That afternoon, Ye Jingchen kept getting distracted during his music theory and calligraphy classes.
Anticipating that the emperor would make a big move today, he sent Lin Xun with the Eastern Palace Guards out of the palace early in the morning. They disguised themselves and waited near the Jingzhao Prefecture government office, ready to act as the opportunity presented itself.
This time, he was determined to step on the Minister of Personnel and the Prefect of Jingzhao and their families to win over the hearts and minds of the people for the emperor.
He did this entirely for the emperor's good, to create a wise and benevolent image for the emperor in the eyes of the people, and he wasn't afraid of being misunderstood by the emperor, so he didn't use the secret guards, but instead used the Eastern Palace Guards.
However, since he wasn't present at the scene, he didn't know how well Lin Xun and his team were doing, or whether the results were good. Would the emperor cooperate?
After finally getting through the afternoon classes and seeing his friends off, Ye Jingchen immediately summoned Lin Xun.
Suppressing his excitement, Lin Xun reported to Ye Jingchen on the grand occasion at the government office and execution ground that day.
Before today, he never knew that even the most insignificant ordinary people, when their voices are combined, can shake the heavens and awe people.
From today onward, the abstract and vague terms "public sentiment" and "public opinion" have become concrete in his mind.
But what excited Lin Xun the most was—
With such wisdom and strategy, the Crown Prince's position will surely be as secure as Mount Tai, unshakable by anyone. The Duke will no longer need to worry about the future of the Duke of Anguo's mansion!
After hearing Lin Xun's report, Ye Jingchen finally felt relieved. The emperor wasn't entirely hopeless and hadn't failed him at the crucial moment.
"I saw Prince Xie at the execution ground today. He was there with his wife and young prince, watching the execution, and they were standing in the front row," Lin Xun mentioned casually after finishing his report.
After all, the current situation of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is very delicate, and the Crown Prince seems to want to befriend the young heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. He went to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion twice after leaving the palace.
It took Ye Jingchen a few seconds to realize that the Xie Prince Lin Xun was referring to was Xie Shaoling.
He immediately became interested and asked curiously, "You know Xie Shaoling?"
Lin Xun smiled. "Among the noble sons of the capital, who doesn't know Xie Shaoling?"
"Tell me more about it." Sensing the aroma of melon, Ye Jingchen gestured for Lin Xun to sit down and personally poured him a cup of tea.
Lin Xun apologized first, then sat down, took a sip of tea, and spoke again in a nostalgic tone: "In this capital city, many people like Xie Shaoling, and many people hate Xie Shaoling, but whether they like him or hate him, they all envy him."
"Why?" Ye Jingchen pressed.
"Because he lived too freely and unrestrainedly," Lin Xun said.
"He used to be a local tyrant in this capital city, but unlike the son of the prefect who was beheaded today, the nickname 'Little Tyrant of the Capital City' was an affectionate one for him. If he hadn't gone to the northern frontier, spoiled brats like the son of the prefect would have been taught a lesson long ago and wouldn't have dared to cause trouble outside."
"He used to love to wander around the capital, making friends from all walks of life, regardless of their background. He also liked to intervene when he encountered injustices, and he was not afraid of anyone involved. So those he helped liked him very much, while the noble families he taught a lesson both hated and feared him."
"Is Xie Shaoling really that brave? There are more nobles than dogs in the capital, and royalty is everywhere. Isn't he afraid of kicking a hornet's nest and causing trouble for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?" Ye Jingchen asked with some doubt.
Lin Xun smiled. "What's so scary about him? When the late emperor was alive, he treated him better than his own son. With the late emperor as his backer, who would dare to provoke him easily?"
"The late Emperor—my grandfather—seemed to have great trust in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Why is that?" Ye Jingchen asked.
He had always been particularly curious about this.
After all, if it weren't for the late emperor's indulgence, the Duke of Zhenguo, who held military power, would not have been able to marry the eldest daughter of a noble family, nor would he have such a high reputation in the army, and the Shenwei Army would not have become the Xie family army.
Lin Xun thought for a moment and said, "It seems that it was because the late emperor had received the kindness of the Dowager Lady when he was still a prince, and he also grew up with the Duke of Zhenguo, so he had a very special feeling for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. When we were young, our elders always warned us that Xie Shaoling's status was more noble than that of ordinary members of the royal family, and we must never provoke him."
"Since the late emperor liked Xie Shaoling very much, then Father and Xie Shaoling must have had a good relationship, right?" Ye Jingchen asked, feigning innocence.
“This—” Lin Xun’s lips twitched, and he covered his face with the cup, trying to hide his distorted expression.
"Don't they get along? Why?" Ye Jingchen asked, puzzled.
"Uh—I don't know either. I only know that for a period of time, His Majesty the Crown Prince did indeed hang out with Xie Shaoling, but it was only for a very short period of time. After that, they never appeared together again," Lin Xun said vaguely.
"Did something unpleasant happen between them? I really want to know!" Ye Jingchen lay on the table, resting his face on his hands, and muttered to himself.
"Your Highness, please heed my words. You must not mention Xie Shaoling in front of His Majesty!" Lin Xun hurriedly reminded him.
"Why?" Ye Jingchen continued to press.
"I suddenly remembered that I still have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave!" Lin Xun put down his teacup, stood up, bowed to Ye Jingchen, and without waiting for Ye Jingchen's reply, turned and left as if fleeing.
Although he didn't know what had happened between the emperor and Xie Shaoling, judging from the fact that the emperor wanted to destroy the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, the two of them must have fallen out.
Given Xie Shaoling's personality, it's understandable that he wouldn't tolerate the emperor's behavior, so it's normal for them to have a falling out.
However, as a subject, it was not proper to criticize the monarch's past, so Lin Xun simply made an excuse and slipped away.
"What exactly happened between Father and Xie Shaoling? I really want to know! Chenxi, do you know?" Ye Jingchen poured himself a cup of tea and asked as he drank it.
After all, only by addressing the root cause can we resolve the emperor's inner conflict and regain his trust in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
"I don't know. If you want to know, you can ask the Emperor directly." Chenxi appeared beside Ye Jingchen and said expressionlessly.
Ye Jingchen thought to himself, "Given the emperor's personality, if he were to actually ask, wouldn't the emperor be completely overwhelmed?"
I fear that this will reignite the emperor's fear and hatred of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
If there's a chance in the future, I might try asking Xie Shaoling; perhaps he'll tell me.
"Chenxi, send someone to Yichun Palace to keep an eye on Consort De and see if she can find out that the Ji family is behind her nephew's affair. If she can't find out, we'll be good people and help her out of compassion," Ye Jingchen said to Chenxi.
"By the way, do another good deed and send someone to Weiyang Palace to 'tell' the Consort that the Consort suspects that her nephew's death is related to the Ji family."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
