TFWYH – Chapter 543 Si Chen’s Complaint

The Director of the Imperial Observatory dropped to his knees the moment he saw the Emperor, prostrating himself fully, snot and tears streaming down his face as he cried out loudly, “Your Majesty, I beg you to uphold justice for me!”

The Emperor’s eyelids twitched violently. He turned to look at the Marquis of Yong’an. “Marquis, what is going on here?”

The Marquis replied helplessly, “Your Majesty, this minister has also been pestered endlessly by him.”

“It’s not the Marquis’ fault—it’s about my daughter!” The Director spoke through sobs, explaining in detail. “I have only one daughter, fourteen years old. Yesterday afternoon, my wife took her out shopping, but they ran into the Heir of Rongsheng. Seeing that my daughter was beautiful, he seized her without a word and took her away. My wife tried desperately to stop him but was beaten by his men. After she was carried back home, I went to the residence several times, but… not only did the heir refuse to return my daughter, he even had me beaten as well…”

At this point, the Director lifted his head. “Your Majesty, look at my face!”

The Emperor took a closer look and immediately sucked in a sharp breath.

The man’s face was so swollen it looked like a pig’s head—he was almost unrecognizable.

With tear stains all over his face, the sight was shocking.

The Director didn’t care about how ugly he looked. He lay prostrate on the ground again, begging the Emperor in a hoarse voice, “Your Majesty, I am but a minor eighth-rank official. It’s only natural that the Heir of Rongsheng doesn’t take me seriously—but I only have this one daughter! She’s already been in the Second Prince’s residence for a whole day. I beg you, Your Majesty, please save my daughter!”

The Emperor was so furious he was about to cough up blood, his face dark as thunder.

At such a moment—

in front of countless officials, in front of countless examinees—

someone had come to file a complaint.

And the one being accused was his own grandson?

Not just the Emperor—even Huangfu Yi’s expression turned grim. He glanced at his elder brother Huangfu Xiao, then at his third brother Huangfu Que, who looked gleeful at the situation, his fists clenching tightly.

Before returning, he had already warned Gu Yanshuang not to let Rongsheng go out recently. So why had she still let that beast loose?

“Second one, get out here!” the Emperor roared in fury.

Huangfu Yi pressed his lips together, stepped forward, and knelt before the Emperor. “Father Emperor, I have failed in educating my son. Please forgive me!”

“Forgive you?” The Emperor pointed at him and shouted, “When you were at the border, you could say you had no time to discipline Rongsheng—but what about now? You’re back, and you still can’t teach your son properly! Bullying men and oppressing women was bad enough, but now he’s gone even further. In broad daylight, under the Emperor’s rule, he dares to abduct the daughter of a court official at will. Does he even have any regard for the law? Does he even have any regard for me as Emperor?!”

Huangfu Yi, being scolded like this, had nothing to say. He kowtowed and replied, “Father Emperor, please calm your anger. I will return at once to investigate what exactly happened.”

The Emperor didn’t believe him for a second. He shouted, “Wushuang!”

Ji Wushuang stepped forward. “Your servant is here!”

The Emperor ordered, “Take the Imperial Guards to the Second Prince’s residence and bring that unfilial wretch back to me. Today, I will personally interrogate him and find out what’s going on.”

“Your servant obeys!” Ji Wushuang shot Huangfu Yi a helpless glance before quickly leaving.

Only then did the Emperor point at Huangfu Yi again. “You go with Wushuang. Go see for yourself what your son has done!”

“Yes, Father Emperor. I take my leave!” Huangfu Yi stood up and hurried after them.

The officials looked at each other in shock.

The examinees didn’t even dare breathe loudly, wishing they weren’t present at all.