Chapter 333 I'm happy to see it happen
The Minister of Rites was inwardly turbulent by the Emperor's words. However, he dared not ask further, and after bowing, he withdrew. He had only been gone a short while when Prince An, Prince Rui, and the Marquis of Cheng'en arrived.
The three men bowed, and then the emperor had Zhao Fuquan stand guard outside while the group began their private conversation. The emperor first had Jiang Yu recount the events, and then asked, "What are your thoughts?"
Prince An had received Jiang Yu's letter beforehand and wasn't surprised at all. Prince Rui, who had always been indifferent to foreign affairs, wasn't much surprised either, only noting down the names of the Prime Minister and the Prince of Lingnan. The most surprised was Marquis Chengen.
Marquis Chengen was considerably younger than the old Duke of Chu, but both were long-established powerful figures in the capital. He was well aware of the entanglements between the old Duke of Chu and the Prime Minister. In particular, when the matter of the Duke of Chu's family being switched between legitimate and illegitimate heirs was exposed, he was still wondering who had orchestrated it.
He guessed many people at the time, but he didn't guess it was the Prince of Lingnan. First, Lingnan was too far from the capital, and second, the Prince of Lingnan's residence and the Duke of Chu's residence had absolutely no connection.
"I have heard about what happened back then, but I never expected that Pei Tinglan would not die and would even marry the Prince of Lingnan," Marquis Chengen sighed.
Although he sighed, he wasn't really saying this out of lamentation; he wanted to steer the conversation toward the relationship between the Prime Minister and the Prince of Lingnan.
Jiang Yu naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. With hatred on her face, she said, "Yes, my grandfather suspected many people, but he never suspected the Prince of Lingnan. Now that we know Pei Tinglan is not dead, I'm wondering if the Prime Minister was involved in harming my Duke of Chu's mansion."
Marquis Chengen glanced at Jiang Yu upon hearing this, but remained silent. In his heart, he thought, "Such a young man, yet he's already putting on quite a show." His words were ostensibly a suspicion that the Prime Minister was colluding with the Prince of Lingnan to harm their Chu State Duke's mansion, but subtly implied a connection between the Prime Minister and the Prince of Lingnan.
The emperor wasn't a fool; he naturally understood the meaning behind Jiang Yu's words. He glanced at Jiang Yu and the Marquis of Chengen, then turned his gaze to the Prince of An, seeking his opinion.
Prince An, with a serious expression and respectful demeanor, said, "The Prime Minister is the Prince of Lingnan's maternal uncle, so it's inevitable that the two would have dealings. The Prime Minister has kept this matter a secret for many years, so it can't be as simple as fearing the Emperor's suspicion."
The emperor nodded; these words resonated with him, as he shared the same sentiment.
“The Prime Minister is a high-ranking official in the court. Not to mention that he is in charge of many court affairs, his power should not be underestimated. Without evidence, it is not advisable to take action against him. We should proceed slowly,” said Prince An.
This was a very direct statement, but only someone of Prince An's status could say such a thing. He was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and also a prince; if he spoke in too roundabout a way, he would certainly displease the Emperor.
As expected, the emperor listened to his words with an expression of agreement, while his hand clenched into a fist. The feeling of betrayal from the prime minister made him want to immediately confiscate the prime minister's property and exterminate his entire clan, but he couldn't do that now.
The emperor hummed in acknowledgment, then turned his gaze to Jiang Yu, indicating he wanted her to offer her opinion. Jiang Yu had already prepared her response; she cupped her hands in a respectful gesture to the emperor and said:
"We can deal with the Prime Minister slowly, but we can wrap up the matter of the King of Lingnan privately printing silver notes. We should also send people to spread the news that the King of Lingnan deliberately let the counterfeit silver notes flow into the Southern Barbarians. At the same time, we should prepare to deter the King of Lingnan."
The emperor grunted in agreement, then turned his gaze to Marquis Chengen. Marquis Chengen straightened his back and said, "I believe that before intimidating the King of Lingnan, we should negotiate with his garrison to prevent him from resorting to desperate measures."
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Prince Rui, who seemed lost in thought. However, the Emperor knew his temperament and wasn't angry. In the entire Great Khanate, it was probably only this prince who could daydream in front of the Emperor without being punished.
"Can firearms be mass-produced now?" the emperor asked Prince Rui.
Prince Rui then came to his senses, but he showed no sign of guilt and replied, "Rockets and explosive charges can be mass-produced. Hand ammunition and artillery are still under development."
"Yes, rockets and explosives are enough." The emperor was much more confident. Thinking of the information from Lingnan that someone was to be sent to the Imperial Works Bureau, he said with some concern, "Be careful. All food, clothing and daily necessities must be strictly inspected."
After saying that, he looked at Prince An and said, "Send some more people to accompany your uncle."
“Yes,” Prince An replied immediately.
The emperor looked at Prince An with satisfaction, thinking carefully that only this son could be of use in case of trouble. Looking at his increasingly satisfied son, he added, "Send people from the Prime Minister's residence to keep an eye on him."
"yes."
At this moment, the emperor was absolutely resolute. Regardless of whether the prime minister had any ulterior motives, just the fact that he was the maternal uncle of the Prince of Lingnan and had concealed this for so many years meant that the prime minister deserved to die.
After the group refined their plans, the emperor allowed them to return. Before leaving, the Marquis of Chengen recommended his son, the Heir Apparent of the Marquis of Chengen, and Ning Yunchuan to go to Lingnan to investigate the King of Lingnan's illegal silver note printing operation and to negotiate with the local imperial garrison.
After listening, the emperor glanced at Jiang Yu and then agreed. Both the heir of the Marquis of Chengen and Ning Yunchuan were capable enough, in terms of status and ability, to undertake this mission. As for the Marquis of Chengen recommending Ning Yunchuan, it was highly likely that Jiang Yu was behind it, and he didn't pay much attention to it.
If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. If officials seek benefits for themselves and their families, as long as it is not too excessive or involves corruption and bribery, the emperor is still willing to tolerate it.
After leaving the palace, Marquis Chengen departed first, leaving Jiang Yu and the other two. They found a teahouse to continue their discussion. In fact, throughout the entire process, it was mostly Jiang Yu and Prince An who were discussing things, while Prince Rui was quietly drinking tea.
When Prince An heard Jiang Yu say that he had handed over the matter of the Prime Minister's eldest grandson killing a doctor because he was infertile to Lu Shaocheng, he gave Jiang Yu a deep look. He knew that Jiang Yu was paving the way for Lu Shaocheng; first there was Ning Yunchuan, and now there was Lu Shaocheng. He could almost see the future, just how powerful the Chu State Duke's faction would become.
However, this was something he was happy to see happen. He had reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with Jiang Yu, and the greater the power behind Jiang Yu, the more beneficial it would be for him.
After the two finished speaking, Jiang Yu turned her gaze to Prince Rui, asking if he had anything to say, only to be told no. Jiang Yu couldn't help but smile slightly, then rose to take her leave; she had many things to do.
After she left, the uncle and nephew, who were of similar age, met eyes, gazed at each other for a moment, and then looked away. But in that instant, they both understood each other's thoughts. The two began to drink their tea in silence, without exchanging a word.
After a while, Prince Rui stood up and said, "My brother asked you to send some more people to my side. No one can protect me as well as you personally. For the time being, you can move to my palace. Anyway, I will have your courtyard cleaned every day."
“Alright,” Prince An said with a smile.
The two understood that neither of them wanted romantic feelings to affect their childhood friendship.
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