Chapter 332 What role does the Prime Minister play in all of this?
Jiang Yu opened the note and saw that it read: "I have received your message. Your contribution is outstanding. You will be richly rewarded later. Do not neglect your duties."
After reading the contents, Jiang Yu flipped through the note in her hand again and again. The contents were not enough to make the King of Lingnan risk being discovered to send a message. But carrier pigeons were inherently prone to interception, so it was normal for the King of Lingnan not to write important messages on it.
Perhaps there's a code, or perhaps there's something else hidden on this note. After pondering for a moment, Jiang Yu took out a tinderbox, lit the candle, and then placed the note on the flame. Sure enough, after a short while, a line of words appeared on the back of the note: "Try to send someone into the Heavenly Crafts Bureau."
Jiang Yu put down the note and looked at Xie Ning'an. Upon seeing this, Xie Ning'an immediately said, "I didn't see the other item on it."
His current status doesn't allow him to know too many secrets.
Jiang Yu nodded slightly; she believed Xie Ning'an's words. The words that appeared after heating would remain visible and wouldn't hide again. However, Xie Ning'an might have some guesses, and with his intelligence, he would likely figure it out with a little thought.
But that's alright; the firearms Prince Rui has developed will soon be on display. It's just that, given the current situation, we need to speed things up.
“The news is very important, and I will report it to the Emperor truthfully,” Jiang Yu said.
In other words, he wouldn't hide Xie Ning'an's contribution from the Emperor, since he was the one who intercepted the note. Xie Ning'an, on the other hand, didn't want to show off in front of the Emperor; he and the Xie family needed to keep a low profile, so low that no one would notice them.
"I initially only wanted to help you investigate the matter." Xie Ning'an lowered her eyes and carefully considered her words before saying, "Duke of Chu, there's no need to mention me in front of the Emperor."
Jiang Yu glanced at him for a moment and said, "I'm afraid that won't work."
The matter had to be reported to the emperor, after all, the ins and outs of the matter had to be explained clearly. If there was a lie in the middle, then other lies would have to be used to cover it up later, which was a very dangerous thing.
Xie Ning'an pursed her lips. "Okay."
Jiang Yu understood his concerns and said, "Don't worry, you got involved in this because you're doing this for me, so I know my limits."
Xie Ning'an smiled, a slight bitterness in his expression. It wasn't that he was being overly cautious; it was that he had no choice but to be. Seeing his expression, Jiang Yu looked away and changed the subject, speaking of something else.
Everyone has their own responsibilities. Xie Ning'an was raised by the Xie family during their prosperous period, enjoying a life of luxury and receiving the most elite education of the time. Xie Yun even did everything in his power to save his life, so everything the Xie family has now is his due.
........
After Xie Ning'an left, Jiang Yu pondered for a moment, then wrote a letter to Prince An, and got up to prepare to meet the Emperor. Upon arriving at the palace and meeting the Emperor, she presented the letter and recounted what had happened.
From the moment Lady Anyuan encountered the Prime Minister's granddaughter arguing with the Yu family from Lingnan, she guessed that Pei Tinglan was not dead and began an investigation, only to find that Pei Tinglan was indeed alive. Then she asked Xie Ning'an to investigate the evidence that the Prince of Lingnan had harmed the Duke of Chu's mansion, and then Xie Ning'an intercepted the note and told the Emperor everything.
The emperor was shocked upon hearing this and asked, "Are you saying that the Prime Minister's sister, Pei Tinglan, is not dead, but became the concubine of the old King of Lingnan, or is she the current King of Lingnan's biological mother?"
"Yes," Jiang Yu answered confidently.
A dangerous glint appeared in the emperor's eyes. The prime minister was the current King of Lingnan's maternal uncle; it was obvious they were colluding. Even with all his trust in the prime minister, the emperor felt a profound sense of betrayal.
Jiang Yu sat there silently, giving the emperor time to fill in the blanks. There's a saying in modern times: excessive imagination is a disease. And now, Jiang Yu hoped the emperor would indulge in his imagination to the fullest extent, ideally enough to create a million-word novel.
After an unknown amount of time, the emperor looked at Jiang Yu and said, "You suspect that the Prince of Lingnan harmed your family?"
"Yes, my brother was switched by a concubine's son, I was abducted when I was a child, and all the outrageous things my father and my half-brother did were manipulated by someone behind the scenes. My grandfather had long suspected it, but he never imagined that the culprit was the Prince of Lingnan."
On her way to the palace, she had already made up her mind. The Duke of Chu's mansion and the Prince of Lingnan had a long-standing feud, and a direct confrontation was inevitable sooner or later. Rather than being impeached by her political enemies for acting decisively and abusing her power for personal gain, it would be better to inform the Emperor of the feud between the two families in advance. This would not only let the Emperor know the inside story, but also leave room for maneuver for any drastic measures she might take in the future.
The emperor fell silent again after hearing this, and Jiang Yu also remained silent. She continued to give the emperor time to fill in the blanks. The Prince of Lingnan was thousands of miles away from the capital. If the Prince of Lingnan could use manpower and resources to harm the Duke of Chu's mansion just because of his mother's anger, then he must have done even more against the court.
And what role does the prime minister play in all of this?
After a while, the emperor said to Zhao Fuquan, "Prince Xuan'an, Prince Rui, Marquis Cheng'en."
Zhao Fuquan immediately went out and ordered someone to quickly inform the emperor. He had overheard everything in the imperial study and knew how important the matter the emperor and his entourage were about to discuss was. Leaving aside the prime minister, the Prince of Lingnan alone had been a thorn in the side of several emperors. Perhaps the current emperor could resolve it.
After instructing the young eunuch, Zhao Fuquan returned to the imperial study. He glanced at Jiang Yu and couldn't help but sigh. If this man hadn't entered the court, would the current situation still be so favorable? He felt it wouldn't be.
Zhao Fuquan silently prayed, "It's all thanks to the protection of Emperor Gaozu." He invoked this because the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty was none other than Emperor Gaozu. Since the Empress was a woman, it was her blessing that brought forth Jiang Yu, who was also a woman.
Jiang Yu felt Zhao Fuquan's gaze, glanced back at him, and received a fawning smile in return. She smiled back as a response. She didn't know what Zhao Fuquan was really thinking; if she did, she would only find it both laughable and exasperating.
Just then, another eunuch came in to report that the Minister of Rites was requesting an audience. The emperor let him in, and the Minister of Rites, upon entering, was slightly taken aback to find Jiang Yu there as well. He then bowed to the emperor and reported, "Your Majesty, the preliminary and secondary selections of the imperial concubines have concluded. When would you like to hold the final selection?"
The emperor frowned slightly upon hearing this. He was in no mood to participate in the selection of concubines and said, "Let the Empress Dowager and the Empress decide everything."
The Minister of Rites was taken aback again, glancing at Jiang Yu sitting to the side out of the corner of his eye, guessing that something important must have happened again. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn't be so indifferent to the imperial concubine selection. Leaving aside the fact that this selection would bring many women into the Emperor's harem, the princes were also of marriageable age, and this selection was also for choosing consorts for them.
The prince's in-laws are a matter of great importance to the court, but it is unclear what has caused the emperor to disregard even the selection of concubines.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
