Chapter 62 Who is fanning the flames?

Prince Rui, Pei Shaoqin, knelt respectfully and answered with extreme caution, "Your subject has no connection with the True Man Xuanming. This 'strange natural phenomenon' may be suspicious. I hope Your Majesty will investigate thoroughly."

This was something he hadn't expected at all. His marriage to Meng Jingshu would be decided by imperial decree soon, so there was no need to add anything unnecessary.

The Meng family would never be so reckless; they absolutely could not allow the Emperor to suspect that he was greedy and was making underhanded moves behind the scenes. Therefore, he could only distance himself from the matter.

Emperor Muzong ignored him, and Prince Rui's lowered eyes darkened completely.

At this moment, the eunuch announced that the Crown Prince had entered the palace. The instant Pei Siyan saw Prince Rui, he curled his lips in a playful smile.

Pei Siyan strode forward, lifted his robe, knelt down, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

Emperor Muzong raised his hand, "I have long since exempted you from the kneeling ceremony. You need not kneel before me in the future. Please take a seat!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a eunuch brought Pei Siyan a chair.

As soon as Pei Siyan sat down, Emperor Muzong said coldly, "What does the Imperial Preceptor think?"

Even though the Imperial Advisor was somewhat prepared, he vaguely sensed that the Emperor had a strong aversion to the 'Heavenly Mandate of Fortune'.

He looked solemn and carefully chose his words. “Xuanming is well-versed in divination. This divination shows that the woman of destiny is indeed protected by the heavens and can bring prosperity to the country. However, who exactly is the woman of destiny? If it is only based on one matter, I dare not make a judgment.”

A flicker of displeasure crossed Emperor Muzong's mind. These words were far too treasonous. Did the prosperity of his Great Zhou Dynasty really depend on a woman? If it weren't for the fact that the Imperial Advisor had been by his side for many years, loyal and outspoken, he would have suspected that the Imperial Advisor and the Meng family were secretly colluding.

Emperor Muzong looked at Pei Siyan meaningfully, "Crown Prince, what do you think?"

Pei Siyan composed himself and spoke respectfully, “The decline of a nation lies in its virtue, not in auspicious omens. If auspicious omens appear, and if they are true, it is a blessing for the Great Zhou. But I fear that treacherous and sycophantic ministers may fabricate falsehoods to deceive His Majesty!”

"I heard that Miss Meng was frightened today and fainted after coming down from Denghe Terrace. I urge Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly, find the culprit, and uphold justice for Miss Meng."

Prince Rui, Pei Shaoqin, had a sinister look between his brows, and his hands were clenched into fists beneath his wide sleeves.

Pei Siyan glanced at him sideways, then pretended to kneel upright.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned this time; he'll have to kneel many more times in the future.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Muzong suddenly recalled the bottle of 'Crane Fragrance Powder' that the Imperial City Guard had previously presented. His sharp gaze fell upon Prince Rui and the Imperial Preceptor, and he finally said coldly, "Summon the True Man Xuanming!"

When Master Xuanming learned that the person who was supposed to ascend the Crane Ascension Platform had been replaced by Meng Jingshu, he knew that something terrible had happened.

As expected, he was soon detained by the Imperial City Guard and taken to the palace.

Upon entering the hall, Xuanming readily admitted to the prophecy of the "Heavenly Mandate of Fortune," but resolutely denied that he had deliberately fabricated the auspicious omen.

He shifted all the blame onto one of his apprentices, claiming that he had mistakenly given 'Crane Fragrance Powder' to Meng Jingshu, and that his purpose in developing 'Crane Fragrance Powder' was simply to get closer to cranes.

These remarks are evasive and downplay the main issues.

Emperor Muzong's expression turned slightly cold; he naturally didn't believe his explanation. "Who exactly is behind you?"

Xuanming hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and pointed at Prince Rui, "It's him."

Prince Rui's expression changed drastically, and he flew into a rage. "You heretic, you're making false accusations! You claim it's me, but what evidence do you have? Father, why should I add anything unnecessary? Doing this will do me no good. I'm innocent! I beg you, Father, to have the Ministry of Justice investigate and clear my name!"

At the same time, the Imperial Advisor panicked and knelt on the ground in a fluster, pleading, "Junior Brother, you mustn't make baseless accusations! Quickly confess the truth."

Pei Siyan glanced at the Imperial Preceptor casually. His address of "Junior Brother" was a reminder to Xuanming that the Emperor would show leniency out of consideration for him.

Xuanming thought for a moment, then pointed at Pei Siyan, "It's the Crown Prince!"

Pei Siyan's lips twitched slightly, and he said slowly, "Master Xuanming, why don't you tell me how I contacted you, or who I sent to contact you?"

How could he possibly give a coherent explanation?

Xuanming cried out, "Your Majesty, it was Prime Minister Meng! It was him! He made me do this!"

Emperor Muzong's face darkened. "If you continue to make baseless accusations, you'll lose your head."

Xuanming immediately burst into tears, crying out, "Your Majesty, I didn't mean to make baseless accusations! I really have no one behind me!"

"If we must talk about a powerful backer, it is His Majesty who is my backer! If the ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if the ministers are not discreet, they will lose their lives. My death is not a pity... But if because of me, Your Highnesses and senior ministers will become suspicious of each other, and I fear that I will lose more than I gain and damage the foundation of the country. In that case, I will be a sinner for all eternity."

These words served as a reminder to Emperor Muzong.

Since ancient times, there has been no father-son relationship in the imperial family. Fathers and sons distrust each other, brothers kill each other, and even blood relatives will eventually turn against each other.

He frowned slightly and glanced indifferently at his two sons.

The Crown Prince was born to a beautiful mother, but he was outwardly strong but inwardly weak and sickly; Prince Rui was young and impetuous, with too many sharp edges. Neither of them resembled him.

The absent Prince Duan was well-behaved and bore a resemblance to his younger self. However, Prince Duan's birth mother, Consort He, was of low rank, which made him weak and incompetent, and he was not like someone who would cause trouble.

Emperor Muzong gave the Imperial Advisor a deep look and said in a deep voice, "Since Xuanming is skilled in divination, finding auspicious sites and locating auspicious locations is a piece of cake for him. He should also travel around with the people from the Imperial Observatory to see the beautiful mountains and rivers of the Great Zhou and find more auspicious sites for me. He shall not return to the capital for five years!"

He was a benevolent ruler who disliked killing, but if someone deliberately deceived him, they should be exiled or executed.

Fine, let's spare his life for now, just to save face for the Imperial Advisor.

"Xuanming, go to the Imperial Observatory and learn the rules first, so you don't embarrass the Imperial Observatory again!"

This not only meant banishing Xuanming from the capital, but also exiling him to those desolate wildernesses.

The Imperial Advisor breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the Emperor profusely for saving his life.

Xuanming was already drenched in cold sweat from fright, and hurriedly kowtowed to express his gratitude.

A dark glint flashed in Pei Siyan's eyes; he was not surprised at all by this outcome.

After all, his father was a well-known "benevolent ruler" who never killed civil officials. Even the censors who criticized him were at most demoted and exiled. Even being flogged in court became an honor for civil officials!

Emperor Muzong only used his ruthless methods on those closest to him, such as his first wife, the one who had helped him ascend to the throne.

For example, his many brothers.

The news that Emperor Muzong had banished Master Xuanming from the capital eventually spread, causing a great stir and sparking much discussion. Some even called him a heretic!

Those who had received his favors were desperate to distance themselves from him.

Mrs. Gu did suffer from insomnia that night.