The Slender Waist-Chapter 656 - 473 Unsaid Understanding

Feng Yun never imagined that the letter would appear before Pei Jue in such a manner.

At that time, as the Beiyong Army besieged the city, Feng Jingteng was desperate to surrender to preserve beauty, and to Feng Yun, this sudden twist of fate was like a lightning bolt in the darkness, instantly tearing apart her world.

With no time to react and powerless to change Feng Jingteng’s decision, amid the overwhelming fear that nearly submerged her, all she could do was to write a letter to Xiao Cheng...

She wrote of her longing through the night, unable to forget him.

She wrote that from now on, having fallen into a den of demons, she would be without her beloved for life.

She wrote that no matter where she might be, her heart would be tied to him alone.

She wrote much more, her unspoken affections, the lifelong regret of not marrying her true love, her fear and revulsion toward Pei Jue, and her worries about life and death in the face of danger.

She even said that if she were fortunate enough to survive, she would willingly sacrifice herself to help the Qi Army fight against Jin, pledging her unwavering loyalty...

Indeed, she was the author of the letter.

But at that time, the letter had not been sent out.

It was because of the despair and panic that she wrote her longing too deeply and herself too humbly and sorrowfully; she hesitated for a long time, lacking the courage to send it...

Then the letter disappeared.

Desperately searching everywhere, she was close to madness when she heard from her servant girl that all those unwanted drafts in her study had already been taken out to be burned...

Feng Yun liked to indulge in wild thoughts while reading, often jotting them down and occasionally writing letters to old friends in Tai City.

But after writing them, she rarely sent them out, most being mere expressions of her momentary emotions.

With Andu City fallen, these things had to be discarded, and conveniently, Feng Jingteng had set up two large cauldrons in the courtyard to burn the bureaucratic documents of the Prefecture Governor’s Office, she then ordered her servant girls to take these drafts out and burn them as well...

She thought she had accidentally included that letter amongst those drafts.

Unexpectedly, as time passed, that letter she thought had surely been burned mysteriously appeared in the courts of Dajin, becoming evidence of her collusion and conspiracy.

Feng Yun slowly turned to look at Pei Jue’s face.

An indescribable fear suddenly surged to the top of her heart.

It wasn’t the fear of the Empress Dowager’s retribution, nor the fear of being reviled by the entire court, it wasn’t even the fear of being prosecuted...

It was the fear of Pei Jue.

This letter, which she herself couldn’t even bear to face, had fallen into the hands of Pei Jue...

As he read it word by word, what would he think?

"I’ve finished reading," Pei Jue said calmly.

Feng Yun’s heart hung suspended, filled with a myriad of emotions, though her pretty face wore a calm smile.

Just like that, she looked at Pei Jue without any hint of emotion.

Pei Jue was looking at her, too.

Their eyes met, his black pupils were inscrutable, a depth Feng Yun couldn’t fathom.

But both of their expressions were equally calm and composed.

An understanding without communication.

"It’s all fabrication," Feng Yun saw Pei Jue’s stern face turn emotionlessly away and slowly uttered these words, then in front of everyone, she raised both arms and expressionlessly tore the letter apart.

Two pieces, four pieces, eight pieces...

The hall erupted into an uproar.

"Prince of Yonghuai!" Xu Yong, his face filled with shock, reached out his hand as if to stop him.

The Empress Dowager from behind the curtains also stood up instinctively, "Pei Aiqing, you must not!"

This was more than just destroying a letter.

He was destroying evidence. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

How could he dare?

How could Pei Jue dare?

This question floated through many officials’ minds...

Including Ao Zheng.

Even he, her former brother-in-law, felt like he no longer recognized Pei Jue.

In his mind, Pei Jue was wild and ruthless, but he had always maintained strict discipline, guarding the imperial power meticulously.

Such blatant action was clearly disrespectful to the Empress Dowager and the Young Emperor.

Of course, privately disregarding them was not unacceptable, given that the entire world knew him to be second only to one, rightfully the ruler of the Western Capital Dynasty...

But there was still "one person" above him, wasn’t there?

This was the Golden Throne Hall.

All the officials had their eyes on him.

A cold sweat broke out on Ao Zheng’s back.

Pei Jue was unbelievably calm.

His lips taut, he looked coolly at Feng Yun.

"My beloved concubine has a proud backbone. How could she stoop so low and act so subservient?" he stated.

Feng Yun was at a loss for words.

From Pei Jue’s eyes, she saw a cold, dark gleam.

Pei Jue knew the letter was real.

Was it now insignificant in the grand scheme of things, or was he holding back his rage, feigning indifference?

Feng Yun could not tell.

The assembly of ministers was also speechless.

These royal clans prided themselves on their iron wills, yet not one dared to stand up courageously and risk their lives to defend the imperial authority or restore their dignity, trampled by Pei Jue.

It was shattered.

Many things were breaking at that moment.

Shattered beneath Pei Jue’s Biyong Sword.

Shattered within the regalia of his python robe.

Finally, someone spoke out.

"Is the Prince of Yonghuai rebelling against His Majesty? Blatantly destroying evidence, what crime should be levied?"

Pei Jue swept a cool glance.

It was Ruan Pu, the Grand Princess’s in-law and the leader of the old faction.

In this imperial court, only Ruan Pu dared to speak to Pei Jue with such firmness.

Pei Jue said, "Ruan Shangshu, this prince has said, this letter is a forgery..."

His lips pressed coldly together as he raised his head to gaze directly at Yuan Shangyi.

"Your Majesty, what do you think?"

Yuan Shangyi nodded forcefully, "I... deeply agree."

Before attending the court session today, he had been completely unaware of the existence of this letter and memorandum, nor had he anticipated that Empress Dowager Duan would want to accuse Lady Feng.

He had never faced such a situation before. Both women he regarded as mothers, leaving him in turmoil, not knowing what to do.

But one thing was very clear to Yuan Shangyi.

Lady Feng was content with her lot and had no intention of getting involved in politics; all she wanted was to build her own fort in Huaxi Village. How could such a wise woman be a spy for Qi Country or betray the Prince of Yonghuai, betray him?

Yuan Shangyi might not understand the affairs of adults very well, but when it came to defending Feng Yun, he stood firmly with Pei Jue.

His hesitation-free nod reassured Pei Jue.

He turned back to Ruan Pu: "Ruan Shangshu accuses this prince of defying the Emperor, yet the Emperor says no. Who then, should we listen to?"

Ruan Pu was rendered speechless, his aged face turning scarlet, as he cast his gaze toward the hanging curtain.

In the hall, all eyes followed suit.

Looking towards Empress Dowager Duan behind the curtain.

Especially Xu Yong, who watched the most compelling piece of evidence being torn to pieces by Pei Jue, his frustration boiling over.

"Your Highness..."

He whispered, trying to offer a reminder.

Yet, behind the curtains, Empress Dowager Duan was so tense that she was nearly frightened out of her wits.

No one could have predicted that Pei Jue would destroy the evidence.

This was a letter from his wife to another man; how could he be so magnanimous?

Even if he were truly magnanimous, weren’t all the civil and military officials of the court present? Was he not afraid of becoming their target?

Indeed, he was not afraid.

He feared no consequences.

Moreover, this was a test in itself...

If Pei Jue intended to protect his wife, even with evidence, they were powerless to act.

He didn’t need to be so unsightly...

Thus, his act of tearing up the letter in public was nothing more than a show of force to the courtiers, a warning to her, the Empress Dowager.

The pinnacle of power is to call a deer a horse, to make people know the truth yet fear to speak it.

Silence reigned in the hall.

A silence as of death.

Until Pei Jue’s voice rang out once more.

"Please, Empress Dowager, issue an order to investigate Andu County Commandant Liang Huanzhang and Xinyi County Governor Chen Jue, for using their power for personal gain, and framing others with malicious intent..."

Ruan Pu stepped forward, "Prince of Yonghuai, you are pressuring the Empress Dowager, confusing right and wrong!"

Pei Jue ignored him, his tone intensifying as he coldly surveyed the officials.

"Please, Empress Dowager, issue the order to remove Chen Jue and Liang Huanzhang from their positions and to investigate them."

"My ministers..." Perhaps due to the overbearing atmosphere in the hall, as if taking a single breath could cost one’s life, Empress Dowager Duan seemed to exhaust her strength with each word she spoke.

"I, I... will change my clothes first. Let us discuss further afterward."

When she spoke, there were still those among the officials who harbored hope.

Perhaps the Empress Dowager could stand up, contain Pei Jue, and change the situation where one ruled alone.

No one expected to hear such a spineless remark.

Everyone understood what it meant.

Once knees are bent, standing again is near impossible.

Once capitulation is shown, regaining firmness is harder than reaching the heavens.

Whether it was a sigh of frustration at their lack of struggle or a resigned compromise in their powerless floundering, for a brief moment, the expressions and postures of the officials changed...

From facing the Young Emperor on the Dragon Throne, they now faced Pei Jue standing on the dais.

Feng Yun was also watching him, her gaze silent and intense.

That look of disdain for all beings was as if he could crush everyone beneath his feet with a mere glance.

He openly scorned imperial authority; he had become so arrogant that he didn’t even bother to pretend...

She couldn’t help but recall the day the city fell, when he sat atop his tall warhorse, watching her donkey cart creak out of the city gate, passing by him...

What was he thinking then?

What was he thinking now?

Such a Pei Jue, unfamiliar even to Ao Zheng, was also unfamiliar to her.

"Your Majesty, let’s conclude the court session," Pei Jue said.

Standing before the officials, he let the silent undercurrent swirl amongst them.

With no soldiers, a single man cast an invisible pall of blade light and murderous intent over the Golden Throne Hall, resplendent with the greatest power of Dajin...

Yuan Shangyi slowly tightened his small hand, swallowing hard, "Court is adjourned."

The officials were apprehensive, bowing their heads in unison.

But at this very moment, to whom were they truly submitting: the Young Emperor on the Dragon Throne, or the Prince of Yonghuai below the steps? Only they themselves knew.

Pei Jue: "Escort His Majesty back to the palace!"

The officials stood still, their minds swirling in a daze.

Whose kingdom was this, after all...

And whose world was it?