Chapter 1296 - 1132: The Shen Family Gets Framed
Chapter 1296: Chapter 1132: The Shen Family Gets Framed
"Keep a close watch on the movements on both sides. Although Prince Gong has a hundred thousand elite soldiers, if Prince Jing is well-prepared, Prince Gong may not be able to capture Fengqing Prefecture."
Gu Chengyu thought that with Prince Jing’s cunning, he might have already been secretly preparing after initially seizing Prince Gong’s weapons and horses.
"Sir, if we take this opportunity to reclaim the city taken from us, it would be a great achievement!" Ming Yan’s eyes suddenly brightened, thinking this was a good idea.
Gu Chengyu smiled and shook his head, "Although I am the commander now, these soldiers must obey my orders. But the soldiers guarding the border cannot be moved. Who knows when Da Xing will attack? Besides, this matter cannot be accomplished by my strength alone, and without the Emperor’s decree, I will not act rashly. I have already sent the military situation at the border to the Capital, and it’s better to wait for the Emperor’s decree!"
So many people in the court are watching his every move; without the Emperor’s decree, does he dare to get involved?
Lest he be accused of leading a rebellion, which would be indefensible, especially after his recent double promotion; surely, there must be many sour remarks in the court.
...
"Outrageous!" The Emperor overturned the pen, ink, and memorials on the desk, furious, his face twisted with rage!
"I didn’t know the Shen Family had become so dominant in the Capital, since when did the aristocratic families have to act according to their whims?"
The Emperor snorted coldly, initially thinking the Shen Family had an upper hand in the Capital’s affairs. But after careful investigation, he found that the Shen Family’s appetite was growing larger.
"Has it been thoroughly investigated? Is the Eldest Prince’s fall into the water related to the Shen Family?" The Emperor gripped the armrest of the chair firmly, never expecting the Shen Family to be so bold and ruthless.
The Shen Family was his mother’s kin, and Shen Shikang had previously assisted him loyally, naturally earning some favor from him.
But favor is favor; he can never allow the Shen Family to covet the throne. Besides, the Shen Family even dared to target Ye, which he absolutely cannot forgive.
"Your Majesty! When the Eldest Prince fell into the water, he was accompanied by only one eunuch and one palace maid. All the other eunuchs and palace maids were sent away, making these two the main suspects. They have already been captured and interrogated."
Pang Chu had already meticulously questioned these eunuchs and palace maids; the two were personal attendants to the Eldest Prince, a trusted eunuch and chief palace maid. They had served the Eldest Prince for over two years, managing the daily affairs of his palace.
With their power, sending away those eunuchs and palace maids was easy to achieve.
"Did they confess?" Though Ye was young, he grew up in the palace; would he be so naive and easily deceived?
"The palace maid bit her tongue and committed suicide; the eunuch is still alive. After severe torture, he confessed some things. But he doesn’t know much, and we didn’t learn much."
"Is it really the Shen Family’s doing?" The Emperor took a deep breath. Though he still wished to believe otherwise, the evidence he gathered pointed to the Shen Family.
"Indeed! He said he had been colluding with the Shen Family before entering the palace. The Shen Family’s purpose in placing him in the palace was to get close to the Eldest Prince. He hadn’t received any tasks from the Shen Family over the previous two years, acting as a dormant spy."
"How did they deceive the Eldest Prince into going to the Lotus Pond? At this time of year, the lotus flowers have wilted; there’s no need to pass by the pond on the way to Cian Palace. How did they end up there?"
The Emperor couldn’t understand this; did they knock Ye out and throw him into the Lotus Pond? It’s a possibility.
"Recently, the Empress Dowager has been unwell with a poor appetite. Previously, she mentioned lotus seed porridge once. The Eldest Prince must have remembered. The east side of the Lotus Pond is currently drawing hot spring water, and there are still a few remaining lotus pods. The eunuch reported this to the Eldest Prince, who was very pleased. After class, he asked the eunuch to take him there."
"As a Prince, if he wants lotus seeds, does he need to pick them himself? It’s really indiscreet." The Emperor couldn’t help feeling a little angry hearing this; as a Prince, one’s safety should be paramount. Such trivial matters should not require personal involvement.
"The eunuch deceived the Eldest Prince, saying that picking them personally showed more sincerity. Recently, the Empress Dowager has been in a bad mood, and the Eldest Prince’s heart is kind and full of filial piety. How could he know that the people serving him for over two years were sent by someone to harm him? The Eldest Prince is only eight years old!"
The Emperor’s statement was perhaps too harsh. An eight-year-old child merely wanted to show filial piety! Even though he may be mature for his age, his mind hasn’t been fully sharpened. Wasn’t the Emperor at that age also quite naive?
If not for the Empress Dowager’s protection, the Emperor would surely have suffered a lot at this age.
"Eight years old is not too young. Since I intend to make him Crown Prince, he must be cautious with his actions. He should think twice before acting, a lesson I’ve often taught him. Yet he didn’t take it to heart; how could he easily trust those around him? Replace everyone serving in the Eldest Prince’s palace with those of clear background, to prevent any dubious characters from slipping in."
The Emperor sighed helplessly; the matter had already occurred, and it was pointless to complain.
Moreover, there was something more important to be addressed; the Shen Family had acted, and he certainly couldn’t ignore them.
The Emperor suspected that many officials in the court already knew he had been poisoned, perhaps motivating the Shen Family to take a gamble.
"Summon Deputy Commander Bai Guan to see me!" The Emperor called out towards the hall, instructing Xiao Quanzi to pass the message.
...
"Master! What do you think should be done? The Eldest Prince fell into the water, and the Emperor has captured Xiao Anzi. Xiao Anzi was our spy placed beside the Eldest Prince; if this affair implicates our house, the Emperor won’t let the Shen Family off lightly!"
Adviser Zhang Chongjing was very worried, glancing at Shen Shikang, hesitating to speak. Previously, he had advised against acting too hastily; they had yet to establish a solid foundation, and should not act recklessly.
Had the Master grown impatient and decided to target the Eldest Prince ahead of time? But now wasn’t the right moment yet!
"What? You think I acted?" Shen Shikang was uneasy about this matter, and upon receiving Zhang Chongjing’s glance, he discerned the thought behind it.
"We discussed it before; we must wait longer! Do you think I cannot weigh things properly? Xiao Anzi was indeed a piece I positioned by the Eldest Prince’s side, but originally, the intention was merely for transmitting information! The Eldest Prince is still young, I hadn’t planned to use him for a few years, unexpected to act suddenly against him! This was truly beyond my expectations."
He hadn’t given such an order; things hadn’t reached that point yet.
"If you didn’t make the move, then we must have been set up by someone." Zhang Chongjing shook his head; it seemed someone wanted to play the role of the fisherman.