Chapter 81 Xie Xuansong's Fate!
Upon seeing what Consort De had taken out, Xie Xuansong immediately tensed up!
That was a letter!
And it looks somewhat familiar!
Xie Xuansong stared intently at Consort De, unable to understand how that letter had ended up in her hands.
Shouldn't that letter be locked in a cabinet in his study right now?
Could it be that there's a mole among his men?!
In an instant, Xie Xuansong broke out in a cold sweat due to nervousness and fear!
At this moment, he desperately hoped that the letter in Consort De's hand was just a bluff, something she had randomly picked up to try and frame him, and not the one he had actually locked in the cabinet!
The letter was quickly presented to Xie Yuanhe.
He glanced at it once, then immediately frowned and looked at Xie Xuansong.
Xie Xuansong's heart skipped a beat.
He sensed the situation was dire, but he didn't know if the letter contained the one that could truly kill him...
Therefore, Xie Xuansong could only cautiously probe, "Father, your son..."
"Shut up!"
Xie Yuanhe roared and slammed the letter in his hand into Xie Xuansong's face!
"Take a good look at what this is!"
The letter fell to the ground, and before Xie Xuansong could pick it up, he heard Xie Yuanhe shout angrily, "Guards! Throw this treacherous, unrighteous, disobedient, and unfilial wretch into the imperial prison!"
Xie Xuansong had just bent down when the Imperial Guards grabbed his arm.
He looked at Xie Yuanhe in disbelief, as if struck by a thunderbolt, "Father, what did you say?"
From childhood to adulthood, when had his father ever scolded him with such harsh words?!
"What are you waiting for! Take him away!"
Before Xie Xuansong could speak, Xie Yuanhe shouted, and the Imperial Guards hurriedly took Xie Xuansong away.
From afar, you could still hear him shouting, "Father! What's going on?! Your son has been wronged!"
Soon, Xie Xuansong's voice faded into the distance and could no longer be heard.
The sudden scene stunned everyone present!
It was Lord Qin who was the first to react.
"Your Majesty, what's going on?"
He stepped forward, trembling, and said, "Your Majesty, that is the Prince of Chu! The Prince of Chu is your eldest son! No matter what happened, you, you should give the Prince of Chu a chance to explain!"
"Your Majesty, you must not deal with the Prince of Chu so rashly!"
"Reckless? You mean I'm a foolish ruler?"
Xie Yuanhe narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of danger appearing on his face.
Perhaps due to his advanced age, Lord Qin's eyesight was failing, or perhaps he was afraid that Xie Xuansong would be finished and they would be "leaderless," so Lord Qin pretended not to see Xie Yuanhe's ugly face.
He was still "struggling," saying, "Your Majesty, this old minister dares not!"
"This old minister only wishes to advise Your Majesty that Prince Chu is your eldest son and of noble status. Even if he has done anything wrong, I hope Your Majesty will give Prince Chu another chance for the sake of Consort Shu!"
They were gambling that Xie Yuanhe felt guilty towards Consort Shu.
It was a gamble all along, betting that Xie Xuansong was the eldest son and held a more important place in Xie Yuanhe's heart!
Otherwise, why would Xie Yuanhe turn a blind eye to Xie Xuansong's underhanded actions even after Xie Xuanyin was made crown prince?
The reason he made Xie Xuanyin the crown prince was precisely to silence public opinion.
Therefore, that's all he did; he didn't truly value Xie Xuanyin!
"Your Majesty, what exactly is the so-called evidence of guilt presented by Consort De?"
Lord Qin is recklessly flirting with death.
"You want to see?"
Xie Yuanhe sneered, "Or perhaps I should offer you this dragon throne?"
Qin Ruohui actually dared to question his decision!
It seems this old man has made it a habit to rely on his age and seniority, and he doesn't even bother to hide it in front of him!
Over the years, he has spoiled Xie Xuansong too much!
So much so that his men dared to be so insolent in front of him!
"This humble servant dares not!"
Lord Qin cried out in alarm and knelt down on one knee, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
Even after admitting his mistake, he still relied on his seniority and believed that Xie Yuanhe would not do anything to him because he had rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor.
After all, he had made mistakes over the years, but Xie Yuanhe had never really punished him!
Therefore, Lord Qin continued to speak up for Xie Xuansong, saying, "Your Majesty, we have witnessed the loyalty and talent of the Prince of Chu with our own eyes! If Your Majesty were to punish the Prince of Chu, it would chill the hearts of us old ministers!"
Having said that, he turned to look at his faction of ministers and gestured for them to "follow him."
Unfortunately, this time, after exchanging glances, none of the ministers dared to follow suit.
Now, Lord Qin was somewhat flustered.
He quickly looked up and said, "Your Majesty, you have seen all the merits that Prince Chu has made over the years! Moreover, it is clear that Prince Chu has been wronged this time!"
"The Prince of Chu was first ordered by the Crown Prince to stay in Fuzhou. Now that he has finally returned to the capital, he has suffered another heavy blow! Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's position is now unstable, and the ministers in the court are in conflict. The struggle for the Crown Prince has left the Prince of Chu besieged on all sides!"
Xie Yuanhe stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unreadable, and his tone gradually returned to normal.
"So you mean all of this was a frame-up of the King of Chu by the Crown Prince?"
"This humble servant dares not!"
I wonder if Xie Yuanhe is angry at this moment. Qin Ruohui is an exceptionally cunning old man.
He did not provide a definitive answer, but stammered, "In short, as long as the King of Chu falls from power, the biggest beneficiary will be... the Crown Prince."
He paused for a moment, but still said Xie Xuanyin's name.
Upon hearing this, many ministers gasped in shock!
This Qin Ruohui really dares to speak her mind!
When the Crown Prince presided over the morning court session, he didn't dare to utter a single fart!
Xie Yuanhe's expression changed, but before he could speak, Consort De shouted, "Qin Ruohui, are you out of your mind? The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince, while Xie Xuansong is just a prince!"
"Why would the Crown Prince need to go to such lengths to deal with a mere prince? Everyone knows that the Fourth Prince was made Crown Prince at birth."
Consort De was straightforward, and her words drew nods of agreement from many ministers.
"The Crown Prince is the Emperor and Empress's legitimate son, and his appointment as Crown Prince is perfectly legitimate! What right does Xie Xuansong have?"
Consort De continued.
Qin Ruohui was speechless, her face flushed, but she continued to argue for Xie Xuansong, "Throughout history, the establishment of a crown prince has not only been based on the eldest son of the empress! The eldest son has also been chosen in many cases!"
"Moreover, the Prince of Chu has been intelligent and capable since childhood. He accompanied the Emperor to court at the age of twelve to handle state affairs, which shows the Emperor's trust and high regard for the Prince of Chu!"
"He only started attending court at the age of twelve? I seem to recall that the Crown Prince began learning how to handle state affairs and review memorials from the Emperor at the age of four?"
Consort De continued to slap her face.
Qin Ruo choked on her words, wanting to continue arguing, when Xiao Yuzi scurried in, bowing low, to deliver the message.
He gave Qin Ruohui a meaningful look before saying, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess requests an audience!"
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