Chapter 538 Private Soldiers
He thought the mastermind behind all this was Princess Qingkang, but he didn't expect it to be Princess Qingfeng. She was indeed a very powerful figure!
Princess Qingfeng bit her lip and knelt down, her face pale and shaky. After a while, she spoke, "Your Majesty, I have always had a very good relationship with Wanyi. I am really upset to see Wanyi fall into this state today. I have no words to say because of a single thought and a wrong step."
"What a speechless person!" The emperor stood up angrily and shouted, "Come here! Princess Qingfeng has deceived the emperor and deprived her of her title. She will be taken to jail immediately and await her punishment! Confiscate the Duke Ji's mansion and do not allow anyone in or out of the mansion at will. Anyone who violates the rules will be killed without mercy!"
Because of what Taifu Zhao said, all the court officials were eagerly waiting for good news to come out, and they surrounded Taifu Zhao and flattered him.
In the end, instead of waiting for good news, Duke Ji’s mansion was raided and Princess Qingfeng was imprisoned.
In just a few moments, Taifu Zhao went from being complacent to being panic-stricken.
The court officials were also shocked and huddled together whispering.
"What crime did Duke Ji commit? Didn't we see the carriage from Duke Ji's mansion entering the palace this morning?"
"Yes! And Princess Qingfeng, what could she have done wrong? The Emperor actually punished her so severely!"
"No! That's not right. It seems that Princess Qingkang also entered the palace this morning!"
Everyone looked at Master Zhao.
Taifu Zhao's face turned pale and he got on the carriage without saying a word.
When Princess Qingkang returned to the Zhao family, her hands and feet were still shaking and she looked completely distraught.
Zhao Qinghe patted her from behind.
Princess Qingkang was so frightened that she almost lost her soul. "What are you doing?"
Zhao Qinghe frowned, "You haven't been feeling well since you came back. I called you from behind but you didn't hear me. Dad has something to ask you in the study."
Princess Qingkang looked at Zhao Qinghe who was walking in front of her, her uneasy heart finally settled down slowly, and tears welled up in her eyes.
As soon as I entered Master Zhao's study, Master Zhao asked me seriously, "Didn't you come to the palace to ask for an imperial decree to grant me marriage? Why was Princess Qingfeng stripped of her title and thrown into prison? And the Duke Ji's mansion was also raided? What happened?"
Princess Qingfeng is the backbone of the Second Prince's party. She is extremely good at winning people's hearts. Without Princess Qingfeng, it would be like cutting off one of the Second Prince's arms. The Second Prince, who was already in a difficult situation, would have even less chance of winning.
Princess Qingkang suddenly sobbed violently and her whole body was shaking.
That terrified look frightened both Taifu Zhao and Zhao Qinghe.
Zhao Qinghe shook Princess Qingkang twice, "Wake up, you're home now, the emperor didn't pursue the matter, you're fine!"
Princess Qingkang hugged her arms and continued to cry, "Mrs. Ji took the Golden Phoenix and asked the Queen Mother to grant a marriage between Murong Jue and Ruan Haizhu. They said that although Ruan Haizhu's family background is not prominent, she is the descendant of a hero. Originally, the Emperor and the Queen Mother had planned to follow the wishes of Mrs. Ji and invite Shen Yi and Madam Shen into the palace.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Shen actually knew Ruan Haizhu, and said that she was not a descendant of a hero, nor was she a Langya person. Most importantly, Ruan Haizhu was a thief and fugitive.
How could Princess Huai'an tolerate the fact that Lady Ji, the Duke of Ji, asked the Queen Mother for a marriage with such a woman?
Madam Shen also listed all the servants in the mansion who knew Ruan Haizhu, and the emperor sent people to identify them one by one. Madam Jiguogong had no way to defend herself, and she confessed after the emperor's first trial.
Ruan Haizhu was even more spineless. After a few threats, he revealed his past. Qingfeng had sent people here, and no matter what the reason was, Qingfeng could not escape.
The Emperor followed the clues and found out about the ridiculous things Duke Ji had done. In a rage, he raided the entire Duke Ji's mansion. Now, even if the Ji family took out the Golden Phoenix, it would be of no avail.
You don’t know how terrifying the look in the Emperor and the Empress Dowager’s eyes when Ruan Haizhu’s identity was revealed was, as if I was the mastermind behind it!
I. I almost couldn't come back, wuwuwu."
From Princess Qingkang's intermittent narration, Imperial Tutor Zhao already knew what had happened.
After thinking it over, he asked someone to prepare a carriage and left the imperial capital in a low-key manner.
In a remote small village in the imperial capital.
Taifu Zhao told commoner Xu in detail about Princess Qingfeng's affairs.
"Your Highness, Princess Qingfeng planned to ruin the marriage between the Shen family and the Princess's Mansion, but not only did it fail, but she also got herself into trouble. The Duke Ji's Mansion also collapsed. We can't wait any longer."
Shu Ren Xu smashed the teacup angrily, his expression gradually becoming sinister, "It's the Shen family again! People with the surname Shen are born to defeat me!"
First, because he couldn't get Shen Tian, he was exiled to the frontier by mistake. Later, because of Shen Congrong, he was demoted to a commoner. Now, because of the Shen family's marriage, he has lost Princess Qingfeng and Duke Ji.
Without these two people, his connection with the royal family would be cut off, and I'm afraid no one would remember him in the future.
Imperial Tutor Zhao was originally a skeptic, but now he advised, "Your Highness, I think our best method now is to use the emperor to control the princes. On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, Murong Jue will marry the daughter of the Shen family, and on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Empress Dowager will make a donation to the Buddhist temple. These two times are our opportunities.
If we go to the Buddhist temple, we can create chaos and take the opportunity to kill the empress dowager or the queen. During the national mourning period, there are plenty of opportunities to sneak into the palace. We will cooperate inside and outside. As soon as the emperor dies, you can take the 5,000 private soldiers to attack the city and seize the throne.
If we take action on the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, the effect will be worse. After all, we cannot guarantee whether the emperor and empress will visit the Princess Huai'an's mansion.
If the Emperor and Empress go, our people can assassinate the Emperor in the Princess's Mansion, and kill two birds with one stone by eliminating Princess Huai'an and the Shen family."
The five thousand private soldiers were secretly raised by Princess Qingfeng for the commoner Xu in the past few years. Only the three of them knew about this. Princess Qingfeng would definitely not leak the secret, otherwise she would add to her crime and only torture to death would await her.
If they insist on not saying anything, they will succeed and Princess Qingfeng will have a day to see the light of day again.
Commoner Xu chose the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month without thinking.
Taifu Zhao frowned, "If we choose the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, we must find a way to get the emperor and empress to show up at the Princess's residence."
"How difficult is that?" Shu Renxu raised a scornful smile at the corner of his mouth.
What happened at the Golden Second Season Mansion of Princess Qingfeng shocked the imperial capital again. The court officials who were originally paying attention to the allocation of a new batch of officials instantly shifted their attention and began to inquire about the inside story.
Shen Yi's family would not say anything, and Princess Huai'an and Murong Jue were even more tight-lipped, not revealing a single word.
Princess Qingkang claimed to be ill and refused to see any visitors.
This made everyone more curious.
Two days later, the emperor personally issued an edict to confer the title of Earl of Ning'an on Murong Jue, and granted him a marriage between Earl of Ning'an and Shen Yuezhang, the eldest daughter of the Minister of Works.
Rewards from the Empress Dowager also came down at the same time.
This enthronement and marriage was really strange, especially after the incident between Duke Ji's Mansion and Princess Qingfeng. Everyone couldn't help but make associations. Even though they didn't know what exactly happened, the emperor's decree had a meaning of compensation. It seemed that Princess Qingfeng and Duke Ji's Mansion had done something extraordinary to the Shen family and Princess Huai'an.
(End of this chapter)
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