Chapter 535: Want money!
In the Xiao residence, Xiao Yan sat on the couch, with smoke rising from the boiling hot tea.
After hearing what Liang Guangyi said, he calmly pushed out a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Cao Dejiang. He raised his lips and said, "What do you mean by that, Grand Tutor Liang? The Crown Prince is the sovereign, and I am his subject. How can a mere subject like me interfere in his actions?"
Liang Guangyi looked across at the other side: "You understand."
Seeing that Xiao Yan just stopped and drank his tea without being polite to him at all, it was as if the last bit of decency had been torn apart between the two sides after the palace banquet that night.
Liang Guangyi knew that the man before him was no longer the chief eunuch who had to be appeased in everything. His hair was gray, and he spoke with a hint of concession.
"The case in the South has been concluded, and the Crown Prince has dispatched officials to clean up the Shezhou area. After Xi Weifang was beheaded, the entire Xi family was wiped out, and almost all those involved in the original incident have been dealt with. However, the Crown Prince remains aggressive and refuses to give up, constantly implicating others in an old case from twenty years ago. If this continues, I'm afraid the people in the court will be in constant fear."
Xiao Yan played with the teacup in his hand with a lazy look on his face. "Grand Tutor Liang, you're joking. It's just about punishing some lawbreakers. Everyone outside praises the Crown Prince for his wisdom and bravery, and how can he be more intelligent than Your Majesty? Why do you say it's aggressive?"
Liang Guangyi said in a deep voice, "How much of this praise is genuine, and how much is simply out of the Crown Prince's folly and desire for glory, hoping to take advantage of the situation and seize the throne? Governor Xiao knows it well."
"When water is too clear, there are no fish. How many officials dare to say they are incorruptible and have never been partial to anyone? People like Governor Xiao, Lord Cao, and even General Yin wouldn't dare to say they were free of selfish motives, let alone others."
"If we take matters at court too seriously and get to the bottom of everything, I'm afraid nine out of ten will end up with nothing, a ruler without his subjects."
"The Crown Prince has only just taken up his position in the Eastern Palace. His Majesty has not yet passed on the throne. The power of the Wei Dynasty is no longer in his hands. Although I do not know what Governor Xiao intends to do, if the Crown Prince is allowed to continue, it will only hurt both sides and benefit no one."
Seeing that Xiao Yan was unmoved by what he said, he just continued to play with the teacup in his hand.
The smoke rising from the tea stove made his face unclear, but his eyes were dark and cold, as if mocking and sarcastic.
Liang Guangyi took a deep breath and looked at Cao Dejiang. "Lord Cao, you have been in the court for a long time. You should understand the current situation. You also said that the Wei Dynasty is not stable. The vassal kings and other countries are eyeing it covetously. His Majesty can't sleep forever. When he wakes up, he and the Crown Prince will definitely compete with each other."
"The Crown Prince certainly has the support of Governor Xiao and you, but Your Majesty is the true ruler of the Great Wei. The Crown Prince's murderous behavior will only discredit the court officials and push their hearts towards Your Majesty. Furthermore, the Crown Prince is not the only one in the Imperial Family..."
Cao Dejiang spoke up, "Grand Tutor Liang is too kind. Governor Xiao and I also disagree with what the Crown Prince has done."
Liang Guangyi frowned.
Cao Dejiang said, "After the three courts reviewed the case, the old disaster relief case has been cleared up. Except for the three places in Shezhou, which have not yet been completely cleared, almost all the culprits involved in the case have been dealt with. Neither Governor Xiao nor I have intervened in the subsequent affairs, and even the Privy Council has stopped investigating."
Liang Guangyi said in a deep voice: "But the prince..."
"The Crown Prince is the heir apparent. If he orders the Ministry of Justice to continue the investigation, who can stop him?"
Cao Dejiang took a sip of tea, his expression gloomy. "This case already involves a wide range of people, and coupled with the Lu family's connections, no one who is investigated is clean."
"The Crown Prince wants to clear the name of his former ministers and redress the grievances of the people. What he did is reasonable and deserves praise from the world. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for investigating the case, and it is only natural that they obey the king's order and get to the bottom of it. I have discussed this matter with Governor Xiao earlier and have also advised the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince..."
He held the teacup and shook his head.
"The Grand Tutor should know the Crown Prince's character. How could he be so unwilling to listen to advice?"
Although there was an element of acting, when it came to the prince, Cao Dejiang truly felt that it was difficult to put into words.
Although Xiao Yan had guided the prince and told him to win over the hearts of the people, the prince didn't know where he got the inspiration from, and the stupid things he did in just half a month were simply too numerous to list.
On the one hand, he tried to please the generals and court officials, recruited Di Tao and others, and thought he was clever enough to steal Xiao Yan's support. On the other hand, he took the opportunity to eliminate dissidents and place his own people in important positions in the court.
The prince seemed to treat everyone as fools and the court as a child's play. He felt elated and thought he was a wise ruler after being praised a few times. If the court did not need such a "mascot" now, Cao Dejiang would not have bothered to pay attention to that arrogant and incompetent fool for a moment.
Seeing Liang Guangyi's brows tightly furrowed, he was obviously a little skeptical about Cao Dejiang's words.
Xiao Yan put down the teacup in his hand with a thud, raised his eyes and said, "I pushed the Crown Prince to the throne on a whim, and let him enter the Eastern Palace only because Your Majesty was so shameless and went back on his word."
"The He family's vindication requires the intervention of the royal family, and only with the help of the Crown Prince can trouble be avoided. However, the Crown Prince probably entered the Eastern Palace suddenly, and he is weak in the court. So, when he sees an opportunity, he wants to recruit some people for himself so that he can deal with future changes."
"This Governor only wishes to redress the injustice done to the He family. I have no intention of making enemies with all the court officials. Not all those beheaded at Caishikou harbored hatred against the He family. However, as long as the He family remains unjustified, what the Crown Prince is doing is justified."
"He stood up for me, so I can't turn around and deal with him. What do you think, Grand Tutor?"
What does he think?
He felt that Xiao Yan was extremely shameless!
He spoke in high-sounding terms, echoing that old man Cao Dejiang, acting innocent and wanting to put the blame of everything on the prince, as if he was helpless about what the prince did and couldn't intervene. But who in the court didn't know who the prince relied on to get to where he is today?
If they hadn't supported him from behind, Xiao Yan would have acquiesced.
How could a prince with nothing dare to be so aggressive and mobilize those people in the Ministry of Justice?
Liang Guangyi clenched his palms, cursing in his heart, but still forced a smile on his face.
"What Governor Xiao said is correct. I also believe that the He family must have been wronged in the past. Third Master He was murdered while protecting the people. Now that the truth has been revealed, it is natural that we must, as Your Majesty previously stated, clear his name, pardon his crimes, and move his tablet into the Imperial Ancestral Temple for worship throughout the nation."
"I am willing to ask for permission from the court on behalf of Governor Xiao, allowing him to inherit the title of Marquis of Xuanyi and revive the He family."
Xiao Yan smiled and declined, "Thank you for your kindness, Grand Tutor. However, the entire He family was slaughtered, and all their wealth was lost, leaving me alone. I have always been poor, so how can I revive my family?"
Liang Guangyi forced a smile and said, "Master Xiao, your words are very sincere. We are both from the same aristocratic family and are one. Since you can clear the name of the He family and show your desire to return to the family, I will naturally do my best to help the He family recover."
"Really?" Xiao Yan leaned back and said, "But how could the Liang family have enough wealth to support the He family back then?"
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