He had already spoken to this extent. He was the monarch while he himself was a subject. Did he still have the right to disagree?
There was no other way. Prince Lian could only brace himself and go out to clean up the mess he had so painstakingly created.
With a forced smile on his face, he walked to the door. "Everyone, stop kneeling here. The Emperor has already told me that all the previous matters were just misunderstandings. You may go back first. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor will surely make a proper decision."
The two officials kneeling in the front exchanged a look. They had no idea what had happened. Wasn't it Prince Lian who had told them to come here before? Why was he now asking them to leave?
However, they didn't expose him directly. Instead, they hinted, "Shouldn't Prince Lian be in his mansion? He suddenly came to the palace, presumably at the Emperor's order. Is the purpose to drive away us officials who are whole - heartedly devoted to the Great Liang?"
It seemed that these people were not stupid. They even knew to persevere. Prince Lian curled his lips and cast an appreciative look at the speaking official where no one could see.
Encouraged by this, the official became even more energetic.
"Am I not stating the truth? Perhaps the Emperor and the Empress Dowager should give us an explanation in person?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the officials behind began to make an uproar.
"Your Majesty, please give us an explanation."
The voices grew louder and louder, as if they were going to tear off the roof of the entire palace. Just as the young Emperor inside was about to lose his composure, Shi An grabbed his hand.
"Your Majesty, there's no need to go out at this moment. Anyway, we've already handed this matter over to Prince Lian. If he fails to handle it properly, it will be a crime of deceiving the monarch. Then we can use this opportunity to remove obstacles. After making an example of someone, I don't believe those people will still dare to keep kneeling."
Sure enough, the older one was more experienced. If it were himself, he definitely wouldn't have thought of so many things.
The young Emperor cast an appreciative look at him and then sat back in his original position. The two began to wait quietly.
Prince Lian didn't expect that the young Emperor could be so calm at such a young age. He continued to wink at the two officials in the front.
As he expected, the two became even more energetic.
"The Emperor has been refusing to come out and only sent the prince to deal with this matter. Does it mean that he doesn't take us officials seriously at all? Or does it mean that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are disregarding the common people of the Great Liang and are going to neglect the country's future?"
Such a serious accusation was thrown out. Even the young Emperor couldn't just sit there anymore. If the words of that official were to spread to others' ears, the country would be in chaos.
His small face fell. He came to the door with Shi An. Looking at those people kneeling outside, his face was full of disgust.
"If you have the guts, say what you just said again."
The official didn't sense the danger at all. The young Emperor was just a slightly older child. What threat could he pose to them?
But he underestimated the emperor of the Great Liang.
"What I said is the truth. As a subject and a wise monarch, shouldn't you listen to our opinions?"
Ji Heng's expression changed unpredictably. He nodded slightly and unexpectedly burst into laughter.
"Yes, indeed, one should listen to opinions. Then, what does Young Master Shi think should be done about this matter?"
Shi An knew that the young Emperor wouldn't let these people have their way. He stepped forward directly and glanced at the frightened official.
"Your Majesty, these people knelt outside the imperial study without permission. Obviously, they have committed a crime of insubordination. Coupled with what they just said, they deserve to be executed along with their nine generations of relatives."
Hearing this, the official immediately became agitated. He had just won Prince Lian's favor, but now he was about to lose his life. How could he be willing?
"Your Majesty, we just offered our opinions. We have no intention of insubordination. Throughout history, many officials have offered their opinions, all for the good of the country. We have a loyal heart. Will Your Majesty still take action against us?"
The young Emperor had already guessed that these people would never give up their lives so easily. With a sneer on his lips, he looked contemptuously at Prince Lian, whose face had turned red.
He really had no vision to use such a cowardly person.
"Humph, I'm just following the laws of the Great Liang. Do you have any objections to the ancestral regulations? Or can I understand that you've long been dissatisfied with the royal family?"
His words carried too much information. No matter which statement he admitted, he would surely die today.
The official quickly kowtowed on the ground. The sweat on his forehead kept dripping.
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I will never dare to do so again."
"If you say you won't dare and this matter will be resolved like this, won't I, as the Emperor, lose face?"
These simple words made the official regret deeply. Why did he ever think of provoking this person? Now he had gained nothing but almost lost his life. He didn't know if the young Emperor would dismiss him from his official post.
However, self - preservation was the most important thing. Now what he had to do was to save his own life first.
"Your Majesty can punish me however you like. I will never have any complaints. I just beg Your Majesty not to demote me. I still hope to assist Your Majesty in the future."
"A wise man knows when to yield. I don't know where you heard the rumors, but I'll put it clearly today. If anyone wants the Empress Dowager to step down, they have to get through me first."
The young Emperor's small body exuded the dignity of a superior. It also made those officials kneeling on the ground understand that they had offended someone they couldn't afford to provoke, whether it was the Shi family or the young Emperor.
Everyone was not a fool. Since the young Emperor had made his stance so clear, they surely had to find a way out.
"We were blind today and believed the rumors of the villains, so we had those absurd thoughts. We hope Your Majesty can forgive us."
"Alright, except for these two, the rest can go back. But today's matter won't end so easily. All the officials present will have their salaries halved as a warning."
Although they had lost their salaries, they had still managed to keep their official positions. It was a blessing in disguise. They didn't even dare to utter a single word of complaint.
The group bid farewell to the young Emperor and rushed towards the palace gate in a hurry, as if there was something chasing them from behind.
Watching the backs of the others leaving, the two people kneeling on the ground felt extremely regretful. They cast pleading looks at Prince Lian. It was this prince who had told them to come today, but now Prince Lian didn't even dare to say a word. He turned his head to the side.