Chapter 59: The Feeling of Hugging a Big LegChapter 1170: Hu Pi's Disgrace

After all, what they did wasn't particularly outrageous. They were simply driven by greed. All this humble servant can guarantee is that he will not conspire with them...

Zheng Bao Rong's words were spoken with tears in his eyes.

I poured out all my grievances and troubles.

Li Chen listened quietly without giving any comment.

Just these words struck everyone else around like a bolt from the blue.

What mattered to them was not what Zheng Baorong said, but Zheng Baorong's self-identification.

To whom should officials of the imperial court use the respectful term "we humble ministers" (微臣)

Only royal.

The Emperor, Empress, Dowager Empress, Crown Prince, and Crown Princess.

Only these five people.

Even the emperor's most favored concubine, when encountered by officials of the imperial court, would only address them as "minister" or "lower official," rather than "humble minister."

Given the current circumstances and Li Chen's age, despite Zheng Baorong not explicitly stating Li Chen's identity, it is already clear to everyone.

Even though he was still conscious, Hu Gangan's eyes widened as he stared at Li Chen, filled with nothing but terror.

Meanwhile, all that swirled in Hu Gandang's mind were two words: "Finished."

In the end, Zheng Baorong still confirmed his unthinkable guess.

The young man before us is the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace!

It's laughable that they still call themselves the Donggong faction, thinking that no one in the court dares to touch them now. But they didn't expect to run into the real deal today.

My hands and feet are freezing, and I feel like an idiot right now.

But he was foolish, and the onlookers gathered outside were also foolish.

I don't know who was the first to react, but all of a sudden, the common people outside knelt down.

The previous young man, his eyes bloodshot and voice choked with sobs, pleaded: "Your Highness, please act as our advocate!"

"We beg the Crown Prince to be our judge!"

Facing the stubborn resistance of Hu Gangdang and Hu Gangwei, Li Chen remained unmoved.

Faced with Zheng Baorong's grievance and pleas, Li Chen didn't react at all.

But the commoners at his doorstep were kneeling and begging him to take charge, and Li Chen could not bear it any longer.

Getting up and walking to the door, Li Chen first reached out to help the elderly man who had answered a few of his questions earlier. "Father-in-law," he said, "how old are you this year"

The old man's white beard trembled with excitement as he said, "This year, I am seventy-two years old."

With a nod, Li Chen said: "You are indeed of advanced years. According to the imperial court's regulations, anyone who lives past sixty does not have to bow when seeing an official. Those who live past seventy do not have to kneel when attending court. Please, master, don't kneel before me."

Then, Li Chen said to the other commoners: "Get up, all of you."

Seeing the common people getting up one after another, Li Chen said: "Rest assured, no matter what happens today, I will give you an explanation."

It was a simple phrase, designed to bring joy to the people.

At this time, a group of people arrived.

It was precisely Chen Tong, leading the Jinyiwei, who surrounded Hu Pida.

Hu Pi, after all, was an old man, so he received special treatment and came in a sedan chair.

As soon as the sedan chair was put down, Hu Pi rushed out in a hurry, his hat not even properly secured. He rushed to Li Chen's face and knelt down, banging his head on the ground, "Minister Hu Pi, a heinous crime, begging for mercy from His Highness!"

Because he was in such a hurry, his head struck the ground with quite a loud thud. Hu Pi’s official hat, which wasn't properly placed on his head anyway, fell off to the side, revealing his white hair, making him look rather pathetic.

Li Chen looked down at Hu Pi, who was crawling at his feet, and said lightly, "Lord Hu, you have fallen from grace."

This statement, rather than being a jest, seems more like a characterization of Hu Pi.

Hu Pi's body trembled, and he stammered, "Your Highness, please spare the lives of my two children for the sake of my many years of service to the court."y fraught with difficulties. To add to that, the imperial court's expenditures exceed its income, leaving the treasury depleted. Who can say for sure if the Prince won't send a princess as a diplomat...