The past few days had felt unusually long, but in reality not much time had passed.
Ever since Xiao Yunting and Qi Yuan left the capital, even the number of incidents seemed to have decreased.
Some families cautiously held private opera gatherings as a test.
When they discovered that everything was perfectly normal, not even a dog had come to harm, their feelings immediately became rather complicated.
The Qi family’s feelings were even more complicated.
Because after people realized there was nothing wrong with holding gatherings, more and more banquets were being organized.
Yet the invitations sent to the Qi family became fewer and fewer.
Hmph!
Old Marquis Qi was throwing a tantrum in the rear courtyard. “A bunch of fools who can’t recognize Mount Tai when it’s right in front of them! In the future, even if they beg for invitations, I won’t let my granddaughters attend!”
Old Madam Qi was both amused and exasperated.
The older he got, the more childish he seemed to become.
But she wasn’t in the mood to comment on that now.
She sighed softly. “I wonder how Yuan Jie’er is doing now. Is everything going smoothly?”
There had been no news from the northwest.
No one knew how His Highness was faring either.
They had heard he was attacked previously, but after that, no further reports arrived.
Could something serious have happened?
If he had truly been wounded or captured by the Oirats, then his position as Imperial Grandson would be difficult to preserve.
The thought was worrying.
Just as Old Madam Qi was speaking, Liu Zhong suddenly rushed inside. “Old Marquis! Old Madam! Something huge has happened in Jinling!
Something enormous has happened!”
A huge incident?
In Jinling?!
Old Madam Qi and Old Marquis Qi exchanged a glance before leaping to their feet.
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.
How could things be so coincidental?
The matter in Jinling, that was exactly what Yuan Jie’er had gone there to handle!
Old Marquis Qi immediately demanded: “Quick! Tell me! What happened?!”
Liu Zhong was practically glowing with excitement. “Old Marquis, Old Madam! It’s the Wen family! That Yiniang, Wei Yiniang, she has come to the capital to submit an official grievance directly to the Emperor!”
…
Wow.
That truly was a huge matter.
Old Marquis Qi stared in shock.
Then he became even more shocked.
His mouth opened.
But no words came out.
What was Yuan Jie’er doing?!
Did she no longer want to be the future Imperial Grandson’s Consort?!
Did she no longer want Xiao Yunting to become the Imperial Grandson either?!
If Wei Yiniang filed a complaint, it would inevitably implicate the Crown Prince.
And if the Crown Prince were implicated and found guilty, then the Crown Prince would be deposed.
All of the Crown Prince’s descendants would inevitably be implicated as well.
That had been the rule since ancient times!
Even if Emperor Yongchang favored Xiao Yunting, he could never openly defy the ancestral laws and traditions of successive dynasties.
What exactly was Yuan Jie’er thinking?!
He hurriedly asked: “Where’s Yuan Jie’er?”
This wouldn’t do!
He had to stop her from letting Wei Yiniang bring the accusation. Otherwise, forget about “two sages ruling together” in the future, they would lose everything!
But before he could leave, the returning Qi Zhen grabbed him.
Supporting himself against a display shelf, Qi Zhen held tightly onto his father. “Father, don’t go! Don’t go! I know what you’re worried about, but calm down first!”
How could he calm down?!
Old Marquis Qi was practically frantic.
He nearly slapped his son again.
Fortunately, Qi Zhen dodged quickly and explained: “Wei Yiniang isn’t accusing the Crown Prince! She’s accusing Liu Qingsong, the Chief Attendant of the Eastern Palace!”
Liu Qingsong!
Vice Director of the Hanlin Academy!
And also the Crown Prince’s lecturer!
A senior official of the Eastern Palace and one of the Crown Prince’s closest confidants!
The old marquis suddenly understood.
Qi Yuan had not failed to think things through. On the contrary, she had thought everything through very carefully. This was a strategy of “beating the mountain to shock the tiger”, attacking an important subordinate to strike at the real target.
Sure enough, Qi Zhen continued breathlessly: “I managed to hear some of the contents of Wei Yiniang’s petition. She accuses Duke Cheng of drunken misconduct, forcibly taking another man’s wife, and then abandoning her. She also accuses Liu Qingsong of colluding in the matter and suppressing the case in order to curry favor with both the Crown Prince and Duke Cheng!”
Old Marquis Qi grabbed his son’s shoulders.
This move was brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant!
Liu Qingsong was the Crown Prince’s most important supporter.
His most trusted confidant. Yet crucially, he was not the Crown Prince himself.
If Emperor Yongchang wanted to preserve Xiao Yunting’s future, then all responsibility could be shifted onto Liu Qingsong.
As for the Crown Prince?
The Crown Prince merely trusted the wrong person and was misled.
The old marquis inhaled deeply. “Yuan Jie’er truly sees ten steps ahead from a single move!”
“It’s more than that!” Qi Zhen lowered his voice. “Wei Yiniang also brought several secret letters. Every one of them was correspondence between Duke Cheng and Yang Qingshan! The two worked together in smuggling operations, colluded with the Oirats, secretly traded horses and iron goods to them, and accepted enormous bribes from the Oirats…”
The entire court exploded.
No one had expected it. After so much debate over treason and collusion with the enemy, it turned out that the traitors were not the Lu family. The traitors were Duke Cheng’s household and Yang Qingshan!
The evidence was right there.
Yang Qingshan had even reminded Duke Cheng to safeguard the account books.
Several deputy generals under Lu Ting were mentioned by name. Every amount of silver they had received was carefully recorded.
Even the later scheme used to frame Lu Ting was laid out clearly.
At this point, the truth was undeniable.
Liu Qingsong immediately slammed his head into a pillar of Taizhi Hall and died on the spot.
Emperor Yongchang flew into a rage. “You think dying settles everything?! You’ve stained my court hall! Drag him out! Quarter him with five horses! Quarter him with five horses!”
Furious beyond measure, he shouted: “Where is the Crown Prince?! Where is the Crown Prince?! Summon him immediately!”
Xia Gonggong hurried off to fetch the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince’s health was poor, so he arrived carried in a sedan chair.
The moment he got down, his obese body collapsed onto the floor.
Emperor Yongchang strode down the steps in fury and kicked him hard.
The Crown Prince was sent sprawling and couldn’t get back up. Crying, he shouted: “Royal Father! Royal Father, spare me! I don’t know what crime I’ve committed! Spare me!”
“You don’t know what crime you’ve committed?!” Emperor Yongchang pointed at him angrily. “Your Eastern Palace officials helped you recruit military nobles with troops under their command! They used an illegitimate son to blackmail people into smuggling and making money! After the matter was exposed, they framed the Lu family! And you dare say you knew nothing about it?!”
A loud boom seemed to explode inside the Crown Prince’s head.
It was as though a bolt of thunder had detonated within his mind. The shock left him dizzy and trembling.
How could this happen?!
How had this matter suddenly reached Taizhi Hall?!
How did Emperor Yongchang know so many details?!
His mind raced. Seeing Liu Qingsong’s corpse still lying in a pool of blood, he immediately understood. Liu Qingsong must have taken all responsibility upon himself.
At once, the Crown Prince threw himself prostrate on the floor, crying with snot and tears streaming down his face. “Royal Father! If I knew anything about this matter, may I die a horrible death! May heaven strike me down with thunder! Besides, the Lu family are my in-laws! They are the Crown Princess’s family! Their downfall was also a tragedy for me, Royal Father! This matter truly has nothing to do with me!”
He could not admit it.
As long as he refused to confess, the existing evidence could not directly convict him.
And for Xiao Yunting’s sake, Emperor Yongchang could never simply condemn him outright.
That was what he told himself.
Yet his head kept pounding.
Again and again.
As though countless fireworks were exploding beside his ears.
Finally,
With a loud crash,
He collapsed heavily onto the floor.
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