Chapter 84
Chapter 84
The Emperor was clearly out to humiliate him.
Wang Yuanyou walked over to the Savage’s side, picked up the horsetail whisk tucked under his arm, and gave it a flick right in the Savage’s face.
He pinched his throat and said in a high-pitched voice, “You saw that, didn’t you? Our Majesty is truly a paragon of erudition and immense learning. An ordinary person like you is absolutely no match for her.”
The Savage angrily swatted the whisk away from his face and glared fiercely at Wang Yuanyou.
“No, I don’t believe it! Let me try one more time! If she can answer correctly this time, I will voluntarily submit to punishment!”
Yun Youyou looked down from her high seat, gave him a faint glance, and said lazily, “Fine, I’ll give you one more chance.”
This time, the Savage no longer underestimated his opponent.
He racked his brains, and after straining for a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a line.
“I searched for him thousands of times in the crowd!”
Yun Youyou replied in a heartbeat: “I turned around and gave him a giant slap!”
She had thought he might come up with something original this time, but she hadn’t expected him to plagiarize the famous work of the great poet Xin Qiji again.
An explosive “Bravo!” suddenly erupted from Wang Yuanyou’s throat.
It nearly gave Yun Youyou a fright.
Wang Yuanyou put on an air of sophisticated appreciation.
“Marvelous, simply marvelous! Your Majesty’s response is truly exquisite. Whether in terms of artistic conception or word choice, it is nothing short of perfection!”
Wang Yuanyou waved his hand, signaling for a Young Eunuch in the distance to come over.
“Go find a master calligrapher immediately. Have them write down the beautiful lines Your Majesty just recited and have them framed.”
“The first line of the couplet: ‘A wretch stands before my eyes.’ The second line: ‘I turn around and give him a slap.’ The horizontal scroll shall be titled: ‘A Savage Comes to Visit.’ Once it’s finished, hang it at this envoy’s door as a gift for him.”
The Savage’s face turned blue, then red, then green, then a dark, murky black, looking as sullen as a giant black iron pot.
This was simply going too far!
This time, Yun Youyou didn’t give him another chance to speak.
She waved her hand.
“Someone, drag him out of here.”
The Savage rushed forward, wanting to say something more.
Quick-witted and fast-acting, Wang Yuanyou stuffed the horsetail whisk directly into the man’s mouth.
Savage: “Mmph! Mmph-mmph!”
At that moment, a group of sword-bearing imperial guards marched toward him aggressively.
Before long, the Savage was dragged away.
Yun Youyou rested her chin lazily on her hand and gave Wang Yuanyou a look.
Wang Yuanyou understood instantly.
“If there is business, present your petitions; if not, the court is adjourned!”
The ministers below looked at each other.
An old man suddenly stepped out from the column on the left. He had a long, flowing beard and graying hair at his temples.
“Forgive this old official for speaking bluntly, but Your Majesty’s actions over the past few days have been truly inappropriate.”
At a glance, he looked like a loyal, upright official.
Yun Youyou looked puzzled.
I haven’t even done anything yet, so why am I being treated like some sort of decadent tyrant?
“What did I do?”
The old man said with deep distress, “You forcibly abducted Lord Shen to keep him as your consort for your own amusement.”
Yun Youyou: !!!
What!
I’m actually that kind of person?
Standing to the side, Wang Yuanyou also looked at Yun Youyou with a shocked, pained expression.
It was as if he were saying: *I never expected you to be that kind of person.*
Yun Youyou looked down at the assembly.
Those ministers in their seventies and eighties actually bowed their heads one by one, their shoulders even shrinking back slightly.
They were terrified that Yun Youyou might take a liking to them.
Yun Youyou: …
*Don’t be afraid, I have no interest in old men.*
The old man standing in the middle already had glistening tears shimmering in his eyes.
He decided to risk everything.
“Lord Shen is a pillar of the state. If it really won’t do, I am willing to take Lord Shen’s place.”
Yun Youyou: “…I am not willing.”
She looked at the group of old men below and felt a massive headache coming on.
“Fine, send someone to bring that Lord Shen here.”
She wanted to see exactly what kind of person this Lord Shen was.
Two sword-wielding imperial guards immediately rushed over and brought Lord Shen forward.
“Your Majesty, your humble servant has brought Noble Consort Shen.”
Shen Mingzhen was pressed to the ground by the guards, feeling deeply humiliated.
A grown man like him had entered the Game only to inexplicably become the Emperor’s consort.
And to be just a Noble Consort at that-it was truly humiliating.
Shen Mingzhen’s neck turned red with shame.
He raised his head irritably, meeting Yun Youyou’s curious gaze.
“What are you looking at? Stop looking!”
Shen Mingzhen was already furious, yet in the eyes of others, his features were clear and elegant, his figure slender and refined, like white jade from a snowy mountain.
The ministers stared at him, unable to help but sigh inwardly.
No wonder Her Majesty had taken him by force; he was indeed a man of seductive beauty!
The old official who had been remonstrating earlier thought for a moment.
Asking Her Majesty to give up this Shen Mingzhen was indeed a bit of a tall order.
After a moment’s consideration, he stepped forward and said to Yun Youyou, “Since you have already taken Noble Consort Shen into your harem, I hope Your Majesty will treat him well and not be someone who abandons him after winning his favor.”
Yun Youyou was very receptive to advice and immediately nodded.
“Then… let us bestow upon him a pair of ruyi scepters.”
The old man nodded in satisfaction.
Pressed to the ground, Shen Mingzhen lifted his neck and snapped irritably, “I don’t need them!”
His jade-like face flushed with anger, and he felt an inexplicable sense of shame.
The old man was still staring at Yun Youyou from the side.
Yun Youyou rubbed her chin. “Then bestow upon him a thousand taels of gold.”
Shen Mingzhen: “I don’t need it!”
Yun Youyou: “Then bestow a jade pendant.”
Shen Mingzhen: “I! DON’T! NEED! IT!”
Yun Youyou: “…”
Why was this person so difficult to deal with?
Yun Youyou grew tired and gave a casual wave of her hand.
“Fine, then bestow death upon him.”
Yun Youyou’s nonchalant sentence left everyone stunned.
Shen Mingzhen: !!!
The loyal old official: !!!
Wang Yuanyou, standing nearby, strained his voice and shouted again, “Your Majesty is wi~se~ se~~”
The entire hall was as quiet as a grave, with only the echo of Wang Yuanyou’s voice continuously battering everyone’s ears.
“Your Majesty, this absolutely cannot be!”
The loyal old official lunged forward, kneeling on the ground, pleading for Yun Youyou to rescind the order.
Shen Mingzhen was also frozen on the floor.
This woman has such a cruel heart!
Just because he didn’t want her gifts, she actually wanted to put him to death!
Yun Youyou, being perfectly logical, analyzed the situation for everyone.
“Look, just now when I offered him things, he said he didn’t need them. Only when I offered him death did he say nothing.”
Yun Youyou suddenly let out a long sigh.
“I also know how important chastity is to a man. To preserve his purity, Lord Shen is willing to prove his resolve through death. I am very moved and am willing to fulfill Lord Shen’s wish.”
Wang Yuanyou quickly called out to the guards outside, “Someone come quickly and drag him out to be beheaded!”
The ministers standing in the hall fell to their knees in a wave.
“We beg Your Majesty to reconsider!”
The loyal old official, frustrated by Shen Mingzhen’s stubbornness, tugged at his sleeve.
“Just show Her Majesty some softness.”
Shen Mingzhen held his head high, stubbornly pursing his lips.
It was only after the loyal old official’s persistent persuasion that he finally softened his posture.
Today’s morning court session finally came to a close after a series of chaotic events.
Shen Mingzhen’s ears were red enough to bleed.
His submission today was merely a temporary tactic; he had not admitted defeat.
Not far away.
Yun Youyou leaned comfortably against her dragon carriage, with palace attendants beside her shielding her from the sun.