Chapter 140 The Emperor Fainted from Frustration
I saw a strange pattern carved at the place where Yun Qingqing was pointing.
It looked like some kind of animal, but no one could tell what it was after staring at it for a long time.
"This beast is called an elephant. It is the guardian beast of Jing State. It is engraved on the bottom of the transport vehicle to ensure safety on the road."
Yun Qingqing looked at Xiao Zirui with a sharp gaze.
"Your Highness, can you explain to me why the grain trucks we brought back from Jing Kingdom appeared in your grain team?"
Xiao Zirui's face turned pale and he was speechless.
The emperor's face was so gloomy that ink could drip from it, and he immediately ordered the imperial guards to overturn a number of grain carts.
As a result, there are animal patterns on the bottom of every car!
"You bastard!"
The emperor was so angry that he kicked Xiao Zirui hard.
"Father! I am innocent! I didn't know that these grains were brought back from Jing Kingdom by the Regent! They were clearly bought from grain merchants, how come they changed after being transported here!"
Xiao Zirui rolled and crawled to the emperor's feet.
He knew he was in trouble this time, but he could never admit to robbing the grain.
He could only lie on the ground and cry out loudly for justice, refusing to admit his wrongdoing.
"Father, please understand! I have also been deceived and have no idea what is going on!"
The emperor was so angry that he pointed at him, coughed so violently that he couldn't speak, and fainted due to lack of breath.
The ministers and eunuchs were terrified and shouted for the imperial physician. Some of them rushed forward and pinched the Ren Zhong points, causing chaos.
In the end, it was Xiao Changheng who sternly asked everyone to calm down and take charge of the situation.
He ordered Chief Steward Li to take people to carry the emperor back to the bedroom, and the grand court meeting ended hastily.
After the court officials left, Xiao Zirui did not dare to leave and knelt alone outside the bedroom door.
In the bedroom, the imperial physician took the emperor's pulse.
Soon, the queen hurried over and asked anxiously:
"How is your majesty?"
After the imperial physician finished taking the pulse, he stood up and said respectfully:
"Empress, Prince, your Majesty is in a state of rage, so I will prescribe a prescription. You must take good care of your lungs and keep your mood happy in the next few days. As long as you don't get angry, you will be fine."
The queen breathed a sigh of relief, but her brows were still filled with worry. She looked at Xiao Changheng, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.
I guess he has heard what happened in the court.
Yun Qingqing glanced at Xiao Changheng and saw that he was brows tightly furrowed, with a hint of worry on his usually cold face.
She secretly made a hand gesture, flicked her fingertips, and a faint golden light flashed and shot into the emperor's heart. The empress, the imperial physician and others were completely unaware.
However, Xiao Changheng's eyes moved slightly and his gaze fell on Yun Qingqing.
After a moment, the emperor exhaled heavily and woke up.
"Evil creature... evil creature is ruining the country!" The first thing he thought of when he opened his eyes was the 200,000 dan of military rations. He was so angry that his chest heaved.
Xiao Changheng immediately said in a gentle voice:
"Don't worry, my royal brother. The food and fodder have not been lost. They should have arrived by now."
As soon as he finished speaking, a eunuch came to report that the Regent's men were on the southern expedition and the commander of the imperial guards, Yan Ning, was asking for a meeting outside the palace.
The emperor's expression changed and he immediately called the person in.
After the two men met, Nan Zheng reported:
"According to the order of the Regent, the two hundred thousand dan of grain and fodder have all been transported to the square outside the main hall, and the imperial guards have finished counting and inspecting the goods."
Yan Ning also said:
"I have checked each truckload, and all of this batch of grain and fodder is top-quality rice and alfalfa. There is no problem."
“Okay, okay…”
The emperor let out a long breath, stretched out his hand tiredly, and said in a hoarse voice:
"Chang Heng, come here."
Xiao Changheng stepped forward and held his hand:
"Brother, I'm here."
"Alas... Fortunately, you are here." The emperor seemed to have aged a few years, shook his head and sighed, "My son is useless, I am sorry for you..."
Xiao Changheng lowered his eyes and spoke in a gentle voice:
"Brother, please don't get angry. The most important thing is to take care of your body first."
The emperor nodded, feeling both relieved and angry.
"If you were not in this court, I would either be exhausted to death or be pissed off to death by them! Ahem... you will have to work hard again in the next few days."
"Your Majesty, your words are too kind. I will do my duty and protect your kingdom."
The emperor looked even more pleased, and he praised him again, then asked:
"Chang Heng, you have made a great contribution in this matter. Have you thought about what reward you want?"
Xiao Changheng said seriously:
"The princess is the one who made the greatest contribution this time. If she hadn't found a shortcut to Jing State and calculated that the food and grass were in danger of being robbed when she was about to return to the capital, I would not have been able to complete the mission successfully."
"If my brother wants to give a reward, it should be her."
"I see! Well, is there anything the Regent Princess would like?"
Yun Qingqing saw the emperor's gaze coming over and bowed, her face cold:
"Your Majesty, there is no need for a reward. The bandit problem in the suburbs of Beijing is strange. I just want to ask Your Majesty to investigate it strictly and never let the bandit leader go unpunished!"
The emperor tightened his grip and began to cough heavily again.
Xiao Changheng immediately reached out to support him, patted his back to calm him down, but his eyes remained calm as he looked at Yun Qingqing and pursed his lips.
Yun Qingqing frowned slightly and said no more.
The queen suddenly walked to the dragon bed and knelt down:
"Your Majesty, the Princess Regent is right. This matter should be investigated thoroughly."
"The prince is just young and acted rashly, but he was framed as a disloyal person. He is innocent!"
The emperor coughed a few more times before suppressing his anger and waving his hand, saying to Xiao Changheng:
"You guys go back first. I have something to say to the Queen alone."
Yun Qingqing's brows were cold, and after meeting Xiao Changheng's gaze, she didn't say anything more, and the two of them left the bedroom.
Xiao Zirui was still kneeling outside the door of the bedroom. When he saw the two people coming out, he immediately lowered his head and clenched his fists secretly.
It was not until the two figures disappeared into the distance that he looked back angrily.
The next day, the emperor was in poor health and unable to attend court.
The Regent took over the responsibility of regulating the country.
The news that the prince sold sand as military rations to the national treasury had spread throughout the capital. The people were outraged and accused the prince of being immoral.
The court meeting was suspended, but the impeachment memorials from civil and military officials piled up like a mountain, and many ministers proposed deposing the crown prince and appointing another heir.
But they were all suppressed by Xiao Changheng.
In the bedroom, the emperor finally summoned the prince who had been kneeling for a day and a night.
Also present was the Queen.
Half an hour later, the Queen and the Crown Prince left. The palace maids who saw them whispered privately that they looked as if they had lost their parents.
The emperor summoned the regent again and it was unknown what they talked about. It was a full hour later that the regent left.
Soon after, the imperial edict came down.
First, he ordered the Dali Temple to conduct a thorough investigation into the case of the replacement of grain and fodder.
Secondly, the prince made a serious mistake in purchasing grain, and was punished with half a year's imprisonment and one month's house arrest. He was also required to compensate for the lost grain and return the silver donated by the court officials.
In addition, the queen knelt in front of the palace to plead her case, saying that it was because she believed the lies of the villain and recommended the ill-intentioned merchants to the prince that led to such consequences.
The queen asked to go to the temple to cleanse and worship Buddha to atone her sins.
The emperor agreed.
Three days later.
Yun Qingqing followed Xiao Changheng to the Prince's Mansion.
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