At this point, Qin Kou'er raised her head, looked directly at Lan Shanyang, and calmly said, "The Crown Prince ordered me to move all the people from four counties out of the Qinhuai River area and properly resettle them. The Emperor knows that although I have a few people under my command, I am still just a poor and weak woman. Moving tens of thousands of people out of the area will not only be a problem in terms of food and drink, but also accommodation. I can't handle it! However, the Crown Prince insisted on his own way and even set a deadline for me! I think this is very unreasonable, and because of this, I had a dispute with the Crown Prince!"
In the end, if the Crown Prince hadn't promised to help Kou'er open ten banks in the five northern provinces and, incidentally, entrust her with all the palace's silk and jewelry business, Kou'er would never have agreed to provide assistance to these people! However, she wondered if the Emperor knew about this. If the Emperor felt Kou'er had acted rashly, then Kou'er had no choice but to reluctantly expel those people from Qin Tiange's residence! She hoped the Emperor would understand!
After Qin Kou'er finished speaking, she looked at Lan Shanyang with an open and honest gaze.
Lan Linxue could hardly contain her laughter.
That little vixen Qin Kou'er is actually still trying to make a profit at a time like this. Ten money houses? He's clearly never even heard of that topic!
Even Lan Xiuyuan looked at Qin Kou'er with a bit of helplessness. What kind of time is this? This young lady is still coming to collect debts. You can't help but admire her!
Lan Shanyang looked at Qin Kou'er for a long time before nodding, then turned to Lan Linxue: "Lan Linxue! Is this true?"
"Yes!" Lan Linxue answered readily. "It was I who agreed! Father, although I acted a bit hastily, it is absolutely true! You won't refuse, will you? After all, compared to cosmetics, the lives of all the people are the most important!"
Seeing that Lan Linxue answered so quickly, Lan Shanyang muttered to himself: "What a load of rubbish! These two little rascals are putting on a show, trying to squeeze money out of his pocket. Do they really think he doesn't know?!"
However, Lan Shanyang showed no sign of it, and simply looked at Qin Kou'er and nodded: "Since the Crown Prince has admitted it, then I cannot go back on my word! Miss Qin can just ask Jing Quan to arrange this matter when we get back!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After Qin Kou'er finished speaking, she smiled at Lan Shanyang.
"So, not a single person among the people of Yangzhou noticed that someone had tampered with the dike?"
Lan Shanyang tapped his fingers on the table, glanced at the other ministers, and said, "Four counties, countless eyes watching, yet not a single clue has been found. Do you think this is realistic?"
Upon hearing Lan Shanyang's words, Hu Tianyong immediately knew that the Emperor suspected Lan Xiuyuan of framing Lan Linxue. He calmly stood up, a gentle smile on his face, and said, "Your Majesty! I also believe it's absolutely impossible for the Crown Prince to have done this! However, those four dikes were built to be as solid as a rock. Without the aid of gunpowder, they certainly wouldn't have collapsed so badly at the very beginning of the rainy season. Moreover, doing such a thing is against all reason and law; how could it be so easily discovered? Now, the Fifth Prince has conclusive evidence that is intricately linked to the Crown Prince. I think that instead of making wild guesses here, we should first take the Crown Prince's subordinates away and question them! Perhaps we'll find out something!"
Lan Linxue's face immediately turned cold. "So, the Prime Minister means to use torture to extract confessions? What a brilliant plan! It would be best if we could find a few people who could falsely accuse the master! Right, Prime Minister?"
Hu Tianyong immediately turned to look at Lan Linxue with a kind smile and said gently, "Your Highness, this old minister is doing this for your own good! The innocent will clear themselves. Once the truth is revealed, Your Highness will not have to suffer any injustice!"
Lan Linxue felt uncomfortable whenever she saw Hu Tianyong. She was about to stand up and confront the old man when Lan Qingtian pressed her down hard.
Lan Shanyang looked at them, his cold expression shifting slightly. "Prime Minister's idea is good! However, I think this move is too foolish! Even if you manage to get these people to speak up, the Crown Prince will definitely still be dissatisfied! Miss Qin, let me ask you, you said you knew nothing about the affairs of those four counties, but you must be very familiar with the affairs on the Qinhuai River?"
"Yes, Your Majesty! The Qinhuai River embankment is damaged, and Kou'er has been on it the whole time and has never left!" Qin Kou'er replied softly.
Lan Shanyang nodded. "That makes things easier! The Qinhuai River also has a leak. If this leak is also the cause, then I believe that the four counties are also responsible. What do you all think?"
Hu Tianyong, Chen Kuangzheng, and the others felt that there was something wrong with this, that it was somewhat of a generalization, but it was also reasonable. For a moment, everyone fell silent.
Lan Shanyang looked around at everyone, nodded and smiled, and said, "It seems this is a good idea! Then I will only ask one person today, Qin Kou'er. You should think carefully before you answer. It concerns the Crown Prince and the country. Every word you say carries immense weight. Do you understand?"
Qin Kou'er looked at Lan Shanyang with a hint of panic, but still nodded calmly.
"Very well! Then I ask you, how exactly did the dikes on the Qinhuai River crack? Were they blown open by someone, or were they caused by torrential rain?"
As soon as Lan Shanyang finished speaking, the scene fell silent, and everyone's eyes turned to Qin Kou'er.
Qin Kou'er turned her head slightly to look at Lan Linxue, who was staring at her.
Lan Linxue's gaze was calm and gentle, yet it carried an indescribable sense of composure and encouragement.
Qin Kou'er knew he was telling her to tell the truth, not to be afraid to tell the truth, but Qin Kou'er was still conflicted.
If she tells the truth, what if the script doesn't go as she wrote it in the end?
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