“You, you…” Huo Qing pointed angrily at the people kneeling in front of him. The raindrops felt cold as they hit him with biting force. He suddenly felt very cold.
“Are you trying to force us to abdicate?” bellowed Huo Qing.
“These subjects don’t dare. These subjects can only set aside our lives for the sake of getting rid of the demon, the calamity-causing demon!” The imperial tutor declared solemnly, “Your Majesty, you’ve already been bewitched by this demon to the point that you’re no longer able to think rationally. You can no longer see the nation or its citizens and you’re allowing this demon to commit outrages. We’re afraid that the nation of Yan is heading on the road to extinction.”
Huo Qing was so angry his entire body was trembling, but he forced himself to calm down and said coldly, “Jin Ling is just a woman. She doesn’t have the power to overturn a country. You’re overestimating her.” Huo Qing understood Hu er. She wasn’t the type to care about glory, power, or wealth and just liked to play. How could she possibly overturn the country?
“Your Majesty, these ministers bend to the task of serving the nation of Yan and spare no effort in this duty. They have done everything for the sake of this nation and its citizens, so Your Majesty, please give up on Lady Jin Ling. Humans and demons are not of the same world,” said Ning Shu with a bow.
When Huo Qing heard what she said, he bellowed angrily, “Shut up! We suspect that you’re behind all of this because you’re jealous of Jin Ling! Empress, your Xiao family is hoarding military power because you want to revolt! We knew about your traitorous intentions from the start!”
Ning Shu immediately put on a grievance-filled expression as if she had been very wrongly accused. She said, “Your Majesty, this subject wife is just a woman of the inner palace. How could this subject wife possibly have the power to make all the ministers do this?”
“You’re a woman, Jin Ling is also a woman. Why must you treat her this way? Is it fun to throw a stone at someone who’s fallen into a well? We’ve truly been wrong about you all these years!”
Ning Shu: …
She felt really speechless. Why didn’t he direct his anger towards the little fox instead of towards her?
Ning Shu wiped at her tears with a handkerchief.
The little fox also looked towards Ning Shu with an expression of resentment. “Empress, even if you hate me, you shouldn’t let Huo Qing fall into such a predicament.”
Ning Shu: I pei! The person who let Huo Qing fall into a predicament wasn’t me, it was you.
It was your willfulness that caused this.
Ning Shu didn’t speak and just kept wiping at her tears. Her silent sorrowful appearance made people’s heart ache.
“What right do you have to point at this prince’s imperial mother? She’s the empress of Yan and has been carefully managing the inner palace so that Imperial Father doesn’t have to worry about the family. My imperial mother hadn’t done anything wrong! It was your arrival in this palace that caused the entire palace to fall into turmoil!”
Huo Chengwang said with contempt, “You know no propriety. You never even curtsy when you see my imperial mother. As expected, you’re just an animal.”
“Huo Chengwang, shut up!” Huo Qing’s eyes were bloodshot as he shouted at Huo Chengwang. “You don’t have the right to speak here.”
Huo Chengwang was frightened by Huo Qing’s sinister look and burst out crying with a ‘wah.’ “Imperial Father, you don’t want this subject son anymore? Imperial Father has the demon now and doesn’t even care about his wives and children anymore. Imperial Father, please wake up! Imperial Father! Waaah…”
Ning Shu hugged Huo Chengwang and wiped at his tears as she said, “Don’t cry Chengwang, alright? Don’t cry.”
“Imperial Mother, Imperial Father only wants the fox spirit and doesn’t care about this subject son and Imperial Mother anymore.” Huo Chengwang sobbed.
The sad pair of mother and son made everyone’s heart ache. Huo Qing was immediately labeled as someone who had abandoned his wife and child.
“You, all of you…” Huo Qing was so angry that his blood boiled and blood spilled out of his lips. He glowered at Ning Shu and Huo Chengwang, then spat at Huo Chengwang. “Damned wolf cub! You actually dared to commit regicide and try to kill your father!”
“Imperial Father, this subject son didn’t. This subject son just wants Imperial Father to leave this fox spirit. This subject son and Imperial Mother need you, Imperial Father.” Huo Chengwang expression was mournful.
Huo Qing looked at Huo Chengwang coldly. “You have the Xiao family’s blood flowing through your veins, so you were born with the ambition of wild wolves. We should’ve choked you to death the moment you were born.”
Huo Qing’s shocking words stunned all the ministers. Even the most malicious tiger didn’t eat its cubs, but now His Majesty actually wanted to kill his own son.
He was just like King Zhou of Shang.
