Chapter 141 Game Theory

Anguo Gong's situation is not good, and similarly, the Crown Prince's situation is not much better.

The person has been brought back, and we now know the spirit of Emperor Xiao Jing's meeting and his basic bottom line.

But when the review began, it became a bit difficult.

"That kid talks a good game, but he can't produce any evidence."

When asked, she said that she had overheard her father's conversation with the housekeeper.

As for any letters or evidence, he couldn't produce a single one. The clerk in charge of the trial reported this truthfully to the Crown Prince.

The crown prince was completely bewildered upon hearing this.

He looked at the old man with white hair and beard standing to one side.

The Prime Minister of Da Yu was also his maternal grandfather.

"Grandpa, what do you think? Could that kid really be part of a trap set for us?" the Crown Prince asked in a low voice.

Prime Minister Xu narrowed his eyes.

"A trap? That's unlikely."

If the crown prince had executed him on the spot, it might have been a trap set for us.

But now?

If this is a trap, then it's a trap aimed at His Majesty?

"This kid? He has the ability to set a trap for His Majesty?" Prime Minister Xu said calmly.

The crown prince thought about it and realized it made sense.

Now I'm just following orders to investigate, so setting a trap for myself won't work!

"Grandpa, what should we do now?" the Crown Prince asked in a low voice.

Xu Cheng smiled, stood up, and dusted off non-existent dust from his body.

"As I said before, the priority is stability, and we should remain unchanged in the face of all changes."

The person is in our hands; we'll take our time and investigate. There's no rush.

In the long run, it's others who will get anxious.

Your Highness, remember, if you don't create chaos, others will.

The Crown Prince understood. Yes, it's best to prioritize stability.

With the person in our hands, only others will be anxious, and only our own people will know what's been uncovered during the interrogation...

"Grandpa, do you think there might be another possibility?"

This kid has evidence, but he wants to use it as leverage to ask for more.

"Or perhaps what we've given isn't enough..." the prince asked.

Prime Minister Xu pondered for a moment before speaking.

"That's also possible. Perhaps this kid is just a pawn, sent out by someone else to test us."

However, the situation is different now, so it's best to be cautious.

Your Highness, you can use either a soft or a hard approach with this person; it's up to you.

No matter what he has, we must make him tell the truth.

The crown prince agreed.

Prime Minister Xu stroked his beard again, thought for a moment, and then asked, "What did they say in Jiangning?"

"We've already sent people to fetch him. They set off overnight, traveling day and night, and should be back with him in five days at most," the Crown Prince said.

Only then was Prime Minister Xu relieved.

It's fine as long as they've already gone to pick them up.

The people that kid mentioned are all in custody now, plus the people from the Jiangning Textile Bureau...

Even if we can't get anything out of that kid's mouth, we can definitely extract something by torturing these people.

Having served as an official for so many years, Prime Minister Xu understands this all too well.

Which official is truly incorruptible?

Which official isn't corrupt? Doesn't he/she consider his/her own interests?

It's just a matter of how much greed they have, and how bad the things they do are.

Is there anyone in Da Yu who understands those officials better than him?

"Alright, handle this matter carefully, and prioritize stability in everything you do."

As for those vacant positions, don't assign anyone yet, especially to the Jiangning Textile Bureau.

Since ancient times, the Jiangnan region has been a money-making hub, but it is precisely because of this that officials there are more prone to problems.

That position isn't suitable for our people; let His Majesty decide for himself.

Your Highness, you just need to keep a close eye on the Ministry of Revenue.

"As for the placement of officials, we will not consider it for the time being..." Prime Minister Xu whispered to the Crown Prince.

The crown prince didn't speak for a while before nodding.

Let's just stay still!

He had originally been thinking about whether to have one of his palace attendants take the position of Imperial Textile Commissioner of Jiangning!

It seems impossible at the moment.

After personally seeing Prime Minister Xu off, the Crown Prince quickly threw himself into the major case that everyone in the capital was paying close attention to.

only......

Three days later, both the Crown Prince and the Duke of Anguo were in a real bind.

First, the two sons of the Earl of Ping An were tortured, their mouths were sealed shut, and they didn't spit out anything.

However, because his body had been severely depleted from the previous intense torture of the three ounces of flesh between his legs, he was barely clinging to life after the slightest bit of torture.

Both the Crown Prince's side and the Duke of Anguo's side were taken aback.

They dared not use torture anymore, and could only keep him afloat with ginseng soup every day.

Seeing that they couldn't get anything out of these people, the Crown Prince's men turned their attention to the Fifth Young Master who had filed the complaint.

First, you're treated to fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women all day long.

Then that kid still didn't share anything new.

The following day, in a fit of anger, the Crown Prince ordered that the Fifth Young Master be flogged.

After twenty strokes of the cane, the Fifth Young Master immediately burst into tears and wailed.

He not only said that he came to the capital to file a complaint in order to avenge his fiancée, but also said that he actually didn't have any evidence. He only found out about those things by overhearing his father and the housekeeper talking.

He did this partly to avenge his fiancée and partly to take revenge on his father's family.

"He's not human. He forced himself on my mother and then abandoned her in the backyard, leaving my son and me to be bullied by everyone..."

The crown prince could no longer bear to listen.

If I were to reveal all this, wouldn't I become a laughing stock?

Oh, so it wasn't a major corruption case in officialdom, but a miscarriage of justice caused by domestic discord?

no!

The show of force has been put on; whatever the real reason, this must be handled as an airtight case...

"Let him wake up and think it over carefully. If he still can't figure it out, he can forget about having this tongue."

After saying this, the prince left.

The fifth young master was left behind, dragging his injured body and continuing to wail in pain...

The crown prince returned to his study and, looking at the advisors who were already waiting, felt inexplicably irritated.

"Your Highness, currently..."

"Don't worry about it, just stall for time until the people from Jiangning arrive," the Crown Prince said impatiently.

The aide sighed.

"Your Highness, that's not what I meant."

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it? Speak!" The crown prince tried hard to suppress his irritation.

“Starting yesterday, rumors suddenly spread in the capital that the person who filed the complaint was actually one of the Crown Prince’s people.”

It was all an act for the imperial family to see.

"They also said that none of those things actually happened, and that the Crown Prince only created these incidents because he wanted to suppress the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review," the advisor said, forcing a smile.

Crown Prince...

After smashing a teacup, the prince felt his anger rise even higher.

This is a thankless and exhausting experience!

"What do you think?" the crown prince asked.

"An eye for an eye, I have a plan, Your Highness, would you like to hear it?" the advisor whispered.

"you say!"