?

Wasn’t I supposed to wait for the Confucian faction to speak, then seize the chance to step forward and recommend myself?

I had not even started performing, and court was suddenly dismissed?

How strange!

Was morning court always like this in the past?

He shot a glance toward his elder sister behind the beaded curtain and wisely refrained from asking, doing his best to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

But Chu Lan had no intention of letting him off.

“Chu Hao, why did you not say anything just now?”

Chu Hao: “……”