Chapter 33

Lu Shixin had been waiting for these words. To be fair, if it weren't absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to be an enemy of Princess Pingyang. Now that Princess Pingyang was clearly on his side, what more was there to say?

He took a big step forward, grabbed Feng De's waistband with one hand, and lifted him off the horse, throwing him to the ground.

"General!"

Feng De did not resist. The soldiers around him couldn't help but shout and draw their swords, ready to fight.

"Stop!" Feng De, who had been thrown so hard that his internal organs felt displaced, curled up into a ball but managed to stop his subordinates'冲动 in time. Given the current situation, they had already lost everything. However, politics is like a chess game; if you lose one game, you can always start another. The smaller the incident, the more room there is for maneuvering.

Lu Shixin felt a bit regretful. If Feng De's men had acted in this situation, the real mastermind, Yin A'shu, would have had little chance of turning things around.

Now that Princess Pingyang had emerged as a powerful force, she had prevented the incident from escalating, making it difficult to determine what responsibility Yin A'shu would face.

Lu Shixin had his considerations, and Princess Pingyang had her own thoughts.

Their positions were different, so their goals and conditions naturally varied.

Lu Shixin wanted to make a big fuss, to the point of no return, to bring down the arrogant and lawless Yin A'shu. Princess Pingyang shared this mindset, but as a princess, she had the advantage of not needing to make things completely unmanageable, as that would damage the Li Tang dynasty's reputation.

"General Lu! I will handle Feng De! Trust me, I will give you a satisfactory answer!" Princess Pingyang walked gracefully to Lu Shixin and said, "I will give you a satisfactory answer," but her eyes were on the Guozhang Mansion to the side.

Lu Shixin understood. Princess Pingyang was also targeting Yin A'shu, and as a princess, she was indeed more suitable to handle the situation.

"Then I leave it to you, Princess!" Lu Shixin bowed and chose to trust her.

Princess Pingyang nodded and said to the guards behind her, "Take everyone with me!"

Princess Pingyang calmly got into her carriage, and the grand procession slowly made its way toward the palace.

"Let's go to Chang'an Zui Xian Ju; I'll treat you!" Since Lu Shixin had decided to leave the matter to Princess Pingyang and trusted her to handle it well, he no longer dwelled on it. Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin, who had arrived just in time, were clearly close friends who would face any danger together. If they were going to treat someone, they would naturally choose the best place.

Cheng Yaojin's eyes lit up at the mention of "Zui Xian Ju," and he grinned widely, "Little brother, you're a good man! Let's go, let's go, Qianri Zui, I'm coming!"

Yin A'shu was truly panicked this time. Even when he had beaten Du Ruhui, he hadn't been this frightened.

Yin A'shu was arrogant and lawless but not ignorant. He knew the situation had escalated beyond his control, so he hurried to the palace to seek help from his precious daughter.

Although Emperor Li Yuan was fond of drinking and women, he had a deep affection for his wife, Empress Dou. After becoming emperor, he did not appoint a new empress but posthumously honored the deceased Empress Dou. As a result, the highest-ranking women in the Li Tang palace were the four consorts: Noble Consort Wan, Virtuous Consort Yin, Virtuous Consort Xian, and Virtuous Consort Xian. However, the positions of Virtuous Consort Yin and Virtuous Consort Xian were vacant. Therefore, the palace affairs were managed by Noble Consort Wan and Virtuous Consort Yin. Noble Consort Wan was old and no longer in her prime, while Virtuous Consort Yin was in her prime and most favored by Emperor Li Yuan, making her the de facto empress.

Yin A'shu's arrogance stemmed from his daughter, Virtuous Consort Yin, who was not an empress but had the power of one. Because of this relationship, Yin A'shu could come and go in the palace freely.

"Dear daughter, you must save your father's life!" When Yin A'shu saw Virtuous Consort Yin, he burst into tears and knelt before her, bowing repeatedly.

Virtuous Consort Yin, dressed in her finest, quickly helped Yin A'shu up and said, "Father, what's wrong? Who has wronged you? I will stand up for you."

Virtuous Consort Yin was a strong-willed and unreasonable person. Although Yin A'shu was despicable, he had been good to his daughter, raising her with great effort and sending her to the Jin Yang Palace to live a good life. Because of this, Palace Supervisor Pei Ji, who had originally intended to give Yin A'shu to Yang Guang, instead gave her to Li Yuan, making her Li Yuan's concubine and elevating her to her current position. Despite his despicable nature, Yin A'shu was extremely "filial" to his daughter.

Yin A'shu, of course, wouldn't foolishly admit to bullying others. Instead, he described Lu Shixin as a newly established hero who was arrogant and had humiliated him, much like how he had defamed Du Ruhui in the past.

"I just wanted to vent my anger, so I conspired with General Feng De. But Princess Pingyang, without investigating the facts, sided with Lu Shixin and had General Feng De arrested. I know I am incompetent and crude, unworthy of being the Guozhang. I have been bullied everywhere, and now that the matter has come to light, I have decided to resign and return to my hometown in Taiyuan to live a peaceful life, not offending anyone."

Virtuous Consort Yin was furious. "Father, what are you saying? You are my father and the Guozhang of the Tang dynasty. Whoever dares to bully you, I will make them pay!"

Virtuous Consort Yin swept her sleeve and stormed off to find Emperor Li Yuan.

She barged into the Taiji Palace, where she learned that Li Yuan was meeting Princess Pingyang in the East Hall. Without thinking, she burst in.

In the hall, Princess Pingyang stood tall, with Feng De kneeling beside her. Li Yuan, on the imperial throne, looked at the memorial Princess Pingyang had presented, his expression uncertain.

"Your Majesty!" Virtuous Consort Yin called out in a very sweet voice, ready to use her usual tactics of crying, making a scene, and threatening to commit suicide. However, she was interrupted by a stern voice: "Ridiculous!"

Virtuous Consort Yin was taken aback, looking at Princess Pingyang in shock. No one had ever dared to scold her like that, not even the emperor, who always spoke to her gently. Her mind couldn't process it.

"Father!" Princess Pingyang ignored Virtuous Consort Yin, stepped forward, and bowed. "The East Hall of the Taiji Palace is where the Tang dynasty handles state affairs, where Your Majesty and the entire court discuss national matters. It is a solemn and serious place. As a Virtuous Consort, Virtuous Consort Yin has stormed the East Hall, disregarding the law and her own conduct. How can she be a role model for the palace?"

Princess Pingyang's words were sharp and precise, each one targeting Virtuous Consort Yin's weaknesses.

Virtuous Consort Yin was terrified, her face pale. She knelt down and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Li Yuan looked at the righteous Princess Pingyang and then at Virtuous Consort Yin, feeling a bit dizzy but also more enlightened. When Princess Pingyang had requested to see him, he had initially asked her to come to the sleeping quarters, but she insisted on the East Hall... She had planned everything and was well-prepared.

"Out!" Li Yuan looked at Virtuous Consort Yin and said two words.

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