Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 203
Chapter 203 - Walking Like a Crab
After seeing off the members of the Yun family, Chu Yi rode his horse straight to the Imperial Palace.
Once Chief Eunuch Gao announced his presence, Chu Yi walked into the Imperial Study, where several people were already gathered inside.
"You utter fool!" The Emperor glared at him in fury. "Is having eight thousand elite bandit-suppression troops under your command not enough for you that you must go and seize the Yun Family Army as well? Who gave you the audacity?!"
Chu Yi knelt down straight away. "The Yun Family Army, trained and forged over generations by the Yun family, maintains strict discipline wherever they go. They leave the common people completely unharmed, bravely repel formidable enemies, and reclaim captured cities—they are the premier force of our Great Jin. Now that news of the Grand General Pillar of the State has been lost, the Yun Family Army is on the verge of becoming fish on a chopping block. Would that not chill the hearts of the tens of thousands of soldiers still fighting on the front lines?"
These three thousand soldiers of the Yun Family Army were the personal troops of the Yun family, serving as their core trunk.
Beyond this core, there were thirty thousand elite Yun family troops stationed at the Western Border, guarding the gates of the Great Jin Dynasty.
"This son's actions were meant to stabilize the morale of the army and the minds of the people, preserving the long-term peace and stability of our Great Jin Dynasty. May Father perform a clear inspection of the matter!"
Holding his precious sword—which he had kept by his waist at all times—with both hands, Chu Yi presented it upward.
The command token was what could direct the Yun Family Army, whereas this precious sword allowed him to command the unconditional obedience of the eight thousand elite bandit-suppression troops under his command.
Chief Eunuch Gao took the sword with both hands and presented it to the Emperor.
The Emperor's expression paused. When his third son was fifteen years old and accompanied the Grand General Pillar of the State to the Western Border, this was the very sword he had bestowed upon him.
By surrendering this sword, the third prince was first demonstrating that he had no intention of seizing power.
Second, he was reminding everyone present that he had once shared the battlefield with Yun Silin as brothers bound by life and death, giving him an undeniable reason to step forward for the Yun Family Army.
Holding the precious sword, the Emperor remained silent.
Standing further down, Prince Gongxi's face grew somewhat dark.
General Dingyuan was considered one of his men. Without him having to plan or maneuver at all, Imperial Father had placed the Yun Family Army into General Dingyuan's hands—a sudden stroke of luck that felt like a gift from the heavens.
Who could have expected that before he could even digest this gift, his good imperial brother, Chu Yi, would snatch it right away?
As a third-rank military general, General Dingyuan had actually let someone snatch the food right out of his mouth. He was an absolute, useless waste.
"Your Majesty, regardless of the Prince of Pingxi's reasons, he should not have disobeyed the imperial decree!" Master Fang, the Right Censor-in-Chief, stepped forward and cupped his hands. "The Prince of Pingxi has defied imperial orders twice in a row. We request Your Majesty to punish him severely!"
Master Fang's youngest daughter was none other than Fang Xinyan, the prospective princess consort chosen for Chu Yi by Concubine Yin.
Although only a few people knew about Chu Yi resisting the marriage, the Fang family still felt they had lost immense face.
Even after the Emperor ordered Chu Yi to receive twenty lashes of the cane, Master Fang still felt that the punishment was far too light.
Therefore, now that Chu Yi had committed another offense, he, as a censor, was naturally the first to step forward to impeach and denounce him.
"Master Fang's words are a bit too severe." Prince Gongxi spoke in a warm, gentle tone, putting on the air of a good elder brother. "Third Brother and the Grand General Pillar of the State are life-and-death friends, so the Yun Family Army will naturally grant Third Brother some measure of respect. Only with Third Brother taking over the Yun Family Army will those troops refrain from causing chaos and turmoil."
The corners of Chu Yi's lips twitched slightly.
On the surface, these words seemed to excuse him, but in truth, they were adding fuel to the fire.
The Emperor's attitude had initially softened a bit, but upon hearing this, his suspicion flared up once more. He said coldly, "We issued an imperial decree ordering Dingyuan to take over the Yun Family Army, yet you stepped in to obstruct it. Calling this a defiance of imperial decree is not an exaggeration at all. Just like last time, twenty lashes with the staff! Are you willing to accept this punishment?"
"This son willingly accepts the punishment!"
Chu Yi stood up, walked into the courtyard of the Imperial Study, lifted the hem of his robe, and familiarly lay flat on the long bench.
He had just received twenty heavy lashes a few days ago, so faced with another round today, the Imperial Guards carrying out the punishment feared he would not be able to endure it and intentionally went easy on him.
Even so, after the punishment ended, he could barely stand firm on his feet.
"Yi'er, you really are..."
Having caught wind of the news and rushed over, Concubine Yin was so furious upon seeing her son in this state that tears nearly spilled from her eyes.
"By taking the Yun Family Army under your own command, do you know how many people will be wary of you? Even if you want that throne, you shouldn't display your ambition so blatantly..."
Chu Yi spoke, "It is merely a minor injury. Mother, please do not worry."
"Come to my palace; I'll have someone apply medicine for you."
"I still have matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave first."
Chu Yi cupped his hands toward Concubine Yin and stepped out.
Once the initial wave of sharp pain passed, his posture stabilized. After taking a few steps, he grew accustomed to the aching pain, and his walking posture showed no trace whatsoever of having just received twenty lashes with a staff.
Enduring the difficulty to return to the prince's estate, he saw the two children waiting at the main entrance.
"Uncle Cheng Xu said Father is taking us to Auntie Yun's place today. Is that true?"
Chu Yi nodded. "Prepare the carriage."
The carriage had long been prepared, and the servants lifted the two children inside.
Just as Chu Yi was about to step up, his foot paused.
When returning to the estate, he had ridden in the carriage alone, so whatever posture he assumed did not matter.
But now...
He did not particularly want to lose face in front of the children.
And so, he walked on foot alongside the carriage.
"Changsheng, have you noticed that Father's walking posture looks a little strange?" Chu Hongyu peeked outside, whispering into her ear. "Father used to walk like the wind was under his feet, but right now, he looks a bit like a crab, hahaha!"
He thought he was speaking very quietly, but to a martial arts practitioner, it was not quiet at all.
Chu Yi's face instantly darkened.
Cheng Xu silently raised his head to take a look. Was the Prince's walking posture strange? Why couldn't he tell?
"Father!" Chu Hongyu poked his little head out. "Did Royal Grandfather hit your bottom with the staff again?"
Chu Yi: "..."
Was it really that obvious?
Suddenly, he felt a bit reluctant to go to Yulin Lane.
To let the woman he loved know that he had been beaten with a staff made it feel rather difficult to hold his head high.
"It doesn't matter, Father." The little fellow leaned against the carriage window. "Last time I took a fall, my bottom hurt so much, but Mother gave it a gentle blow, and it felt all better! Later, you can let Mother give yours a gentle blow too, hee-hee!"
Chu Yi: "..."
"Why is Father's face turning red?"
Chu Yi: "..."
"Oh, right. Father said men and women shouldn't have improper physical contact, so Mother can't give it a blow. What a pity."
Chu Yi: "..."
Unable to endure it any longer, he snapped, "If you utter one more word, you're going straight back!"
The little fellow instantly pulled his head back inside.
Nearly half an hour later, the carriage arrived at Yulin Lane and slowly drove inside.
Yun Chu was practically craning her neck in anticipation.
When she arrived, she heard from her eldest brother that the Prince of Pingxi had been beaten with the staff by the Emperor once again, this time over the matter of the Yun Family Army.
She had assumed that the man would not be bringing the children over today.
"Auntie Yun, I'm here!"
Chu Hongyu launched himself into Yun Chu's arms like a cannonball.
Chu Changsheng followed closely behind.
After holding the two children for a moment, Yun Chu stood up and looked at Chu Yi, who was walking over slowly.
"There was something inconvenient to say at the military camp earlier, so I'm adding it now." Chu Yi looked at her and said, "Congratulations on your divorce, Miss Yun."
"I know what divorce means!" Chu Hongyu's little mouth babbled away. "It means separating from your former husband so you can marry someone else again, right? Auntie Yun, how about you marry my dad? Do you think that works?"
Yun Chu: "..."
Did this kid have no filter on his mouth at all?