Chapter 331 Giving a Way Out
The following evening, while delivering gifts to the King of Qin's son, Hu Zhouquan also took the King of Qin back to the palace.
Of course, all of this was done quietly. With Hu Zhouquan holding his badge, no one dared to check Hu Zhouquan's car.
Emperor Xiao Wu and the Prince of Qin talked for a long time.
Emperor Xiao Wu had already explained the current situation in the south and the circumstances that the King of Qin would face.
"Third brother, let me tell you, I said I can't let you out openly."
I can only secretly send you out; you'll have to bear the blame for running away.
Don't worry, I'll let you take all 132 of the remaining Pingnan soldiers who came to the capital with you.
Once you leave, you will no longer be the King of Qin of Dayu in name.
Instead, they were pirates who roamed the islands along the southern coast, enduring hardships and sleeping in the open.
"Are you... still willing to go out?"
The King of Qin nodded, feeling a surge of surprise.
"Those people...are they still here?"
Emperor Xiao Wu nodded.
The remaining soldiers from the Southern Expedition who were brought into the palace by the King of Qin have been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail for three years now...
"They are also serving their own masters, and they are the best in the Pingnan Army. They are also loyal to you."
If you take them all with you, at least you won't be venturing south alone.
Furthermore, I will give you a written edict, allowing you to take one of the Pingnan Army's new warships with you.
Weapons and daily necessities have also been prepared for you.
But it's only enough for three months.
"Three months from now... then it will be entirely up to you," Emperor Xiao Wu continued.
The King of Qin was even more pleased.
We have soldiers and ships, and we have three months to deal with those islands...
He originally thought he was all alone...
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Xi Rou and Zhi'er..."
“They cannot go with you now.” Emperor Xiaowu immediately shook his head.
The King of Qin quickly offered an explanation.
"Your Majesty, that's not what I meant."
This humble subject wishes to leave Xi Rou and Zhi'er in the capital and asks Your Majesty to take care of them discreetly.
Xi Rou is pregnant, and in less than three months, this humble citizen will not be able to witness the birth of her child.
I humbly request Your Majesty's consideration.
She... suffered a lot while following me.
Emperor Xiao Wu was taken aback. The Princess Consort of Qin was pregnant?
Fortunately, it's been less than three months.
Emperor Xiao Wu calculated the date and concluded that it should have occurred after the mourning period ended.
This is much better than that deposed crown prince who went on a prolific procreation spree during the mourning period.
"Don't worry! There will definitely be someone to take care of the Princess. Also, I will send someone to give your son his early education."
Because you were planning to leave secretly, the official story was that you ran away.
Therefore, I will increase the number of people guarding the Prince of Qin's residence; please don't mind this.
"You should be extra careful out there!" Emperor Xiao Wu said.
The King of Qin nodded and, under Hu Zhouquan's arrangement, left the palace.
Three days later, everyone in the capital was stunned by a piece of news.
The King of Qin, who had been imprisoned for more than three years, suddenly escaped.
I heard they escaped secretly at night.
As for who helped him escape, opinions vary.
Some people say he secretly escaped on his own!
Some say that it was the remnants of the Zheng family who helped him escape.
Some people say that it was someone from the Pingnan Army who helped him escape.
Anyway, everyone was chatting enthusiastically, even imagining how furious Emperor Xiao Wu would be on the dragon throne...
In particular, the Minister of Justice.
The current Minister of Justice is the eldest son of Prime Minister Xu and the father of the deposed Crown Princess.
He nearly choked on his breath after receiving news that all the soldiers of the Pingnan Army brought into the palace by the Prince of Qin, who were being held by the Ministry of Justice, had escaped.
One hundred and thirty-two people... all escaped...
None of the jailers were killed or injured; they had simply drunk alcohol laced with a sedative and fallen into a deep sleep.
Then those people ran away.
Oh, and they even took the King of Qin from the King of Qin's mansion...
He was pondering how to write a memorial of apology and whether he should resign to take responsibility when the retired Prime Minister Xu arrived.
"No need to write it! Investigate if necessary, but just make a show of it," Prime Minister Xu said calmly.
"Father! This is no small matter! We must investigate this thoroughly."
"But we still have to write this letter of apology!" Old Master Xu hurriedly said.
"Investigate to the end? How will you investigate?"
One hundred and thirty-two people left the Ministry of Justice prison without making a sound, and not a single prison guard was injured.
Then, coincidentally, there was a curfew that night, and there wasn't a single person on the streets.
The strangest thing is that the guard at the city gate fell asleep, allowing those people to swagger out of the city gate.
"Don't you think this is too bizarre?" Prime Minister Xu asked.
Grandpa Xu...
“Father, are you saying... there’s someone plotting this behind the scenes?”
"Someone must have planned this."
And the person who orchestrated this was none other than that...
So what you need to do now is to get the crowd going, get the drums beating, and let everyone watch a great show.
"As for the rest... that's not your business," said Prime Minister Xu.
Grandpa Xu seemed to understand something, and stood there stunned for a long while...
"Then... what if the case can't be solved?" Old Master Xu asked subconsciously.
Prime Minister Xu glared at his eldest son.
That blockhead...
Could it be that the Xu family's cleverness has all been passed down to the girls? The sons are all so dull and unresponsive...
"Screw it! The Ministry of Justice handles so many cases every year, how many of them are unsolvable?"
If it can't be broken, then just keep dragging it on!
His Majesty won't do anything to you.
If he doesn't mention it, don't bring it up yourself. If others ask, just say that it's under investigation.
Don't take it so seriously!
In particular, do not take His Majesty seriously.
In the past few years, when have you ever actually gained anything by arguing with His Majesty?
His Majesty is giving you a way out; you should hurry up and take your place.
"They insist on standing on the steps to admire the scenery! How incredibly stupid!" Prime Minister Xu said angrily.
Grandpa Xu finally understood what was going on.
So it turns out that His Majesty orchestrated this whole thing!
He's the emperor, why wouldn't he...?
Grandpa Xu immediately understood.
If His Majesty were to announce the release of the Prince of Qin at the court assembly, the ministers would certainly object.
But opposing it won't change anything.
His Majesty's roundabout approach is indeed giving them a way out...
"Father, if there's progress with the King of Qin, what about with the deposed crown prince...?"
"Is Roulan there...?"
The eldest son of the Xu family looked at Prime Minister Xu with longing eyes.
Xu Roulan is the eldest daughter of the Xu family's main branch and was once the Crown Princess.
They are now being kept in a villa on the outskirts of Beijing, along with the deposed crown prince.
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