The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 547 The disgraced official Ying Yi... died of illness in Lingnan.
On New Year's Eve.

The morning bells and evening drums of the capital remain unchanged, the red walls and golden tiles are exactly the same, and the shops on the streets are still open.

Looking ahead remains the same.

But news of the Prince of Yan's death arrived by express courier, traveling 800 li.

At the palace banquet, cups were clinked and wine was poured, and the emperor and his ministers chatted and laughed amiably.

Until… Eunuch Tu rushed in: “Your Majesty!”

He fell to his knees.

"The disgraced subject Ying Yi died of illness in Lingnan."

The ministers were in an uproar.

Emperor Yingqian, dressed in a dragon robe, exuded majesty and authority. Upon hearing this news, he abruptly rose to his feet.

The news didn't come earlier or later, but it just had to come at this crucial moment; that's really bad luck.

He seemed to be stung by the news, but his palms were warm, and his blood was boiling.

It was an irrepressible joy.

The root of the problem, which should have been eradicated long ago, has finally been completely eliminated.

But in front of everyone, he's the best at putting on an act.

Emperor Yingqian slowly closed his eyes, seemingly in grief. When he opened them again, a thin layer of red had risen in his eyes, and his voice was hoarse: "Although his sins are grave, how can the bond between brothers be so easily severed? I... am ultimately heartbroken."

He swayed, as if he couldn't stand steadily.

Eunuch Tu quickly got up and helped him up, saying, "Your Majesty, please take good care of your health."

Emperor Yingqian let out a long sigh.

"Fuyan is his only son. Pass on my decree that he must be well cared for."

If you want to take care of them, you should bring them back.

It's clear that it's just for show.

What the assembled officials were thinking was unknown, but they all prostrated themselves on the ground and cried out in grief, "Your Majesty is benevolent."

The palace banquet ended quite early.

The court officials, accompanied by their female relatives, left the palace, all remaining cautious and silent, not daring to utter a word.

The Wei family members remained silent, but someone still caught up with them.

"Duke Shun, General Jingyuan, please wait a moment."

Wei Fengxing and Wei Fengyuan both stamped their feet in dismay.

Ning Suchan remained silent, only glancing at the Duke of Zhou who had spoken and chased after her.

The Duke of Zhou was the Empress's elder brother, and he was the most adept at flattering Emperor Yingqian.

Over the years, he has been intentionally trying to get closer to the Wei family.

It was for the sake of the crown prince.

The crown prince was physically weak.

Duke Zhou sighed, "With Yingyi dead, I'm afraid His Majesty will be depressed for several days."

"You two are close ministers of the Emperor and have always been close to His Majesty. You may try to persuade him in front of the Emperor."

He didn't forget the image of the benevolent emperor. He also used this incident to praise the Wei family, demonstrating their high standing in the emperor's eyes.

That's true. If the emperor wants to put on a show, someone has to do it with him.

Duke Zhou paused slightly, then said meaningfully, "I remember that you two were very close to that criminal."

If the appearance is done well, it can be considered as a way to show loyalty to the emperor.

It's clear that he put a lot of thought into it.

Wei Fengyuan's expression darkened as Wei Fengxing pulled him back.

Wei Fengxing said calmly, "Is the Duke of Zhou teaching us how to do things?"

"It is indeed a fact that my Wei family once had a good relationship with the Prince of Yan's mansion."

"and then?"

Wei Fengxing: "What does the Duke of Zhou mean by that?"

Duke Zhou never expected that they wouldn't respond.

"This……"

"What else could it mean? They can't stand to see you doing well, so they're dragging you down with them."

Marquis Zhongyong arrived at this time: "I suppose Duke Zhou wants to repeat what happened with the Lu family back then." "It's quite interesting. Back then, it wasn't just Duke Shun's family that was on good terms with Yingyi, but also my Marquis Zhongyong's family."

“Not only the Marquis of Zhongyong’s mansion, but also half of the old ministers in the entire court are on the list.”

Marquis Zhongyong sneered.

"I'm just baffled. Why is Duke Zhou bringing up such a thing? Ying Yi plotted rebellion, and His Majesty sentenced him to exile. We are still in the capital, which shows that we were not involved and are innocent. Besides, so many years have passed, and the Duke of Shun's mansion has had no contact with Lingnan in recent years. Ying Yi is also dead. What are you trying to prove with your petty tricks?"

Duke Zhou's expression changed.

Marquis Zhongyong sneered: "Impressive. With a sister who is the Empress, she dares to interfere with everyone. She's become arrogant in her speech and actions, always wanting to meddle in everything. Why don't you go to the Emperor and ask him to give up the throne for you to sit on?"

He completely ignored the pretentious Duke Zhou and asked the Wei family.

"Have you all eaten? I've already had someone reserve a private room at the restaurant. How about the two families get together for a get-together?"

He started complaining.

"The banquet ended before anyone had even eaten a few bites of food or drunk a few cups of wine. It's only because the eunuch serving His Majesty is so inconsiderate that he couldn't have waited until everyone had finished eating and drinking before reporting the news?"

Duke of Zhou: "Loyal and Brave Marquis, be careful with your words!"

"You're making baseless accusations and slandering my good intentions, and you've already pinned a label on me. Although Ying Yi is a disgraced official, he is still the heir to the throne. You are an official in the court, and you must be mindful of your words and actions. If you lose the decorum of a subject, you will also damage the dignity of the court!"

Marquis Zhongyong sneered: "When the late emperor was alive, everyone said that although I was reckless, I was also frank, and I wore my heart on my sleeve, without any ulterior motives. Do you disagree?"

Duke of Zhou: ...

Fool, was the late emperor praising you?

The late emperor clearly thought that you were easy to control and manipulate!

Duke Zhou's expression was displeased: "I meant well in giving you this advice. His Majesty is already grieving; if he knew of your words and actions, he would surely punish you!"

Oh dear.

Marquis Zhongyong was terrified.

"Who needs your kindness?"

"Even if His Majesty is deeply grieved, he cannot allow us to share in his sorrow, can he?"

"Ying Yi's death was not caused by us. He dared to plot rebellion, so he deserved his fate."

Isn't he good at saying nice things? Yes, he can too.

If the dog emperor knew this, he would be more than happy.

“If Ying Yi were still the Prince of Yan, then the whole country would be in mourning. But he is a sinner! Even though he has the blood of the late emperor flowing in his veins, he is still a sinner.”

"His Majesty's concern is a sign of brotherly affection. His Majesty is benevolent."

"We're no match for that. Does the Duke of Zhou not know how to write the phrase 'the coldness of human relationships'? When Ying Yi got into trouble, no one came forward to plead for him, which shows that although we all called him brother, there was very little genuine affection between us."

"Duke Zhou, why do you insist on linking us with Ying Yi?"

Listen to those words, how inhuman!

But the officials who came and went didn't seem to think anything of it?
Who would want to be associated with Ying Yi?

Fifth Prince Yingyin's maternal uncle, Qing Tan, did not interrupt. He watched this scene with a cold smile, thinking that Duke Zhou was pretending to be clever and had made a fool of himself.

Wei Fengxing and Ning Suchan exchanged a glance and walked out in tacit agreement.

The Duke of Zhou, such a persistent and elusive villain, indeed needed to be dealt with by the Marquis of Zhongyong.

Wei Fengyuan then took Wei Zhao's hand and led the group out of the palace.

He asked in a low voice.

"You drank alcohol yesterday."

Wei Zhao: "Yes."

"You've got some nerve. How old are you? How dare you drink alcohol?"

Wei Zhao sighed helplessly, "Uncle, it's true that drinking can lead to trouble, but not knowing how to drink can lead to even more trouble. Which son of a noble family in the capital doesn't know how to drink?"

"Didn't your mother punish you?"

"From what you're saying, Uncle, you seem to be very disappointed?"

Wei Fengyuan raised an eyebrow.

His nephew was well-behaved in front of his parents, and his usual politeness and rigidity were just for show. But he knew that this child was actually a black sesame dumpling with a filling.

Wei Zhao: "Where did my uncle go yesterday?"

Wei Fengyuan: "Don't ask such nonsense."

Wei Fengyuan: "What happened? Your mother's gaze towards me this morning was particularly strange?"