When I opened the iron box, I found a yellowed letter inside.
After opening the paper and reading the contents, Xiao Lichen's peach blossom eyes turned blood red.
Concubine Huo, he must have chopped off this woman's head.
Xiao Lichen sat woodenly in the wheelchair and locked himself in the study for a long time.
Inside the palace at this moment.
Tao Zhihong stood at the door of the imperial study, waiting for Emperor Jianchang to summon him.
In the imperial study, the seventh princess Xiao Zixuan was kneeling on the ground holding a wooden box in her hands.
Emperor Jianchang sat on the dragon throne with an unclear expression.
"Father, this is what my Sixth Brother has entrusted me to give you. I believe it must be something very important, so I dare not neglect it. Please accept it, Father."
Her biological mother was a palace maid serving Concubine Huo. This palace maid and the Sixth Prince's biological mother were sisters with a good relationship.
When she was a child, she was also close to the unpopular Sixth Prince.
Every time the two of them were bullied by other princes and princesses, it was the Sixth Prince who stood in front of her and tried his best to protect her.
Later, their biological mothers passed away one after another, and she was adopted by Concubine Huo. Concubine Huo was usually nice to her. Except for the last time she was beaten by Anle, she had never suffered any hardship in the palace during these years.
Emperor Jianchang closed his eyes, opened them again, and motioned Zhao Chong to take the wooden box from her hand.
"You should study the palace rules carefully and stop acting recklessly. Go back!"
Emperor Jianchang covered his head with his hands and waved his hand to let the Seventh Princess leave.
Seeing that the things had been successfully delivered, Xiao Zixuan knelt down honestly and walked out of the imperial study.
She was outside the door and saw Tao Zhihong standing at the bottom of the stairs.
He bowed and Xiao Zixuan walked down the steps expressionlessly and headed towards the harem.
Tao Zhihong didn't take Xiao Zixuan's behavior to heart.
It's normal that his daughter behaves so fiercely and can't tolerate any injustice, even fighting back against the princess who bullies her. People hate his daughter and are dissatisfied with him as well.
At this moment, he heard Emperor Jianchang summon him to the imperial study.
As soon as you enter the door.
Tao Zhihong knelt on the ground with a "paji" sound, "I am guilty, please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Jianchang sat up straight in surprise and asked curiously, "Lord Tao, what are you doing? What happened?"
Tao Zhihong knelt on the ground and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, I have discovered that someone is recruiting soldiers in my name. These soldiers were sent to the mountains outside Yanzhou, near the capital."
As Tao Zhihong finished speaking, Emperor Jianchang stood up in shock, "You...is what you said true?"
"Your Majesty, what I said is absolutely true. After discovering this matter, I verified it through multiple investigations."
As Tao Zhihong spoke, he took out the evidence he had collected, which was also the list of conscripts, and presented it to Emperor Jianchang.
After reading the list of personnel and recording their registered places of residence, Emperor Jianchang was furious.
"Who on earth is it that went to the nearby states to recruit soldiers without authorization?"
Emperor Jianchang was very clear about what it meant to recruit soldiers privately.
He quickly thought in his mind who could have such strength.
Tao Zhihong knelt respectfully and pleaded guilty. "It's still unclear. To avoid alerting the enemy, I haven't alerted them. Instead, I've been secretly monitoring their every move. I implore Your Majesty to appoint someone to investigate the mastermind behind this and eliminate this cancer."
The matter was of great importance, so Emperor Jianchang personally summoned the deputy commander of the Xiaoyu Guard and ordered him to thoroughly investigate the matter. If necessary, he could execute the person first and report later to find out the person behind the recruitment of private soldiers.
He originally wanted to summon Xiao Lichen to come and assign him such an important matter. However, he thought of the news he received from his brother Prince Yong's mansion that Prince Yong's wife was seriously ill and his capable nephew was worried about his mother's illness at the time, so he decided to send someone else to investigate the matter.
Tao Zhihong took the opportunity to propose that he would have those involved in the investigation cooperate with Xiao Yuwei.
After the deputy commander of the Xiaoyu Guards took the order and left, Zhao Chong worriedly reminded Emperor Jianchang, "Your Majesty, it's time for you to take your medicine."
Emperor Jianchang sighed, pinched his brows and said, "Bring it here!"
Zhao Chong took the medicine bowl from a young eunuch and handed it to Emperor Jianchang with both hands.
Tao Zhihong originally wanted to leave the imperial study at this time, but when he saw Emperor Jianchang pick up the medicine bowl and put it to his mouth, he stopped.
"Your Majesty, I have something else to report!"
Emperor Jianchang, who was about to take the medicine, put the medicine bowl aside and said seriously, "Lord Tao, what else do you want?"
Seeing His Majesty's expression as if facing a great enemy, Tao Zhihong spoke slowly.
"Your Majesty, a rumor has been spreading in the Gyeonggi Camp recently."
"What rumors?"
Emperor Jianchang seemed to be a bit paranoid.
The news that Tao Zhihong brought to him was not trivial.
"Some people have been secretly spreading rumors that I've embezzled military funds. I've investigated the source of these rumors and apprehended a centurion. After interrogation, I discovered someone bribed him to spread more information about my corruption and bribery among the troops. I'm incompetent and unable to convince my subordinates. Your Majesty, please take back the military command from the capital camp."
Tao Zhihong held a bronze tiger talisman in both hands and presented it above his head.
He came neither to show his sympathy nor to complain, but to speak the truth and express his attitude to His Majesty.
The rest depends entirely on what Your Majesty does.
However, before he came, he had already prepared himself mentally. No matter the outcome, good or bad, he would not let his family suffer the same fate as the Zhuguogong's family.
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