“This grandson is aware of his many crimes, which are really difficult to pardon,” After having finished talking about his four major faults, he finally knocked his head on the ground to the direction of the Empress Dowager straight away, but his actions this time was visibly a bit slower than before, which clearly exhibited reluctance, but full of unspeakable determination: “So asking the Imperial grandmother to expel this grandson from w.a.n.gye’s mansion according to the ancestral law, strip off the imperial status, and be demoted to a commoner!”
This was simply like a bolt out of the blue in the ears of the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager looked at Yuwen Yin in daze. After he had said this words, the gloominess on his face completely vanished, and became very brilliant.
“These are all grandson’s fault, beseeching Imperial grandmother to not make things difficult for me.” The youth was neither servile nor overbearing, but his firm countenance was unexpectedly just like early years of the late Emperor, “This grandson is able bodied, and can live the same anywhere, even if it’s among the vagrants. This grandson will definitely keep in mind the teachings of Imperial grandmother, and be thankful of Imperial grandmother’s benevolence, as well as pray for blessings for Imperial grandmother everyday. — Beseeching Imperial grandmother for fulfillment!!”
Yuwen Yin had clearly thought of this a long time ago. Qi w.a.n.gfei was proficient in intrigues, if he complicatedly goes back and forth against her, then things will only become even more confusing. So, it would be better to just directly lay out everything completely, then pat his sleeves after revealing everything to tell the other party, –I don’t want to play anymore. I decided to confess my fault to surrender and leave in advance. So go perform this play by yourself, okay?
As a man, he still has a lot of lofty ambitions that he wants to achieve, in addition to accompanying and coaxing his little quilt. He really didn’t have the time to spend a lot of effort to such a venomous woman at the back of the house, such a venomous woman wasn’t worth wasting his time for as well. Of course, Yuwen Yin wasn’t really confessing his fault to resign, but merely wants to leave in advance. Because he was fully aware that the Empress Dowager will never agree to his request.
There really were imperial family members that had been demoted to a commoner in the past, but those people were already adults and have committed unpardonable crimes. But if they allowed a young imperial descendant to unjustifiably live among the common folks, then how will the imperial family face the civil and military officials, as well as their ancestors? Moreover, what kind of respectable status is a w.a.n.gye’s son, for Yuwen Yin to actually choose to be a commoner than stay in the w.a.n.gye’s mansion? This can only clearly elucidate how difficult his life had been while growing up.
The Empress Dowager had a hard time completely digesting this various facts that had been laid out, but just as she was about to speak, Qi w.a.n.gye had reacted a step ahead of her, and rained curses while pointing at Yuwen Yin’s nose at this moment.
“You are such an unfilial son! If you want to leave and be demoted as a common folk, then this king will let you leave right now!”
Qi w.a.n.gye had clearly been enraged, and said everything out loud: “As expected of a low-born, I should have directly killed that frail mother of yours at that time. This king shouldn’t have allowed you to be born. You’re not allowed to take anything away from w.a.n.gye’s mansion!!”
Qi w.a.n.gye cursed to his heart’s content, but didn’t notice the look of the Empress Dowager that could no longer be expressed with simple words like unsightly. But Yuwen Yin still remained calm, and had obviously gotten used to hearing such cuss words in the past. But the other subconsciously clenched his hands upon the mention of his biological mother, and immediately changed his form of address: “w.a.n.gye can rest a.s.sure, aside from that quilt on this lowly one’s bed, this lowly one will not bring anything else. In any case, that quilt was fortunately picked up by this lowly one, and really isn’t a thing that belongs in w.a.n.gye’s mansion.”
If the Empress Dowager had only believed 60 to 70% of Yuwen Yin’s revelation before, then she wholeheartedly believes in it now. Even a quilt had only been picked up, and the biological father frequently humiliates him with the word ‘low-born’, not to mention the other people. The Empress Dowager had never thought that this grandson actually lived this kind of life, her hands trembled for a long while, before she unhesitantly said to Qi w.a.n.gye: “w.a.n.gye may no longer want this son, but Aijia* wants this grandson! –Since w.a.n.gye doesn’t want him anymore, then Aijia will bring him back to the imperial palace to raise from this time onwards!”
*how the Empress Dowager refers to herself
w.a.n.gye, who saw the always benevolent and calm Empress Dowager show such a serious expression for the first time ever, had unexpectedly become shocked still for a moment and bereft of speech. Truth be told, the words that the Empress Dowager had said really wasn’t because she liked or pitied Yuwen Yin, but because of her being the Empress Dowager. She absolutely cannot tolerate that even a servant can actually rely on power to bully and humiliate the great imperial bloodline. If this matter was pa.s.sed down to the nether world, then what image can she have to face the late Emperor?
The Empress Dowager then turned her sight to Guan Qing and Shun Sheng, and abruptly slammed the tabletop like a gavel, directing a poisoned dagger-like gaze to the two servants, which seemed capable of nailing people in place, “Audacious servants, not only for bullying the young master, but for still heinously daring to make false accusations, is subjected to the execution of all relatives!”
These words directly sentenced the two people. Even the words ‘speak the truth to receive a lighter sentence’ were not said, which obviously shows that the other party had completely sided with Yuwen Yin. Qi w.a.n.gfei’s heart suddenly sunk to the bottom. Guan Qing and Shun Sheng couldn’t help but begin to struggle to plead for mercy in order to survive: “These servants has been wrongly accused, ah. Beseeching the Empress Dowager’s benevolence! The injuries of this servant really came from the hands of the second master, the meals were also delivered before the second young master without error, and had even specially instructed the second young master last night to finish his meal, never……”
However, the Empress Dowager was so enraged that she she didn’t wait for Guan Qing to finish speaking before directly throwing the teacup to his face.
“Come, block the mouth of these two servants, drag these servants to be flogged with a hundred sticks outside first before convicting them again! Search all their other family members, without sparing a single one!”
—— For an insignificant servant to have the impertinence to use the word ‘instruct’ to the master. Had already made the Empress Dowager lose the intention to listen to anymore words. Beating them to death would be considered as a very light sentence.
In fact, the habitual ignorance of these two servants to social ranking could not only be faulted by the deliberate incitement and condonement of Qi w.a.n.gfei, but was also fostered step by step by Yuwen Yin’s forbearance and acquiesce. Making them mistakenly believe that Yuwen Yin was already a submissive tamed dog, so they never thought of the other party to actually be a hidden and silent wolf.
Guan Qing became fl.u.s.tered after realizing his momentary slip of tongue. The complexion of both servants immediately became as pale as paper, and couldn’t even kneel anymore. How could an ordinary person still live after being flogged by a hundred big sticks? Not to mention the death sentence that extended to their family. Although Guan Qing was an orphan, but Shun Sheng still has a little sister who was about the same age as Yuwen Yin. The silver rewards he usually receives were mostly used for his little sister’s expenditures.
Shun Sheng had been thoroughly scared out of his wits. He did a final struggle to cry out to implore benevolence at the Empress Dowager feet, his eyes had already turned red by the time the imperial guards lifted him. In such a desperate moment, he actually managed to struggle free from the imperial guards grip and finally threw himself to the feet of Qi w.a.n.gfei, then tearfully cried while pulling her hem: “Save me niang niang*, save me niang niang!!”
*servant’s address to the 1st wife of the prince
The fl.u.s.tered Qi w.a.n.gfei subconsciously kicked him away. At this time Yuwen Yin probably felt pity for Shun Sheng, as he kindly helped him explain to the Empress Dowager all of a sudden: “They really did deliver the meal to this grandson on schedule last night, and instructed this grandson to finish eating everything,” Speaking here, a bit of hesitation appeared on his face, before he hesitantly said: “But this grandson felt that the meal tasted off, so he didn’t eat it, but buried it in a flower pot instead.…..”