"Mother, although Chu Chen deceived me and you by pretending to be a eunuch, I believe he must have had no choice."
Princess Xin Yue looked at the Empress with a pitiable expression.
"No choice? What kind of choice is greater than the crime of deceiving the emperor?"
The Empress shot Chu Chen a cold glance.
"Chu Chen, hurry and explain!"
Princess Xin Yue urged anxiously.
Hearing this, Chu Chen's face showed panic. He shouted, "Your Majesty, I was truly forced. Xue Yun arranged for me to enter the palace as a fake eunuch!"
"Your Majesty, Xue Yun intended for me to approach Princess Xin Yue and to seize an opportunity to sow chaos in the palace."
"I am wronged!"
"Heh~ Chu Chen! Everyone knows Xue Yun was killed by the rebel Chen Yuanliang long ago. No one knows what he did anymore."
"You still intend to shift the blame onto a dead man?"
The Left Grand Councilor said disdainfully, then cupped his hands towards the Empress, "Your Majesty, Chu Chen is talking utter nonsense!"
"Your Majesty, since Chu Chen has admitted to being a fake eunuch, I implore Your Majesty to have him executed! To purify the clear skies of our Yun Yue Kingdom!"
"Your Majesty isn't even worried, why are you rushing? Or are you trying to pressure Your Majesty, wanting to kill me, a loyal and capable minister, as quickly as possible?"
Chu Chen struggled slightly, breaking free from the soldiers' restraint, and pointed at the Left Grand Councilor, shouting.
"Insolent cur! You, a convicted criminal, dare to point at me?"
Guang Ni, the Left Grand Councilor, roared in anger.
"What is there to dare not? You are merely an old fool, a piece of rotten wood!"
Chu Chen first glanced at him dismissively, then cupped his hands to those around him, "What I, Chu Chen, have said is the absolute truth. If I truly harbored ill intentions, why would I have made such great contributions to Yun Yue Kingdom?"
"Unlike some old fools, who are outwardly guiltless but utterly useless, surviving only by barking like dogs and biting people, shamelessly!"
"Bold!"
A group of Grand Councilors were enraged. Wasn't this insulting all of them, the censors?
In their excitement, the censors once again petitioned the Empress to have Chu Chen executed.
However, in their fervor, they failed to notice the increasingly strange looks from other officials.
Why? Because the Empress and the five princesses did not, in their desperation, order Chu Chen's execution to protect the royal family's reputation.
Every official was a sharp observer. This slight hesitation and bias were enough to reveal the likely outcome.
"Mother, Chu Chen is right. Regardless of whether he was wronged or manipulated by Xue Yun but chose to abandon the darkness for the light, his contributions cannot be denied."
"I implore Mother to reconsider and not kill Chu Chen."
Princess Xin Yue pretended to look pitifully at the Empress, hoping she would indulge her as before and spare Chu Chen.
The Empress snorted coldly and reprimanded, "All of you, shut up!"
"Although you claim to be wronged, you have no concrete evidence. Merits are merits, and faults are faults. How can they be equated?"
"How can the royal family's reputation be slandered and stained?"
"If I do not kill you, I cannot account for myself to the common people, nor to the royal family members and the civil and military officials!"
"Therefore, I have decided to have you torn apart by five horses!"
"Come!"
"Wait!"
Just as Chu Chen was about to be dragged out for execution, the censors became excited. But at this crucial moment, they were interrupted again, infuriating them as they quickly looked towards the culprit.
To their surprise, it was not Princess Xin Yue, but all four other princesses who spoke!
"What is going on? Why are all five princesses pleading for Chu Chen, this troublemaker in the harem?"
"Could it be that Chu Chen has slept with the Empress and the princesses?"
The censors thought resentfully, but dared not show any disrespect.
The four princesses exchanged glances. The eldest princess spoke, "Mother, while merits and faults cannot be equated, with Chu Chen's great talent, saving countless lives and adding tens of millions to the national treasury, he deserves special treatment."
"Otherwise, to kill Chu Chen for this alone might not be accepted by the people."
"Therefore, I believe it would be better to re-castrate Chu Chen and return him to his former status."
The Empress nodded upon hearing this.
Chu Chen below and Princess Xin Yue beside the Empress were displeased. They both exclaimed, "No!"
"Hmm?"
The Empress was stunned. Chu Chen's refusal was understandable; no man would agree to be castrated. But why did Xin Yue also object?
Thinking of this, the Empress's expression turned grim.
"Mother, on the road during our escape, I accidentally fell into the water, and Chu Chen saved me."
Princess Xin Yue's face flushed slightly. Her heart was in a turmoil, but she managed to speak calmly.
At this, the Empress, the princesses, and the ministers were all dumbfounded.
What did this mean? This meant Chu Chen had seen the princess naked!
"So Mother cannot kill Chu Chen. I want Chu Chen to be responsible for me."
"At most, at most, strip him of his property and official titles, and let him atone for his crimes again."
"Presumptuous! How dare you!"
The Empress angrily slammed the dragon throne, unwilling to agree to such an absurd proposal.
But the Third Princess, Yun Ting, hesitated for a moment and then spoke, "Mother, I heard you bestowed a death-exemption token upon Chu Chen?"
"..."
Everyone in the court was stunned.
The Empress recalled and nodded, "That is indeed the case."
Chu Chen quickly took out the death-exemption token from his Qiankun Ring and held it high.
Princess Yun Ting glanced at it and smiled slightly, "Mother, since Chu Chen has a death-exemption token, he cannot be sentenced to death except for treason."
"How about we dismiss him from his post, confiscate his property, and exile him a thousand miles away?"
"Mother, since Chu Chen is so talented, if a major national crisis arises, we would still have to send people to find him. So, it's better to exile him to Shuangyue City."
The Second Princess also pleaded for Chu Chen, her eyes fixed on him.
"Mother, I also believe this is the best course of action. We just need to clearly state Chu Chen's merits, and attribute his faults to Xue Yun's influence. This punishment should be enough to silence the public's gossip."
"It would also demonstrate Mother's benevolence and appreciation for talent."
The Fourth Princess, not to be outdone, glared at the Second Princess and pleaded for Chu Chen.
"..."
The censors were dumbfounded. Wasn't the intention to have Chu Chen torn apart by five horses? How did the death penalty disappear, and he was even being exonerated?
What was wrong with these princesses?
The Empress looked at her five daughters, feeling a headache. She didn't understand why all five were pleading for Chu Chen.
Suddenly, the Empress realized.
"If Chu Chen were not a eunuch, wouldn't he be an outstanding man, a suitable husband?"
The Empress now understood her five daughters' intentions and felt helpless.
The acting and current officials who had recommended Chu Chen stepped forward and pleaded for him as well.
"Chu Chen is a man of great talent. It would be a pity to kill him. We implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"
"We implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"
"...Very well." The Empress sighed.
She said sternly, "Announce my decree!"