Chapter 345 'Pardon']
His teacher, Taifu Xie, was upright and honest. He had been taught by him since he was young, through words and deeds, and he was influenced by him. He was confident and open-minded. When he became an emperor in the future, he would naturally put the world first.
However, where in the imperial court is there no intrigue and deception? Where is there no dark side?
If he was really as passionate and kind-hearted as his teacher hoped, he would have disappeared quietly in the palace when the Qin family encountered trouble ten years ago.
It's not that he doesn't trust Master Xie. The fact that the teacher is willing to risk his life to vindicate the prince is proof of his loyalty.
However, the situation in the court was changing rapidly. Even if the injustice of treason against him was successfully vindicated, due to the emperor's fear and dislike of him as the prince, he still could not reveal his identity and stay in the capital in a short period of time.
It wouldn't matter if the time was short, but if it lasted for a long time, how could the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince just watch the crown prince position remain vacant without taking any action?
Once the teacher knows that he is still alive, he will definitely support and assist him wholeheartedly and will never be tempted by other princes.
But what about the ministers who had always followed their teacher and supported the prince? How many of them could still stick to their original intentions?
That's why he would test the poison on himself this time, sacrificing his own life to save the lives of those adults.
Of course, this alone may not be enough to stop those who want to change their ways and join another master.
But, with an extra layer of insurance, the period of loyalty can be extended for a few more days, right?
A gust of wind blew by, and Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but frown and coughed painfully for a moment.
"Your Highness!" Yuan Xu asked nervously, "Should we ask Lord Chu to invite the imperial physician to come and take your pulse and give you a diagnosis? Although there is an antidote for the poison, it is still very dangerous. If the toxin cannot be completely eliminated from the body..."
Xiao Yunshuo waved his hand and said, "It's okay. Inviting the imperial physician would only draw attention and cause more trouble. I'm fine..."
Who told him to play these political games in front of his most loyal and supportive teacher? He deserved to be poisoned and suffer a little.
It seems that emperors and princes in ancient times could not escape the fate of being cunning and trying to win people's hearts and play with power.
If she knew, I wonder if she would be...afraid of him?
Although he and Shen Fenghe had never mentioned what would happen after he regained his status as the crown prince, he somehow subconsciously felt that with her free-spirited personality, she would probably not like the court and palace with its treacherous and turbulent undercurrents.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help feeling a little anxious. He closed his eyes and forced himself to shake off these unnecessary worries.
"How's the trial going at the Dali Temple?" Xiao Yunshuo paused for a moment after coughing and asked softly.
I haven't seen Chu Ming in the past few days.
Because of the poisoning incident in the Dali Temple prison, he and Dali Temple Minister Zhou personally interrogated Mr. Xie and others.
"Your Highness, the jailer who poisoned the prison was killed just as he was about to confess. However, perhaps the jailer had already guessed that he might be killed, so he stuffed a confession between his clothes beforehand. In it, he detailed the evidence that Prince of Jin Xiao Yunqi and Prime Minister Shen Shi'an had secretly ordered him to poison and kill Taifu Xie and other officials."
When Xiao Yunshuo heard this, a faint mocking smile appeared on his lips.
Whether this confession was truly written by the jailer or was deliberately forged by someone, I am afraid it will become an unsolved case and will never be solved.
Yuan Xu continued, "Lord Zhou immediately sent someone to the Prime Minister's residence to summon Minister Chen for questioning. However, Minister Chen insisted that it was Lord Zhou who slandered him and His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin in order to absolve himself of his guilt. Lord Zhou had no other evidence and was unable to do anything to Minister Chen for the time being..."
Xiao Yunshuo nodded.
This is also expected.
The poisoning incident in the Dali Temple was just a fuse.
Xiao Yunqi and Shen Shi'an were desperate and ordered someone to poison them. How could the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince's party sit idly by and not take advantage of such a powerful handle?
Therefore, for what happens next, there is no need for the teacher and other ministers who are pleading on behalf of the prince to take the lead.
Naturally, there will be people fighting each other, and this will help to redress the prince.
Since it's a dog-eat-dog situation, it's natural for you to fight back and forth. You can't just let one side get bitten, right?
"Your Highness? Over the years, we have collected a lot of evidence about the collusion between Prince Jin and Prime Minister Shen in corruption and abuse of power. Should we hand it over to Chu Ming to make it public? That way, no matter how powerful Prince Jin and Prime Minister Shen are, I'm afraid they will have no room for excuses."
Xiao Yunshuo shook his head and asked, "Who does Chu Ming belong to?"
Yuan Xu was stunned for a moment, not understanding what Xiao Yunshuo meant: "Chu Ming... is naturally His Highness's man."
Xiao Yunshuo chuckled softly and said, "Even you know this, how could everyone else in the capital not know? Even though he openly distanced himself from me after his 'serious illness' three years ago, we were very close when we were young, and the whole capital knows about it. Once this evidence is released from him, people won't say Chu Ming is impartial, they'll just say he's speaking for the Crown Prince."
The smile on Xiao Yunshuo's lips turned a bit sad as he whispered, "If the Crown Prince wants to be cleared of the injustice of treason, it absolutely cannot be the Crown Prince's party that comes forward to petition for it. Otherwise, the result will only be counterproductive..."
Once a minister who supports the prince asks for permission, his father will remember his dislike and fear of him and will never give in.
After hearing this, Yuan Xu couldn't help but feel a little anxious: "What should we do? Your Highness, this is a golden opportunity to overthrow the Fifth Prince and clear the Crown Prince's name. If we miss it, we don't know when the Crown Prince will be able to clear his name and restore his status..."
Seeing how anxious he was, Xiao Yunshuo laughed and said, "Look how anxious you are. Chu Ming isn't suitable, but there are others as well. Isn't Lord Zhou, the Minister of Justice, a ready-made candidate?"
Yuan Xu's eyes lit up: "What does Your Highness mean?"
Xiao Yunshuo said calmly, "I've already instructed Chu Ming to pretend to accidentally reveal the incriminating evidence to Lord Zhou. Don't worry, Sixth Prince will never give up such a great opportunity..."
The situation in the capital was indeed similar to what Xiao Yunshuo had predicted.
However, there is still a slight deviation.
The first person to produce the evidence of Xiao Yunqi and Shen Shi'an's corruption and abuse of power was not Lord Zhou from the Sixth Prince's party, but the Second Prince Xiao Yuncong.
Moreover, the evidence in Xiao Yuncong's hands was quite detailed, including various original first-hand account books, such as the price of selling official positions, who bought them and how much silver they paid, etc., which were even more detailed and conclusive than the indirect evidence and witnesses obtained by Xiao Yunshuo's people.
It was as if... they were stolen from the secret rooms and cabinets of Prince Jin's Mansion or Shen's Mansion. Many of them even had the seals of Prince Jin and Shen Shi'an on them!
Of course, the Sixth Prince was not to be outdone, and he immediately produced similar evidence. Together with the evidence that Chu Ming had managed to leak, they were all presented to Emperor Yucheng one by one.
At this point, even if Prince Jin and Shen Shi'an tried to argue again, and Emperor Yucheng no longer wanted to punish Prince Jin, he had no choice but to order Prince Jin and Shen Shi'an to be imprisoned, pending further investigation by the Dali Temple, due to the criticism from all the civil and military officials in the court.
At this time, Grand Tutor Xie brought up the Crown Prince's case again: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Jin has been colluding with Prime Minister Shen and has been undermining the government for years. The evidence is irrefutable, proving he is a habitual deceitful person. The Crown Prince's conspiracy is extremely suspicious, and must be a malicious frame-up by the Prince of Jin! I beg for your understanding!"
Emperor Yucheng's face looked a little ugly.
However, the ministers in the court were so excited about overthrowing the Fifth Prince and Prime Minister Shen that they did not notice it.
The Second Prince, fearing that Emperor Yucheng would continue to protect the Fifth Prince from punishment and eager to apprehend him completely, stepped forward and echoed, "Father, I believe that what Grand Tutor Xie said is absolutely true! His Highness the Crown Prince is absolutely not one to commit treason or disobedience. I beg your Highness to discern this clearly!"
Seeing this, the Sixth Prince was furious. Fearing he'd missed his chance to shine, he immediately spoke passionately, "Father, I also thought the Crown Prince would never rebel. It must have been Fifth Brother...it must have been Xiao Yunqi who deliberately framed him. Now the Crown Prince is dead, and he must bear the eternal infamy. I simply can't bear to watch helplessly. I beg Father to clear the Crown Prince's name. That way, the Crown Prince's spirit in heaven can rest in peace..."
After hearing the Sixth Prince's words, Emperor Yucheng's expression brightened slightly. He sighed and said, "The Sixth Prince, though still young, is so considerate of his brotherly love for the Crown Prince. I am very pleased. Crown Prince... Alas! The one I love the most and have the highest hopes for is the Crown Prince, but fate plays such a trick on me... Now that the Crown Prince is dead, I will grant your request—"
Then he asked in a deep voice, "Where is the attendant?"
Immediately an official stepped forward and said, "I am here."
Emperor Yucheng glanced at him and said coldly, "Erase all references to the Crown Prince attempting rebellion and being executed by the Fifth Prince from the diary. Simply write that the Crown Prince caught a cold on his way back to the capital and unfortunately died. Also, order the Jingzhao Yin to increase patrols. Anyone in the capital who dares to mention the Crown Prince's rebellion will be arrested immediately!"
After hearing these words, Grand Tutor Xie's face turned pale and serious. As soon as Emperor Yucheng finished speaking, he immediately said, "Your Majesty! I think that the arrangement you just made is inappropriate! The Crown Prince is absolutely not plotting treason. I implore Your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation! If you do not conduct a thorough investigation, and simply erase the records and prevent the people from making random comments, it will only cause the world to misunderstand His Royal Highness the Crown Prince..."
Emperor Yucheng was already impatient: "Taifu Xie! You went on a hunger strike and begged me to exonerate the Crown Prince. I just agreed, and you're still pushing for more? A thorough investigation? What? Are you trying to uncover the truth about the fratricide among my princes? Taifu Xie, what are you up to?"
Upon hearing this, Master Xie immediately knelt down and said, "I dare not, but..."
"Nothing but!" Emperor Yucheng waved his sleeve impatiently and said coldly, "Prince Jin colluded with Shen Shi'an to embezzle and pervert the law. I order the Dali Temple and Jingzhao Yin to immediately confiscate the property of all those involved and imprison them. All the people in the house, regardless of age, will be exiled to the frontier immediately. Without an imperial decree, they will never be allowed to enter the capital again!"
After saying this, without waiting for the ministers in the court to object, he said coldly: "Dismiss the court!"
When Xiao Yunshuo heard what was happening in the court, the Jingzhao Yin and the patrol officers and corvées from the Dali Temple were rushing into the Jin Wang residence and the Shen residence without any explanation, ransacking the property, and recording all the people in the two families. The list was handed over to the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to make an exile list. The criminals were first imprisoned and waited for three days to be sent to the border.
After hearing the whole story, Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but sigh and smiled sadly, "It seems that my father really is afraid of me and hates me. Even if I die, he is only willing to pardon my sins on the grounds of 'deep father-son love, let bygones be bygones'..."
"Your Highness, what should we do next? Grand Tutor Xie said he is under surveillance by the Second and Sixth Princes, so it's not convenient for him to meet with Your Highness. However, Master Xie said he will continue to petition for the Crown Prince..."
Xiao Yunshuo waved his hand and said, "Chu Ming, tell the teacher not to mention the Crown Prince anymore..."
"Don't mention it anymore?" Chu Ming was a little surprised and said anxiously: "But Your Highness, according to the Emperor's oral order, the Emperor's rebellion against the Crown Prince..."
"It's not rehabilitation, but pardon...right?" Xiao Yunshuo smiled self-deprecatingly and said the rest of the words for Chu Ming.
This means that the emperor can revoke his so-called pardon at any time.
If he is found alive, he will probably be sentenced to death immediately for treason!
Seeing Xiao Yunshuo like this, Chu Ming couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry.
He was loved by his father and brothers since he was young, but although the crown prince was the heir to the throne, he was not only not loved by his biological father, but was always feared by him...
Is there any child in this world who wants to be hated by his or her parents?
"Your Highness..."
Xiao Yunshuo stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, he looked at the vast sky and clouds outside the window, his expression had returned to normal.
He said, "In short, regarding the Crown Prince's matter, you must have the teachers and other adults remember to never mention it again, or else you might bring about a fatal disaster..."
"Your Highness, are you... not going to fight anymore?"
There was no need to argue or say it explicitly; both of them would understand naturally.
Xiao Yunshuo narrowed his eyes slightly but did not answer.
Chu Ming waited for a moment, then suddenly understood. He immediately knelt down and apologized in a low voice, "Your Highness, I spoke out of turn."
How could a minister like him have any say in whether to fight for the throne or not?
Even though he had a close relationship with the prince and was truly worried about him, this limit could never be crossed.
Besides, what kind of stupid question was he asking?
Why doesn’t the prince fight?
He is the crown prince, and everything should belong to him.
If it is a fight, then the second, fifth and sixth princes of the current dynasty are the ones who are really fighting.
He was actually stupid enough to ask the prince whether he still wanted to fight?
Xiao Yunshuo helped him up and said calmly, "It's okay. I know what you're thinking."
Chu Ming secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked, "What are your plans next, Your Highness?"
Xiao Yunshuo thought for a moment before saying, "Under the current circumstances, staying in the capital won't be of much benefit. I will leave the capital as soon as possible and make plans when the time is right. As for the affairs in the capital, you, the teacher, and the other ministers will have to work hard to maintain them. Don't let anything go wrong."
Chu Ming nodded and replied, "Yes. I understand."
Xiao Yunshuo didn't say anything more.
At this moment, there is no point in saying more.
The emperor ordered Xiao Yunqi and the Shen family to be exiled immediately, and the emperor's intention was obvious.
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