Reborn as a Merchant Girl, the General's Beloved

Hongze went to Wei Ye Palace. There were ministers and female relatives along the way. There was no place to sit or stand, and the place was in chaos.

He went straight to the palace gate, where the palace maids and eunuchs were already kneeling on the ground, crying. Suddenly, he felt cold from head to toe, and there was no one to tell him what was going on, so he hurried inside to the main room of the palace, where the imperial hospital and the doctors invited from outside were kneeling on the ground. Everyone was worried, some were crying so hard that they were out of breath, and some were so timid that they even fainted.

He looked around and saw the Yuan brothers not far ahead. Both of them were lying on the ground, not daring to look up.

There were only four people at the main hall gate.

Cheng Ju, the eunuch who always accompanies the emperor, was supporting the emperor who had his back to the crowd. At the emperor's feet was kneeling the crown prince with tears on his face. In the crown prince's arms was the crown princess who had long been unconscious. The scene was so sad and tragic that it was beyond words.

I still remember going to the capital to report to the emperor. The emperor was cheerful and talkative, and the prince was in high spirits. In just a few days, the emperor seemed to be weathered by the wind and frost. His originally gray hair turned completely white. The prince's eyes were dim, like a walking corpse, it was horrifying to watch.

Seeing Cheng Ju's signal, a short and thin eunuch trembled and stood on the high platform of the main hall, shouting in a voice as sharp as a blade: "Kneel down, gentlemen, you are mediocre and incompetent, you are not good at learning, you are misleading people, your crimes are unforgivable, and I will grant you the order to commit suicide!"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless palace maids came forward, holding white silk in their hands. Everyone was terrified, and the sounds of crying and shouting merged into one.

Hongze took two steps forward, knelt at the emperor's feet, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, please take back your order!"

His voice was so bold as to defy the will of the world that it stunned everyone present.

Cheng Ju had always liked this brave and heroic young man. Seeing that the emperor was shaking with anger, he did not dare to open his eyes to remind him. He just kept giving him glances, indicating that he should apologize.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to report that although these people have committed heinous crimes, they cannot be killed." He straightened his body, looked up at the slightly hunched emperor, and said loudly without fear, "The plague is rampant now. The palace is already raging like this, and the people outside the palace are even more miserable. If we kill all the people in the Imperial Hospital and folk doctors at this moment, we will be helpless. If the plague surrounds the city and invades the border, we will be trapped inside and outside, and we will not be able to take care of both ends. The consequences will be disastrous."

His words were so clear that even the Crown Prince, who had not reacted, came back to his senses. He stared blankly at the chaos in the hall, took a long breath, and looked at the emperor pleadingly: "Father, what Hongze said makes sense."

The emperor looked back at his eldest son, heartbroken. Although there were many people in the corridor, no one dared to move and no sound could be heard.

Finally, the emperor barely supported himself and took two steps forward, whispering: "Your crimes are beyond redemption even if you die a hundred times. I order you to do your best to eradicate the epidemic inside and outside the palace, and order the Western Factory to supervise it personally. Anyone who is lazy will be executed immediately!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at that moment.

Before everyone could come to their senses, the emperor turned around and kicked Hongze. The emperor had won the throne on horseback, and he was also a brave man who could pull a strong bow and subdue a fierce horse. Today, he was too sad, and he had not eaten or drunk for several days. He used all his strength to kick him, but it had no killing power, and only made a dull sound in his chest.

But Hongze was too upright to beg for mercy, and he stood there motionless, kneeling like a wooden stake. The emperor almost fell, but Chengju was quick to help him up. He was so angry that he gritted his teeth and said, "Hongze has received the emperor's grace, but he doesn't want to repay it. He can't distinguish right from wrong and makes irresponsible comments on the emperor's judgment. I order him to be detained in the Heavenly Prison and handed over to the Nine Ministers for trial!"