Chapter 253 Audacious
Zhao Ziyuan ate meat with gusto, and even tried to make conversation by pulling Feng Zhengmin, who was sitting to the side, into a quiet chat, almost spitting meat scraps into Feng's bowl.
Feng Zhengmin looked disgusted, his fingers clenching and unclenching, thinking to himself: Just bear with him for a little while longer!
In contrast, Yu Zaiting's eating manners were much more refined.
His mind was racing, and the thing wrapped in the lining of his clothes was getting warm from being pressed against his chest.
He didn't look around, he just focused on eating his meal, but he ate very slowly.
The Li and Sun families frequently glanced at Wang Xiang, but Wang Xiang did not respond at all. He just ate and smiled at the young emperor, looking ready to serve him at any moment.
However, Mingxiu used to monopolize all these good opportunities, but now they've all been given to Ma Hong.
Xiao Qing realized that it was no wonder that Wang Xiang was able to rise to the position of prime minister and enjoy considerable prestige in the south.
This person is not only intelligent, but also cautious.
He didn't mention Sun Cheng at all, and his facial expressions were extremely well-controlled.
His attitude makes you feel that either the matter has nothing to do with him, or it's just a trivial matter.
Fu Mingyi Bar...
Xiao Qing felt like he was giving him a lesson, a lesson called—the tacit understanding between teacher and student.
Even meals eventually come to an end, and a group of people can't just sit there staring at each other and waiting.
Wang Xiang, who was in charge of planning this hunt, wanted to divert the attention of the young emperor and his ministers elsewhere, so he tried to find ways to get the emperor to walk around the newly built garden.
He was a civil official, and he had most of the interests and hobbies of other civil officials.
Compared to horseback riding and hunting, he naturally preferred poetry, songs, and the company of beautiful women.
Although it is a bit strange to have these things placed in the hunting grounds of Mengshan Villa, he is now the prime minister.
He is the chief planner in charge of all activities at Mengshan Villa.
Whoever is in charge calls the shots.
However, the young emperor didn't seem very interested.
Seeing Wang Xiang act in this way, the Sun and Li families gradually figured it out.
After the series of events that began that morning, the Sun family quickly sent people back to investigate the matter.
However, before they could see Sun Cheng, they heard that he had died at the Li family's residence.
When Lord Li arrived, he met with the Sun family and thoroughly clarified the already uncomplicated case.
It's true that Mengshan Villa is going to be expanded, but Wang Xiang isn't a muddle-headed person; on the contrary, he's very cautious.
The Hu family's ancestral home is not far from Mengshan Villa; this is a historical issue.
After all, Nanhua City was not originally the capital.
Although Mengshan Villa was originally a proper royal hunting ground, the royal facilities here have long been rendered useless because the emperor disliked Nanhua Palace.
When it was first built, the land where the Hu family ancestral home was located was not close to here.
It was common for wealthy families in Nanhua City to own land in the suburbs.
Now, with the arrival of Xiao Qing's generation, who could have imagined that the capital would change to Nanhua, and the Mengshan Villa would naturally have to be renovated.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Sun Cheng set his sights on the land surrounding the Mengshan Villa. With the help of his father-in-law, he ostensibly requisitioned the land and designated it as royal property. In reality, he planned to reclaim the land for private use once the Mengshan hunt was over.
In fact, it wasn't just the Hu family; Sun Cheng also targeted some powerless and insignificant families outside the city.
However, since the Hu family was his old rival, he was particularly ruthless this time.
So, in truth, Wang Xiang did not use the Hu family's ancestral home when expanding Mengshan Villa. Although the two places are not far apart now, it is ultimately Sun Cheng's private debt.
The reason Wang Xiang is not in a hurry now is because he has figured this out.
The Sun and Li families now recall the scene when Zhao Ziyuan denounced the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue in court, and the two ministers sought help from Wang Xiang but were unable to get through.
They felt that, given Wang Xiang's nature of valuing his reputation, he would surely abandon them now that the matter was none of his concern.
However, Sun Cheng's matter involves both the Sun and Li families. On the surface, it appears to involve two issues: first, a false claim of imperial authority, and second, an abuse of power. If Lord Li loses his official position, the Sun family may face utter ruin.
If Wang Xiang doesn't find a way to protect them...
In this life-or-death situation, the two families racked their brains, constantly weighing between mild and extreme coping strategies.
Both inside and outside the hunting grounds were not idle.
However, they misjudged Wang Xiang.
Wang Xiang was not indifferent either.
While everyone on the hunting grounds was lost in their own thoughts, Zheng Fangxiu was facing a series of perilous situations.
Zheng Fangxiu said that this was the simplest but most exciting case he had handled since becoming the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review!
Although the Wang and Li families have been closely related over the years, the talents of their descendants vary.
These aristocratic families in the south were used to a good life. Now that the capital was in Nanding, the Southern Xiao needed to rely on these families to complete its initial construction and stability. Therefore, the Southern Xiao was particularly lenient towards these families.
With Wang Xiang maneuvering in the court, their lives couldn't be more comfortable.
Power is alluring, and wealth is tempting.
Over the years, they have paid little attention to the education of their children and grandchildren.
The Wang family had heard that Wang Xiang's son was quite promising, and they had put a lot of effort into cultivating him—although he had not yet made an appearance in the imperial court.
But what about the other aristocratic families...?
However, none of this has anything to do with him!
He simply took a map to find what Sun Cheng had left behind!
What are these people doing right now—stalking me, blocking my way, trying to steal my map, and even trying to kill me to silence me?
What's going on?!
Don't you know I'm handling cases for the emperor?
I ask you pig-brains wielding knives, do you think killing me, Zheng Fangxiu, will absolve your Sun family of any guilt?
Hehe.
He was just in a hurry to pick up his things. He didn't explain the whole case in detail in front of His Majesty. Did they think he only went to pick up people, took away Sun Cheng's body and Sun Cheng's wife, and did nothing else?
When Zheng Fangxiu makes a judgment, he always needs solid evidence, okay?
"Lord Zheng, be careful!" Zhao Youchen kicked away the person who was close to his back, his face solemn.
"Sir, you go first, I'll cover the rear here." Zheng Fangxiu's adjutant approached.
Zheng Fangxiu had a bump on her forehead. "What are you talking about? Do you have Lord Zhao's kung fu skills, or a cat's nine lives?"
Zhao Youchen understood, "I'll cover the rear."
Zheng Fangxiu's lips twitched.
He dared not leave Zhao Youchen.
He took out the official seal and gave it to his adjutant: "Go back to the Dali Temple to transfer people, and also send them to defend the city."
Zhao Youchen said, "The Imperial Guard's main camp in the suburbs is closer."
It seems these people came prepared and won't be easy to get rid of.
Moreover, the number of men he brought was clearly insufficient, and they were already injured.
Moreover, the longer it drags on, the more Zheng Fangxiu fears that someone will find the place and destroy it even if they can't get the item.
In the heat of the moment, Zhao Youchen didn't think twice and tossed the object from his sleeve high into the air.
A streak of red light, accompanied by a whistling sound, shot into the sky and exploded into a burst of red fireworks in the white sky.
On a signal tower at the Imperial Guard's outskirts camp, a soldier waved a flag rapidly and shouted, "Reinforcements! Reinforcements!"
Xiao Qing looked up in astonishment, then suddenly stood up, her face ashen as dusk, a cold smile playing on her lips.
"audacious in the extreme!"
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