Chapter 203: Walking Like a Crab
After seeing off the Yun family, Chu Yi rode his horse to the imperial palace.
After Gao Gonggong announced his arrival, he followed him into the Imperial Study, where several people were already present.
"You insolent fool!" the Emperor glared at him angrily. "Isn't it enough that you have eight thousand elite troops for suppressing bandits? Now you want to seize the Yun Family Army too? Who gave you the audacity?"
Chu Yi knelt directly. "The Yun Family Army, forged through generations of the Yun family's training, maintains strict discipline wherever they go, never committing the slightest offense. They courageously repel vicious enemies and recapture cities—they are the strongest army in our Great Jin Dynasty. Now that the Pillar of the Nation Great General has gone missing, if the Yun Family Army is left to become fish on the chopping block, wouldn't it chill the hearts of thousands of soldiers still fighting on the front lines?"
These three thousand troops were the Yun family's personal guards—the core force.
Beyond this core, there were thirty thousand elite Yun Family Army soldiers currently stationed at the western border, guarding the Great Jin Dynasty's gates.
"Your son's actions are intended to stabilize military morale and public sentiment, safeguarding the long-term peace and stability of our Great Jin Dynasty. I beg Your Majesty to investigate clearly!"
Chu Yi then presented the sword he always carried at his waist with both hands.
While the Token could command the Yun Family Army, this precious sword of his could make his eight thousand bandit-suppression troops obey unconditionally.
Gao Gonggong took the sword and presented it with both hands.
The Emperor's expression shifted. This was the sword he had bestowed upon his third son when the latter was fifteen, just before he followed the Pillar of the Nation Great General to the western frontier.
By returning the sword, his third son was demonstrating two things: first, that he had no intention of seizing power, and second, that he had once fought alongside Yun Silin on the battlefield—they were life-and-death comrades, giving him compelling reason to stand up for the Yun Family Army.
The Emperor held the sword without speaking.
Prince Gongxi, standing below, wore a gloomy expression.
General Dingyuan could be considered his man. When the Emperor assigned the Yun Family Army to General Dingyuan without any prior scheming on his part, Prince Gongxi had felt the surprise of a pie falling from the sky.
Who could have expected that before he could even take a bite, his dear younger brother Chu Yi had snatched it away.
That General Dingyuan, a mere third-rank military officer, actually had his meal stolen right from under him—what an utterly useless waste.
"Your Majesty, regardless of Prince Pingxi's reasons, he should not have defied the imperial decree!" Lord Fang, the Right Censor-in-Chief, stepped forward and bowed. "Prince Pingxi has now disobeyed imperial decrees twice in succession. I beg Your Majesty to punish him severely!"
Lord Fang's youngest daughter was Fang Xinyan—the future Princess Consort chosen for Chu Yi by Yin Pin.
Although only a few people knew about Chu Yi's rejection of the marriage, the Fang family still felt deeply humiliated.
Even though the Emperor had already punished Chu Yi with twenty cane strikes, Lord Fang still considered the punishment too light.
Therefore, now that Chu Yi had erred again, as a censor, he was naturally the first to step forward and impeach him.
"Lord Fang's words are too severe," Prince Gongxi said with the demeanor of a good elder brother, speaking gently. "Third Brother and the Pillar of the Nation Great General are life-and-death comrades. The Yun Family Army would naturally give Third Brother some face. With Third Brother taking command, the Yun Family Army won't cause trouble or chaos."
Chu Yi curled his lip slightly.
These words seemed to defend him on the surface, but in reality were adding fuel to the fire.
The Emperor's attitude had softened somewhat, but now suspicion rose in him again. He said coldly, "We decreed that Dingyuan should take over the Yun Family Army, yet you obstructed this. Calling it defying an imperial decree is not excessive. As with last time, twenty cane strikes. Do you accept this punishment?"
"Your 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 down on the long bench.Just a few days ago, he had received twenty strokes of the cane. Now facing another round, the Imperial Guards carrying out the punishment, fearing he couldn't endure it, deliberately went easy on him.
Even so, after the punishment ended, he could barely stand steady.
"Yi'er, you really..."
Yin Pin rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing her son in such a state, she was so upset that tears nearly fell.
"By taking the Yun Family Army under your command, do you realize how many people will view you with suspicion? Even if you desire that position, you shouldn't so blatantly reveal your ambition like this..."
Chu Yi spoke up: "It's just a minor injury, Mother. Please don't worry."
"Come to my palace. I'll have someone apply medicine for you."
"I have matters to attend to. I must take my leave now."
Chu Yi cupped his hands in salute to Yin Pin and strode out.
After the initial pain subsided, he had steadied his posture. After a few steps, he grew accustomed to the pain, and his gait showed no signs of having just received twenty strokes of the cane.
With great difficulty, he returned to the prince's manor, only to find the two children waiting at the entrance.
"Uncle Cheng Xu said that Father would take us to Aunt Yun's place today. Is that true?"
Chu Yi nodded. "Prepare the carriage."
The carriage had long been ready. The servants helped the children board.
Just as Chu Yi was about to step in, he paused.
On his way back to the manor, he had ridden alone in the carriage, so his posture hadn't mattered.
But now...
He didn't want to lose face in front of the children.
Thus, he walked alongside the carriage.
"Changsheng, have you noticed Father's walk is a bit strange?" Chu Hongyu peeked outside and whispered, "Before, Father walked with such vigor, but now he looks a bit like a crab, hahaha!"
He thought he was speaking softly, but to a trained martial artist, it wasn't quiet at all.
Chu Yi's face instantly darkened.
Cheng Xu silently glanced up. Was the prince's walk really that strange? Why hadn't he noticed?
"Father!" Chu Hongyu stuck his little head out. "Did Grandfather cane you again?"
Chu Yi: "..."
Was it that obvious?
Suddenly, he felt reluctant to go to Yulin Alley.
The thought of the woman he loved knowing he had been caned made him feel too embarrassed to hold his head high.
"It's alright, Father." The little one leaned against the carriage window. "Last time I fell, my bottom hurt so much, but Mother blew on it and made it better. Later, we can ask Mother to blow on yours too, heehee!"
Chu Yi: "..."
"Why is Father's face red?"
Chu Yi: "..."
"Oh, right. Father said men and women shouldn't be too familiar, so Mother can't blow on it. What a pity."
Chu Yi: "..."
He could bear it no longer. "If you say one more word, you're going back!"
The little one immediately pulled his head back in.
About half an hour later, the carriage arrived at Yulin Alley and slowly made its way in.
Yun Chu had been waiting anxiously.
When she arrived, her elder brother had told her that Prince Pingxi had been caned by the Emperor again, this time over the matter of the Yun Family Army.
She had thought the man wouldn't bring the children today.
"Aunt Yun, I'm here!"
Chu Hongyu shot into Yun Chu's arms like a rocket.
Chu Changsheng followed closely behind.
After holding the two children for a while, Yun Chu stood up and looked toward Chu Yi, who was slowly approaching.
"Earlier at the military camp, there was something I couldn't say conveniently. I'll say it now." Chu Yi looked at her. "Congratulations, Miss Yun, on your divorce.""I know what divorce means!" Chu Hongyu chattered away, "It means separating from your original husband so you can remarry, right? Auntie Yun, how about marrying my dad?"
Yun Chu: "..."
Does this kid's mouth ever have a filter?
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