The Slender Waist-Chapter 791 - 563: Body Burning Hot

For Ruan Pu, this was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As long as he controlled public opinion, with Princess Chang and the support of the influential elite, the court’s situation could be overturned. At that point, Emperor Wenzhi might actually stand on his feet and not leave everything to Pei Jue’s singular dominance.

Even if the Emperor continued to be disappointing...

Once it’s proven that Pei Jue’s lineage is tainted and his family background isn’t clean, even if Emperor Wenzhi wanted to abdicate, it wouldn’t hold any legitimacy.

Of course, Ruan Pu suspected that Pei Jue wouldn’t comply so easily.

But even if he didn’t eat the Chuntao peach, and didn’t contract that rash disease, it would still be hard for him to explain away —

The proverbial "no three hundred taels of silver here," combined with the Emperor’s mysterious illness and the concealed Defense Map in the Prince’s residence, each incident when linked together would unmistakably point toward Pei Jue. By then, the civil and military officials, along with the entire populace, could drown him with their spit. How could he still go through with the abdication?

Ruan Pu had already prepared an escape plan, but he never expected Pei Jue to agree so readily.

"Someone, bring the Chuntao."

The hall was briefly frozen.

No one spoke, even Ruan Pu stiffened in place.

Pei Jue gave him a cold sweep of his eyes. "Does the Minister have any objections?"

Ruan Pu felt a shiver run down his spine, hurriedly bowed and lowered his head. "No, no. The Prince of Yonghuai is indeed wise."

In the moment while the Chuntao was being brought to Zhenghe Hall, there was an instant or two where Ruan Pu doubted whether he had received incorrect intelligence. But in the next thought, he reassured himself that his information couldn’t possibly be wrong.

At least, given the current tense situation, it was worth betting on...

The Chuntao peaches were washed and placed inside a bamboo basket. Instead of having them directly brought to him, Pei Jue had the basket passed around among the gathered officials, letting them inspect it first. When no one raised any objections, it was finally brought before him.

"Very fresh,"

Pei Jue rarely offered a compliment, but this time he did. He plucked one from the basket and placed it into his mouth.

Thanks to the ideal balance of sunshine and rainfall this year, the Chuntao peaches were especially sweet. Pei Jue ate with great pleasure, while the hall gradually filled with a faint, fragrant peach aroma.

The gathered officials waited quietly.

Pei Jue finished one peach.

Then picked up a second.

Ruan Pu felt the sweat starting to form on his back.

In contrast, Ao Zheng could barely hide his smug expression.

"I wonder who is scheming behind the scenes, stirring up public sentiment to tarnish the Prince of Yonghuai’s name. Hmph, everyone see for yourselves. The Prince is unafraid of the Chuntao peach, eating it without breaking out in any rash or showing any strange reactions..."

Many people nodded repeatedly.

Small clusters whispered among themselves, a few showing signs of awkward embarrassment.

Ruan Pu’s eyebrow furrowed tighter and tighter, his expression turning ashen.

Pei Jue ate slowly, his demeanor unchangingly calm.

Was there truly no sign of illness?

Could it be that he really wasn’t Mr. Seventh Xie?

Pei Jue ate three Chuntao peaches in a row before taking the handkerchief passed to him by an attendant to wipe his hands. He lifted his eyes toward Ruan Pu.

"Minister Ruan, have you observed carefully? Or do you need me to finish this entire basket of peaches?"

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

The court officials grew uneasy.

Ruan Pu paused briefly, and under the weight of numerous complex gazes, slowly bowed and forced a smile.

"I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. It’s clear now that the rumors in the streets are truly unreliable. However, with the Prince personally dispelling these rumors today, if anyone dares to spout nonsense again in the future, the government office will have justification to apprehend and punish them."

Pei Jue let out a cold snort.

"Then, what punishment should Minister Ruan receive?"

The atmosphere immediately tensed.

The air in the hall felt frozen in place.

Ruan Pu broke into goosebumps, stammering after a long pause. "Prince Yonghuai, what crime does your servant bear?"

Pei Jue replied, "You incited public opinion, slandering this Prince in the streets. What was your intention?"

Ruan Pu inhaled deeply. "You misunderstand, Prince. Your servant openly suggested Your Highness clear the air to dispel misunderstandings for the sake of your reputation..."

Pei Jue: "So you truly take this Prince as a mere pushover."

He hadn’t finished the sentence when Ao Zheng bellowed sharply.

"Where are the Imperial Guards? Bind Ruan Pu and escort him to the Imperial Prison for trial!"

"At once!"

From outside the hall, several Imperial Guards rushed in, swarming forward without regard for Ruan Pu’s resistance or curses, pressing him to the ground. Never before having endured such humiliation, Ruan Pu protested wildly, only to be struck twice, his knees pinned to his belly, leaving him finally subdued and panting heavily...

The hall buzzed with murmurs.

Among the Old Party members, some voiced objections, claiming that Pei Jue acted without evidence by ordering the arrest of a court official in public, completely abusing his personal power and disregarding due process.

But what Pei Jue sought now wasn’t due process, but defiance of it.

"If anyone else dares to oppose or plead for leniency, they will be deemed accomplices of Ruan Pu and share in his punishment."

These words, neither heavy nor light, silenced the hall at once.

The bone-chilling coldness was palpable to all.

A thousand sets of rules were no match for a single interest.

Those with a sense of self-preservation quickly began evaluating their options.

It was clear that Pei Jue was dead set on taking down Ruan Pu today.

The spectacle unfolding in this hall seemed like a humiliation of Ruan Pu, but in essence, it was a test for every official present...

A test to determine who would align themselves and who would bow in submission.

A single misstep in allegiances and one might fall into an abyss of no return.

In the span of mere moments, countless thoughts raced through their minds.

A few persistent dissenters voiced their critiques directly.

They were dragged away screaming like ghosts and left wailing.

The rest remained silent as death, their legs trembling under them.

Integrity was one thing.

But integrity couldn’t guarantee the lives of one’s family.

Knees could be firm.

But kneeling didn’t take much effort either.

The remaining members of the Old Party knelt faster than the vacillating neutral factions.

"The Prince speaks truth. Since Ruan Pu was the one who initiated the challenge, forcing the Prince to prove himself under the public gaze, and the Prince has already debunked the rumors with facts... it is clear that Ruan Pu spread lies, misled the public, and maliciously defamed the Prince. He must indeed bear the penalty."

The tide shifted.

Though Ruan Pu had yet to be dragged away, he had already tasted human cruelty — those who had once sworn brotherly loyalty with him now betrayed him without a second thought, not even batting an eye.

"Shameless! You are all utterly shameless!"

Ruan Pu, beside himself with fury, bellowed curses in the hall, even as he was restrained and dragged out by the Imperial Guards. His voice lingered for a long time afterward.

There were bound to be individuals feeling awkward.

But none dared voice objections again.

Pei Jue watched them, his fingers drumming lightly on his knee.

"Dismissed."

He said this without much inflection, then rose to his feet.

"My Prince—"

At the sound of a loud exclamation, an old official rose from behind his desk, walked straight to the center of the hall, and prostrated himself before Pei Jue, his form completely flattened to the ground.

"Your Majesty’s health remains in poor condition, resistant to prolonged treatment, making it difficult for him to handle state affairs personally. We, your humble servants, are deeply concerned, fearing that instability might trouble the empire and unsettle the people. Therefore, today, with utmost boldness, we dare to plead: may the Prince oversee governance on behalf of the Emperor, ensuring the stability of our Dajin dynasty and the enduring prosperity of our nation..."

The hall was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

There were some things everyone understood in their hearts.

There were some words long stuck in their throats.

It was only a matter of who would be the first to shatter the silence and utter them aloud...

While most weighed the pros and cons, none expected the first to speak to be Shao Cheng, a staunch member of Ruan Pu’s Old Party.

That cunning bastard — sharper than anyone.

"To oversee governance," he said, narrowly avoiding plainly requesting Pei Jue ascend the throne outright.

The disdain from the crowd was palpable.

Pei Jue, however, seemed unfazed, continuing his stride without pause. He gave a small wave of his sleeve and "politely declined."

"His Majesty will surely recover and return to good health. None of you are to speak recklessly, lest more rumors arise to disrupt stability and undermine the foundation of the state."

Dutifully righteous and stern.

Before his words had fully settled, Pei Jue had already turned and left.

Inside Zhenghe Hall, silence reigned.

Until Ao Zheng scoffed with a cold, mocking laugh, saying only, "What a waste of time," before striding out, prompting the others to finally begin dispersing one by one.

Of course, they weren’t naive enough to believe the matter was over.

And certainly not gullible enough to think Pei Jue genuinely had no interest in seizing power.

What was said aloud held little consequence; what mattered was his actions.

In the hall today, Pei Jue’s thunderous crackdown on Ruan Pu and his faction clearly set the stage for a smoother abdication and paved the way toward his ascension...

When dissenting voices no longer existed in court, and pleas for him to lead rose from one person to an entire chorus, the timing would be ripe.

At that moment, the world would turn upside down.

-

Pei Jue walked swiftly.

Upon leaving the palace, he didn’t ride horseback as usual but instead entered the Pei Residence’s carriage, which had been waiting by the palace gates...

"Lady Yun." In the carriage, Pei Jue pulled Feng Yun into his arms, his breathing quickening.

"How is it?" Feng Yun pressed closely to his chest, unfazed by his sudden gesture. Instead, she lightly patted his broad back, her voice laced with concern. "Doctor Yao is already at the residence waiting for you. Hold on a little longer."

"Mm." Pei Jue didn’t lift his head. His tall frame leaned down, resting his head on her delicate shoulder.

Feng Yun turned her gaze, gently touching his face.

"My prince?"

"Mm."

"Are you all right?"

"I’m fine." Pei Jue held her tightly, leaning against her.

After a moment, he let out a sigh.

"Yun Niang. It hurts."

Hurt, yet he claimed to be fine?

Feng Yun was taken aback, torn between laughter and tears.

At this moment, Pei Gou truly resembled a large dog — hot to the touch, yet clinging to her more than ever...

Her feelings were conflicted.

Steadying herself, she ordered the coachman to increase speed while continuing to monitor Pei Jue.

In a short span, his handsome face had already turned abnormally red, as if scorched by invisible flames, even the whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and his eyelids had swollen...

Feng Yun’s voice hardened.

"Faster! Drive faster!"