The moment Censor An finished speaking, the officials in the back rows were dumbfounded.
Censor An, where was your backbone?!
Your spirit of marching bravely to your death?!
Weren't you going to remonstrate to the death over appointing an heir?!
Why were you suddenly petitioning against appointing one?
Hah, you were afraid of dying after all!
An Honghui: "..."
Pei Junfei, the Minister of War, chuckled. Old An wasn't afraid of shit-he was afraid of piss!
The Minister of Justice stole a glance at the Minister of War. Old Pei, just because your dirty secrets hadn't been exposed, you were getting cocky again!
Pei Junfei: ...
An Honghui wasn't afraid of death. He was afraid of leaving a name that would stink for ten thousand years.
Smashing his head against a pillar? Not in this lifetime. Better to cling to life!
Yan Jingwei, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud, knitted his brows.
Yan Jingwei and Censor An were close friends in private. After yesterday's morning court session, the two had spent the evening drinking and talking alone.
Three rounds of drinks in, when their camaraderie had reached its climax, Old An had personally told him that if no heir was appointed today, he would bite off his tongue even if smashing his head against a pillar failed. How had he suddenly turned coward?!
This wasn't right!
Had all his earlier talk just been drunken bragging?!
The Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud shot An Honghui several dagger-like looks, but the other man ignored them all.
"Do any of our pillars of state have further matters to present?"
When the court eunuch asked again, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud finally couldn't hold back. He stepped forward. "Your subject has a matter to present."
Emperor Deyuan