Huh? The Tyrant Cries After My Inner Thoughts Were Exposed!-Chapter 72 - 71: I Beg Your Majesty to Stand Up for Me!
The next morning at court, many people came to greet Su Juan.
"Vice Director Su, how come you arrived so early today?" Minister Mo of the Ministry of Revenue was a bit surprised.
After all, Su Juan was truly lazy. She only pretended for the first two days of morning court. Later, she arrived just on time every day, almost as if the moment she stepped in, the Old Emperor would follow right after.
No one knew how she managed to time it so precisely.
So today, her early arrival was truly surprising.
Su Juan looked haggard and weak, with a forced smile on her face, "I didn’t sleep well last night."
[Ever since attending court, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep...]
Scholar Yuan of the Hanlin Academy, with his sharp eyes, exclaimed, "Vice Director, what happened to your neck?"
Immediately, everyone’s attention turned to Su Juan. On her neck was a large dark purple and almost black bruise, looking quite terrifying, as if someone had tried to strangle her to death.
Who could be so ruthless to lay such a heavy hand on a young woman?
Those who weren’t on good terms with Su Juan were all ears at once. Haha! Finally, heaven has dealt its justice, and this girl has met her downfall!
Noticing the surrounding gazes, Su Juan acted as if family matters shouldn’t be publicized, hurriedly pulling at her collar, "Nothing happened... nothing at all."
[Goodness, even from so far away, you could see, your eyes are really sharp!]
Su Juan originally planned to wait until more people were around before inadvertently showing the strangulation mark on her neck, but now it had already been pointed out by Scholar Yuan of the Hanlin Academy.
Her suspiciously covering action only aroused more doubt.
Duke Ping was the first to stride over, staring at Su Juan’s collar. Her fair skin made the strangulation mark on her neck even more horrifying and shocking.
He frowned and looked around, "Did someone bully you?"
"Don’t be afraid, tell this old man, and I’ll make them pay!"
Duke Ping was furious; this was someone under the protection of the Duke Mansion. Who had the audacity to strangle a young girl like this?
Minister Mo and several military officers chimed in as well, "Indeed, we are all colleagues. If someone bullied you, speak up boldly!"
The military officer close to Marquis Wu Yuan patted his chest to show that he was really capable of fighting.
Su Juan was immediately moved, shaking her head, "Thank you for your concern, sirs. I merely accidentally bumped into a tree in the courtyard while walking at night. A few days of rest, and it will be fine; it’s nothing serious."
The officials fell silent: "..." How could this Vice Director reach a tree?
Forget the facts, just which courtyard tree in the Capital can grow five fingers?
[I never thought that even though I usually don’t talk much, everyone still knows me, and now they’re all so concerned about me, a mere Junior Sixth Rank official. Whoa, it’s really moving.]
Scholar Yuan adjusted his forehead, thinking, you usually talk the most, it would be strange if we didn’t know you.
Several people were expressing concern simultaneously, while Su Juan lamented, [Why is everyone only asking me directly? Can’t anyone guess?]
The officials: "?" Guess what?
Su Juan felt deeply aggrieved, [My neck, any sharp-eyed person can see it’s been strangled, no tree in the world can grow five fingers even with a lantern by its side!]
The officials: So you also know that no such tree exists, we thought you were unaware!
Su Juan had prepared herself before coming, first to act vague, just waiting for someone to ask if it was Song Qianfan. Then she’d show an aggrieved but silent suffering face, as if trying to swallow her grievances, believing the Old Emperor wouldn’t ignore it.
After all, some things can be guessed but cannot come directly from her mouth, or it would seem like a performance.
But...
[Why hasn’t anyone asked yet???]
Several people silently watched Su Juan. At this point, someone finally stood out. She had come to stage a play today, but setting this stage was going against the Prince Jing Mansion, something ordinary people wouldn’t dare to do.
[Isn’t it obvious that Song Qianfan did it, it’s so easy to guess.]
No one cooperated, leaving Su Juan feeling stuck in a melodrama she couldn’t continue, caught in an awkward situation, [Goodness, I overestimated these people, this is troublesome now...]
Just then, Duke Ping followed Su Juan’s lead, reluctantly asking, "Be honest with this old man, was it the Princely Heir who did this to your neck?"
Su Juan’s eyes filled with tears, with two lines slowly flowing down. She immediately wiped the tears away, gently shaking her head, in an appearance of having bitterness she couldn’t express, but inside she roared excitedly, [It was him, it was him, he’s the one who strangled me, even wanted to strangle me to death!]
Scholar Yuan almost burst into laughter.
Duke Ping, for all his years, was impressed by her acting. If he couldn’t hear her inner thoughts, he might have truly believed her pitiful appearance.
[Duke Ping is indeed clever.]
[Unlike others, who can’t even guess who it is, too dumb.]
The officials’ faces darkened: "!" Who didn’t guess it?!
Someone whispered, "I heard that Prince Jing doesn’t get along with the Heir Consort and even took a concubine with an existing engagement, showering her with favor. Now he’s even resorting to violence against his wife..."
"Looking at those marks, they are indeed strangulation marks, how cruel... Adoring concubines over wives, not afraid of being gossiped about!"
"I used to hear that Prince Jing’s talent was renowned, a bit of Prince Jing’s essence. But now... it seems far off!"
"The Heir Consort isn’t very likable, but they’re still husband and wife. What can’t be discussed, that it should resort to such violence..."
"I heard that during the New Year, the Heir Consort was even assassinated!"
"Oh heavens... could it be....?"
"Shhh!"
At this moment, the long-absent Prince Jing, Song Qianfan, finally appeared, following Prince Jing. The moment he appeared, the murmurs ceased.
Noticing everyone’s gazes, Song Qianfan’s face went livid. Upon seeing Su Juan, the pain from last night’s injuries intensified.
Prince Jing had initially been puzzled as to why everyone was looking over. Seeing the marks on Su Juan’s neck, he understood instantly.
He gave his eldest son a side-eyed glare, "You scoundrel!"
Instead of reflecting on his mistakes, he dared to lay hands on his wife, truly despicable.
After saying this, he swept his robe and strode into the Golden Hall, passing numerous colleagues, unable to maintain his dignity.
This son, even if he wished to protect him, couldn’t be protected now.
...
At the end of the court session, the Old Emperor summoned a few people to stay behind: Duke Ping, Chief Secretary, Su Juan, Prince Jing, and Song Qianfan. Even Qiu Chuchong was waiting outside the Golden Hall with his men.
The civil and military officials, seeing this lineup, knew that Prince Jing’s heir was in for trouble. Each was curious to see what would happen and reluctant to leave, using the excuse to wait with Qiu Chuchong.
The Old Emperor was in a foul mood, glancing at the wound on Su Juan’s neck, frowning, "Minister Su, what’s the matter with your neck?"
Upon the Old Emperor’s question, Su Juan’s legs gave way, and she directly kneeled to the ground with a "bang" as her knees hit the floor. Two lines of clear tears streaming from her eyes, "Your Majesty! I beg for Your Majesty to seek justice for me!"
She cried sorrowfully, her cries even heard by Qiu Chuchong and the civil and military officials outside, so tragic it was heart-wrenching—if not for the sentence she murmured afterward.
[Ahhhhh! I just wanted to act convincingly, but why is this floor so hard... it hurts so much, sob sob sob, is my knee broken!?]
The civil and military officials: "..."
The Old Emperor: "..." Serves you right.
