Chapter 641 It's too late to admit your mistake now

Jiang Jinyan found Xie Shang, his eyes filled with anxiety, "Something has happened to the Empress."

"I understand," Xie Shang said in a deep voice.

"Since His Majesty knows that Ruan Ruan is in trouble, why is he still so calm?" Jiang Jinyan wondered. "When Ruan Ruan left the palace this time, why didn't His Majesty send people to protect her properly, and instead let people kidnap her so easily?"

"It was her request. She said she wanted to lure Su Qingqing out herself, and I couldn't dissuade her." Xie Shang put down his pen. "Don't worry, with Lin Feng and his guards protecting her, nothing will happen. She's quite skilled, and she can handle Su Qingqing without any problem."

"Your Majesty is so certain that nothing unexpected will happen. Ruan Ruan has amnesia; she doesn't remember what Su Qingqing looks like at all. She was taken away by Su Qingqing's people, who hate Ruan Ruan to the core. What if..."

"I will not allow any such thing to happen." He added, "It is precisely because Su Qingqing hates Ruan Ruan so much that her men will definitely bring Ruan Ruan to Su Qingqing once they capture her. As soon as Su Qingqing shows her face, our people will go to rescue Ruan Ruan."

Since Su Qingqing wants to take revenge on Ruan Ruan herself, don't be in such a hurry. The Su family's henchmen haven't been caught yet and are still active outside. Ruan Ruan also said that she wants to catch Su Qingqing herself. She's now a woman of her word and doesn't even ask for my opinion when making decisions. You didn't see how angry she made the Empress Dowager..." When the Empress Dowager saw Jiang Fenghua, she was like a mouse seeing a cat.

He told Jiang Fenghua about his plans and added, "Don't worry, Ruan Ruan is so smart, she'll definitely be fine."

Xie Shang then asked, "How is the matter in Qingzhou being handled?"

After they returned to the capital, Xie Shang gave Jiang Jinyan another task: to send Cheng Yang to serve as the prefect of Qingzhou, and to have Jiang Fenghua, as the imperial envoy, thoroughly investigate all officials in Qingzhou.

He went out for a walk and learned that the people of the Great Zhou Kingdom were not really living well; many local officials did one thing in public and another in private.

Everyone takes advantage of the fact that the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, and only thinks about the common people after they have made their own lives comfortable. They don't even think about the common people. The court is supporting a bunch of parasites who do nothing.

Jiang Jinyan said, "We've dealt with a few typical cases. Mayor Sun has also lost his position. He's just a small town mayor, yet he's been extorting money from the people. There are also county magistrates, village chiefs, and so on. It's a case of one level exploiting another. The lower the official, the more they intimidate people by using their power."

Jiang Jinyan continued, "I have also heard about the epidemic at Jishantang. I heard that many people have died there. There are over a thousand people living there, mostly women, except for children. If we cannot find a cure, what does Your Majesty plan to do?"

Xie Shang frowned deeply. "In order to prevent the disease from spreading, I have already ordered the Jishantang to be sealed off. Imperial Physician Mei and his team are working on developing medicine to treat the people... The worst outcome is the loss of Jishantang, but we must protect the people of Shengjing. Fortunately, Jishantang is not in the city center, so it will not have a significant impact on the people in the city."

"Jishantang is Ruan Ruan's life's work. Your Majesty, is there really no way to develop a medicine to cure them? Even Physician Mei, with his superb medical skills, couldn't do anything about it?"

Xie Shang said, "Imperial Physician Mei has done his best. He has been trying to find a way to treat them. This disease can't be delayed any longer. If it can't be cured, we have to find a way to eliminate it as soon as possible. According to historical experience, only fire can completely eliminate it. This is the worst possible outcome."

Jiang Jinyan wondered, "If the disease was brought by refugees, why were there no cases found elsewhere, but specifically at Jishantang?"

Xie Shang and Jiang Fenghua had also considered this issue. He had already issued an edict to find skilled doctors among the common people. If anyone could cure the disease, the court would offer a generous reward. He also asked Aoxue to send a message to her master, inviting her master to Shengjing.

At this moment, Lin Feng sent word that they were heading towards Shengjing City.

Jiang Jinyan asked, "Could it be that Su Qingqing is hiding in the city?"

Xie Shang did not rush to leave the palace, but took Jiang Jinyan directly to find the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager said coldly when she saw him, "Didn't the Emperor want to imprison me in the Imperial Clan Court?"

"The Empress Dowager's crimes are well-documented, and the Imperial Clan Court has investigated the case thoroughly. I will send you back to Hengyang, but not to the Hengyang Imperial Palace, but to the Hengyang Imperial Mausoleum."

The Empress Dowager said, "What are you going to do? You're going to kill me."

"I am merely escorting the Empress Dowager to see my father. He longed to see you again all his life, but unfortunately, he never did. I will not do anything treasonous like killing you, but you must go to the imperial mausoleum to repent for your mistakes." Xie Shang said to Granny Li, "Immediately pack the Empress Dowager's belongings and send her out of the palace."

The Empress Dowager was puzzled and did not know why Xie Shang was in such a hurry to send her out of the palace to Hengyang.

"Where did you take Kang'er, Minmin and Yun'er? Let them come with me."

Xie Shang said in a deep voice, "Xie Yun has committed a crime and has been imprisoned. I plan to send him to labor to atone for his crime. As for Xie Minmin, she has also been sent to the slave camp to work. Prince Kang took the blame for the Empress Dowager. He is no longer Prince Kang, but a commoner. He will soon be exiled back to the Northwest. Xie Kang is a filial son. He took the blame for the Empress Dowager and even handed over the silver."

"You're pushing them too far," the Empress Dowager said angrily. "He did nothing wrong. It was all my doing. Aren't you insulting them? They are descendants of the royal family."

"That's no longer the case. Ever since the Empress Dowager helped Su Qingqing plot against the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty, they have not been worthy of being descendants of the royal family. The Empress is right. I should remove all of you from the Xie family's genealogy."

"Kang'er has been in the Northwest for thirty years, and he has done nothing. It was all done by me. Remove me from the list!" The Empress Dowager continued, "I really don't know where Su Qingqing went. It wasn't me who wanted to join forces with her. She came to us on her own initiative. She said she didn't want the Xie family's empire. She only wanted Jiang Fenghua dead. She wanted to find Jiang Fenghua to avenge her niece."

When Jiang Fenghua came to Hengyang Palace to deliver the tiger-head doll, she said that even my father didn't want to acknowledge me and that she wanted to return the doll that I had made for him. My heart ached as if it were being torn apart. He was never raised by my side from birth, and we had no motherly or son-like feelings for each other. I was so foolish!

Later, Su Qingqing came to my door, saying that Jiang Fenghua was a witch who had bewitched the emperor. I...believed her. Your grandfather was also bewitched by a woman of exceptional beauty.

She continued, "It was my fault for being unwilling to admit defeat. In fact, during the years I spent at the Hengyang Palace, it was Minmin and Yun'er who accompanied me. It was I who instilled in them the idea that their father should inherit the throne. They are still young and do not understand anything. It was me who gave them unrealistic ideas. It was all my fault, Your Majesty, please forgive them!"