https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-662-The-Promise-of-a-Royal-Marriage/13042056/
Chapter 661: Rumors
Chapter 661: Rumors
September 25, 2017
Han Lingdi had no intention of releasing Lu Hai Kong, so he could only wait.
Fortunately, Lu Hai Kong had made all the necessary preparations before coming. Gao Shun and Wang Ti were in charge of the military retreat, and Tian Feng was responsible for the relocation of resources and talents. Lu Hai Kong could manage to stay for a while.
During this time, Lu Hai Kong became increasingly puzzled by Han Lingdi's intentions.
Lu Hai Kong couldn't understand why Han Lingdi, who had been so fired up and determined to become a legendary emperor just a while ago, suddenly lost interest in establishing a glorious legacy.
After the rewards, Han Lingdi still summoned Lu Hai Kong to the palace every day. But each time they chatted, the topic would eventually shift to Lu Hai Kong's personal life.
Lu Hai Kong wasn't foolish, and after a few instances, he realized that Han Lingdi planned to arrange a marriage for him. Lu Hai Kong found himself in a rather amusing situation, receiving such a generous offer.
During this time, Lu Hai Kong also learned about the young girl and Princess San through Zhang Lang's connections.
According to Zhang Lang's intelligence, Lu Hai Kong was delighted to discover that Princess San was so engrossed in her cultivation that she couldn't tear herself away. With such an obvious trait, Lu Hai Kong had already associated Princess San with Zhao Yue'er.
If Han Lingdi were to directly give Princess San to him, Lu Hai Kong would be more than happy to become her husband.
However, according to Lu Hai Kong's knowledge, among Han Lingdi's three princesses, only the eldest, at sixteen, was barely of marriageable age. Princess San, at not even twelve years old, was still a minor. Even in this world, marrying at such a young age was too early. Therefore, if Han Lingdi wanted to bestow a princess upon Lu Hai Kong, it could only be the eldest princess.
In this situation, Lu Hai Kong naturally tried to decline.
Han Lingdi became a bit frustrated by Lu Hai Kong's refusal. He had thought it was a sure thing, but he didn't expect Lu Hai Kong to reject the offer. Lu Hai Kong didn't realize that Han Lingdi hadn't made it clear that he wanted to give the princess to Lu Hai Kong as his wife. If Han Lingdi had stated earlier that he wanted to give Princess San to Lu Hai Kong, Lu Hai Kong would have probably agreed immediately.
Han Lingdi became perplexed, wondering if Lu Hai Kong had truly fallen for his daughter.
On Lu Hai Kong's side, although he kept declining Han Lingdi's hints and suggestions, he held the token of the Martial Arts Hall and frequently visited it in hopes of seeing Yue'er.
However, aside from the first time, Lu Hai Kong never encountered Yue'er in the Martial Arts Hall again.
After their initial encounter, Yue'er hid in the palace and refused to come out. Lu Hai Kong was at a loss, wandering outside her palace several times, contemplating whether he should directly break in.
In the end, Lu Hai Kong was stopped by Zhang Lang. If not for Zhang Lang's intervention, Lu Hai Kong might have actually attempted to force his way in, and his actions quickly caught the attention of those with ulterior motives.
Within a few days, Lu Hai Kong's gossip spread throughout the upper echelons of Luoyang.
Good heavens! Lu Hai Kong, the Governor of Bingzhou and General Who Conquers the North, was rumored to be loitering outside the princess's palace and even planning to break in. The news was incredibly sensational.
In less than three days, the gossip spread from top to bottom, reaching every corner of Luoyang City.
The rapid spread was partly due to Lu Hai Kong being the center of attention in Luoyang at that time.
After all, it was rare for someone to rise from humble beginnings and become a governor at such a young age, not just in the current era but also in history. Moreover, Lu Hai Kong's impressive debut was still fresh in everyone's minds, making any news related to him a focal point for the people of Luoyang.
Behind the scenes, a hidden hand was stirring the pot, fueling the gossip about Lu Hai Kong.
These rumors, after being twisted and embellished, began to circulate as salacious stories. In these tales, Lu Hai Kong was undoubtedly the male lead, but the female lead was not always the same.
Almost every woman in the imperial harem was implicated in these rumors. Within a few days, Lu Hai Kong was portrayed as a lascivious demon of the harem. If all the rumors were compiled, the number of green hats Lu Hai Kong had caused Han Lingdi to wear could probably cover an entire grassland.
In this situation, some people couldn't hold back. Grand Marshal Yang Zui immediately took action, directly confronting Han Lingdi and throwing a stack of rumors in his face.
In Yang Zui's eyes, he was considering Han Lingdi's interests. Someone like Lu Hai Kong should be dealt with seriously, and his actions shouldn't tarnish the royal family's reputation. Han Lingdi's personality in such matters was also known to be intolerant, and he certainly wouldn't let Lu Hai Kong off easily!
However, Yang Zui didn't know that in Han Lingdi's eyes, he was just an old man taking advantage of his seniority. Lu Hai Kong's activities in the imperial palace during this time were well known to Han Lingdi.
From the moment the Emperor Han Lingdi began bestowing honors upon Lu HaiKong, this old man vehemently opposed, and even after the ceremony, he asked Lu HaiKong to seek his resignation. Now, in an attempt to slander Lu HaiKong, he has concocted such a rumor, causing Emperor Han Lingdi to nearly draw his sword and strike him down in anger.
At this moment, Emperor Han Lingdi displayed a hint of composure, sensing a great opportunity. He forcefully suppressed his anger and even spoke kindly to the old man, asking him to leave. He also stated that he would deal with this matter in the Xuan Shi Dian the next day.
Yang Zui offered a suggestion to Emperor Han Lingdi, explaining that such rumors tarnished the dignity of the royal family and should not be handled publicly. Instead, he suggested finding a pretext to dismiss Lu HaiKong from his post and, after some time, secretly executing him once the situation calmed down.
Yang Zui's advice was genuinely for the Emperor's benefit, but his words only intensified Emperor Han Lingdi's murderous intent.
Yang Zui's suggestion was to remove Lu HaiKong from his position, and his intention was to have Lu HaiKong killed. The old man's attitude seemed to imply that Lu HaiKong had indeed cuckolded Emperor Han Lingdi, and in this situation of offending the Emperor, how could Emperor Han Lingdi possibly spare him?
That day, Emperor Han Lingdi barely restrained himself from killing the old man. The next day, he directly ordered the assembly of all civil and military officials.
It was impossible to hide the fact that Yang Zui had met with Emperor Han Lingdi. Everyone knew that when Emperor Han Lingdi summoned people, it was likely related to Lu HaiKong.
Therefore, on this day, many officials in the Xuan Shi Dian had smiles they couldn't contain. They believed that Lu HaiKong was in for some bad luck.
On the one hand, they understood Emperor Han Lingdi's temperament. In such situations, regardless of who was involved, he would execute them. Whether it was a case of mistaken identity or not didn't matter; what mattered was Emperor Han Lingdi's face.
Given the circumstances surrounding Lu HaiKong, even if he were to be executed on the spot, it would be considered normal.
The 1619 version is error-free!
Moreover, when Yang Zui left Emperor Han Lingdi's presence yesterday, he was glowing with excitement, as if infused with energy. His once-unsteady steps became brisk and energetic.
It was clear that Yang Zui had successfully reported Lu HaiKong.
Consequently, many people were waiting today to witness Lu HaiKong's downfall, eager to see how this once-powerful figure would fall from grace.
In this situation, Lu HaiKong, who had already been ignored, was further isolated upon entering the Xuan Shi Dian. No one stood within three meters of him, and all eyes were fixed on him, making Lu HaiKong the center of attention once again.
Lu HaiKong remained unaffected, standing there with his usual calm and detached demeanor, ignoring the gazes from all directions.
Lu HaiKong's composure was identical to his previous demeanor. However, in the eyes of the officials in the Xuan Shi Dian, he had lost all dignity. To almost everyone, Lu HaiKong appeared disheveled at this moment.
After all, Emperor Han Lingdi had left a deep impression on them. Faced with such a situation, they couldn't help but associate it with Emperor Han Lingdi's past actions. Given Emperor Han Lingdi's character, Lu HaiKong's fate seemed predetermined.
The court officials shared this view, although many rational officials knew that Lu HaiKong was definitely being framed and that there was a hidden hand deliberately targeting him. However, none of this mattered; what was crucial was that the other party had clearly exploited Emperor Han Lingdi's character flaws. In such a situation, Lu HaiKong had no chance of turning things around.
As the court officials watched, time passed slowly. About ten minutes after Lu HaiKong's arrival, He Jin and Yang Zui also appeared.
Both men glanced at Lu HaiKong upon entering, and their eyes held no kindness. Lu HaiKong continued to ignore them, standing there with cold detachment.
After another ten minutes or so, Emperor Han Lingdi arrived with the rest of the court officials, entering the Xuan Shi Dian.
Upon his arrival, Emperor Han Lingdi coldly surveyed the officials in the Xuan Shi Dian. After a brief pause at Lu HaiKong, he slowly walked to his designated seat.
Everyone knew that when Emperor Han Lingdi sat in his rightful place, an invisible war was about to begin.
"My esteemed ministers, I have summoned you here today because there is a matter I wish to address. This matter concerns Lu HaiKong, whom I recently bestowed the titles of General Who Conquers the North and Governor of Bing Province."
At these words, everyone's attention was immediately captured, and they eagerly awaited Emperor Han Lingdi's next words.
Emperor Han Lingdi did not disappoint them. Pointing directly at Lu HaiKong, he said in a cold voice, "Lu HaiKong, do you know your crime?"
(End of Chapter)
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