Big Boss – Chapter 40

Hug me

Hundreds of ministers turned their heads at the same time, followed by a buzzing of rising discussions. Duke Liang, standing in the front row, suddenly seemed to have a realization, his thick eyebrows furrowing instantly.

At that moment, Captain Song urgently exclaimed, “Your Majesty, the injustice of the past was a false accusation by a villain, persecuting two loyal martyrs, implicating hundreds of people from the Zhao and Zhou families. I implore Your Majesty to stay a moment longer and listen to the words of future generations!”

The civil and military officials filled the hall, the discussions becoming more pronounced. The Emperor’s expression changed rapidly, his large hand behind his back clenched tightly.

Then, another aged man among the officials stood up, his voice hoarse as he said, “Your Majesty, this matter has far-reaching implications. It would be best to investigate thoroughly to prevent the villain from succeeding and escaping punishment.”

Seeing him speak up, several other ministers, who had followed King Si Rong and the valiant General of Cavalry in the past, also stood up one after another, expressing their opinions. Among them were veteran courtiers with extensive experience in the court.

“The Grand Preceptor’s words make sense.” The Emperor, seeing the situation spiraling out of control, squeezed out these words from the corner of his mouth, then sat back on the dragon throne, his expression still somber. “Announce.”

The doors of the palace opened, and a woman dressed in a deep blue robe entered. Her gaze swept across the vast hall filled with numerous civil and military officials, her expression calm and indifferent, seemingly unafraid of the occasion.

“Who is the newcomer?” The Emperor placed his hands on the dragon throne, leaning forward to get a closer look, as if recognizing Ye Youqing with the bead on his crown shimmering slightly.

Meanwhile, Duke Liang below had a face as dark as charcoal.

“Ye Youqing?” Ci Ke murmured in astonishment, suddenly pushing Qin Wang aside, nearly standing up but was held down by several guards. Qin Wang, who was pushed away, also stood motionless in place.

Without looking at them, Ye Youqing seemed as if she could not see the chaos on the stage, steadily walking up to the front of the grand hall, kneeling on one knee, then changing to both knees. “Your servant, Ye Youqing, pays respects to Your Majesty.”

“And you are…” The Emperor started a sentence but seemed to recall something, then said understandingly, “The daughter of the Zhao family is your mother?”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.” The woman’s voice clear and resonant, echoing in the grand hall.

“Are you also here to seek justice for the wronged?” The Emperor suddenly waved his hand, instructing the guards to release Ci Ke. “I am tired. What do you have to say, speak quickly.”

Under the gaze of all, Ye Youqing continued, “Your Majesty, may your servant be permitted to see those two identical letters?”

The Emperor waved his hand, and a eunuch stepped forward, handing all the letters to Ye Youqing, allowing the woman to examine them carefully.

“Your Majesty, your servant dares to guarantee with their life that this ordinary letter is truly penned by your servant’s grandfather, King Si Rong.” Ye Youqing suddenly spoke, her voice much louder than before, resonating clearly throughout the entire grand hall.

“Nonsense! What evidence do you have!” Qin Wang’s voice sounded as if he was about to grind his teeth into pieces.

Ye Youqing took out another stack of papers from her sleeve and raised them up high. “During the time my grandfather was at the border fighting battles, he often sent letters to my mother. One of them clearly states that in the winter of a certain year, my grandfather personally led an expedition to Longzhou and was injured in the right hand tendons by the enemy, causing his handwriting to become slanted thereafter.”

“And this forged letter, the penmanship remains strong and the characters neat, showing no signs of a previous injury to the right hand. If Your Majesty still doubts, there are attendants of my grandfather present who are familiar with this matter.”

As her words fell, Captain Song knelt with tears in his eyes and said, “Your Majesty, this old servant is also willing to guarantee with their life that King Si Rong did indeed injure his right hand back then, almost tearing the tendons and leaving a lingering illness, often causing tremors.”

“Yes, these are indeed the original handwriting of my grandfather. Please have a look, Your Majesty.” Ye Youqing presented the papers with both hands.

The Emperor looked at the thick stack of papers in his hands, silent with furrowed brows.

Seeing this, the first elderly minister who had spoken earlier suddenly stepped forward and knelt down, saying in a hoarse voice, “Your Majesty, now that the evidence is clear, please detain Qin Wang first for detailed investigation. The truth can be revealed, ensuring the innocence of two loyal ministers and their families.”

Other elderly ministers followed suit, stepping forward one after another. “Your Majesty!”

Qin Wang remained motionless, kneeling in place, seemingly perplexed as to how things had escalated to this point. He then raised his eyes, his gaze piercing like a venomous snake, wishing to sink his fangs into the throats of Ye Youqing and Ci Ke.

Ye Youqing remained silent, her right hand clenched tightly by her side. She could almost hear the surrounding heartbeats, Ci Ke’s held breath, and the intense pounding of her own heart and lungs.

A dampness crept up his back, the Emperor still with lowered eyes, his thoughts inscrutable. The grand hall gradually fell silent, the suffocating tension spreading like creeping vines.

After what felt like an eternity, the Emperor finally spoke.

“Guards, take Qin Wang to the Ministry of Justice for a thorough reexamination of this case.”

“If the false accusations are true, immediately restore the honor of the Zhao and Zhou families, posthumously bestow titles, and return their lands.”

“The court is dismissed.” The Emperor spoke lightly, then rose, accompanied by a crowd of guards and eunuchs, and left in a grand procession. Meanwhile, inside the hall, the atmosphere boiled, with a buzzing sound reverberating against the lofty coffered ceiling. Looking up, the cryptic and solemn patterns seemed to press down like the azure sky.

A dozen imperial guards burst through the doors, clad in armor, and stood beside Qin Wang with disorderly steps. They bound him tightly with hemp ropes, lifting him up.

Qin Wang suddenly burst into a string of laughter, standing crookedly as he stared fiercely at Ci Ke, his malicious voice low and chilling, “You wretch, even if I go to hell, I will drag you down to torment you day after day…”

Before he could finish his words, a crisp slap landed on his face, forcing his head to turn to the side, leaving him momentarily dizzy.

“Young General Qin, are you not worried that you may be tortured while alive?” Ye Youqing rubbed her reddened palm gently, speaking softly.

“Thank you all.” Ye Youqing smiled, lips curved, as she spoke to the guards holding him. Then, the tall figure of the man was surrounded by a group of people and dragged out of the hall.

As the civil and military officials gradually departed, Ye Youqing turned around and met Ci Ke’s tear-filled eyes. She saw her smiling, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face, almost soaking through her clothes.

The smile was bright and radiant, but she suddenly covered her face, sitting down and trembling. Her shoulders shook, and sobs rang out, like a small animal trapped in a trap, finally escaping from the hunter’s blade.

The hall quickly emptied of all people, and Ye Youqing remained silent, squatting down to pat Ci Ke’s head.

When she lifted her head again, the woman in red was standing at the hall door. She knelt slightly towards the white-bearded old minister, but was helped up by the old minister. After exchanging some words, the old minister shook his head and left.

The woman glanced back at the hall, with the dazzling light behind her, yet her face was shadowed.

A trembling voice sounded, passing through the distant hall door and faintly reaching Ye Youqing’s ears, “Thank you.”

—–

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Ye Youqing did not immediately leave the palace. She silently followed Ci Ke and Zhou Ziqiu, watching as Ci Ke hesitated before being pulled back to the Qiushui Palace by Zhou Ziqiu.

“Bring wine,” Zhou Ziqiu said with a smile, then took the wine jug from Chunhong’s hand and personally poured three cups, handing them to Ci Ke and Ye Youqing.

Ye Youqing shook her head, pushing back the cup in her hand, saying, “The Noble Consort may have a drink, the matter is not yet over, it is not appropriate.”

“Yes, the matter is not over yet,” Zhou Ziqiu sat down heavily at the low table, finishing the wine in her hand. “Regardless, thanks to the Eldest Miss for speaking up a few words, which helped to eliminate a great threat to the palace.”

“Aunt!” Ci Ke moved forward to snatch the cup from her hands, but unexpectedly failed and ended up being forced to drink some, coughing with red eyes. Ye Youqing, feeling helpless, poured her a cup of tea.

“Miss Ye, do you think this palace is using ruthless tactics?” Zhou Ziqiu smiled with red-stained lips, the wine shimmering at the corner of her mouth. “Not only did we make Ci Ke take risks, we also dragged you into this mess.”

Ye Youqing remained noncommittal, glancing at Ci Ke whose face had suddenly turned pale.

“Aunt,” Ci Ke suddenly spoke, her eyes showing a hint of panic and warning.

Zhou Ziqiu glanced at her, then laughed, swirling her fingertips, downing three more cups of wine in a flash. The effects of the alcohol hit her, and she poured a lot more into Ci Ke’s mouth.

“Ci Ke, it’s over,” Zhou Ziqiu said softly, arm around her shoulders.

Ci Ke’s eyes darkened.

Not knowing how many cups she had drunk, Ye Youqing only felt the strong taste of alcohol in the hall, as the wine jug on the table suddenly slipped. Ye Youqing lifted her hand to catch it, placing it back on the table steadily.

“Miss Ye, Ci Ke and you…” 

Zhou Ziqiu’s words were interrupted as her lips were suddenly covered by a hand. The effects of the alcohol weakened her body, and she struggled weakly, laying back on Ci Ke’s shoulder, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

Ci Ke lowered the hand covering Zhou Ziqiu’s mouth and looked up at Ye Youqing.

Ye Youqing breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the grand hall was almost suffocating. She stood up and only then did she feel the air becoming slightly clearer.

Ci Ke reached out and encircled Zhou Ziqiu, half dragging and half carrying her to the inner room where a bed with white fur was laid. Sweat was forming on her forehead. Ci Ke instructed a maid beside her, saying, “Take good care of the Noble Consort.”

After Chunhong acknowledged, Ci Ke returned to the main hall, crossed her legs, and picked up a cup of wine from the table, taking a sip.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “For involving you.”

“No need to apologize, King Si Rong is indeed my relative, so I should do this,” Ye Youqing responded warmly. She reached out to help Ci Ke wipe off the wine that had dripped onto her chin, but Ci Ke turned her head to avoid it.

Her hand in mid-air suddenly froze, and Ye Youqing lowered her gaze, retracting her hand.

However, Ci Ke inexplicably hooked her lips, and from this angle, Ye Youqing finally noticed her smiling, with barely discernible dimples at the corners of her lips.

“It’s getting late, shall we return to the mansion?” Ye Youqing glanced at the sky and asked.

Ci Ke’s expression changed slightly, as if she wanted to say something but remained silent, nodding instead. She stood up, supporting herself on the low table, but suddenly covered her forehead, her body swaying like seaweed as she started to lean to one side.

Ye Youqing quickly reached out to grab her shoulder, helping her back upright.

“Dizzy.” The woman spoke softly, seeming a bit aggrieved.

Ye Youqing was taken aback. It seemed that Ci Ke couldn’t handle much alcohol. She then asked gently, “Would you like to rest in the palace for the night? It would be better for taking care of the Noble Consort.”

“No,” Ci Ke shook her head. She lifted her face, and a sweet fragrance seemed to waft towards Ye Youqing’s lips. “Tonight, I still want to rest in your room.”

Her voice, besides being seductive, carried a hint of emotion that Ye Youqing couldn’t quite understand.

“Take me back, please,” Ci Ke said, wrapping her arm around Ye Youqing’s arm like a snake. Half tilting her head to look at Ye Youqing, perhaps due to being drunk, she squinted her eyes.

Ye Youqing wasn’t fond of linking arms with others, but when the person was Ci Ke, she not only didn’t reject it, but also felt her heart soften.

“Alright,” she said warmly. “Can you still walk?”

Ci Ke suddenly let go of her hand and swayed out of the palace gate. Ye Youqing sighed and silently followed behind her, watching the woman in front of her step unsteadily, swaying from side to side.

The two of them slowly made their way out of the palace, basking in the brilliance and heat of the sun. As it was noon, there were few people on the streets, only seeing two women walking one after another. The one in front occasionally veered towards a tree, while the one behind reached out to pull her back into line.

“Ci Ke.” Seeing Ci Ke heading towards an old locust tree again, Ye Youqing helplessly reached out. She intended to grab the woman’s arm, but unexpectedly, the warm fingers of the woman slipped into her palm.

Ye Youqing suddenly felt a wave of uneasiness wash over her, but she didn’t withdraw her hand. She looked down at the white and tender palm that was open, perfectly fitting into each of her fingertips.

Their ten fingers intertwined.

The strange uneasiness became more pronounced.

“You’re drunk,” Ye Youqing took a deep breath and said.

“Perhaps I was too happy today, so I got drunk a bit faster,” Ci Ke chuckled, her eyes sparkling. Her eyelashes fluttered like a fan as she closed them and then opened them again. Her remaining arm suddenly climbed onto Ye Youqing’s shoulder.

The woman’s fragrant lips were tantalizingly close, almost within touching distance. Ye Youqing didn’t know how it happened, but Ci Ke was now this close to her, so close that it seemed like if she just lowered her head, she could touch her rosy and glossy lips.

Ye Youqing felt as if she was frozen in place.

“Ye Youqing, for the last time,” Ci Ke suddenly said, her voice a bit slurred, and Ye Youqing didn’t quite catch it.

“What?” Ye Youqing frowned.

“Hug me,” Ci Ke murmured hazily. Then, her lips suddenly approached, brushing past Ye Youqing’s cheek and landing on her shoulder.