Chapter 441 Cleverness Backfires
Xie Yunyang paused in his tea-drinking motion, slightly surprised, and muttered to himself.
Why did you hand it over so quickly?
I was even planning to have my second brother follow them tonight.
Xie Yun lowered his eyes, his face showing no other expression. After taking the list, he turned it over and placed it on the table. Under the questioning gaze of Minister Nong, he explained.
"I have faith in Minister Nong's abilities. As for this matter, let's wait until Minister Nong disappoints me before making any decisions."
Minister Nong was overjoyed and bowed deeply, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will not fail in my mission!"
"Alright, time is of the essence, hurry up and go."
"yes."
To attract attention, Minister Nong arrived through an inconspicuous small gate of the East Palace.
Now, when they leave, they are hurriedly led away by the palace servants of the Eastern Palace, and they must exit through the gate they came from.
Xie Yun watched as Minister Nong's figure disappeared into the West Garden, and after waiting for a while, she picked up the list and began to read it.
What's this about believing or not believing? It was a ghost speaking just now, not Xie Yunyang.
Xie Yunyang looked at a few names and said helplessly, "Second brother, why don't you take a closer look at this list?"
A figure in black slowly walked down the stone bridge. Who else could it be but Xie Yunchuan, who was supposed to go to Jinxiu Palace with Shengsheng to have dinner with Consort Rong?
The story begins with a letter Xie Yun received in the State of Jin during the Lunar New Year.
When Xie Yun received the secret letter, he instructed Ta Ying to reply when she received it again, which was indeed to maintain contact with the person behind the secret letter.
However, from beginning to end, this was a tacit arrangement between Xie Yunyang and Xie Yunchuan.
Xie Yunyang knew that Xie Yunchuan understood his thoughts, and Xie Yunchuan also believed that Xie Yunyang would not harm him.
Even what happened in the Imperial Study today was a play staged by Xie Yuxiao in cooperation with the two of them.
Xie Yunchuan descended the steps, his black robes damp with the coolness of the night dew. He walked to the table, picked up the list, glanced at it, and chuckled softly, "This Minister Nong is really in a panic. He even dares to send out a list of his relatives, as if he's afraid that others won't be able to find any fault with him."
Xie Yunyang tapped the name on the page with his fingertip: "I thought that as the Minister of War, he was meticulous and that it would take some effort to investigate his cronies. I even carefully laid so many groundwork. Just when I thought I could finally catch the first fish, he handed them all over to me without hesitation."
“Minister Nong is a clever man.” Xie Yunchuan silently wrote down the names on the list, “but his cleverness has backfired.”
Xie Yun handed the list to his subordinate and asked, "Didn't Sheng Sheng say she was going to Jinxiu Palace for dinner? Isn't Second Brother going with her?"
"It's still early. My mother will definitely have a long talk with me, so I won't join in. Let's talk about it when it's time to eat."
Xie Yun nodded knowingly and poured him a cup of tea: "Second Brother, what are you planning to do next? I'll deliberately lure him to bring someone to you. What do you plan to do with that person afterward?"
Xie Yunchuan raised an eyebrow: "Of course, we'll go with the flow. Guess who the scapegoat will be?"
When Xie Yunyang heard him say this, he knew that Xie Yunchuan had already secretly arranged everything.
He had already planned out the "scapegoat" who would later be pushed under his command.
Xie Yun tried to guess several names, from the Vice Minister of War to the head eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, but he couldn't guess any of them correctly.
"It's an agricultural project."
Xie Yunyang had just taken a sip of tea when he heard this and almost spat it out. He said, "Second Brother, you're really ruthless, going straight for his son. But will he be willing to do that? Aren't you afraid that this Minister of War might do something else to protect his son?"
"It's good that he's reluctant to part with it." Xie Yun's tone was confident. "Nong Licheng is in charge of the armory in the Imperial Guard, and his records are definitely not clean. I've already had people thoroughly investigate the accounts of the armory he's keeping. Minister Nong either has to watch his son lose his head, or he'll have to grit his teeth and pin the blame on me to exonerate his son. Besides, I've already had the clues laid out so that he discovers that Nong Licheng leaked the information. What do you think he'll choose for his grand plan?"
He looked up at Xie Yunyang, a calculating glint in his eyes: "The more he protects her, the more eager he is to drag others down with him, the easier it will be for him to slip up. When the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet comes down with the account books, lists, and Nong Licheng's confession, he won't be able to escape no matter how many excuses he makes. As for whether he dares to cause trouble?"
Xie Yunchuan sneered, "Father has already ordered the Imperial Guards to keep an eye on the Ministry of War. Not a single hair on his head can escape our eyes."
Xie Yunyang slapped the table: "Brilliant! He only thought that you, Second Brother, would be unable to defend yourself under the watchful eyes of all the officials, but he forgot that this would also put him in a difficult position. In this way, it would be hard for him to deny it even if he wanted to."
"Well, let's see how he behaves from now on."
Xie Yunchuan lowered his eyes, his slender fingers stroking the rim of the teacup, staring at his blurry reflection in the clear tea, and slowly a smile appeared on his face.
...
The Brocade Palace.
Just as Xie Yunchuan had predicted, Consort Rong kept talking to Sheng Sheng from the moment she saw her.
From the grand scale of how long it took to reach the State of Jin, to the minute detail of whether or not someone obediently ate a piece of fruit after each meal, Consort Rong wanted to know everything.
Sheng Sheng was pulled to sit on the soft couch by Consort Rong, who stuffed a freshly peeled orange into her hand. She could only smile and answer each question: "Mother, the journey was smooth, nothing serious happened. It's just that the wind is strong in Song and Jin, and it's not as cold as in the capital in winter. And the cold there is different from the cold here. The wind there feels damp and can even seep into your neck!"
She took a bite of an orange, the sweet juice filling her tongue. "Sheng Sheng listens to Zijuan and eats fruit after meals every day. Sometimes it's a pear, sometimes something else. Mother, please don't worry."
"How come you look so thin? You must have had a very tough journey. You've also gotten tanned!"
In a mother's eyes, her child will never grow up, and she will always feel sorry for him.
Consort Rong felt more and more sorry for her as she looked at her, and reached out to stroke the top of her head: "Look how thin your face has become, I'll have the imperial kitchen stew some bird's nest for you to nourish yourself."
Sheng Sheng nestled obediently in her arms, responding repeatedly.
Consort Rong felt sorry for her, but she was also very gratified that she had seen and learned a lot along the way.
“Your mother has never been to any of these places, but our Sheng Sheng has already been to them at such a young age,” Consort Rong said with a smile, tapping Sheng Sheng’s nose.
Sheng Sheng tilted her head and smiled, revealing her dimples. She nuzzled Consort Rong's hand and said, "It's all thanks to my mother and second brother! If it weren't for their support, I wouldn't have had this opportunity."
As she spoke, Sheng Sheng instructed Zi Juan to bring out the gifts she had brought for Consort Rong.
"Mother, these are all sorts of strange and wonderful little trinkets I've seen along the way. You can use them to pass the time. These are mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquerware products unique to the Jin Kingdom. Look, Mother, isn't this hairpin beautiful and lovely? It suits you perfectly!"
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