Chapter 516 [Take advantage of Xue Wei, the soft persimmon]

Emperor Qingning couldn't do anything about the grassland Khan and his entourage, so he turned around and picked a weak target. He glanced at Xue Wei and Grand Tutor Xue and said, "Xue Wei, you brought the grassland envoys here this time, which is a big surprise for me."

"I don't think they're here to do business sincerely, but to slap me in the face!"

When Master Xue heard the emperor's words, he immediately trembled with fear and stood up to explain: "Your Majesty..."

As soon as he stood up, Xue Wei forced him to sit down.

Xue Wei hadn't had the chance to tell his father that the northwest was basically his empire. After all, his father was a very cautious and timid person. He was afraid that if he told his father, he would lose sleep every day. So he decided to let his father know on the day he kicked Emperor Qingning off the throne.

Xue Wei didn't even stand up while he spoke. He crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair carelessly. "Your Majesty is so hospitable. It's no wonder that Boer Grassland turned against you. Why are you blaming me now?"

When Master Xue heard Xue Wei's tone and that he no longer called himself "minister", his eyes widened and he asked, "Son, are you trying to rebel?"

Is it because he was so arrogant in the northwest that he can no longer pretend when he returns to the palace? No, his second son is not such a proud person!

Imperial Tutor Xue, who had been immersed in the imperial court for many years, was now desperately trying to figure out how to exonerate Xue Wei: "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. My second son is just..."

Xue Wei smiled coldly: "I just tolerated the emperor for a long time."

Master Xue: It’s over!

"I, Xue Wei, have been in the northwest for three years, eliminating banditry and reclaiming wasteland. Grain harvests in the northwest have increased year after year, and trade has flourished. The people, who once fled hunger and starvation, now have a place to live and are well-fed and well-clothed."

Xue Wei patted the banquet table in front of him and said, "At the New Year's Palace Banquet that year, Prince An rebelled, and I was considered a meritorious minister for saving the emperor. Now, I just did one thing that didn't meet your expectations, and I have become a guilty minister."

"I, Xue Wei, have made no contributions in the past three years, but I have worked hard. However, His Majesty has become suspicious of me because I returned the missing 300,000 taels of military pay to the capital. This time, he summoned me back to the capital, and the letter kept mentioning Grand Tutor Xue. He used Grand Tutor Xue as a hostage and demanded that I return to the capital immediately. I'm afraid that my father and I are in great danger tonight."

"You're turning your back on me. Forgive me for being so blunt, but you've brought this predicament upon yourself."

"How dare you! Come, capture this arrogant traitor!"

Emperor Qingning was broken down by what he heard. He couldn't do anything to Prince Zhao who had the grassland as his backing. How could he not do anything to Xue Wei?

"Emperor, are you going to accuse me of treason today? Unfortunately, I am not like Prince Zhao's family, who have quelled rebellions and are protected by the laws of the late emperor."

The emperor's guards filed in from the banquet hall door and walked towards Xue Wei, but Xue Wei took a leisurely bite of the food on the table: "But today is Mid-Autumn Festival, I will also give you a big gift."

"Yao Chengping actually never managed to escape. I've been holding him in the water dungeon ever since. I also forced him to write those secret letters he wrote to you to let you know he was safe."

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, shocking Emperor Qingning, who had originally thought he had Xue Wei almost certain of winning. "What did you say?"

Xue Wei spoke clearly, "This time I came back with not only the grassland envoys, but also Yao Chengping."

"Didn't the Emperor instruct me to bring Yao Chengping to justice, to redress the injustice done to Prince Zhao and to give the people an explanation? I have carried out my orders."

Xue Wei put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "There are various garden parties and lantern festivals in the capital tonight. It's very lively. Yao Chengping is probably being escorted to the streets of the capital to confess his crimes by now."

The guests attending the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet today were all selected by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager themselves. Most of them knew something about the inside story and vaguely guessed that our Emperor was going to take action against Prince Zhao's Mansion tonight.

However, the tit-for-tat atmosphere, or the atmosphere where the emperor and the queen mother were unilaterally pinned to the ground and rubbed by Prince Zhao's family and the Khan of the grassland, really frightened everyone. They were afraid that something might happen at the palace banquet, and they all wanted to leave.

Nothing will happen to them tonight, right?

Jiang Wanyue and Lu Fangqin were humiliated and angry from the beginning. They were waiting to see Jiang Lili being taught a lesson by Princess Jin and the Queen Mother, and Jiang Lili's husband's family being retaliated against by the Emperor. However, the development of the matter was far beyond their expectations.

Jiang Lili was safe and sound, and even dared to criticize the emperor. The third sister of the Xin family even became the leader of the Bol grassland, and the emperor and the empress dowager did not dare to move.

Now even Xue Wei, whom she thought would be punished by the emperor tonight, dared to be so arrogant. Is this world crazy?

Emperor Qingning was horrified: "Zhou Jushan, go and call Xia Su to report what's happening outside the palace!"

After saying this, he muttered to himself, his eyes rolling around.

"How did you know Yao Chengping was going to escape?"

"Who leaked the information? Zhou Jushan, quickly apprehend the person responsible for delivering the secret letter to Yao Chengping..."

Zhou Jushan looked at the already somewhat bewildered Emperor Qingning, smiled slightly, and retreated: "As you command."

*

The capital city was decorated with lanterns and colorful lights during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Business tycoons like the He and Hou families would naturally not miss this day to make a fortune. They held a moon-viewing garden party where they could guess lantern riddles and toss rings to receive prizes... Anyone could participate regardless of their status, so it could be said that the people of the capital city came out in full force today.

"Come! Make way, make way! The Yuelai Escort Agency is escorting the serious criminal Yao Chengping back to justice!"

On the bustling Zhuque Street, the escorts from Yuelai Escort Agency were pulling a prison van, and the person on the prison van was none other than the former Tiger General Yao Chengping.

Guan Yue rode a tall horse and walked in front, wearing a bodyguard's cloak, leading the way.

"Yao Chengping has been captured?"

"It's unlucky to be betting it back on such a good day as Mid-Autumn Festival!"

Someone had already thrown the chicken leg bone they had just gnawed on: "You ungrateful wolf! Prince Zhao's Mansion has treated you well, yet you dare to harm loyal people like this!"

Yao Chengping was imprisoned in a water dungeon and tortured for several months, and confessed everything.

Now, facing the people who were venting their anger on him, he couldn't help but feel resentful: "Why don't you use your brains to think about it? I was just a deputy general under the Marquis of Zhaoping back then. How could I have the courage and means to plan all this?"

Yao Chengping did not receive the secret letter from Emperor Qingning asking him to escape.

Zhou Jushan and Xue Wei have reached their current positions and have become extremely powerful, so it is natural that they intercepted the secret letter halfway.

Therefore, Yao Chengping has already determined that Emperor Qingning was pushing him out as a scapegoat and leaving him no chance of survival.

"The Xin family is the pillar of the frontier. Even if I had the courage to do anything to them, I wouldn't dare to take action against them."

He said with hatred: "Of course it was the instruction of the current emperor that I dared to do this!"