Chapter 132 Lost Again
After the Fourth Prince left, Lu Songli did not leave.
No one from the Dali Temple came in to urge them.
She sat down and drank her cup of still steaming tea in one gulp.
Xie Zhan, ah Xie Zhan, this time you will be skinned alive if you don’t die!
The first thing the new emperor would do to demonstrate his power and authority would be to deal with the Xie and Zhao families! Lu Songli was convinced of this.
Because disposing of the Xie and Zhao families offered so many benefits, Song Mo couldn't refuse. First, it would clear him of any involvement in the Crown Prince's death. Second, it would replenish the national treasury with the wealth accumulated by generations of hard work in the Xie and Zhao families. Third, of course, it would serve as a warning to others. It could be said to be the first of the three major actions of a new official upon taking office.
During this period, Xie Zhan was very active. On her side, there was no movement, but did you really think she was just sitting there doing nothing?
The relationship between her and Xie Zhan can be described as that between a tyrant flycatcher and an eagle.
Xie Zhan is a smart man, but he wants too much and attacks frequently.
And this Tyrannosaurus has been dormant all the time. It guards its nest very closely and will not easily provoke the enemy.
But if an eagle enters its territory, it will actively attack. When an eagle and a Tyrannosaurus enter combat mode, even if they are both perched on the same tree, when the eagle takes off, the Tyrannosaurus will follow, then find the right moment, soaring high into the sky above the eagle, locking onto its target and swooping down, using its naturally sharp hooked beak to firmly peck the eagle's head, leaving it in excruciating pain and unable to respond.
Later, the bailiffs from the Dali Temple politely sent Lu Songli back to the prison.
Qin Sheng and others were waiting anxiously, and they all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw her come back.
"You're finally back." Mrs. Qin said, covering her chest.
Lu Songli smiled and nodded at them, "Mom, I made you worry."
Seeing her relaxed expression, the three Qin brothers guessed that the result should be good, but Qin Heng still asked, "How is it?"
"Everything is going well. We can leave soon." Lu Songli believed that after the Fourth Prince successfully inherited the throne, he would be very busy for a while as he needed to stabilize the situation and secure the throne. Moreover, he had more powerful opponents, such as his two brothers, who would not care about their defeated generals.
Shortly after Lu Songli returned to the cell, her elder sister Lu Songyun and brother-in-law Xu Wen came to see her with a basket.
The jailers were numb to the fact that someone else came to visit the Qin family. Because someone came to visit the Qin family every day, and among them, the Lu family was the most diligent, coming every day, sometimes twice a day.
The key point was that everyone who came was quite polite. No matter what, they would at least take care of them. Among them, the Lu family was the most generous. Because of the Lu family's reputation and the tacit approval from their superiors, they didn't make things difficult for the Qin family's visitors. Sometimes they would even give them some convenience, such as getting them some hot water.
Sometimes they wondered if this was still the same dreaded prison. Wouldn't most friends and family avoid the place when a relative was imprisoned? Why weren't they afraid when it came to the Lu family? But doubts aside, to be honest, having such loyal relatives like the Lu family was truly enviable.
Lu Songyun brought them some easy-to-store baked flatbreads. These flatbreads were handmade by her mother-in-law, using unleavened dough. They're quite laborious to make, but when they're almost done, they're sprinkled with sparsely cooked oil crumbs on both sides, giving them a particularly fragrant taste. She brought them to her last visit, and my younger sister found them quite delicious. Later, her mother-in-law learned that my younger sister loved them and made them for her every chance.
Lu Songyun passed the pancakes from the basket through Lanshan to her younger sister, watching her stack them one by one on a clean cloth. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Life is so unpredictable. Who could have imagined that her younger sister would get married the day before, and on the third day, her husband's family would be thrown into prison along with her? She glanced at the two relatively clean cells and thought, at least she hadn't suffered too much.
After handing over the scones, she looked around and said, "My mother-in-law told me to tell you that she has done everything you asked her to do."
In fact, Lu Songyun was quite curious about what her younger sister had asked her mother-in-law to do.
Lu Songli nodded, "Okay, I understand."
This was the second time the Xu family came to visit her. The last time, it was Old Mrs. Xu and her eldest sister who came with them. They brought them half a basket of baked cakes and a few pieces of coarse cloth they had woven themselves, which were not worth much and were used as cushions in the prison.
She remembered all these in her heart.
In the palace
Lu Desheng took out the second will.
The ministers glared at him. "Liar, didn't you say you didn't have the late emperor's will? Then what are you holding now? Tell me if this is a slap in the face or not?"
Lu Desheng was thick-skinned and not afraid of their mocking looks. He said respectfully to the Fourth Prince, "I never thought that the second will was actually in my house."
Humph, just make it up! Do you think they are fools? The ministers gave him a pair of nostrils.
"I found this will in a brocade box. When my daughter got married, the late emperor only said that the contents of the brocade box were a gift to me. He didn't say that there was a secret will hidden inside." So you can't blame him, understand?
Ministers: “Haven’t you ever opened it and taken a look?” We don’t believe it!
"No, how could I open it?" Lu Desheng widened his eyes and refused to admit that he had secretly read it. "The emperor's health was already very poor at that time. I was too busy worrying about him to care about some trivial matters." Yes, he was such a pure and sincere good minister.
Listening to him speak, the ministers almost vomited.
Many of them looked at Lu Desheng's old face carefully. If they were not sure that Emperor Sejong was unable to have children when he was eight years old, they would have suspected that Lu Desheng was his eldest son.
The Queen Mother was so angry that she vomited blood. Really, how could she still want such an emperor? He treated an outsider better than her, his own mother!
At the suggestion of the fourth prince, Lu Desheng handed the will to the royal family. After confirming the authenticity of the will, the royal family read out the contents of the will, reaffirming Emperor Shizong's intention to make the fourth prince Song Mo the next emperor.
Now, all that was missing was the third will. And with two of them endorsing it, Song Mo's status as the next emperor was essentially confirmed.
Imperial Study
Xie Zhan bowed his head deeply. If he was wearing light-colored clothes, one could see that his back was already wet with sweat.
In front of him was evidence of crimes committed by key members of the Xie and Zhao factions.
He shuddered. Xie Zhan knew the information before him was only a fraction. If they could dig so deep, they must have uncovered even more secrets of the Xie family, such as stored grain and the vast, hidden wealth amassed through generations of hard work.
It can be said that Xie Zhan was dizzy when he realized that these secrets were exposed.
He realized that he had fallen into a huge trap.
He should have noticed it sooner!
He should have realized that Lü Desheng's willingness to produce the second edict must have been due to some sort of bargain with the Fourth Prince. After the second edict appeared, the new emperor dumped evidence of crimes against key members of the Xie and Zhao factions in front of him, a clear target for both the Xie and Zhao families.
No, the Lu family must have been planning this even earlier, or it should be said that Lu Songli was the one who was planning this.
First, they spread rumors and slandered him, saying that he was the mastermind behind the Crown Prince's murder and that he was the instrumental in the Fourth Prince's ascension to the throne. By making his relationship with the Fourth Prince public, they made the Fourth Prince afraid to use him. Even if he had all sorts of talents, he would still be useless to the new emperor and would be a useless pawn.
Then, Lu Songli produced these incriminating evidences, as well as the proof that the Xie and Zhao families had hidden huge wealth. This was like handing the new emperor a sharp knife.
He also knew that the treasury was empty. Now the new emperor could get two fat sheep just by wanting them, so how could he not be tempted?
The mentality of those in a position of power is that when they see something good, they can’t help but want to take it for themselves, not to mention that now they have a more legitimate reason to get the thing?
It's like the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Did he lose again?
"Xie Zhan, what do you have to say?"
Xie Zhan knew that the new emperor was going to take action against the Xie and Zhao families, and he could not show even a little bit of reluctance, otherwise, it would bring fatal disaster to the Xie family!
He now deeply understood the cruelty of politics. When Xue Huaimin had been abandoned by the Fourth Prince, he had once been conceited about his own strategic prowess and admired the allure of politics. Now, he, too, had become the one abandoned, suffering the same fate.
"I know that I have failed to live up to your grace. Please punish me, Your Majesty." Xie Zhan bowed his head deeply to the ground and said bitterly.
One wrong move and the whole game is lost.
How similar are Lu Songli's methods to what he did before?
Back then, he had counseled the Fourth Prince, throwing Xue Huaimin out to vent the late Emperor's anger and protect the Fourth Prince from disaster. Now, the Xie and Zhao families were also being used by Lu Songli, or rather, thrown out by her to protect the Qin family from the remaining disaster.
Xie Zhan maintained an extremely humble attitude, neither crying out for justice nor pleading for mercy, nor mentioning his previous achievements, nor making any excuses. He knew full well that these charges were merely excuses for the new emperor to punish the Xie and Zhao families.
His actions made the new emperor hesitate.
It can be said that Xue Huaimin and Xie Zhan played an indispensable role in his ascension to the throne. Now Xue Huaimin is dead, and his three clans have been exterminated. If he had sentenced the Xie and Zhao families too harshly, would the world think he was mean and ungrateful?
After much deliberation, he finally said, "I can escape the death penalty, but I cannot escape the punishment of living."
Hearing this, Xie Zhan heaved a sigh of relief. He had made the right bet!
As soon as he returned to the Xie family, the imperial edict came down, punishing both the Xie and Zhao families. Like the Qin family, their property was confiscated and they were exiled! This was because the new emperor, mindful of his previous merits, had given him a break.
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