Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne-Chapter 143 - 126: Director Kong Faints from Fear

Early the next morning, Princess Consort Dai took her maid to the Bodhi Temple.

Princess Consort Dai had never been to the Bodhi Temple to pray for blessings. She often went to Hulong Temple to pray for blessings.

Hulong Temple was an imperial temple. Members of the royal family and ministers mostly went to Hulong Temple to burn incense. As for Bodhi Temple, it was mostly visited by ordinary people praying for blessings.

Princess Consort Dai disguised herself as the wife of a wealthy merchant and came to Bodhi Temple to pray for a child.

The nuns at Bodhi Temple did not suspect anything. Since Princess Consort Dai had donated a significant amount of money, the abbess personally came out to attend to her.

Princess Consort Dai was quite lucky, as she was chatting with the abbess when Jing An, also known as Kong Yao, came to look for the abbess.

The abbess apologized to Princess Consort Dai, saying she had to leave for a moment, and asked Princess Consort Dai to wait a while.

After Jing An and the abbess left, a master came over with two plates of snacks to temporarily entertain Princess Consort Dai in place of the abbess.

Princess Consort Dai did not rush to inquire about Kong Yao, but instead, she chatted with the master about where the nuns at Bodhi Temple were from. Were they all from the capital, or were there any from outside? How busy was the temple on normal days?

Seeing that Princess Consort Dai had donated quite a bit to them, the master naturally spoke without reservation.

Princess Consort Dai also asked the master where she was originally from, when she became a nun, whether she still had family, and why she took the vows.

This master had no hidden intentions, and upon Princess Consort Dai’s inquiry, she shared her circumstances in great detail with her.

Pretending to ask casually, Princess Consort Dai inquired who the master was who had come looking for the abbess earlier. She also remarked that the previous master was quite graceful, and jested that the current master was very beautiful, asking if all the masters at Bodhi Temple were so attractive.

Although she had taken vows, it was still a pleasant thing to be complimented on appearance.

She told Princess Consort Dai that the master who had come earlier was named Jing An, their youngest junior sister. She did not say much more about other matters.

Regarding Jing An, the abbess had ordered them not to speak much. If anyone asked, they were to say that Jing An was their youngest junior sister, had no parents since childhood, and was brought back from another place by the abbess.

Princess Consort Dai did not ask further, instead steering the conversation to other topics.

A moment later, the abbess returned, first apologizing to Princess Consort Dai and then presenting her with a string of Buddha Beads. She said that if Princess Consort Dai wore them continuously and chanted scriptures daily, what she longed for in her heart would surely be fulfilled.

Princess Consort Dai chatted with the abbess for a while longer and then left. The abbess, along with a few disciples, personally escorted Princess Consort Dai to the door. Jing An was not among them.

Prince Dai, after court sessions, returned to the Prince Mansion, waiting for Princess Consort Dai to come back.

Seeing that Princess Consort Dai had finally returned, he impatiently asked, "Did you see the young daughter of Minister Kong?"

"I saw her. She indeed has taken vows. She is now known as Jing An." Princess Consort Dai had seen Kong Yao before, but Kong Yao had not seen Princess Consort Dai, so when they met at Bodhi Temple, Kong Yao did not recognize Princess Consort Dai.

Prince Dai’s expression instantly darkened, and he cursed through clenched teeth, "Damn! The Kong Family dares to truly mock me!"

"Your Highness, you can now enter the palace and inform the Emperor of this matter."

"I will go to the palace immediately."

Fuming with anger, Prince Dai rushed to the palace to seek an audience with the Emperor.

In the Imperial Study, the Emperor was reviewing memorials. Seeing Prince Dai enter with a face full of anger and grievance, he asked with concern, "What’s the matter with you?"

With a face full of resentment, Prince Dai said, "Father, Minister Kong has secretly let his young daughter take vows at Bodhi Temple."

"What?" The Emperor, hearing this, looked up surprised at Prince Dai, "Say it again."

Prince Dai’s face was filled with the anger of humiliation, and he gritted his teeth as he said, "Minister Kong has let his young daughter take vows at Bodhi Temple!"

The Emperor’s face instantly turned sinister, "Is the news true?"

"It’s true. Today Princess Consort went to Bodhi Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings and met her. Her current religious name is Jing An." Because Prince Dai was too furious, his hands were tightly clenched into fists, "Father, Minister Kong doesn’t regard me or you in his eyes. They are too arrogant. This is trampling on the dignity of our Imperial Family!"

"Go summon Minister Kong."

Sun Kui, being charged with the duty, personally went to Lanyuan Pavilion to bring Minister Kong to the Imperial Study.

As soon as Minister Kong entered the Imperial Study, he saw Prince Dai striding towards him furiously. His heart skipped a beat, and then Prince Dai grabbed him by the collar.

"Minister Kong, how dare you tease me, letting your young daughter secretly take vows at Bodhi Temple." The veins on Prince Dai’s forehead throbbed violently, as he directly lifted Minister Kong. He looked at Minister Kong with a fierce look in his eyes, "You are quite bold!"

Minister Kong hadn’t expected this to be discovered by Prince Dai so quickly. He had long known this could not be kept from Prince Dai and had already thought of excuses, but facing Prince Dai, who seemed ready to kill him in his rage, he was so frightened that his mind went blank.

With a forceful swing, there was a thud as Minister Kong was thrown to the floor by Prince Dai. He involuntarily let out a cry of pain.

"Father, Minister Kong has deceived you and should be executed with his entire family."

Minister Kong hurriedly got up, knelt on the floor, and gave the Emperor three heavy kowtows.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me."

The Emperor looked at Minister Kong with a very calm tone, but it sounded extremely terrifying to him.

"Minister Kong, do you really not wish to be in-laws with me?"

Frightened, Minister Kong trembled violently. He wanted to say something, but fear rendered him speechless for quite a while.

"You would rather have your daughter take vows than be in-laws with me. Minister Kong, by doing this, where have you placed the face of mine?" The Emperor’s tone was still neither happy nor angry.

Minister Kong felt only a chill over him, cold sweat covering his forehead, face, and back.

"Minister... doesn’t... dare..."

"I think you dare quite a lot," said Prince Dai from the side.

"Minister..." Cold sweat dripped from Minister Kong’s forehead and face onto the floor.

"It’s the first time I’ve had my face slapped," the Emperor laughed lightly.

That light laugh frightened Minister Kong so much that his body trembled fiercely.

"Your Majesty, this minister is guilty beyond redemption!"

"Father, we must not spare him, or he will continue to be insolent and disregard you in the future!"

"Your Majesty, it’s entirely my fault. I am willing to take the blame, but please spare my family."

"You deceive your monarch, a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire clan," Prince Dai sneered. "Do not think that because the Kong family is respected by scholars, you can disregard my father."

"Minister dares, absolutely not!" Minister Kong, from kowtowing too hard earlier, had blood flowing from his forehead, "Minister never had such thoughts!"

"Is that so?" the Emperor smiled, "I think you dare quite a lot." Yet his eyes carried no hint of a smile.

"Minister knows my crime!" Minister Kong knelt once more, knocking his head heavily on the ground.

Seeing Minister Kong in such a state of fear, Prince Dai felt a sense of satisfaction, having vented some of his humiliation.

"What crimes could you have, other than not wanting to be in-laws with me." The Emperor sighed slightly as he spoke, "Alas, I should not have granted the marriage. It’s me who climbed too high for the Kong family."

Upon hearing this, Minister Kong’s body trembled even more violently. If he hadn’t bitten the tip of his tongue hard, he would have fainted from fear.

"Minister deserves ten thousand deaths!"

"You are not at fault, you just do not want to marry your daughter away." Using a negotiating tone, the Emperor continued, "How about this, I will issue an edict to cancel the granted marriage, saying that I am unworthy to be your in-law. How’s that? Also, no need for your daughter to take vows in Bodhi Temple."

These words were like a bolt from the blue, making Minister Kong unable to suppress his horror any longer, fainting from fright.

Seeing this, the Emperor innocently said, "What did I do to cause Minister Kong to faint?"

Sun Kui muttered internally: It would have been strange if Minister Kong hadn’t fainted from fright.

Not to mention Minister Kong, even Sun Kui had been nearly scared to faint.

This Minister Kong was indeed bold, daring to deceive and mock the Emperor in such a manner. Who gave him the courage?

"Lock him in the dungeon first."

"Father, are we only imprisoning Minister Kong? What about Minister Kong’s young daughter?"

Considerate, the Emperor said, "Then let their entire family stay together."

Sun Kui understood, preparing to bring people to the Kong family and to the Bodhi Temple to detain Miss Kong.

"Father, simply imprisoning them would be too lenient."

"What do you suggest then?"

"Give them a hundred heavy beatings first." Prince Dai very much wanted Minister Kong and his family dead, but they still had use for him, so he had to keep them for now. However, he needed to vent his humiliation.

"With their frail bodies, a hundred beatings would take their lives," said the Emperor, "give them fifty beatings."

"That’s really too lenient for them."

Soon, the imperial court and harem learned that Minister Kong had secretly let his young daughter take vows to escape the granted marriage. The matter was widely discussed.

"Minister Kong indeed has the audacity to deceive the Emperor!"

"Has Minister Kong eaten a bear’s heart and a leopard’s guts?"

"Minister Kong seems tired of living."

"Is there something wrong with his brain?"

"By doing this, he’s trampling on the dignity of the Imperial Family."

"He’s slapping the Emperor’s face."

"Where did he get the guts?"

The ministers all felt that Minister Kong must have gone mad to commit such a terrifying act.

In the study of Duke Zhen Country Mansion, Duke Zhen was discussing this matter with ministers who supported the Crown Prince.

"The Emperor surely will not spare Minister Kong. Would Minister Kong’s daughter still be able to marry Prince Dai?"

"Duke, if Minister Kong’s young daughter doesn’t marry Prince Dai, what about our plan?"

"Isn’t it a good thing for us that Minister Kong’s young daughter doesn’t marry Prince Dai?"

"Minister Kong’s young daughter marrying into Prince Dai’s family could disrupt the relations between Marquis Xuanping and Minister Kong."

"How will the Emperor punish Minister Kong?"

"In the worst-case scenario, it’s a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire clan."

"The Kong family has already been declining compared to the Li family over the years, and now they are courting disaster."

"In any case, after this event, the Kong family’s reputation and status will decline again."

"To come up with such a foolish plan as taking vows, has Minister Kong’s brain been eaten by a dog?"

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