Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Come! Put the torture instruments on Prince Yin! ...
Seeing that Xin Da's ability was being questioned, Yin Jinglong, as his master, said, "Aunt, don't underestimate him. He's a smooth man, and his martial arts skills are no less than those of your secret guards. It's not surprising that he managed to escape the general's clutches."
Xin Da blushed at the praise and scratched his head. "Your Highness, you're too kind! I was just lucky and managed to escape while the general was fighting with the others. But even though I escaped the general, I couldn't escape the princess's guards. Look! I was recaptured after all!"
Both sides insisted on their own opinions and neither could refute the other. Prince Xian and Princess Chaoyang looked at each other in confusion. It was difficult to tell whether the letter was true or false for the moment. They were afraid that the only way to confront them face to face was to find General Yin Jingheng.
The emperor also received the news that Prince Yin had returned to the capital. He was about to go to the Cining Palace to ask the empress dowager about what to do next, but it happened that a foreign guest came to the empress dowager's palace, so he had to go back home and return to the Qiankun Palace first.
When he left the Cining Palace, he seemed to see someone from Prince Xian's mansion outside the palace. He asked the eunuch beside him, "Is the foreign guest in the Cining Palace the emperor's uncle?"
The eunuch shook his head in denial, "Your Majesty, I have just inquired with the maids in the Cining Palace, and the one who came is not the old prince, but Princess Chunyu."
"Why did the Imperial Aunt come to see the Queen Mother? Could it be that she wants to plead with the Queen Mother on behalf of Prince Yin?"
"I dare not speak nonsense."
The young emperor nudged the eunuch's waist and said, "Hey, you've been with me for so many years. You belong to me inside and out. What else can you not say? Speak up! Boldly tell me your guess!"
The eunuch hesitated for a while before he timidly expressed what he was thinking.
As far as he knew, Princess Chunyu had always been at odds with Prince Yin Jinglong. They were mother and son on the surface, but secretly they were at odds with each other. It was difficult for Prince Xian to be caught between the two of them, so he believed that Princess Chunyu would not be able to plead for Prince Yin.
But the problem now is that if she doesn't plead for Prince Yin, and if Prince Yin is found guilty of treason, Prince Yin's father will inevitably be implicated. As the princess, she will naturally not be able to escape the blame. If she continues to fan the flames in front of the Queen Mother, wouldn't she be shooting herself in the foot?
This is exactly what the little emperor couldn't understand. Although she didn't like this son, the family shared the same fate. How could she be free from the crime of Prince Yin?
The eunuch added, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten that the general is also the son of the virtuous prince? I have heard that the princess has always favored the eldest son and been harsh on the youngest. Is it possible that she is planning to discard this young son as a chess piece?"
The emperor was now even more confused. The general had disappeared and she had abandoned her son. Who could she rely on in the future as she had no children?
Although there had been rumors a while ago that the general was not dead, wasn't that a rumor spread by him and his mother? If the general was truly alive, why was he hiding in the dark?
Princess Chunyu stayed in the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace for two hours before leaving. After talking with the princess, the Empress Dowager was all smiles and seemed to be in a very good mood. A closer look revealed that there was a blood-red gemstone ring on her scallion-like fingers.
The emperor asked to see the empress dowager, who deliberately hid the seal ring and asked him if he had anything important to report.
"What did your Majesty Mother and Princess Chunyu talk about just now? Could you please tell me?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Princess Chunyu and I are old acquaintances. We haven't seen each other for quite some time. What's wrong with meeting up to catch up? Doesn't His Majesty permit this?"
"Of course I dare not disapprove, but I have one thing I don't understand. Prince Yin is caught up in the conspiracy, and the virtuous prince and his wife haven't taken any action at all?"
The Queen Mother now understood why her emperor son came to her in such a hurry. It turned out that he was curious about this matter?
She dismissed the maidservant beside her and suddenly took out a seal and handed it to the emperor. The emperor took a closer look. Wasn't this the general's seal that disappeared along with the general? How did it appear in the empress dowager's hands?
The Queen Mother told him that this was secretly given to her by Princess Chunyu just now. With this general's seal in hand, we have more military power in our hands, which is enough to rival the Regent.
"But where did Princess Chunyu get this seal?"
"Son! Aren't you usually quite smart? Why are you confused now? The commander's seal came from the hands of the general, so it must have come from the general who protects the country!"
Does this mean that the great general Yin Jingheng is really coming back?
The little emperor seemed to have seen his savior, and he was happy for a long time holding the seal of command. The general had always been on his side. With him around, those relatives did not dare to openly contradict him, an emperor without any real power.
It turned out that the night before Yin Jinglong returned to Beijing, the Princess of Xian went to the Taoist temple to burn incense and met a masked man in black.
"Someone come! Catch the assassin!"
She thought the man was up to no good and started shouting, but the masked man covered her mouth and dragged her under the altar in the center of the Taoist temple.
The guards of the palace went forward to check but did not see the princess, so they went to the monks' rooms near the Taoist temple to look for her.
After the guards had gone far away, the masked man behind them spoke to Princess Chunyu, "Don't be afraid, Princess. I'm the general's man. The general asked me to give you something."
After saying this, he handed the general's seal to Princess Chunyu.
Princess Chunyu pressed him, "Where is Heng'er? Is he okay?"
The man in black told her, "Princess, rest assured. The general is safe and sound, but someone wants to harm him, so he can't show up for the time being. He asked me to give you this seal so you can take it to His Majesty. He will only feel at ease if he hands over the military power to His Majesty."
"Then can you tell me who wants to harm him?"
"Who else could it be? Of course it's the regent who controls the court so relentlessly."
As soon as the masked man in black finished speaking, the guards of the palace came over following the sound. He hurriedly slipped away through the back door of the Taoist temple and never appeared again.
Chunyu did not dare to tell her husband, Prince Xian, about this. The next day, while Prince Xian was out, she sneaked into the palace to meet the Queen Mother.
She first gave the blood-red gem seal ring that the court officials had given to the prince to the Queen Mother, praising her for being younger and more beautiful than before.
The Queen Mother couldn't stop smiling when she heard this, and couldn't let go of the red gem seal ring.
"Princess, I and I have known each other for many years. Please come to the palace more often. I am alone in charge of this huge harem, and every day is filled with trivial and annoying things. Fortunately, you still remember me and come to talk to me. Otherwise, I would be depressed all day long. I don't know when this kind of life will end."
"If the Empress wishes me to come more often, I will come to the Cining Palace every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. As long as you don't find me annoying, that's all that's fine."
The Queen Mother smiled secretly, as long as you bring some 'small gifts' every time you come, how could you find her annoying?
Sure enough, this time she not only gave her a big precious ring, but also handed her the seal that symbolized military power. The empress dowager was surprised and happy.
"Hasn't your Heng'er been found yet? Could this seal of authority be fake?"
"You don't know, sister-in-law! I ran into someone close to Heng'er at the Taoist temple yesterday. He personally handed me this seal of command. How could it be fake? If you don't believe me, you can compare it with previous memorials for mobilizing troops."
Seeing that she was so confident, she must have been telling the truth. The Queen Mother quietly accepted the seal of command, but she was grateful for the favor she received, and she would not give such a valuable gift to Princess Chunyu if she had no request.
As expected, Princess Chunyu later brought up Prince Yin's rebellion. She believed that Prince Yin was overly ambitious, having maintained a private army for years, and had long harbored rebellious tendencies. Previously, when the general was in power, he had been able to rein him in. But after his disappearance, Prince Yin had become the sole ruler, wielding all power. If he were allowed to continue unchecked, would there still be room for His Majesty and the Queen Mother in this palace?
Princess Chunyu suddenly knelt before the Empress Dowager and declared, "Your Highness and I have always been loyal to Your Majesty, as Heaven bears witness! Your Highness has also repeatedly counseled Prince Yin, but that unworthy son disregarded the father-son relationship, violated the moral code between monarch and subject, and attempted to rebel and usurp the throne! This heinous act nearly drove our Prince to death. I, your Highness, present the seal of command to help Your Majesty gain power. I beg the Empress Dowager to swiftly arrest that criminal and imprison him!"
"But Prince Yin is also your son! Princess, are you really willing to sever your family ties and send your own son to prison?"
"On one side is the country, and on the other is the family. If it were Your Majesty, what would you choose? I have made this decision after careful consideration. Your Majesty, I am loyal to Your Majesty and Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will understand!"
Princess Chunyu presented the commander's seal to show her loyalty, but this move had already led the Queen Mother away. She had to arrest Yin Jinglong, the criminal, even if she didn't want to.
After she told the emperor about this, she immediately ordered the princess to send the guilty minister and the evidence to the palace for examination.
Before the truth was revealed, Prince Yin was stripped of his power as regent and imprisoned in the palace's sky prison, where they forced Yin Jinglong to hand over the jade seal.
"I have already said that the Jade Seal was stolen. If you want to return it, go find the person who stole it."
"Prince Yin is really stubborn! You won't hand it over, right? Then don't blame me for using torture instruments."
The person who interrogated him was none other than his political enemy, Minister Gong, who had often confronted him in the court. Now that Yin Jinglong was in his hands, it was a good opportunity for him to take revenge.
The jailer standing beside Minister Gong quietly reminded him, "Prince Xian instructed us to treat him well and not torture him!"
"How much benefit did the old prince give you? Why didn't I receive any of it?"
The jailer pretended to be ignorant and shook his head to deny having received any bribe from Prince Xian.
Minister Gong rebuked him, "Since you haven't received it, why are you still obediently listening to him? Go! Hurry and bring the torture instruments! I must force this jade seal out of you today!"
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