Chapter 18

ps Zhao Hongrun: This chapter is an additional update for the second-position helmsman "True Super Saiyan." Also, please vote, as more votes mean more updates.

The Zongfu, commonly known as the Zongrenfu, is a special government office of the Ji family Zhao surname royal clan, specifically responsible for handling clan disputes and educating clan members.

Officials serving in the Zongfu all come from the Ji family Zhao surname royal clan, especially the Zongling, Left Zongzheng, and Right Zongzheng, who are all elderly members of the royal family that even the current emperor, Zhao Yuansi, must respectfully address as uncles or great-uncles.

Because of this, the Zongfu has significant authority, managing only the Ji family Zhao surname members.

From trivial matters to treason, any crime committed by a Ji family Zhao surname member is handled by the Zongfu, and even the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Rites have no right to interfere.

Sometimes, the decisions made by the Zongfu cannot be changed even by the emperor of the Great Wei, Zhao Yuansi, which shows the status of the Zongfu.

Originally, if the Zongfu had intervened in Zhao Hongrun's actions of allowing his Zongwei to ransack Chen Shuyuan's Youzhigong, the situation would have been unfavorable for Zhao Hongrun. However, now that Chen Shuyuan has scratched his face, the matter is different.

Zhao Hongrun's bloodline is the legitimate and direct line of the Ji family Zhao surname. Attacking him and causing him injury is a serious matter. Even a favored concubine like Chen Shuyuan would face severe punishment, ranging from confinement for a year or two to direct demotion.

After all, compared to Zhao Hongrun, Chen Shuyuan is just a favored concubine, not the mother of any prince. According to the Zongfu's principle of prioritizing the Ji family Zhao surname, Chen Shuyuan will face significant trouble.

This Eighth Prince is truly far-sighted... Could it be that he ransacked Youzhigong to make Chen Shuyuan so angry that she couldn't help but attack him? If so, this young man's scheming... is truly chilling!

Tong Xian thought silently.

At this point, it's no longer his responsibility to resolve the matter, as once the Zongfu intervenes, even the emperor of the Great Wei, Zhao Yuansi, would have no way to interfere.

However...

Tong Xian's only concern is that once the Zongfu gets involved, the matter will escalate. Although the Eighth Prince, Zhao Hongrun, will inevitably face punishment and possibly be ordered to reflect in the Zongfu, Chen Shuyuan's fate will be even worse.

"Your Highness, may I speak with you privately?"

Tong Xian led Zhao Hongrun to a corner and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, have you really informed the Zongfu?"

It's not that Tong Xian is being overly cautious, but once the Zongfu gets involved, the matter will become very complicated. Besides Chen Shuyuan and Zhao Hongrun, a large number of people will be punished by the Zongfu, including the palace maids of Youzhigong, those who recommended Chen Shuyuan, and Concubine Shen of Ningxianggong. The first to be affected will be him, the chief eunuch responsible for monitoring the entire palace.

"Ha ha." Zhao Hongrun smiled slightly and said in a low voice, "Eunuch Tong, rest assured. If I really did that, wouldn't my mother also be accused of failing to discipline me? I just wanted to scare her a bit." He nodded toward Chen Shuyuan.

It's not just about scaring Chen Shuyuan, is it?

Tong Xian looked deeply at the Eighth Prince, Zhao Hongrun, and thought to himself, how could a concubine like Chen Shuyuan, who has only been in the palace for a short time and has never been involved with the Zongfu, understand how terrifying the Zongfu is?

Based on Tong Xian's reasoning, the Eighth Prince is just telling him, or through him to the current emperor: If the emperor's handling of the matter does not satisfy me, then the Zongfu will handle it!

However, even so, Tong Xian felt a bit relieved. As long as the Zongfu has not yet intervened, there is still room for maneuver.

With this in mind, he immediately said respectfully to Zhao Hongrun, "This old servant will immediately go to the Chongzong Hall to report this matter to His Majesty."

"Eunuch Tong, do as you please."

Zhao Hongrun smiled slightly and walked back to his original position, where his Zongwei had already set up a table and laid out a mat.

"No one in the hall is to move without permission, or they will be punished more severely!"

Tong Xian's words seemed to be directed at everyone in the hall, but in fact, he was scolding the guards Chen Shuyuan had brought, who had fought with Mu Qing and the other Zongwei earlier.

The guards looked at each other, confused. They couldn't understand why they were protecting Chen Shuyuan and were being scolded by the chief eunuch Tong Xian, while Zhao Hongrun, who had caused chaos in Youzhigong, was sitting calmly, protected by his ten Zongwei, looking at them with a mocking smile.

The most confused person was probably Chen Shuyuan. Seeing Zhao Hongrun ransack her Youzhigong and the chief eunuch Tong Xian speaking to him in a gentle and even somewhat submissive manner, she knew that this matter would not end well.

How can this be? I am the emperor's favored concubine!

Chen Shuyuan could not accept this reality.

"Can't you understand?" Zhao Hongrun looked at the now calm Chen Shuyuan with a mocking smile.

"..." Chen Shuyuan glared at Zhao Hongrun and said coldly, "Zhao Hongrun, don't be so smug. Wait until His Majesty arrives, and see how you beg for mercy!"

"Oh? Really?" Zhao Hongrun shook his head and looked at Chen Shuyuan with a sigh, "You are still so stupid... Do you really think your status is higher than mine?"

"I am the emperor's most favored concubine..."

"That's why you are so stupid! Your capital is just the emperor's favor and your youth and beauty. What else do you have? There are many young and beautiful women in the Great Wei. I, the Eighth Prince, have the blood of the Ji family Zhao surname, the legitimate and direct line of the Great Wei royal family... According to the Great Wei ancestral rules, as long as I do not commit treason, no matter what I do, the worst outcome is being confined by the Zongfu... Of course, Father can dislike me and demote me to a commoner. But even as a commoner, I can still be a wealthy man. The Zongfu will not let a member of the Ji family Zhao surname wander the streets or starve to death in a foreign land. Even if I die, the Zongfu will still send people to retrieve my remains and bury them in the imperial mausoleum... Why? Because I have the blood of the Ji family Zhao surname!"

"..."

"And you? You are just a relatively favored concubine, who has not yet given Father a child. How dare you bully my mother and the mother of two princes, Chen Shuyuan? You are really too arrogant!"

"..." Listening to Zhao Hongrun's words, Chen Shuyuan's face turned even paler.

She finally realized that Zhao Hongrun's greatest advantage is that he is a prince, a legitimate and direct descendant of the Ji family Zhao surname, a member of the royal family, while she is just an outsider.

"I don't believe it, I don't believe it..." Chen Shuyuan covered her face and trembled.

"Don't believe it? Then wait and see."

With that, Zhao Hongrun straightened his clothes and left with his ten Zongwei, and no one dared to stop him.

Meanwhile, the chief eunuch Tong Xian had hurriedly returned to the Chongzong Hall and reported everything to the emperor of the Great Wei, Zhao Yuansi.

"What? Youzhigong was ransacked? And Zhao Hongrun's face was scratched by Chen Shuyuan?"

Hearing this shocking news, the emperor of the Great Wei was shocked, and the three chancellors were speechless.

How could the Eighth Prince do such a rebellious thing?

The right chancellor, Lin Yuyang, was horrified.

You know nothing! Only Chen Shuyuan can go to Ningxianggong to show off, but the Eighth Prince cannot go to Youzhigong to retaliate? Although the retaliation was a bit excessive, compared to the Eighth Prince being scratched and disfigured, the ransacking of the front hall of Youzhigong is nothing.

Yu Ziqi glanced at Lin Yuyang with displeasure.

Gentlemen, please calm down. We have no right to comment on this matter. Let's see what the emperor decides.

The chancellor, He Xiangxu, shook his head.

The three chancellors exchanged glances silently.

Under their watchful eyes, the emperor of the Great Wei, Zhao Yuansi, was still rubbing his forehead, looking troubled.

After a long pause, he said slowly, "That rebellious son has really done a good deed!"

Is he going to punish the Eighth Prince?

The three chancellors were startled.

But then, the emperor of the Great Wei changed his tone and sighed, "Chen Shuyuan is also at fault. She is an elder to that rebellious son, and she should not have injured a prince... Tong Xian, how serious is the rebellious son's injury?"

Tong Xian thought for a moment and said, "Although it's just a scratch, it's on his face, and in my opinion, it will likely disfigure him..."

"Send the imperial physician to Wenzhaoguo to treat the rebellious son, and make sure there are no marks left."

"Yes." Tong Xian bowed and reminded, "What about Youzhigong..."

The emperor of the Great Wei rubbed his forehead and said, "Later, send people to inventory the damage and have the Ministry of Works restore it to its original state. The expenses will be covered by my inner treasury."

"Yes." Tong Xian bowed his head and cautiously asked, "Will Your Majesty personally visit Youzhigong?"

"What for?" Zhao Yuansi looked at Tong Xian in surprise. "Isn't it better to leave it to you?"

"Yes."

Tong Xian bowed and left the Chongzong Hall, feeling a bit disheartened.

Chen Shuyuan... is finished.

Clearly, the emperor of the Great Wei did not plan to visit Youzhigong to comfort Chen Shuyuan after the incident. Instead, he ordered the chief eunuch Tong Xian to have the Ministry of Works restore Youzhigong to its original state, which means something.

By night, when Tong Xian asked the emperor of the Great Wei which concubine's palace he would stay in that night and mentioned Youzhigong, the emperor did not choose Chen Shuyuan.

"Chen Shuyuan is probably still angry. It's not appropriate for me to go. Let's wait a few days. ... I will go to Ningxianggong and have a serious talk with Concubine Shen about what that rebellious son did today! That rebellious son really needs to be disciplined!"

"Yes." Tong Xian bowed his head.

Wait a few days? Ha!

For a concubine who relies solely on the emperor's favor, what does "wait a few days" mean?

After a while, will the emperor of the Great Wei still remember Chen Shuyuan?

In comparison, although the emperor of the Great Wei has been going to Ningxianggong mostly to inform Concubine Shen about her eldest son's misdeeds, this frequent interaction will undoubtedly raise Concubine Shen's status in the emperor's heart.

Is this the Eighth Prince's true intention?

Tong Xian speculated, but he was wrong.

The Eighth Prince, Zhao Hongrun, has a more devious "trapping his father" plan, which is far from over.

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