Xia Zhengqi looked sternly at the ministers kneeling below, suppressed his anger, and remained silent.
[Daddy, calm down!] Xia Miaoyuan quietly stretched out her little hand, grasped Xia Zhengqi's thumb, and squeezed it hard.
[It seems that Liang Chaozong has the upper hand today, but we have secretly foiled their poisoning plan. Don't worry!]
[We will definitely win this battle, so don't worry about the short-term gains or losses.]
Xia Zhengqi listened to his daughter's inner thoughts and felt the warmth in her hands. His anger, which had just been surging, subsided a lot.
Xia Miaoyuan blinked hard at Xia Zhengqi.
At this moment, the Crown Prince also heard his sister's voice. He took a step toward the center and said, "Father, since so many ministers have advised you not to eat it today, for the sake of safety, you should not eat it for now."
"It's not too late to enjoy these fruits and vegetables once they're proven to be harmless!"
Seeing that the prince was deliberately giving him a way out, Xia Zhengqi replied calmly, "Okay, I won't eat these for now."
"Prince Jin, take these back with you intact."
"As for the ministers, there is no need to taste it for now."
After Xia Zhengqi finished speaking a few words, the tense nerves of the ministers seemed to relax. They patted their knees and stood up with difficulty.
The tense expressions on their faces disappeared, replaced by relaxed smiles.
Among all the ministers, only Niu Baijin had a faint sinister smile on his face.
After this farce in the court, Xia Zhengqi announced his withdrawal from court.
The ministers walked together in groups of three or four, secretly discussing these exotic crops.
Several young eunuchs came over and carried the large baskets of fruits and vegetables out of the hall.
Inside the main hall, Yan Wenjing, Han Qingbo, Prince Jin, and the Crown Prince all tacitly slowed down their pace.
When they were the only ones left in the hall, a young eunuch from the Palace of Heavenly Purity came jogging over.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Prince of Jin, Lord Yan, Lord Han, the Emperor has summoned you to the Imperial Study for a meeting."
At the same time, Xiao Licheng, the Minister of Dali Temple, had just walked to Taihe Gate when a young eunuch caught up with him, panting.
"Master Xiao, please walk slower!" the young eunuch called out to Xiao Licheng.
"Young eunuch, what's the matter?" Xiao Licheng stopped.
Several ministers around also looked towards Xiao Licheng.
The young eunuch rolled his round eyes and replied, "Master Xiao, the Empress asked me to tell you that Her Majesty misses you and asked you to stay in Kunning Palace for a while after the morning court session."
Xiao Licheng's expression relaxed instantly: "Oh, I see. Please lead the way, eunuch."
The ministers who were waiting to hear gossip calmed down when they heard that the mother wanted to see her son.
The young eunuch led Xiao Licheng all the way until they reached a secluded place, then whispered to him, "I just said that for the ministers to hear. Actually, the emperor is waiting for you in the imperial study."
When Xiao Licheng heard this, he looked confused.
When he arrived at the imperial study, Xia Zhengqi, the Crown Prince, Prince Jin, Lord Yan, and Lord Han were already sitting there waiting.
Looking at the soft couch next to him, Xia Miaoyuan was playing with a nine-ring puzzle in his hand.
Xiao Licheng, full of doubts, bowed to Xia Zhengqi and greeted the four people.
[I was wondering why Dad and the others didn’t discuss the matter right away. It turns out they were waiting for Uncle!] Xia Miaoyuan murmured in his heart.
At this time, Debao walked out of the door with great tact and closed the door of the inner room.
There were no other palace servants in the room except them.
"Xiao Siqing, you don't have to be confused. I called you here today because I have something important to discuss with you." Xia Zhengqi spoke first.
"Let me be frank. This matter is of grave importance and concerns the very foundation of our Great Xia nation. The content of this discussion is confidential and must not be disclosed."
When Xiao Licheng heard the words "confidential" and "country and people", he subconsciously swallowed his saliva.
"I understand! I am very tight-lipped."
Xia Zhengqi pursed his lips in satisfaction and said, "Let me ask you a question first. What are those rumors you mentioned in the court today?"
"Where did you hear that?"
Xiao Licheng was a little confused and was obviously stunned when he heard this question.
Xia Miaoyuan looked at his uncle's reaction calmly and couldn't help but complain, "Oh, uncle, you don't think these rumors are trivial, do you?"
Those exotic crops are no small matter!
Xiao Licheng's heart tightened when he heard his niece's voice. He paused before saying, "I heard these rumors from different people."
"At first, I just overheard the servants' discussions in the mansion, and picked up a few fragments here and there. I didn't take it seriously at the time."
"Later, I and my colleagues from the Dali Temple went to a tavern for a drink after work and heard the customers there discussing this matter."
"It was at the tavern this time that I heard the most comprehensive account. The customer appeared to be quite refined and knowledgeable. He explained from beginning to end why the people of Daxia cannot eat exotic fruits and vegetables."
"Later, there was another time when I was riding in a carriage on the street. Halfway through the journey, the wheel broke, so I got off and walked."
"As a result, I heard a few little beggars singing songs on the road."
"And the content of the ballad is about these exotic crops being poisonous and harmful."
[Oh my god! Liang Chaozong and his gang are truly amazing! In just a few months, they've already spread the rumor throughout the capital!] Xia Miaoyuan couldn't help but be secretly surprised.
When Xiao Licheng heard his niece's inner thoughts, he was stunned.
What? Rumors? These were deliberately spread by Liang Chaozong!
When Xia Zhengqi and the prince heard this, they felt a chill down their spines.
Unexpectedly, the rumors in the capital had spread to such an extent, and they were completely unaware of it, with all their attention focused on the poisons and the breeding garden.
At this moment, Xiao Licheng could no longer contain his curiosity and asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask why you asked me these questions just now?"
Xia Zhengqi quickly gathered his thoughts and looked at Xiao Licheng: "Xiao Siqing, let me tell you the truth. In fact, behind these rumors is a conspiracy."
After saying that, he looked at the prince again and said, "Prince, tell your uncle about this first."
[Great, great! Looks like Daddy wants to bring Uncle in to help deal with Liang Chaozong!]
The prince took the order and concisely told Xiao Licheng about Liang Chaozong's conspiracy that they had discovered.
After hearing this, Xiao Licheng's face was filled with uncontrollable horror.
He regretted it deeply and said, "I am so stupid that I actually believed that rumor."
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