"Is the Shen family putting on a big show? They said a few days ago that Shen Ruyi was not their biological daughter, and now it's the same again?"

"That's right. A few days ago, they kicked her out of the house. The Prime Minister's Mansion also threatened that no one would take Shen Ruyi in. Otherwise, they would be against the Prime Minister's Mansion."

"Now, it's reversed again?"

"A prime minister, a royal guard, a royal doctor, a favorite student of the Six Gentlemen of Pinghu, a student at Guangwen Academy, and a student of Ye Hongzhuang!"

"Six people, father and son, were actually played around by a woman. It seems that the threshold for becoming an official is not high!"

"Yes, yes, yes. After watching the Shen family's drama, I think I can also become a high-ranking official!"

"What the hell!"

There was much discussion, mostly ridicule.

The guards of the Shen family were ashamed, but there was nothing they could do since things had come to this point. They could only play dumb and wait for death.

"The Shen family is quite willing to take risks," Han Jiang watched this scene with a complicated expression, "Miss, what are you going to do now?"

Rong Yan also looked at Shen Ruyi, "This is to prepare for your return."

"I'm not going back."

Shen Ruyi watched the prison van go away with a determined expression, "Since they are spreading the news all over the world, I will spread the news too."

Then, he said to Han Jiang, "Han Jiang, you should also spread the news that the Shen family father and son tricked me into going to the cold pond today to rescue Shen Jiaojiao, and cut me into pieces. Unexpectedly, they arrested the wrong person because of my disfigurement."

Han Jiang understood immediately, "I'll go right away!"

"Once this matter spreads, together with the fact that the Shen family paraded through the streets in a prisoner van, the Shen family will no longer have any reason to take you back!"

After saying that, he left like a flash.

Rong Yan looked at Shen Ruyi and said, "Go back and rest. I guess I need to go to the palace as well."

"Well, I'll wait for good news from your highness."

Shen Ruyi was really happy today because the Shen family had handled the matter so decisively. From now on, she would no longer have to bear the reputation of being an ungrateful person or an unfilial daughter.

She wished that time would pass quickly so that the prince could break off the engagement and then ask the emperor for an edict to sever her kinship with the Shen family and enter Shaolin Temple.

…

At this time, Shen Cangyun came to the palace.

"Eunuch Yuan, please inform the emperor that I have something important to discuss with him!" Shen Cangyun knew he was in the wrong, so he came to the imperial study and knelt down.

Eunuch Yuan looked at him with an extremely complicated expression, "The Prime Minister is very busy every day."

Shen Cangyun didn't know that he had been to Hantan and had seen his face with his own eyes, so he didn't understand what he meant for a moment.

Eunuch Yuan snorted, "The emperor has important matters to discuss with the priest inside, just wait."

Shen Cangyun could only kneel there helplessly.

Eunuch Yuan didn't want to see him, so he turned and went into the imperial study and closed the door. "Your Majesty, Shen Cangyun is here and is kneeling outside the door."

"Make him kneel!"

There was a darkness in the emperor's eyes.

He looked at the memorial without raising his head and asked Li Xiangyi, "What do you think of what happened recently, Mr. Priest?"

Li Xiangyi had been with the emperor for many years, and he was no fool. He naturally understood what the emperor wanted, so he said, "The Shen family's reputation has been greatly damaged. As the prime minister, who is second only to the emperor, doing something like this will inevitably damage the country's fortune and easily implicate the emperor."

"He can no longer be the prime minister."

The emperor had already asked Rong Yan to draft the cabinet document, and he was reading it in his hand. He nodded when he heard this, "So, how do you think Shen Ruyi should be dealt with?"

"Her face is disfigured, and the prince doesn't want to marry her."

Thinking of this, the emperor was very depressed, "It is because I, as a father, did not do well, and the queen is disappointed in her afterlife."

The implication is also obvious.

The prince asked to cancel the engagement, and the emperor agreed.

Li Xiangyi followed his words and said, "Shen Ruyi is a lucky star. Her marriage is related to the succession of the crown prince, so it cannot be rushed."

"And now that the emperor is in his prime, there is no need for anyone to rush to fight for the throne. The family is in turmoil due to internal and external troubles, so her marriage should be postponed, and it is expressly forbidden for anyone to have any thoughts about her."

The emperor continued to nod, "Yes."

After a moment, he asked again, "I asked the Third Prince to handle Shen Jiaojiao's matter, and asked the Fourth Prince to handle the tax case. What do you think?"

"I don't understand, but since the emperor has made the decision, it must be the wisest one." Li Xiangyi bowed.

How could he not understand?

But the emperor's methods were too cruel and he dared not understand.

In the imperial family, it is common for fathers and sons to check and balance each other, and even kill each other, but these cannot be spoken out.

The emperor's first move was to tell everyone that the prince was the crown prince and that everyone should be quiet.

Who knew that the prince could not stand the test and refused to accept the overwhelming wealth. The emperor agreed to let him break off the engagement, which meant that he was considering deposing the crown prince.

If the Second Prince is asked to keep vigil, he will feel uneasy.

He was uneasy and wanted to become the crown prince as soon as possible.

Then kill the prince.

If the Third Prince is asked to deal with Yingchunlou and Shen Jiaojiao, he will feel uneasy. If he is uneasy, he will deal with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.

The Fourth Prince was asked to investigate the tax and silver case to check and balance the case in the hands of the Third Prince, and the two of them stood on opposite sides again.

In this way, the four princes who are over 25 years old will gradually weaken each other and be digested internally.

The rest is relatively quiet for the time being.

In this way, he can eliminate those who are restless, have evil intentions, lose patience, and lack imperial demeanor, while also ensuring that his own position will not be shaken.

These seem to be just a few words of arrangement.

In reality, it was a bloody storm, with countless heads killed and even the life of his own son.

But, whatever the cost.

This is imperial power.

Li Xiangyi understood it, but could not interfere. She could only pretend not to understand. She couldn't say that the emperor was also dealing with his own son, right?

The only difference is that Shen Cangyun is purely evil.

The emperor wanted to ensure the stability of the court and long-term peace and order. It can only be said that his son naturally had to undergo these levels of tests before he could finally sit in that position.

In fact, if the prince accepts the emperor's help and guidance, he will be the next crown prince. The emperor will start to weaken others.

If the Second Prince returned from the wake, he could behave himself and correct his mistakes, and escape unscathed from the Third Prince's scheme.

After the crown prince died, he became the heir apparent.

If the Third Prince could turn the tables, handle the case impartially and admit his mistakes...

...If the Ninth Prince could keep his composure, he would not easily start a war, and would not easily use Fengyu Pavilion for internal strife...

Everyone has a chance.

Unfortunately, everyone has human weaknesses. There are not many people who can fight against the outside world and themselves step by step and walk steadily on the single-plank bridge.

Li Xiangyi thought about this and didn't speak for a long time.

Instead, the emperor finally spoke directly, "In our dynasty, girls start to get married at the age of fifteen, and are basically all married at the age of eighteen or nineteen. If you are over nineteen, it will be difficult to get married."

"If she wants to get married now, I'll be the only one who can marry her."

"I am old enough to be her father, but I don't have the energy to coax a little girl... Since the child is still young, I think she is brave and resourceful, and has good character, so why not let her train for another three to five years."

"This way, I can be independent in the future."

Ziwei Fuxing, is it that easy to do there?

With this title, you must have the strength to match it.