Chapter 440 A Calamity
First, there was a barrage of threats and accusations, then the matter was swept under the rug. This series of actions left the ministers in the Taiji Hall completely bewildered. What was the Emperor's intention?
Even the Prince of Lingnan, who had been reprimanded, couldn't guess the Emperor's true purpose in acting today. Having received the Emperor's permission, he stood up and turned to look at Jiang Yu and the Marquis of Chengen, his lips pressed into a straight line. It seemed that Jiang Yu and the Marquis of Chengen were truly the Emperor's most trusted confidants.
Having done what needed to be done, the emperor glanced at the Prince of Lingnan's face, which was trying hard to suppress his emotions, and felt a sense of relief. He said in a cheerful tone, "Speak if you have anything to say, otherwise, the court is adjourned."
The events of the morning had quite a shock to everyone. Officials who didn't have anything of great importance to report hesitated to take out their memorials from their sleeves, and the morning court session ended just like that. Before leaving, the emperor mentioned that a banquet would be held in the palace to welcome the Prince of Lingnan. Ministers who were to attend the banquet were urged to hurry home and prepare for it.
Because the Prince of Lingnan brought his family to the capital, the banquet in the palace was divided into separate banquet halls for male and female guests, and the officials attending the banquet also had to bring their families.
When Jiang Yu returned to the manor, Lu Yifang and Wu Zhengyan were already prepared. Jiang Yu instructed the two, "Just put on a cold face when you see Pei Tinglan and Zhu Junning, but don't get into a conflict with them. Now is not the time."
Lu Yifang and Wu Zhengyan nodded immediately, Wu Zhengyan's face showing nervousness. Jiang Yu gave her a reassuring look, but said nothing. The more she said at this moment, the more nervous Wu Zhengyan would become.
After giving her instructions, Jiang Yu turned and left. After Jiang Yu's figure disappeared through the door, Wu Zhengyan nervously asked Lu Yifang, "Mother, is my younger sister... seeking revenge?"
Seeing her somewhat unseemly demeanor, Lu Yifang sighed inwardly, feeling even more resentment towards Pei Tinglan and the Prince of Lingnan. If her son hadn't been switched with a concubine's son, why would he have married a woman from a humble family?
Although she thought this way, she didn't show it on her face. This daughter-in-law, despite her humble origins, was genuinely good to her son. This alone made up for all her other shortcomings. However, this daughter-in-law had another virtue: she was obedient.
Holding her hand and sitting down, Lu Yifang said, "You know about our feud with the Lingnan Prince's Mansion. If it weren't for the Lingnan Prince's Mansion, Jiamu wouldn't have been changed from a legitimate son to a concubine's son, and his body wouldn't have been harmed to this state."
Speaking of Jiang Jiamu's health, Lu Yifang's eyes welled up with tears again. She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "Yu'er was abducted when she was three years old. She was so intelligent, yet she has no memory of anything before she was three. It shows what kind of dangerous things she went through back then. If she hadn't met her adoptive parents, I don't know what kind of life she would have had."
Thinking of her own chaotic and bitter years, and the experiences of her two children, Lu Yifang gritted her teeth and said, "How can I not avenge such a grudge?"
Wu Zhengyan nodded, clutching her handkerchief tightly. Lu Yifang composed herself and looked at her, saying, "In the past, they were thousands of miles away in Lingnan, and we couldn't take revenge. But now they've come to the capital, and Yu'er has been planning for so long. If we don't take revenge, we'll be letting ourselves down, and we'll also be letting down the old Duke who died with resentment."
Wu Zhengyan nodded heavily, "Daughter-in-law...daughter-in-law is foolish, but I will listen to you."
Lu Yifang patted her hand, "You don't need to be nervous, just follow me at the banquet."
Wu Zhengyan nodded emphatically again, her inner tension easing considerably. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law rested for a while longer before setting off together. Upon arriving at the front courtyard, Jiang Yu was already waiting for them. The three of them boarded a carriage and headed towards the palace.
......
Lingnan Prince's Mansion
Upon returning to his residence, the Prince of Lingnan smashed a tea set in anger. Zhu Junning, who rushed over upon hearing the commotion, saw the mess on the ground, walked over quietly, bowed, and asked, "Father, what happened?"
The Prince of Lingnan remained silent for a moment with a cold expression before recounting what had happened in court. Zhu Junning frowned deeply after listening, and said after a while, "The Emperor is trying to mislead my father."
The King of Lingnan was taken aback, waved for him to sit down, and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Zhu Junning sat down at the lower end of the table, lowered his eyes, and sorted out his thoughts. He said, "The Duke of Chu said in court that the imperial treasury has received 80 million taels of silver in half a year. Regardless of whether this number is true or not, Jiang Yu's reform of the money shops has already shown initial results, and the imperial treasury must be full now."
The Prince of Lingnan nodded thoughtfully, signaling her to continue. Zhu Junning clasped her hands together and said, "The imperial treasury is currently full, and we possess highly destructive firearms. Now that we are in the capital, will the emperor really refrain from taking action against us?"
The Prince of Lingnan tensed up, his hands clenching together. "Are you saying the Emperor is trying to mislead me, making me unable to guess his thoughts, to buy him time for his next move?"
Zhu Junning nodded, "Perhaps the troops, provisions, and weapons sent by the imperial court to the King of Lingnan are already on their way."
The King of Lingnan's face was terribly grim, his tightly clenched hands revealing bulging veins. At this moment, Zhu Junning's voice rang out again, "Father, we must quickly escape back to Lingnan. Even if war breaks out, it will be much better with you in Lingnan."
The King of Lingnan remained silent with a grim face after hearing her words. After a while, he said, "The imperial court has such powerful weapons. How confident do you think I, sitting in Lingnan, am in winning the battle?"
Zhu Junning frowned and remained silent. The Prince of Lingnan sighed deeply, "How could we have imagined that Prince Rui would develop such a weapon? This is a calamity for our Lingnan Prince's Mansion!"
The Prince of Lingnan loosened his grip on her hand, looked at Zhu Junning who was frowning, and said, "The Xie family handed over their entire fortune to save Xie Ning'an. But even if we hand over everything, the emperor will not leave us a single survivor."
"Father... what do you want to do?" Zhu Junning guessed at the Prince of Lingnan's intentions, but he wasn't sure.
The King of Lingnan looked at him with a sly smile, "We still have a crucial card in our hand."
Zhu Junning was taken aback, but then said nothing. She guessed what the card was.
“Find some time to meet Xie Ning’an,” the King of Lingnan said, standing up. “Although the Xie family has fallen, they must still have a network of informants. Try to get some information from him. After all, he is now working under Jiang Yu.”
"Yes," Zhu Junning replied immediately.
The Prince of Lingnan nodded in satisfaction, "Go and get ready, and call your grandmother to attend the palace banquet together."
He also emphasized, "Make sure your grandmother remembers the identity you've assigned her, and doesn't let it slip."
"Yes, my daughter will stay close to her grandmother."
The King of Lingnan nodded in satisfaction again, then turned and strode away.
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