Chapter 160 The Cheng Clan
After leaving the palace, Xie Shang secretly took Jiang Jinyan to the Cheng family. The decline of the Cheng family was evident from the gate of the mansion.
Jiang Jinyan said, "I have heard of General Cheng's great achievements back then. He was clearly a general with outstanding military exploits. I don't know why General Cheng suddenly disappeared. The Cheng family has even become far less powerful than an ordinary family."
This doesn't seem like the maternal clan of the Empress at all! Even if the Empress is out of favor, she is still the Empress, and no one would dare to disrespect the Cheng family.
But……
Xie Shang naturally knew the reason. The Cheng family's current state was entirely related to his mother. Seeing the decline of the Cheng clan, Xie Shang suddenly felt some emotions he had never experienced before.
If it weren't for that incident back then, and if the Cheng family hadn't sided with the Empress Dowager, they wouldn't have both been disliked by the Emperor.
Because of one mistake, the entire family was implicated. With just one sentence from the Emperor, the Cheng family lost all hope. No wonder the Empress Dowager was in a bad mood.
He said, "I have come here on behalf of my mother to visit my maternal grandmother. There is no need to mention anything else."
Jiang Jinyan knew the real reason Xie Shang had come.
Xie Shang sent someone to knock on the door. Just then, the Cheng family steward opened the door himself. It was getting dark, and he had to use a lantern to see the person's face clearly.
The next moment, the steward was so frightened that he dropped the lantern in his hand and hurriedly opened the door and knelt down before Xie Shang, saying, "This servant greets Your Highness, Prince Heng."
"Get up. I've come to visit my uncle and maternal grandfather. Go in and announce their arrival!" Xie Shang said in a deep voice.
"Your Highness, please. This servant will go and inform the old lady and the gentlemen immediately."
The Cheng family was a prominent clan, and they all lived in this mansion. Although the Cheng family was not favored by the emperor, the words "General's Mansion" still hung on the plaque, and General Cheng's official title was still in effect, only he no longer had any troops under his command.
A general without soldiers is not a true general; he may have a good reputation, but in reality, he is like a paper tiger that can be easily crushed—all show and no substance.
Once the Cheng family was alerted, everyone rushed to the outer courtyard.
General Cheng Yong was only in his fifties, but his temples were already gray. He never expected that Prince Heng would actually come to the Cheng residence.
He immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Highness, Prince Heng."
Immediately afterwards, the Cheng family members also bowed and greeted His Highness Prince Heng.
Xie Shang said, "Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, please rise quickly."
Everyone was a little reserved. In fact, they knew that Prince Heng had not been valued by the emperor since childhood. They had also gone to Prince Heng’s mansion to attend his wedding, but he did not pay attention to it at the time. They had also sought out the empress, but only met her briefly.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, General Cheng Yong introduced them, saying, "Ming'er, Yang'er, come forward and pay your respects to the Prince." They were only a year older than Xie Shang, and neither of them was married yet, partly because of their unsuccessful careers, so neither of them wanted to get married.
Cheng Ming and Cheng Yang bowed and greeted, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Heng." Although their aunt was the Empress and of noble status, it was because of her that they had not achieved anything to this day, despite their hard work.
Xie Shang nodded, which was considered a greeting.
At this moment, Jiang Jinyan suddenly stepped forward and said, "Brother Cheng Ming, Brother Cheng Yang, it's been a long time."
"Brother Jinyan." The two men were even more affectionate towards Jiang Jinyan, their faces still showing some joy. "We didn't expect Jinyan to come to the Cheng residence."
Xie Shang said, "You two know each other."
"Your Highness, I met them while I was studying abroad," Jiang Jinyan said, cupping his hands in greeting. "I never imagined they were Your Highness's cousins."
He took the initiative to explain to Cheng Ming and Cheng Yang, "My third sister is married to His Highness Prince Heng. I was very grateful to you two for helping me prepare a wedding gift for my third sister, which she liked very much."
"Brother Jinyan always says that his most learned third sister married Prince Heng. What a coincidence!" A hint of regret flashed in both of their eyes. They still wanted to play chess with Miss Jiang.
Xie Shang listened and saw it all, and he felt that Jiang Jinyan must be very proud when he talked about his sister outside. Now that Jiang Fenghua was his wife, he had married a talented woman, and he often felt proud of it.
She was still angry when he left the palace, but he thought that she would understand him in time.
Xie Shang also knew that several young men from the Cheng family were preparing to take the imperial examinations to gain fame and fortune and revitalize the Cheng clan.
Cheng Ming and Cheng Yang were the most outstanding among them.
Cheng Yong took him to see Old Madam Cheng. She was paralyzed in bed, her body was emaciated, and she was delirious. She couldn't even recognize anyone in the Cheng family, not even her own son. When others came to see her, she could only smile foolishly, but she kept calling out the name Lang'er.
“She only remembers the Empress’s name; she doesn’t recognize anyone else. The doctor said she won’t live past this winter. Her last wish must be to see the Empress,” Cheng Yong said.
Xie Shang left the inner quarters without saying anything. When he left the Cheng residence, Cheng Yong took him to the study and gave him a list.
After looking at it, Xie Shang asked, "What do the red marks on it mean?" He saw the name of General Su Zhenhai and the name of former Minister of Justice Yang Jing.
Cheng Yong suddenly knelt on the ground and said softly, "Your Highness may not believe what I'm saying, but the Cheng family has kept this list for over thirty years. Ever since that incident, this list was actually a list ordered by the late Emperor to be assassinated. Later, the late Emperor suddenly passed away, and the matter was left unresolved..."
The list also included the names of several ministers, all of whom held important positions and were the emperor's right-hand men.
So these people were all the Emperor's men. After the Emperor ascended the throne and secured his position, these people were also promoted.
Xie Shang even speculated about the truth behind his grandfather's death. His grandmother had moved to Hengyang Palace after that and never returned. She resented his father.
Xie Shang quickly shook his head, denying his own suspicions; his father would never do such a thing.
He stared at Cheng Yong. "Who else has seen this list?"
Cheng Yong shook his head and quickly explained, "No, it's gone. I've always kept it. After the late emperor passed away, it was with my father. Besides my father, only I know about it. Everyone on the list holds important positions." A new emperor brings a new court. A single word from the emperor can determine the life and death of a family. Just like the Cheng family, they haven't been given any important positions to this day.
Xie Shang didn't know why he was given this list. Most of them were his father's men, and he couldn't very well take the list to his father and ask him about it.
No wonder the Emperor treated the Cheng family this way; he had thought it was only related to what Old Madam Cheng and the Empress Dowager had done back then.
Obviously not.
Xie Shang memorized all the names on the list, and then he burned the letter: "Keeping this kind of thing in the Cheng family would be a disaster."
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