Han Shaomian naturally understood who Xie Yingping was referring to. This was also the most difficult part of all the matters. Looking at Xie Yingping, who was now a prisoner but still had an arrogant look, Han Shaomian just said seriously, "This is a government matter. There is no need for Chief Xie to worry about it!"

"What's the matter, Lord Han? Is he afraid of offending the King of Chu? Or does he want to protect the Chu family?" Although Xie Yingping seemed calm on the surface about Chu Pei not showing up in court today, she was already indignant in her heart and even wanted to involve the entire Chu family!

Xie Yingping's words fell into everyone's ears. The elders, stewards, and servants standing behind him all focused their attention on Han Shaomian. The bolder ones followed Xie Yingping and shouted at Han Shaomian, "Officials protect each other. We don't accept it, we don't accept it!"

As the cries of injustice began, the others were also infected and followed suit, shouting loudly. For a moment, the prison, which had finally quieted down, became noisy again. The deafening shouting made the jailers frown. Only Han Shaomian, who was pushed to the forefront by Xie Yingping at this time, remained calm, and there was no trace of emotion in his voice. "I have ordered a thorough investigation of this matter. The fact that the Xie family mined jade without permission is a fact. The Xie family cannot escape the blame. If the Xie clan leader still wants to frame others at this time, he might as well consider the fate of the Xie family!"

After he finished speaking, the noise in the prison suddenly died down. Everyone who had originally thought that they could make Han Shaomian change his mind looked at the handsome young man in front of them with horror. The anger that had been aroused before was also suppressed by Han Shaomian's words "the guilt cannot be escaped". Everyone could not help but lower their heads, wondering what crime Han Shaomian would sentence them to in this trial!

"Lord Han, don't change the subject! Xie Shuyi is the legitimate daughter of the Xie family, Xie Wanwan and Xie Yuanyuan also have the surname Xie, Chu Qingyang and Chu Jie have half the blood of the Xie family in their bodies, which one of these people can stay out of it? Why don't you see Lord Han arrest them and bring them to justice? Otherwise, how can everyone be convinced?" Already in prison, Xie Yingping naturally would not be afraid of Han Shaomian anymore. He spoke in an extremely tough tone and attitude, not giving Han Shaomian any chance to breathe!

However, Xie Yingping's words this time did not receive the support of the Xie family. Because of Han Shaomian's words, they were still immersed in the fear for their own lives, so how could they care about the lives of others? What's more, Xie Shuyi married the son of the old King of Chu. Even the emperor would probably not let her go for the sake of favor! Instead of trying to frame others, it would be better to think of any loopholes that could allow them to evade the government's punishment!

Han Shaomian's calm eyes flickered slightly after hearing Xie Yingping point out these people. He knew that Xie Yingping was now angry with others, so he responded calmly, "Only the emperor has the right to implicate others! As an official appointed by the court, all I can do is to share the emperor's worries and investigate the case thoroughly. I will not wrongly accuse the good people, nor let the bad people go! If the Xie family members who are imprisoned now are unaware of what the Xie clan leader has done, I will let them go! But if there are those who participated in this matter and have not been caught, I will naturally not let them go! However, these are all government affairs. Does the Xie clan leader still want to interfere?"

After he finished speaking, Han Shaomian turned his head slightly to the guard beside him and said sternly, "Keep a good look at the prisoners in this prison. If anyone wants to take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble, come and report to me immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" The guards and jailers naturally saw the momentum of the confrontation between Xie Yingping and Han Shaomian just now. Now that Han Shaomian had specifically instructed them, they certainly didn't dare to relax. Otherwise, if something went wrong, they would be the ones who would be in trouble because they were guarding the prisoners!

Han Shaomian looked at Xie Yingping's angry expression again, then walked out of the prison with a solemn expression!

"Xie Yingping, all this is your fault!" Watching the prison door opening and closing, with only a few oil lamps hanging on wooden pillars swaying slightly in the dark sight, the elders of the Xie family immediately pointed their spearheads at Xie Yingping with a common hatred!

However, the other servants in Xie's house huddled in the corner and cried secretly because of Han Shaomian's words, not knowing that they still had no hope of seeing the sunshine tomorrow!

"How funny! Why weren't you all so angry when we were making money? Now that something has happened, you want to put all the blame on me. You guys are really planning something!" Xie Yingping was also furious. She didn't expect that after she had mentioned the names of Xie Shuyi and others, Han Shaomian could still find something to refute. Chu Pei's silence undoubtedly pushed the Xie family into a dead end, and Chu Feiyang's relentless approach made the officials of Youzhou dare not help. It seemed that the Xie family was really doomed this time!

"You..." The elders never expected that at such a time, Xie Yingping could refute others and leave them speechless!

The few of them exchanged glances in the dim light before one of them spoke, "Yingping, you are the patriarch of the Xie family. You should shoulder all the responsibility for something like this. Do you want to watch so many people die with you? The meaning of Lord Han's words just now is very clear. He won't kill innocent people, but he won't let anyone go either! Rather than letting everyone die with you, it's better for you to die alone..."

The elder did not finish the rest of his words, but despite the dim vision in the prison, Xie Yingping could still feel the eager gazes cast at her from all directions. Presumably, at this critical moment of life and death, all people were thinking about was how to survive!

With the corners of his mouth slightly raised, a bloodthirsty and cold smile appeared on Xie Yingping's face in the dark night. He slowly walked to the elders and sat down, then spoke cruelly, "Even if others are innocent, I'm afraid the elders can't escape the blame! Do you think Han Shaomian is a fool? He will let you go just by listening to your one-sided story? Don't dream! Since the King of Chu has already taken action, this matter will definitely not be resolved so easily! I will naturally not shift the blame of what I did to others, but don't think of putting all the blame on me for what you did!"

After he finished speaking, Xie Yingping closed his eyes and rested, completely shutting out the anger and resentment around him...

After a busy day, Han Shaomian left his confidants to guard the yamen prison and returned to the Youzhou Posthouse first!

"How is it? Has the prince received any news?" As soon as he stepped into the East Garden, Han Shaomian asked Xiahou Qin impatiently!

The matter of Xie family is bound to implicate Chu family. How to let Chu family get out of this matter and preserve Chu Nanshan's reputation has almost become a big stone weighing on Han Shaomian's heart. This is also the reason why he has not taken action against Xie family yet!

In Western Chu, who doesn't know the name of Chu Nanshan? Who doesn't know the great contributions Chu Nanshan has made to Western Chu!

However, this old prince who once fought bloody battles to stabilize the country was implicated by his offspring, causing the reputation he accumulated throughout his life to be destroyed. Not to mention that Chu Feiyang felt sorry for it, even Han Shaomian, who respected Chu Nanshan very much, wanted to do his best!

Seeing Han Shaomian return, Xiahou Qin waved for him to sit down, then said, "Don't worry, the prince will have a reply soon! Fortunately, I went early today, otherwise, if Chu Pei appeared in the court, I'm afraid everything would be too late!"

Hearing this, Han Shaomian nodded calmly. Once Chu Pei spoke up in court to exonerate the Xie family, both the Chu and Xie families would be implicated. Even if the King of Chu was very capable, he would not be able to justify himself by then!

"How do you plan to resolve the Chamber of Commerce issue?" Now everything was waiting for Chu Feiyang's instructions, so Han Shaomian could only keep it in his heart and turned to ask Rong Yunhe who placed the teacup in front of him!

"Let's discuss this after the Xie family's affairs are concluded! If the Rong family intervenes now, they will probably be criticized, and it might even become an opportunity for Xie Yingping to turn things around! Once the Xie family's affairs are completely resolved, the government will mention the jade mine and conduct fair competition. This will surely attract many merchants from outside Youzhou. If the Rong family intervenes then, it won't attract the attention of the court!"

Rong Yunhe naturally had his reasons for making such a layout. Firstly, the Rong family was very powerful, so there was no need to be afraid even if more merchants joined the competition!

Secondly, it was also for the sake of Concubine Rong in the palace! If only the Rong family was involved in the jade mine, it would definitely arouse the suspicion and jealousy of Emperor Yu Gan, and then it would be her sister who would be in trouble. It would be better to spread the news and attract all merchants interested in this matter, distracting Emperor Yu Gan's attention, which would also reduce the risk to the Rong family. This way, her sister would be safer in the palace!

However, after hearing Rong Yunhe's frank words, Han Shaomian frowned slightly, and his eyes turned deep. He looked at Nie Huaiyuan, Xiahou Qin and Rong Yunhe, and quietly pondered some of the attitudes they occasionally showed in front of him!

In the Nanxun Inn, Chu Feiyang returned to the inner room after issuing the last order!

Yun Qianmeng stood by the window, watching Chu Feiyang send the signal into the night. She noticed that although Chu Feiyang's expression was calm, it was still tinged with a hint of solemnity. She smiled faintly and asked, "What's the situation in Youzhou? Is father still insisting on having his own way?"

"The entire Xie family has been imprisoned! They will be tried and convicted soon! As for the officials in Youzhou, Han Shaomian is waiting for us to return and deal with them!" Seeing Yun Qianmeng standing by the window, Chu Feiyang knew that she must have seen his expression just now. No wonder she asked such a concerned question just now!

Seeing that Chu Feiyang had put away the solemn expression on his face when he stepped into the inner room, Yun Qianmeng felt a little worried. "The Xie family's affairs are easy to resolve, but my father's affairs are difficult! If I'm not careful, Grandpa will be implicated! Now that many heroes in Kyoto are vying for supremacy, each with their own plans, the emperor will naturally eliminate as many as he can and will definitely not miss such an opportunity! If he makes things worse, I'm afraid the Chu family will really be implicated!"

Listening to Yun Qianmeng's analysis of all the events, Chu Feiyang also knew that Chu Pei's ambition had led to a series of troubles! Even if the Xie family incident had nothing to do with Chu Pei, as a frontier official in Youzhou, he could not escape blame for such a thing happening right under his nose!

What's more, secretly mining jade is a big deal. Chu Pei has been in Youzhou for more than 20 years and it is impossible for him not to know about it. It is a daydream to want to shirk responsibility!

If it wasn't me who came to Youzhou this time, I'm afraid that the affair between Chu Pei and Prime Minister Wan would have been discovered long ago, and by then the entire Chu family would have been at stake!

Taking Yun Qianmeng's hand, he felt the slight coolness of her skin, which was extremely comforting in this scorching summer. Chu Fei raised his lips and smiled, then said, "Considering his achievements in Youzhou over the years, I think the emperor will spare his life! But the great things he wants to achieve in his heart, I am afraid it is hopeless in this lifetime!"

As a son, even if the relationship between father and son is weak, Chu Feiyang would not want to see Chu Pei's head fall to the ground!

But the relationship between father and son cannot be compared with the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. When Chu Pei threatens Chu Nanshan, Chu Feiyang will naturally strike him until he has no room to fight back, until he has no chance to turn over!

Seeing that Chu Feiyang had already told Chu Pei about his fate, Yun Qianmeng nodded calmly. Such a result might be difficult for Chu Pei to accept, but for the Chu family, it was the best result!

Meanwhile, in the Prime Minister's residence, Prime Minister Wan was unable to eat despite the delicious food on the table...

"Is the news from Youzhou accurate?" Prime Minister Wan put the chopsticks in his hand hard on the bowl and asked the guard standing beside him in a stern voice with an annoyed look on his face. It was obvious that he did not believe the news he had just heard!

"To reply to the Prime Minister, it is absolutely true! At this moment, the Xie family has been imprisoned by Han Shaomian, who was sent to Youzhou by Emperor Yugan. The verdict will be announced on a certain day!" The guard saw that his master had an ugly face and spoke in disbelief, so he could only lower his head and honestly repeat what he had just reported!

"Damn Chu Pei! How does he do things? How could he let things develop into the situation like today?" Before the guard's voice fell, Prime Minister Wan suddenly stood up from his seat. The bowls and plates in front of him were accidentally brushed by his hands and were all swept to the ground. The fragile porcelain made a crisp sound when it touched the ground and shattered into pieces in an instant!

The maidservants waiting outside heard the noise and wanted to come in to clean up, but were blocked outside by the guards. After sending everyone away, the guard quickly walked over to the gloomy Prime Minister Wan and reminded him in a very low voice, "Prime Minister, the walls have ears!"

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Wan frowned suddenly, but he couldn't swallow the anger that was stirred up in his heart!

If something really happened to the Xie family, according to Chu Feiyang's personality, he would definitely wipe them out without leaving a single one alive!

"Didn't Chu Pei wake up? Why didn't he go to rescue Xie Yingping? He was actually suppressed by a newly appointed Vice Minister of War. All his years as a frontier official were in vain?" Chu Pei retreated at this critical juncture when an urgent matter was imminent. If something happened to the Xie family, did Chu Pei think he would be safe?

"My Lord, I heard that Lord Chu was indeed planning to leave the house and go to the government office, but unfortunately he was blocked at the gate of the Chu Mansion by the prince of the Xiahou clan! And Han Shaomian took advantage of that time to order his men to arrest all the members of the Xie family! However, Lord Chu's wife, children and two young ladies are all in the capital of Western Chu at this time, so they are relatively safe!" The guard approached Prime Minister Wan and repeated the whole story in detail!

"The Xiahou clan?" Upon hearing the guard mention the Xiahou clan, Prime Minister Wan frowned slightly. He then understood. A sneer appeared on his face, and he said more viciously, "It really is Chu Feiyang who is causing trouble! Isn't the Xiahou clan Chu Feiyang's mother's family? This time he even used the Xiahou clan. It seems that he really doesn't intend to let Chu Pei go! It's a pity that Chu Pei was so foolish as to come to Nanxun, not knowing that he had already been tricked by his own son!"

"My Lord, if Han Shaomian is sentenced for the crime of implicating relatives, I am afraid that the two young ladies will also be taken back to Youzhou!" The current safety is not permanent stability. If he is sentenced for the crime of implicating relatives, I am afraid that everyone related to the Xie family will be implicated!

Prime Minister Wan also understood this clearly in his heart, but he did not believe that Chu Feiyang would implicate the Chu family, which was related to the Xie family, for such a thing!

However, Chu Feiyang was able to save the Chu family, but he tried every means to suppress the Xie family. What worried Prime Minister Wan the most was that he would not let go of anyone with the surname Xie!

"Send someone to tell Chu Pei that no matter what method he uses, I must protect those two people in Kyoto! Otherwise, don't blame me for explaining this to Nan Yijun!" With his fists clenched and pressed hard on the table, Prime Minister Wan gave the following orders with a rage in his heart!

"I wonder what Prime Minister Wan wants to explain to me?" Unexpectedly, Nan Yijun appeared at the door of the side room out of nowhere!

His narrow eyes swept across the broken dishes on the ground, then turned to Prime Minister Wan's face, which had already regained its composure, and walked in with a faint smile!

Seeing Nan Yijun suddenly appear, Prime Minister Wan's heart tightened. He didn't expect that his Prime Minister's Mansion was so unsafe now. Nan Yijun would appear immediately at the slightest disturbance. For a moment, a chill invaded his heart. Prime Minister Wan quickly waved his hand to let the guards retreat. There was a hint of coldness in his eyes, which he tried to keep calm, and shot straight at Nan Yijun!

"It seems that the Regent has regarded my residence as his own Regent's residence!" Prime Minister Wan spoke sarcastically and sat down again. The maid who followed Nan Yijun in immediately brought new bowls and chopsticks, then cleaned up the debris on the ground with neat movements and quietly retreated!

"This prince is naturally concerned about Prime Minister Wan, which is why he rushed here without even having dinner! I wonder what has angered Prime Minister Wan, causing him to smash a bowl in his own residence!" Nan Yijun's sharp eyes never left Prime Minister Wan's ever-changing face. He walked over to sit down opposite Prime Minister Wan, picked up the chopsticks that the maid had already placed, picked up a piece of duck meat, put it into his mouth, and chewed it slowly. After swallowing it, he spoke again, "This dish is very delicious and tender. Why can't Prime Minister Wan like it?"

Staring at Nan Yijun's elegant movements while dining, Prime Minister Wan sneered, "The chefs at the Prince Regent's Palace are undoubtedly even more skilled. The Prince Regent should dine in his own residence! Besides, with Western Chu pressing hard, the Prince Regent is focusing on a useless person like me. Isn't that rather unproductive?"

While speaking, Prime Minister Wan was always paying attention to Nan Yijun's expression, and was also speculating in his heart about the purpose of his visit!

Last night, Nan Yijun did not find any suspicious people in the Prime Minister's Mansion. He must have been unwilling to give up, so he sent more people. Now, I just broke some dishes, and he appeared in the Prime Minister's Mansion the next moment. It can be seen that the Prime Minister's Mansion is becoming more and more unsafe. Or, Nan Yijun has already seen through my affairs, so he has been sending people to keep a close eye on the Prime Minister's Mansion!

Hearing this, Nan Yijun was not angry at all. He continued to pick up the delicacies in front of him with his chopsticks and ate in an orderly manner. After drinking half a bowl of soup, he slowly said, "I think that my concern for the Prime Minister's Mansion is also my concern for Nan Xun's political affairs! Prime Minister Wan also said that he had something to tell me just now. Why not tell me now! Perhaps I can solve your urgent problem!"

Hearing Nan Yijun's suggestive words, Prime Minister Wan's heart suddenly jumped, and he felt that his analysis was indeed correct. He was afraid that Nan Yijun had already suspected that he was colluding with the people of Western Chu, otherwise how could he appear by such a coincidence last night and come in so timely today?

However, the words he had just sent to Chu Pei were merely threats. Even if he was given a chance, he would not tell Nan Yijun seriously!

His forced calm eyes were slightly dulled by the long thought. Seeing the conflict in Prime Minister Wan's heart, Nan Yijun spoke slowly and calmly, "It seems that Prime Minister Wan is really in a dilemma!"

Hearing Nan Yijun's concerned voice, Prime Minister Wan suddenly came back to his senses and focused on responding to Nan Yijun, who was talking with a smile on his face. "Your Highness, you are worrying too much. I am fine! Now that I am free from the worries of state affairs, I am living a carefree and comfortable life! And with the Highness of the Regent coming to check on me from time to time, I have nothing but happiness in my life. What worries do I have?"

After he finished speaking, Prime Minister Wan reached out with a relaxed expression, picked up the chopsticks on the table, picked up the dishes in front of him and tasted them one by one. When he found a dish he liked, he nodded with satisfaction. His expression was very relaxed and enjoyable, and there was no anxious expression on his face because he was worried about Nan Xun's desperate situation at this time!

Nan Yijun put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and continued with a double meaning, "How can there be no worries? How can one always be free to do as one pleases in life? Now Prime Minister Wan cannot enter and leave the Prime Minister's residence at will. You and I have served in the same court for many years. If you have any difficulties, don't hesitate to tell me. I will do my best to help Prime Minister Wan!"

But when Prime Minister Wan heard these words, he sneered in his heart!

'Do our best to get it done'?

I'm afraid Nan Yijun has been waiting for this opportunity to take his own life!

If he knew about his relationship with Chu Pei, he could use it to blackmail Chu Feiyang into giving up on accepting Nanxun as a vassal state. Secondly, he could use it as an excuse to get rid of him under the pretext of collaborating with the enemy. It would be a win-win situation. No wonder Nan Yijun came to the Prime Minister's Mansion so attentively! He was probably waiting for me to personally admit the matter so he could have something to hold against me!

Putting down his bowl and chopsticks without liking the food, Prime Minister Wan suddenly stood up and said calmly, "I am full! If the Regent likes the food in the Prime Minister's Mansion, then enjoy it!"

After saying this, Prime Minister Wan turned and left, and Nan Yijun's smiling eyes suddenly darkened...