Chapter 429: How shameless! This Governor will take a look...
Even though Tang Ning and Xiao Yan had been close many times and had done everything they should and shouldn't have done, facing his handsome face so close to her and listening to his hot breath and ambiguous words, Tang Ning still couldn't help but blush.
"You're right here, what else am I supposed to think about."
"Of course I think so."
Xiao Yan leaned close to her and rubbed her, but she pushed him away breathlessly after a while.
Tang Ning put her hand against his face, her lips as red as if stained with lip balm. Just as she was about to scold him, her palm suddenly felt hot. It was Xiao Yan who lowered his head and pecked her hand lightly. Her cheeks flushed as her eyes widened.
Pulling the little girl's hand back as fast as if it were on fire, Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're so shameless! How could you be so bold back then, hugging a eunuch like me and saying you wanted to marry me?"
"I remember that day you said you were attracted to me, but you also said hesitantly that the carriage wouldn't work and you'd have to wait until we got back to the mansion..."
"Xiao Yan!"
She rarely called him like this, and she covered his mouth in anger and annoyance, blocking out all the extremely embarrassing words he was about to say.
Seeing Xiao Yan laughing muffledly with his shoulders shaking, Tang Ning angrily punched him twice, then was grabbed by the hand and pulled into his arms.
"I actually like Xiao Haitang's tightness."
"Shameless!" Tang Ning spat at him.
Xiao Yan was extremely shameless: "How shameless, let me see..."
Seeing that he wanted to come over and take advantage of her again, Tang Ning wanted to retreat quickly, but before she could leave, she was pulled back and humiliated. She was bullied until her eyes were filled with tears.
After a long while, Xiao Yan stretched out his long arms and embraced the person in his arms, saying with a satisfied look, "Emperor An knows about the Dragon Jade Order. When Shang Qin and the others take action, I will first restore my status as a member of the He family."
Tang Ning's breathing was uneven, but he still looked up when he heard the serious matter: "Why is it the He family?"
She thought that he would be eager to clear the name of the Crown Prince.
Xiao Yan's expression turned colder: "Because the He family won't let him risk everything and fight to the death."
"My father was the crown prince appointed by Taizu. Unless there was rebellion, no one and nothing could shake his position as heir. Emperor An obtained the throne through underhanded means. If he knew that my father's bloodline was not yet extinct and that the events of the past had been reversed, he would definitely drag everyone down with him at all costs."
Emperor An has been on the throne for more than ten years. He is not without his confidants in the court, and he also has his people in the army. Moreover, the court today is no longer the same as when his father was still alive.
Those old ministers who were loyal to his father had long been replaced. Once the truth was revealed, Emperor An knew that he could no longer hide it and would simply overturn the chessboard. The court would be filled with blood and the world would be in chaos.
Xiao Yan had a way to control Emperor An and stabilize the capital, but this was only a last resort.
Not to mention how many people would admit that his appearance had changed so much that he no longer looked like the emperor's eldest grandson. The princes in various places, such as Prince Pingshan, had long had ulterior motives. Once a coup occurred in the capital, they would definitely take the opportunity to rush in.
Xiao Yan held Tang Ning in his arms and played with her fingers. "Emperor An may seem foolish, but he's actually quite shrewd. He's never truly trusted anyone."
"The nearly one million in grain and money that my father sent to the South for disaster relief twenty years ago has disappeared. Later, the treasures and silver that the Lu family has given as filial tributes over the years are also missing."
"Qian Baokun has tried his best to investigate but has found no clues. However, he unexpectedly discovered from the Ministry of Revenue's old account books that before he took office, the Ministry of Revenue had secretly disbursed 200,000 taels of silver every year. This money was personally withdrawn by Emperor An, and its whereabouts are unknown."
"The palace has kept records of all its large expenditures over the years, and we've never seen such a large amount of money spent continuously. Furthermore, Emperor An's private treasury isn't full, but rather appears empty. Where do you think all this money went?"
Tang Ning frowned. Two hundred thousand taels every year would add up to several million, plus the more than one million in money and grain from the beginning, as well as the Lu family's "filial piety" over the years.
This amount of silver is enough to pave the streets of the capital. Even if Emperor An were to spend lavishly on his meals, he would not need so much money to renovate the imperial palace.
Moreover, she had been handling Xiao Yan's business in the capital during this period, and she knew how much trouble would be caused if so much money appeared in the market.
It can be consumed completely without attracting attention, and it even made Emperor An willing to pay for it with his private treasury...
Tang Ning was shocked: "Emperor An is raising troops secretly?"
It was not for the court, nor for the Wei Dynasty, but to raise troops for himself.
Xiao Yan hummed softly, "Nine out of ten."
Tang Ning's eyes widened: "Does the Lu family know about this?"
Xiao Yan said, "They probably don't know. After the Lu family was imprisoned, I interrogated two of Lu Chongyuan's closest associates. They only said that the Lu family didn't take a penny of the money in order to gain the trust of Emperor An. Later, Emperor An married Empress Lu, and for some reason, he was always short of money."
"The Lu family, in order to help him ascend to the throne and build relationships, paid tributes every year, and this continued until Emperor An ascended the throne."
Tang Ning was a little dazed. The Lu family had really become the real victim. But it was not surprising. After all, who would have thought that Emperor An, an emperor who held great power and sat firmly on the throne, would secretly raise troops for himself.
Xiao Yan's expression was unfathomable. "Emperor An did this in secret. Even I haven't found out who was behind it. He has this private army whose details are unknown and could appear at any time. If Emperor An knew that my father still had a descendant, or even attempted to redress the past and endanger his throne, he would definitely fight to the death with me at all costs."
"The Zhen'an Army can't move. The Dragon Court Guard can only be used to temporarily distract themselves. Beiling is now eyeing them covetously and intends to move south. Once chaos breaks out in the Great Wei, war will inevitably break out in the northwest."
"Besides that, some tribes in the Southern Region and Western Border are also unstable. The princes of various places are ready to make a move. If war really breaks out, the world will be in chaos and the people will suffer."
Tang Ning felt terrible thinking about the consequences: "So, brother, you want to clear the name of the He family first?"
Xiao Yan hummed, "The He family is different from my father's. Although they were also exterminated due to treason, they are not of royal blood after all."
"If the He family had any descendants left, Emperor An would certainly lose all his reputation because of their vindication. However, if he put the blame on the already exterminated Lu family and issued an edict of repentance for past actions, it would be somewhat appeased."
"I am the only one left in the He family now. Even if I can redeem myself and restore his glory, it will not threaten his throne. Compared to the emperor's eldest grandson who is still alive and can seize his throne at any time, the offspring of the He family may make him furious, but he will not take any risks."
Tang Ning understood what Xiao Yan meant. He wanted to clear the name of the late crown prince, but he also didn't want the Wei Dynasty to fall into chaos. He wanted a smooth "transition" of imperial power, and clearing the name of the He family first was undoubtedly the best option.
"But..." Tang Ning hesitated: "Once Emperor An knows that you are from the He family, I'm afraid he will no longer use you."
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