Chapter 129 Liquidation
Ning Pavilion.
Two figures sitting opposite each other were reflected on the window paper of the study.
Qin Xiu placed the wooden box on the table between them.
"Lin Heng is dead, and the foundation of the Fengguo Mansion has been shaken, but this is just the beginning."
Qin Xiu's voice was low and slow, "Qingning, your real enemy has never been entirely Fengguo Duke Lin Chong."
Jiang Qingning's heart sank suddenly. She looked at the wooden box, and her intuition told her that it contained a truth that was enough to subvert her cognition.
Qin Xiu opened the wooden box, and inside were several yellowed pieces of letter paper and a black iron token with slightly worn edges.
"Eight years ago, your father and brother were framed for collaborating with the enemy and were demoted to the malaria-ridden region of Lingnan."
"On the surface, it seems that the Duke of Fengguo is jealous of the Jiang family's great military achievements in the northern border, and because the Jiang family is unwilling to rely on the crown prince,
Therefore, they joined forces with the court officials who were attached to the Lin family, especially Xun Chen, who was eager to curry favor with the Lin family and was related to your Jiang family by marriage, to orchestrate this frame-up."
Qin Xiu picked up the black iron token and ran his fingertips across the cold lines.
"This token was found on the body of the assassin who was responsible for framing the Jiang family and delivering the irrefutable evidence. It belongs to the Internal Security Department."
"Internal Guards?"
Jiang Qingning's pupils suddenly contracted.
The Internal Guards, the most mysterious and sharpest knife in the emperor's hand, are loyal only to the emperor and can carry out surveillance, assassination, and framing invisibly.
The Jiang family was demoted, and the Internal Guards were actually involved...
"Duke Fengguo Lin Chong is just the executioner in public. He actually ordered the framing of your father and brother.
The one who wants to get rid of him as soon as possible is the one sitting on the dragon throne, the seemingly benevolent and kind, but actually petty and calculating ruler."
Jiang Qingning stood up suddenly, knocking over the chair behind him with a harsh sound.
His face instantly turned as pale as paper, his body trembled uncontrollably, and his fingers, which were supporting themselves on the table, were so strong that his knuckles turned white and almost embedded in the hard wood grain.
She subconsciously retorted, her voice hoarse, "Your Majesty once commended my father and brother for their contributions in pacifying the northern border..."
"Reward?" A hint of strong sarcasm flashed in Qin Xiu's eyes.
He picked up a yellowed letter and unfolded it. It was written by Xun Chen, but the content made Jiang Qingning feel as if he had fallen into an icy cave.
"Look at this! This is the secret letter Xun Chen secretly submitted to the commander of the Internal Guards. In it, he detailed how he would exploit his relationship with your Jiang family and slip a forged letter into the secret compartment of your father's study while your father and brother were completely unprepared."
"The officials leading the search discovered that they were using public opinion in the capital to pin the accusation of rebellion and disrespect for the powerful on your Jiang family. They made it impossible for those officials and common people who once admired your father and brother to refute their claims due to the irrefutable evidence and the pressure from the Duke of Fengguo's Mansion."
"Xun Chen wrote in the letter: The father and son of the Jiang family are upright and have never formed cliques for personal gain. Their only weakness is their concern for family ties.
I took advantage of my relationship with the family and often went in and out of the important study room in the inner courtyard of the Jiang Mansion. The Jiang family treated me with sincerity and no one was on guard.
This plan was only possible thanks to Your Majesty's wisdom, who saw through the hidden danger of the Jiang family's achievements becoming too great for the emperor, and also thanks to the prestige of the Duke of Fengguo's mansion, which suppressed the noise from both the court and the public.'"
"His achievements are so great that they threaten the master; he is completely defenseless; he has the advantage of being related by marriage..." Jiang Qingning murmured these words.
She recalled Xun Chen's gentle and elegant appearance back then, and every time he came to the Jiang family, her father's gratified eyes, her brother's hearty laughter, and her mother's care for him like a son...
It turned out that all this trust and affection were regarded by him as the most deadly weapon to stab the Jiang family.
It turns out that the seemingly affectionate marriage was an elaborate scam from the very beginning.
It was a bait used by the emperor to paralyze the Jiang family and lower their defenses.
A fishy and sweet taste suddenly rushed up his throat. Jiang Qingning forced himself to suppress it, his eyes bloodshot.
She hated the emperor's suspicion and viciousness, hated Duke Fengguo for taking advantage of his misfortune, and hated Xunchen even more, this beast in human skin!
He took advantage of her feelings and the Jiang family's trust and pushed her loved ones into the abyss with his own hands.
She gritted her teeth and said, "I want Xun Chen to die!"
Qin Xiu watched her vent quietly without stopping her.
Only after Jiang Qingning's breathing calmed down a little did he speak in a deep voice and add:
"Not only that, the emperor chose Xun Chen to handle this case for a more sinister purpose."
"Xun Chen is your husband. He personally investigated and convicted his own Yue family. In the eyes of the world, this is a great act of justice and impartiality."
"The emperor wants to use this relationship to completely silence the public, making everyone think that since even the Jiang family's son-in-law testified impartially, the Jiang family must be unforgivable."
"Xun Chen, he is not only the knife that stabs the Jiang family, but also the best tool used by the emperor to whitewash the situation and cover up his own intention to abandon the donkey after it has served its purpose."
"What a great emperor, what a great minister."
Jiang Qingning slowly raised her head, tears still etched on her face. She looked at Qin Xiu, "What else have you found out besides this? I want to know everything."
Qin Xiu met her gaze without any avoidance.
"have."
He picked up the last few secret letters and some old files from the wooden box.
"These are the blood letters and testimonies left behind by me over the past eight years, from secretly investigating the direct participants and those involved in the frame-up, as well as the relatives and former servants of some of those who were silenced by the Lin family or the emperor."
"The irrefutable evidence pointing to the Internal Guards, the Duke of Fengguo's Mansion, and Xun Chen is almost complete. Over the years, under Lin Chong's control, the Duke of Fengguo's Mansion has been guilty of corruption, disregard for human life, seizure of civilian land, and collusion with enemy countries. The evidence is too numerous to list. Lin Chong cannot escape."
Jiang Qingning glanced at the blood-stained testimonies and the shocking files, and hatred burned in his heart.
She took a deep breath, forced herself to suppress her turbulent emotions, and her voice returned to calm: "I understand, Qin Xiu, thank you for telling me all this."
"Between you and me, there's no need to thank me."
Qin Xiu said solemnly, "The injustice of the Jiang family is also the misfortune of the country."
"Eradicating the treacherous and restoring order is what we should do."
He paused, looking at Jiang Qingning's pale profile, a look of worry flashing across his eyes, "Qingning, the road to revenge is dangerous. The emperor is scheming and ruthless."
"I know."
Jiang Qingning interrupted him, looking out the window at the dark night, "I won't be reckless."
"Qin Xiu, go do what you should do. The Fengguo Mansion should be thoroughly liquidated. As for Xun Chen."
The corners of her lips curled up coldly, "I will take care of it myself."
Qin Xiu saw the cold light in her eyes and knew that persuasion was useless. He could only say in a deep voice: "Okay, you must be careful. Xun Chen is a sinister and cunning man. Moreover, the Anping Marquis Mansion is now tied to Jiang Ruyi, which adds more variables."
"Just a clown."
Jiang Qingning spoke in a contemptuous tone, then said seriously, "You should also take care of your own safety. Since the emperor can take action against the Jiang family, he will only be more wary of the Duke of Qin's Mansion, which controls military power and holds the secret of his ascension to the throne."
"The Duke of Feng's Mansion collapsed, and the Duke of Qin's Mansion had no checks and balances. Either another Duke's Mansion would be established, or they would be liquidated without delay."
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