Plan before you act (3)
The maids around her were basically trained from childhood. Green Bamboo was about the same age as the eight other maids, including Plum Blossom, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum, Qin, Chess, Calligraphy and Painting. Green Bamboo was slightly older than them, and Green Bamboo would step in to solve any problems they couldn't handle.
Among the other eight people, Green Bamboo has more say, and she will prioritize listening to what Green Bamboo says. Those people will also rely on Green Bamboo to achieve some small goals.
“Young lady, the old master and the old lady will arrive in Chang’an soon. If you stay here, it will make them worry.” Green Bamboo looked at her with concern in her eyes. “Even though you are a very capable person in our eyes, they have always presented you as a sickly person.”
Xie Sili raised his hand and stroked Green Bamboo's head, whispering, "This is my purpose."
“If I go out now, this matter cannot be imposed on the Fang family, but if the grandparents intervene, it’s a different story.” She explained to Green Bamboo with unusual patience.
"Fang Ye and his son Fang Yuanchao are birds of a feather. In order to protect Fang Ye's position as Grand Secretary, many people have stepped forward to become his scapegoats. Xie Chun is very shrewd in the court. Even if there is sufficient evidence, he may still stand up to speak for Fang Ye. In this way, the matter will be dropped."
But if I were imprisoned here, His Majesty still favors my grandfather. Just imagine if this matter were brought before His Majesty, Fang Ye would not be able to keep his position as Grand Secretary even if he did not die. Although the Fang and Zhao families would not be removed from the list of aristocratic families, they would decline as a result.
Nowadays, the Feng family is the most prominent of the aristocratic families. The Feng family is a family of upright officials and they can't stand these kinds of things...
Seeing that Green Bamboo looked slightly puzzled, Xie Sili offered to explain a few more words to her, believing that with Green Bamboo's knowledge over the years, she would understand the meaning behind her words.
“Please take care of yourself, young lady. I will take care of things at Si Garden.” Green Bamboo puffed out her cheeks as she finished speaking.
Xie Sili poked Green Bamboo's cheek, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
After seeing Green Bamboo off, she heard the old man's voice beside her, "Are you the daughter of Prime Minister Xie? Doesn't Prime Minister Xie only have one daughter? When did you become another daughter?"
She turned her gaze to the old man. “I grew up in Chongqing with my grandparents. No one knows that I am the daughter of Prime Minister Xie. Besides, he has never really cared about me.”
Noticing the old man's gaze, Xie Sili knew what he wanted to say.
“My identity does not affect my previous promise to take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days.” After Xie Sili finished speaking, she handed the things in her hand to him. “Those prison guards are all snobs and look down on you and me.”
"Young lady, you are such a kind person." The old man took the things and kowtowed to her in gratitude, saying, "Even if I were to be a cow or a horse in my next life, I could not repay your kindness."
“We are both victims, so how can I repay this debt?” Xie Sili glanced at the old man. “I just did what I should do.” After she finished speaking, she closed her eyes for a short rest.
On the other side.
Jun Qiyu stood in front of the closed stone gate with one hand behind his back, his expression unreadable.
Standing behind him were Lu Shiyuan, Guan Lingsong, Wei Lin, and Cheng Chengyunfan.
The constables escorted a scapegoat who was willing to be convicted of Fang Ye, and at Fang Ye's signal, the man was pushed into a closed, dark room.
They didn't know what was happening; all they could hear were rustling sounds and constant cursing coming from inside.
Jun Qiyu paid no attention to the incessant curses; he stood there expressionless.
Before long, the man's voice could be heard begging for mercy.
Jun Qiyu remained unmoved.
Just as Lu Shiyuan was about to speak, he heard the voice from inside again, "Your Highness, please spare me! Please spare me! I want to leave here, please spare me."
He remained standing there, expressionless.
"Your Highness, I don't want to be Fang Ye's scapegoat anymore. I'll confess, I'll confess everything. I'm willing to tell you the truth about the affairs of the Fang and Zhao families." The man's tone was filled with fear, as if he had seen a demon.
Jun Qiyu then glanced briefly at the constable beside him.
When the man was pulled out, they saw that his legs were covered in blood, with deep wounds that exposed the bone. The numerous marks made the constables nearby vomit on the spot.
Lu Shiyuan, Guan Lingsong, and Wei Lin were all experienced people, and they quickly identified the creature that had made the traces.
After exchanging glances, they turned their gaze to Jun Qiyu, whose figure was disappearing into the distance.
The man was in unbearable pain, but he forced himself to dictate everything, and the clerk of the Jingzhao Prefecture recorded it all.
With this person serving as a cautionary tale, those people all expressed their willingness to stand up and testify against Fang Ye, and the speed at which the focus of their attacks shifted was astonishing.
The three of them had to admire Jun Qiyu's ruthless methods.
Jun Qiyu sat in the main seat, flipping through the booklet he had just compiled.
“Your Highness’s method is still the best,” Lu Shiyuan said, seizing the opportunity. “They have already confessed truthfully.”
"It's admirable that you didn't consider this a despicable method." Jun Qiyu said without looking up, "Now that they are all willing to testify against Fang Ye, the people who arrested Fang Ye will be returning soon."
During their conversation, a constable came to report that Fang Ye had been brought in.
Holding the booklet in his hand, Jun Qiyu took the first step and walked towards the front of the hall.
Fang Ye, dressed in court attire and wearing a black gauze hat, stood in front of the hall. His expression was expressionless, but his eyes held a hint of anger.
Noticing his presence, Fang Ye's voice rang out, "What is the meaning of this, Your Highness Prince Yan?" His words carried a hint of contempt, "Why did you bring me here?"
Jun Qiyu listened to Fang Ye's laughter instead of anger, his eyes fixed on him without saying a word.
"Your Highness, Chao'er and those people have already admitted to this matter. I am merely a victim of it." Fang Ye straightened his sleeves, not taking Jun Qiyu to heart.
"Why make things difficult for me?" He looked at Jun Qiyu, a hint of smugness in his eyes. "I am merely a victim, and I hope Your Highness will severely punish those people!" His words seemed to show no concern for the lives of those people.
"Lord Fang, what's the rush?" Jun Qiyu walked to the front of the hall and sat down, holding the booklet. "Since Lord Fang claims to be innocent, why don't we first hear what these people have to say?" He placed the booklet in front of him and casually flipped through it.
"Since your son became a eunuch, he has confessed to quite a few things. He feels he should be sentenced to death, claiming that even dying a thousand or ten thousand times would not be enough." Jun Qiyu's expression remained calm, but his words revealed a hint of nonchalance.
"I thought I was a tough nut to crack, but I never expected your son to be even more adept than me." His tone was tinged with mockery. "It's a pity that he's a eunuch and will never be able to have sex again."
Ignoring Fang Ye's expression, he continued, "However, given your son's past behavior, even if he were to become a man, the Fang family would likely be wiped out."
Noticing Fang Ye's gaze, Jun Qiyu continued, "What's the point of keeping such a filthy bloodline?"
Fang Ye's ferocious expression and gritted teeth were all taken in by him.
His fingers lightly tapped the table, his expression nonchalant.
"Why is Lord Fang angry?" Jun Qiyu smiled instead of getting angry. "Am I wrong? Such filthy blood should be exterminated, don't you think?"
"Now that Your Highness has investigated the facts, why do you still want to torment me like this? I am only a father myself, and seeing Chao'er in this state breaks my heart." Fang Ye's face was tinged with sadness. "Does Your Highness intend to stab me in the heart again?"
Jun Qiyu's hand paused slightly. "Does Lord Fang mean that your son's life is precious, but other people's lives are not?"
“If you are grieving over your son’s situation, how much more so are those people who have nowhere to seek justice? How much more so are those who want to avenge their wives and daughters?” After saying this, he picked up the gavel and slammed it down hard.
The loud noise startled the birds that were perched or resting nearby.
"Fang Ye, the net of heaven is vast and its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes it. Do you think you can rest easy without me?" Jun Qiyu looked at Fang Ye with a cold expression.
He slammed the booklet on the table, saying, "This is a record of what I have written. I will present it to my father, the Emperor, so he can personally decide whether you deserve to die or what other fate awaits you."
"Your Highness, I am innocent. I have never done those things," Fang Ye said, but his words showed that he did not take Jun Qiyu seriously.
"Lord Fang, I can understand why you look down on someone like me who indulges in beauty and frequents brothels. But have you ever considered why my father allowed me to participate in this matter?"
"In the imperial court, the eldest, second, and third sons are all on equal footing. Even though the second son has no interest in the throne, there are countless people in the court who would recommend him. Your three daughters hold the position of concubines and are quite favored in the inner quarters. And you, this opportunist, think that you can only rest easy with the protection of these three." Jun Qiyu directly revealed Fang Ye's thoughts.
Noticing the emotion in Fang Ye's eyes, Jun Qiyu toyed with the gavel in his hand. "Lord Fang, do you really think you can rest easy?"
"Your Highness, what are you saying?" Fang Ye's lips curled into a faint smile. "I am merely a victim. Those people did everything behind my back. Seeing my closest relatives act in such a way is extremely painful for me as well."
"I can only implore Your Highness to take this matter seriously and investigate the truth so that everyone can be cleared of wrongdoing." Fang Ye said, bowing to Jun Qiyu. "This will help to clear the name of the wronged and bring the truth to light."
A slight smile appeared on Jun Qiyu's lips. "Of course, we will definitely give everyone justice in due time."
Seeing Fang Ye turn and leave, Jun Qiyu signaled to the others not to take any action.
The pieces on the chessboard were just one move away, and that one move would have meant Fang Ye's utter destruction.
This move will deliver a fatal blow to Fang Ye!
"Your Highness, why did you let Fang Ye leave?" Guan Lingsong stepped forward and asked, "The evidence is clear, and those people have already told us the facts."
"Your Highness..."
"So what if the evidence is sufficient?" Jun Qiyu toyed with the booklet in his hand. "Those people are not worth dying for in Fang Ye's eyes. Even if there is evidence against them, it is not enough to make Fang Ye doomed forever."
"The chess piece is still one move away from being completed." Jun Qiyu looked at them with a profound and enigmatic smile.
Guan Lingsong and Wei Lin were puzzled, but Lu Shiyuan stepped forward and said, "Your Highness means that Miss Xie is the son of the general on this chessboard. If this move goes well, Fang Ye may be doomed!"
"As expected of Lord Lu." Jun Qiyu looked at Lu Shiyuan with an appreciative gaze. "Indeed, Miss Xie is the most crucial move on this chessboard!"
"Why?" Guan Lingsong and Wei Lin asked in confusion, still not understanding.
"Miss Xie is the daughter of Prime Minister Xie. Although Prime Minister Xie doesn't care much for her, she is the beloved granddaughter of Old Master Xie and is deeply loved by the Xie couple."
Jun Qiyu looked at them with a slight smile on his lips, "Now that sickly young lady is imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture because of Fang Yuanchao."
"How could the Xie couple not care about this matter?"
Jun Qiyu didn't give them a chance to speak and continued, "When Master Xie was in court, he was deeply trusted by the Emperor. If Master Xie were to report this matter to the Emperor, Fang Ye would be unable to defend himself and would be courting death!"
“Miss Xie is a clever woman; she has all the methods and means. This pawn is just one move in her game. With Fang Ye stepping down, the person I recommend will naturally become the next Grand Chancellor.” Jun Qiyu watched them playing with the jade thumb ring in their hands.
He turned his gaze to them and chuckled, "Whether this game can be won depends on where this move is placed."
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