"Please, have the True Man enter!"
Although the rain had not yet stopped, Zhao Ji truly hoped that Lin Ling Su could bring him some good news.
"Your humble Daoist greets the Emperor!"
"Esteemed Sir, you have worked hard. How is the matter of stopping the rain?"
Regardless of how the matter had been handled, just seeing him dripping wet from head to toe stirred a bit of emotion in Zhao Ji's heart.
After all, compared to the ministers currently engaged in lofty discussions before him, Lin Ling Su had at least personally gone out into the downpour.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, your humble servant has already performed the ritual and communicated with the Heavenly Lords. This great rain is due to the Crown Prince's lack of virtue, a punishment from the Heavenly Way!"
Lin Ling Su's voice was not loud, but as soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent.
Even Wang Fu, who looked down on him the most, was momentarily stunned. This fellow had too much nerve.
The Crown Prince lacked virtue, hence the heavens sent down the great rain.
Did this not imply that the Crown Prince's actions were not favored by the Heavenly Heart...
Although Zhao Ji had been hoping for a suitable reason, he had never expected Lin Ling Su to utter such words.
For a moment, even he, the Emperor, did not know what to say.
"Utter nonsense! I request His Majesty to punish him for spreading seditious remarks!"
After a brief silence, Liang Shicheng was the first to step forward and declare his stance.
After all, other matters could be negotiated, but this one could not.
If the Crown Prince were to fall, all his previous investments would be in vain.
Moreover, attributing the heavy rain to the Crown Prince's lack of virtue seemed far-fetched.
If one were to ask who was happiest among those present, it would undoubtedly be Prince Yun, Zhao Kai.
For many years, he had tried to win over Lin Ling Su, but this fellow was too cunning and had never clearly sided with either him or the Crown Prince.
Yet today, this fellow had suddenly stood against the Crown Prince, repeatedly declaring the Crown Prince's lack of virtue.
Not only had he spent no money, but he had also gained the help of such a master. This was truly a delightful surprise!
However, he also understood that this was not the time to rejoice. If he appeared too eager, it might provoke the Emperor's displeasure.
"Prime Minister Li, what do you think?"
After a brief silence, Zhao Ji directly looked at Li Bangyan.
However, this question put Li Bangyan in a difficult position. If he were to support the Crown Prince, Li Bangyan felt a touch of unwillingness in his heart.
As the Prime Minister, even if he did not wish to know, others would inevitably inform him of the schemes orchestrated by Tang Ke and others.
It was impossible to say that he held no grievances against the Crown Prince.
Yet, at this moment, he hesitated to openly align himself with Lin Ling Su.
Could a nation's Crown Prince be so easily spoken of as to be deposed?
If he truly sided with Lin Ling Su and Lin Ling Su failed, he would then be accused of spreading seditious remarks, and his hard-won position as Prime Minister might vanish.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant believes this matter requires careful consideration..."
Damn it!
Even Cai You couldn't help but roll his eyes. What was the difference between saying that and saying nothing?
They were already at close quarters, on the verge of a life-or-death struggle, and he was still talking about careful consideration? This was absurd!
"Sir, you speak with such certainty. Do you have any concrete proof or evidence?"
Seeing Li Bangyan falter, Wang Fu, as Prince Yun's collaborator, suddenly stepped forward.
"The heavens' warning, is that not concrete proof?"
Lin Ling Su said proudly.
"We are, after all, mortals. Sir, you speak of the heavens' warning. Could you elaborate specifically..."
Clearing his throat, Wang Fu said directly.
After hearing Wang Fu's words, Prince Yun, Zhao Kai, immediately cast a grateful glance at him.
It was inconvenient for Prince Yun to speak at this moment, and Wang Fu's words were indeed of great help.
Seeing that Zhao Ji did not seem particularly interested, Lin Ling Su felt a moment of hesitation.
Had he misjudged the Emperor's intentions?
"Reporting to the Emperor, to ascertain the truth, one need only have the Crown Prince and your humble servant ascend Xuan De Gate together!"
After a brief hesitation, Lin Ling Su made up his mind again. The patrons of those baldasses were now the Crown Prince. Although he did not know what those fellows were plotting, if he could not resolve the crisis quickly, he would likely be the one to die if this dragged on.
To eliminate future troubles, he could only take a risk!
"Ascending Xuan De Gate at this moment, Sir, what do you intend to prove?"
"As long as the Crown Prince publicly confesses his guilt, this great rain will immediately cease. If the Crown Prince does not confess, then heavenly lightning will descend!"
Upon hearing the words "heavenly lightning," Liang Shicheng fell silent.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is requesting an audience outside the hall!"
It was indeed a case of speaking of the devil and the devil appears. Just as Lin Ling Su's words fell, a young eunuch's voice came from outside.
"Let him in!"
Only Zhao Ji's low voice could be heard in the entire Daqing Hall. All attention was focused on Zhao Ji.
Everyone understood that if this matter were handled poorly today, it would lead to earth-shattering consequences.
Under everyone's gaze, Crown Prince Zhao Huan walked step by step to the front of Daqing Hall.
"Your humble son greets Father Emperor!"
Zhao Huan had no idea what was happening here. He simply bowed respectfully to Zhao Ji.
"What is the purpose of the Crown Prince's audience today?"
Zhao Ji asked without showing any emotion.
"Your humble son's several esteemed masters in his residence cannot bear to see the suffering of the city's common people, and have thus come to request Your Majesty's permission for them to ascend Xuan De Gate to perform rituals to stop the rain!"
After Zhao Huan finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent once more.
At this point, Liang Shicheng was completely speechless. He had never expected that after just two days of not visiting the Crown Prince's residence, the Crown Prince would be manipulated to this extent by those damnable baldasses!
Stopping the rain, if done well, was indeed a great merit and could effectively dismantle the opposition. But if it failed, it would be handing Lin Ling Su a handle for nothing.
"Sir, what do you say?"
Hearing Zhao Huan's words, Zhao Ji asked without even lifting his head.