"Your Highness, what they mean is..."
As the official was about to explain, Chu Qianli interrupted him again, "I never like to force others. If you don't want to say it, then don't. Keep it to yourself."
"This..." The official felt extremely aggrieved.
Who said he didn't want to speak? Why would he prepare so many lines if he didn't?
He was just deliberately stalling earlier.
Since the words were ready, they had to be spoken.
"Your Highness, this subordinate is not making things difficult. This subordinate will now clarify the meaning of the people. They say..."
"Didn't I tell you to shut up? You want to speak but deliberately play coy, and now you can't hold it in when I tell you not to?"
Chu Qianli walked to her chair and sat down, turning back to glare at the official, whose face was flushed red with suppressed emotion.
She said displeasedly, "Hypocritical and disgusting! Get out! I don't want to hear such petty people speak half a word in front of me!"
"Princess..."
"Guards!" Chu Qianli gave an order, and Yang Xun immediately entered with two guards.
"This person dares to play tricks in front of my father and me. Yang Xun, drag him down and give him thirty strokes of the cane!"
"Yes!"
"What? This... Princess, spare me! Your Majesty... Your Majesty, spare me, Your Majesty..."
In the end, the man was dragged away.
The princess actually ordered him to be beaten with a stick just because his words were unpleasant!
One must know that he was merely a civil official with poor physical condition.
Thirty strokes of the cane would leave him half-dead, if not dead!
Your Highness, how heartless!
"Do all you ministers think I am heartless?" Chu Qianli asked with a forced smile.
The officials below lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
Chu Lingyang, however, felt a sense of satisfaction. "Those who spread heretical words and confuse the masses should be punished like this!"
"Second Uncle-Emperor is right. Spreading heretical words and confusing the masses. Bringing such foul language to the court is disrespectful to my father and me."
"If there is no slight punishment, then in the future, everyone will act like this. Won't the court become a teahouse where commoners spread gossip?"
Chu Qianli glanced at everyone and asked with a smile, "Do all you ministers think what I said makes sense?"
"Yes, yes, yes, the Princess is right!"
It was true!
Why should those things, whose truthfulness was unknown, be brought to the court?
Before the Princess spoke, everyone hadn't felt anything was wrong.
But after the Princess said it, officials who did not come with ulterior motives suddenly understood.
No wonder it felt a bit off when they heard it earlier. So that's why!
The court is the court, it is solemn.
How could it be like a teahouse where people discuss trivial matters?
As for those officials who clearly came with a purpose, although they were unconvinced in their hearts, they could not find any words to refute for the moment.
After a moment, someone spoke again, "Regardless, Your Majesty, Prince Yu allowing Mr. Lan to interact with the County Princess was merely to win Mr. Lan over for the court."
"Prince Yu did not know Mr. Lan's character. How can this be considered Prince Yu's fault?"
"But if Your Majesty uses this excuse to imprison Prince Yu in the heavenly prison, it would be too unfair to Prince Yu."
"That's right. Your Highness, the soldiers at the border are agitated upon hearing that Prince Yu has been thrown into the heavenly prison, and they are all shouting for Your Majesty to release the Prince."
"Your Highness, if Prince Yu is not released soon, I fear the border soldiers will not be able to control themselves and will... will do something irreversible!"
"Exactly! We implore Your Majesty to release Prince Yu!"