Chapter 187 Frankly
"I went to Southern Xinjiang to look for gunpowder shipped from Shangjing to Southern Xinjiang. The Xu and Chen families knew I was in charge of this matter. They wanted to wait for the war in Southern Xinjiang to start and then accuse me of embezzling gunpowder in the court."
Xie Chengyan gradually moved away from Ye Lanzhou, leaning his back against the edge of the bathtub. He said, "I sneaked into the last batch of arms transport and was robbed of my gunpowder by assassins sent by the Xu family in Nanyang. Fortunately, I had previously communicated with the Nanyang Governor, and the people from the Nanyang government arrived in time, allowing me to escape unscathed."
His wound got wet and he felt a sharp pain in his chest, but he said nothing. He simply washed it twice and went out. He changed into clean clothes and returned to the study with Ye Lanzhou.
"The gunpowder has now been delivered to Marshal Lu of Southern Xinjiang. The Xu family is under investigation, and the head of the Xu family, Xu Yubai, is being held in the Nanyang government office."
It sounded like everything was going smoothly, but Xie Chengyan didn't show a trace of joy on his face. It was clearly good news, but his expression made people feel that it was bad news.
She knew that the Xu Yubai he mentioned was the brother of the current Empress Dowager Xu, and the one who had deceived Yan Su.
She also knew Empress Dowager Xu. When the late emperor passed away, she had even spoken harshly to her before the coffin. Later, someone warned her that Empress Dowager Xu was keeping a close eye on the child in her belly. Ye Lanzhou had even planned how to deal with her, but in the end, nothing happened.
Ye Lanzhou asked, "What about Queen Mother Xu?"
Xie Chengyan seemed to know what she was thinking. She and Empress Dowager Xu had no overt conflict, but the fact that Ye Lanzhou was pregnant with the heir to the throne made them destined to be enemies. If the rumors hadn't spread so widely, the palace would have simply assumed Ye Lanzhou had no enemies and that any unrest would be blamed on Empress Dowager Xu. Otherwise, how could Empress Dowager Xu have managed to stay in power?
Ye Lanzhou's question about the rival family might seem like a tactic to others, but Xie Chengyan didn't think it was anything serious. He was just discussing the matter. Even if it was a tactic, he wouldn't think it was mean. Why would she show kindness to someone who was his enemy?
He glanced at Ye Lanzhou, his eyes devoid of any emotion, and simply said, "Empress Dowager Xu is still in the palace. Queen Mother also has the surname Xu, though they're not from the same branch. She has intentionally supported Xu Surong and Xu Yubai's family over the years. She married Xu Surong to Xie Chengen so that the Xu family could gain a firm foothold in the court. It's a pity that Xie Chengen died young, having only been involved in government affairs for a short time. Queen Mother was watching over him, and he could have steadily followed the path she had set for him. But who knew he would turn against her and secretly leave behind a will before his death, bequeathing the imperial seal to Xie Zhaohe."
"My mother has always treated those around her as chess pieces, but she never expected that Xie Chaoen, her most prized chess piece, would actually develop a mind of his own. If it weren't for Xie Chaoen's will, the world might no longer be called Xie."
Ye Lanzhou listened. She didn't know much about the royal family's affairs. The Ye family had let her enter the palace without telling her. Then, after the late emperor's death, she was transferred between the imperial mausoleum and the Ruiwang Palace. No one would talk about these things, and few dared to discuss them.
The affairs of the royal family were complex. Although they shared the same bloodline, it was inevitable that there would be ulterior motives. Xie Chengyan was talking non-stop. She didn't consider herself a very intelligent person, so it took her a while to understand why.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, Xie Chengyan said something that shocked her: "I added thunder god vine to the medicine for the late emperor."
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