Perhaps the Emperor learned about what happened at the Qiao family today, and that's why he thought of him.
When he found that letter, he was indeed a bit too hasty in helping to convict the Qiao family.
Little did he know that the contents of the letter had already been replaced, which made his eagerness at the time seem suspicious.
“Father, I am innocent. I have no reason to do such a thing.”
"You do." A cold smile appeared on the emperor's face. "I have never forbidden my sons from having ambition, but you don't follow the right path and only think about these crooked ways. Even if I had made you the crown prince back then, how could you have won the support of the people?"
Not only that, Sun Ping also mentioned earlier that the Crown Prince and the Pei family's men were law-abiding and conducted their search diligently, while the First Prince's men were dishonest. As a result, the powerful families began to have opinions about the First Prince.
The emperor was disappointed, truly disappointed, by this incident.
"Father, to be honest, I don't really like the Qiao family. That's why I found that letter. Because of my own prejudice, I thought the contents of the letter were unclean, so I rushed to punish the Qiao family. I'm afraid this will arouse suspicion among some people, who will gossip to you, Father."
“But my son absolutely did not deliberately target the Qiao family and the Pei family. Besides, there was nothing wrong with the letter, and it cleared the Qiao family’s name.”
"The letter was replaced by Princess Feiluan, wasn't it? That's why you looked so disappointed and dejected, as if your wish had been dashed."
Sun Ping didn't just recount the events; he also clearly described the expressions on everyone's faces.
"Father, where did this rumor come from? I am naturally not fond of smiling, is that wrong?" The eldest prince was furious, his teeth chattering, and he reported his entire reaction to his father.
If he knew who that person was, he would definitely tear him to pieces.
"Who exactly is spreading rumors and distorting the truth in front of Father Emperor, trying to sow discord between Father Emperor and your son? Please bring that person here, Father Emperor, so that your son can confront him face to face."
Throughout the entire process, the emperor kept observing the prince's expressions and demeanor. If it were anyone else, seeing the eldest prince's earnest and indignant demeanor, they would probably have chosen to believe him.
But the emperor had watched the eldest prince grow up. When the eldest prince lied, he would subconsciously clench his right fist to boost his confidence.
At this moment, the eldest prince was clenching his right fist.
Watching his most beloved son put on an act in front of him, the emperor suddenly felt a wave of weariness.
Then I thought of Lian'er, who had been with me while we ate durian and lychee, chatting and laughing.
The eldest prince seemed to think that if he stubbornly denied it, there was nothing the prince could do to him.
What has been done is done.
However, regarding how to punish them, apart from the Crown Prince who has some power to assist in government affairs, the other princes have no real power and cannot be stripped of their authority.
The emperor decided that it would be better to deal with the matter using family law.
He leaned down and looked at the eldest prince: "Remember, the crown prince is the future heir apparent and cannot be touched. The Pei family is the anchor of the Great Ze Kingdom and cannot be touched. Princess Feiluan is a rare and extraordinary woman in the Great Ze Kingdom and also my source of joy, so she cannot be touched either."
"You have committed such a grave mistake, but fortunately it has not led to disastrous consequences. I will pardon you this time, but you must not repeat it next time, otherwise I will not be lenient."
"Go and collect thirty boards."
Seeing that the emperor had confirmed his guilt and was about to punish him, the eldest prince tried to argue, but the emperor had already raised his hand to dismiss him.
The eldest prince left the bedchamber, his fists clenched beneath his sleeves. For the first time, a deep rift formed in his heart towards the emperor.
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