Chapter 145: Please bring Miss Xiyan with you!
The account book was thrown heavily in front of Su Lantian, shocking him so much that he trembled.
"In the repair records of last winter, there was a record of 'heavy snow blocking the mountain and stranded timber.'"
Helian Cong sneered:
"I checked the Imperial Observatory's logbook, and the sky was clear that day! How could such a flawed and fraudulent account have been allowed into the national treasury without someone deliberately covering it up?"
Su Lantian knelt in the hall, with dark sweat stains on the back of his official uniform. He kowtowed hurriedly:
"Your Majesty, this, this must be a traitor falsifying the accounts to frame me! Back when we were expanding the armory, I worked tirelessly, personally inspecting the wood every day, even the chisel marks made by the craftsmen, three times over!"
He fiercely glanced at Xiao Nanyan, who was standing at the head of the Highness's group, with a hint of resentment flashing across his eyes:
"Someone must be coveting the power held by this old minister and deliberately framing me!"
Xiao Nanyue stood quietly at the head of the ministers, the pattern on his python robe gleaming coldly under the candlelight.
Facing Su Lantian's vicious gaze, he slowly stroked the white jade ring with his fingertips, his narrow eyes lazily half-closed, even the shadow cast by his eyelashes did not move.
The whispers of the ministers in the hall and the emperor's angry roar seemed to be isolated three feet away, as if this treacherous court farce was just a play for his entertainment.
Su Lantian continued to excuse himself:
"I have assisted Your Majesty for over twenty years, my loyalty evident to all. How could I have committed such a heinous act? I beg Your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation and clear my name!"
At this moment, Crown Prince Helian Feng stepped out and bowed:
"Your Majesty, calm down! Prime Minister Su has served two dynasties and dedicated himself to his work. If you say he stole from the embezzlement, or did it on purpose, I simply cannot believe it. The armory is of great importance, so it's only natural to appoint trusted personnel. Without reliable personnel to guard it, things will be more prone to mishaps! As for the account books, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have complex transactions, and the omissions may have been unintentional."
He paused, glanced at Xiao Nanyan, and sneered slightly:
"Furthermore, as a minister, how could Prime Minister Su not know that burying sulfur in the armory is playing with fire and getting burned? If there really are traitors coveting power, they can easily frame Prime Minister Su and kill him with a borrowed knife!"
Before he finished speaking, Grand Master Mingyuan stepped out, trembling with an ivory tablet in his hand:
"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness is mistaken! The armory is heavily guarded. How could an ordinary person replace the beams and pillars without anyone noticing? The guards are all Prime Minister Su's men. If they hadn't intentionally let them go, how could those rotten pieces of wood be left standing in the armory?"
He looked at Su Lantian coldly:
"I remember last winter, Prime Minister Su sent back the cypress caravan that was supposed to enter the capital, citing the cold weather and long journey. This coincides with the record of the wood being stranded in the account book! As for the sulfur—"
Fu Mingyuan sneered:
"The accountant at Prime Minister Su's residence has been frequently visiting the black market lately, and the item he purchased is sulfur! With such irrefutable evidence, how can there be any excuses?"
Su Lantian was struck by lightning, and cold sweat slid down his cheeks into his collar:
"Master Fu, please stop slandering me! I've been wronged. Someone must be trying to harm me!"
Crown Prince Helian Feng spoke again:
"Father, Prime Minister Su is the Prime Minister of the Tianqi Dynasty, a veteran of two dynasties, and holds a high position. Why would he covet such petty profits? Even more inconceivable, why would he purchase sulfur to frame himself?"
Helian Cong frowned and kept silent.
A sneer appeared on Fu Mingyuan's lips:
"Your Highness, Prime Minister Su certainly wouldn't play with fire and get himself burned, but he wasn't doing it for Apocalypse. Instead... he was secretly having an affair with Bei Cang Xuan Lie, hoping to overthrow Apocalypse!"
Fu Mingyuan pointed at Su Lantian and shouted:
"Although Prime Minister Su holds the highest position among the ministers, he is ultimately no match for the emperor! Xuan Lie promised him the throne and ceded ten northern cities as a reward upon his success, while Prime Minister Su served as an insider in the capital!
The burning of military equipment and food, which caused a shortage of military supplies, was precisely to allow the Northern Cang Iron Cavalry to advance straight ahead. Once Tianqi fell into chaos, he could reap the benefits! "
Su Lantian's face turned pale, and his body trembled violently with anger:
"You, you're talking nonsense! I'm loyal to Your Majesty, and my daughter will be the future Crown Princess. How could I possibly harbor any rebellious thoughts?"
Fu Mingyuan ignored him, took out a secret letter wrapped in oil paper from his sleeve, and handed it to the eunuch in front of the emperor:
"Your Majesty, this is a secret letter intercepted by soldiers at the border. It's a letter between Prime Minister Su and Xuan Lie. Every word in it reveals their conspiracy."
Helian Cong held the letters with the Bei Cang wax seal in his hands and opened them with trembling hands. He glanced at them hastily. His crown tassel shook violently due to his anger. Suddenly, he shouted:
"Take Su Lantian to the Ministry of Justice's prison and re-examine him later! Dismiss the court!"
The emperor turned away, and the golden-armored warriors in front of the hall pounced forward like wolves and tigers.
Su Lantian's limp body was roughly pulled up, and his official boots left long marks on the golden brick floor. He cried out that he was wronged, and his desperate wails gradually dissipated outside the palace gate.
All the civil and military officials in the court were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they were at a loss.
Helian Feng stared at Su Lantian's back as he was dragged away, a layer of frost forming in his eyes.
After a moment, he turned and walked towards Xiao Nanyan:
"Prince Regent, what do you think about this matter?"
Xiao Nanyan nonchalantly turned the white jade ring in his hand without even looking up:
"His Majesty announced his departure from the court without taking any action. He must have his own reasons."
His voice was casual and lazy, with an innate dignity, as if the turmoil in the court was just catkins outside the window that could be easily brushed away.
Helian Feng curled his lips slightly, but there was a coldness in his eyes:
"The Regent is absolutely right. It seems that the Emperor will make his own judgment, and it is not something we can worry about."
Then, he suddenly came closer, his eyes burning:
"There is a small matter—His Highness the Second Prince of Nan Zhao recently arrived in the capital and has long admired the Prince Regent. I intend to invite you to the Phoenix Pavilion in the Imperial Garden west of the city in three days for a lake cruise and a banquet on a pleasure boat. I hope the Prince Regent will honor you."
"I'll be at your service!"
"Then I will be waiting for you!" Helian Feng turned around and walked a few steps, then suddenly looked back:
"Nan Yan, in three days, please bring Miss Xi Yan with you. I still feel sorry for her previous injury. Can you let her come out and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains?"
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