Chapter 172 The Minister of Rites Falls
"The day before yesterday evening, just as it was getting dark, Concubine Xiang and Concubine Guo were on their way to the palace's flower room when they ran into Concubine Qi.
There was a man in black between the two groups of people. Xiangpin saw that the man in black was with Concubine Qi.
Guo Zhaoyi didn't see clearly, so she asked who it was. The question scared the man in black away.
Afterwards, Lady Qi said that she was in labor and gave birth to a child at midnight.
The next day, I summoned Xiangpin to ask her about it. Xiangpin told the truth that the man was wearing the clothes of a guard.
So Concubine Xian sent Fu Shou to investigate, and they followed the footprints all the way to the Shou'an Gate Guard Station."
"Shou'an Gate Guard Station?" Li Yueyao was surprised.
"Outside Shou'an Gate is the Xiyuan Hunting Ground. Could it be that the person came in from the Xiyuan Hunting Ground?"
The emperor nodded: "Aunt's guess is correct."
Li Yueyao continued, "If they came from the Xiyuan Hunting Ground, then the Imperial Household Department would be highly suspected."
"The wife of the Minister of the Imperial Household is the Empress's cousin from her aunt's family and has always been a member of the Xie family. Could this be the work of the Xie family?"
Feng Shenyu turned to look at Li Yueyao: "Your Highness, do you think this method is similar to that of the person behind the scenes?
Put the Taipu Temple in the open and hide yourself behind it."
Li Yueyao thought about it carefully and said, "Yes, they are somewhat similar."
Feng Shenyu looked at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the details of this matter will only be revealed after hearing the confessions of the Wang family members in prison.
I have a feeling that we will be able to find an important clue this time."
The emperor nodded.
"By the way, how's the investigation going on with the two real and fake Jin Kings you mentioned last time?
Since you guys can't find out, I can't deal with the Seventh Prince, so I can only put him in the cold palace temporarily."
Feng Shenyu replied, "Xue An, Chen Yue and the others have asked Huai Xiucheng for help. They will act tonight and will definitely gain something."
The emperor heard this and said, "That's good."
After the two came out of the palace, they went straight back to the Right Prime Minister's residence.
Because the main members of the Wang family were thrown into the dungeon of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion by Li Huaiyu.
When Yan Tai saw the two men returning home, he knew what they were there for.
Then he took the two of them to sit in the flower hall first, and then went to the dungeon to find Li Huaiyu and Yu Zhan.
Although Li Yueyao came once last time, it was at night and she was busy caring about Feng Shenyu, so she didn't take a close look at the decorations in the mansion.
This time, I came here in broad daylight and saw that the decoration of the mansion was cold and hard, and the furniture was mostly black and gray.
In the middle of summer, I feel very cold when I enter the house and look at the colors inside.
"Why is your house so dark, without a trace of life?"
Feng Shenyu grinned after hearing this and said, "What do I, a grown man, know? If Your Highness is free, please send someone to help me clean up."
Li Yueyao nodded after hearing this.
Qian Lou stood at the door and frowned as he listened. The Right Prime Minister seemed to have completely forgotten his previous bright and beautiful outfits of red and blue.
Alas... Your Highness is really something, a pregnancy makes you stupid for three years!
Not long after, Yu Zhan and Li Huaiyu came in, both covered in the smell of blood.
Li Yueyao took two sips of tea to suppress the discomfort in her heart.
"How did the interrogation go?" Feng Shenyu asked.
Seeing Li Huaiyu's dark face and silence, Yu Zhan spoke up himself, "My lord, I have focused on the interrogation of Wang Lang.
He said he was instructed by his father Wang Chengyun.
Wang Chengyun was instructed by the Minister of Rites, Ruan Anhe."
Feng Shenyu asked, "What did Wang Chengyun say?"
"Wang Chengyun's illegitimate sister, who was eight or nine years older than him, was on a long journey when she encountered refugees and unfortunately ended up stranded outside.
For some unknown reason, she entered the Ruan family and became Ruan Anhe's concubine.
After he was found, we originally wanted to bring him back.
But his sister was pregnant at the time, so the Wang and Ruan families renegotiated and made him a concubine.
But Wang was not so lucky and died after giving birth to the child.
And the child she gave birth to was Ruan Anhe’s eldest son, Ruan Shengtao.”
"I didn't expect there was such a relationship between the two of them." Li Yueyao said.
Feng Shenyu continued, "So, the Wang family is doing dirty work for Ruan Anhe?"
"Yes." Yu Zhan replied.
"Then let the people from the Dali Temple go and ask Ruan Hean?" Feng Shenyu looked at Li Yueyao and said.
Li Yueyao nodded.
"Xiao Yu'er, go find the Minister of Temple Shen and ask him to bring Ruan Anhe to the Dali Temple."
"Yes."
After Li Huaiyu left, Yu Zhan continued.
"Wang Lang said that the matter between Hua Qingfeng and Princess Zhaoqing was arranged by his father.
Later, the incident of meeting His Highness on the road was also his father's idea."
Seeing that Li Huaiyu was not around, Feng Shenyu asked, "What about Wang Lang and Wang Qianning?"
"According to him, their relationship was a matter of mutual affection, but Wang Chengyun was against it."
"Have you asked about that Boss Man?" Feng Shenyu asked.
"I asked, but Wang Lang didn't know. Wang Chengyun said that Boss Man was in charge of the communication between the city and Wan'an Mountain."
Li Yueyao asked, "Have you asked about Jin Yucheng?"
"I asked, but Wang Chengyun refused to say anything at first. After the torture, he said he had never met Jin Yucheng and only knew that Jin Yucheng had contacted Ruan Anhe."
Li Yueyao suddenly realized, "No wonder..."
Li Huaiyu went to the Dali Temple with a gloomy face and told Shen Zhengming what had happened.
Then he said, "I will go to the palace to ask His Majesty for permission. Please ask the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to bring the person here."
Shen Zhengming didn't expect that this matter would be traced back to Ruan Anhe.
However, since Li Huaiyu came to convey Li Yueyao's words, he agreed and immediately took people to Ruan Anhe's house.
As soon as Shen Zhengming left the Dali Temple, Prince Jin received the news.
Prince Jin and Xiao heard the report from the visitor. Xiao waved his hand and signaled the visitor to leave.
"We have found Ruan Anhe, and the situation is extremely unfavorable to us. Should we consider retreating?" King Jin said.
After hearing this, Xiao said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, even if we want to evacuate, we have to stir up chaos in the capital.
If they don't cause chaos, how can we escape?"
After hearing this, the King of Jin said, "You are right."
Xiao asked again, "You don't care about that son in the palace anymore?"
"Keep it. If they can't find it, it will be like planting a nail.
If they find out, they'll just be a child and won't know anything."
Xiao glanced at Prince Jin and said, "You always say I'm cruel. Now it seems that when you men are cruel, you can even abandon your own children."
The King of Jin did not say anything after hearing this, but instead asked, "Then should we take the people from the East Courtyard with us?"
"After I meet with the Xie family tonight, I'll kill them. They're all going to evacuate anyway, so keeping them around won't be of any use later."
"So, what time do you have an appointment with the Xie family today?"
"Two quarters past midnight. Meet at the usual place, Mr. Xie."
King Jin asked, "Will Second Xie listen? Even if he does, will he actually carry it out?"
“He will, I know him too well.
Just because he assassinated Li Yueyao and Feng Shenyu behind the back of the Xie family master, I knew he was the perfect person to be our sword."
The King of Jin smiled and said, "Then I wish you a successful start."
Xiao picked up the wine glass on the table, clinked it lightly with Prince Jin's, and drank it all in one gulp.
Li Huaiyu went to the palace to ask for an imperial decree very smoothly. He just said that he wanted to arrest Ruan Anhe, and the emperor readily issued the decree.
When Li Huaiyu left the palace, Ruan Anhe was already in the Dali Temple.
It was just that they were in the official residence of Shen Siqing of the Dali Temple, drinking tea politely while waiting for Li Huaiyu's imperial edict.
As Li Huaiyu's imperial edict arrived, the Minister of War's residence was also surrounded by the Thousand Feather Guards.
Ruan Anhe listened to Li Huaiyu's imperial edict and closed his eyes.
"Minister Ruan, please come in." Shen Zhengming said.
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