Chapter 104 Official Secrets
Xie Ting thought that the recent investigation was too absurd and he didn't know how to start talking about it, but when he thought about how Zheng from the second branch of the Qin family had reached out to Xie Rongying, he had to believe what he had investigated.
"When Eldest Sister learned that Shangguan Yan in Longxi was Shangguan Yan, the man implicated along with his entire clan in the fourth year of Chengde, did you ever wonder why the Shangguan family was willing to bear the infamy for the Guan family for a lifetime?"
Xie Rongying frowned, and the gaze she gave Xie Ting deepened.
"Why are you willing to never reveal your true identity to anyone for the rest of your life?"
Xie Rongying tentatively replied, "Thunderbolts and rain are all gifts from heaven. At the time, the emperor wanted to suppress the old ministers, so he had no choice but to resort to this method. It did indeed suppress the late emperor's old ministers, and even the Empress Dowager calmed down. Shangguan Yan probably had no choice at the time; the emperor came after him."
"Although the Shangguan family bears the accusation and infamy, they still enjoy endless prosperity and wealth in Longxi."
Xie Ting smiled and said, "That's right. If the king wants his subjects to die, they have to die. It seems that the Shangguan family really has no choice."
"So what does this have to do with Zheng and you?" Xie Rongying realized that the matter was definitely not as simple as she thought: "What's the matter with Shangguan Yan having a concubine?"
As if she had thought of something, Xie Rongying continued, "If Shangguan Yan's concubine stayed in Bianjing, the child they gave birth to wouldn't have the surname Shangguan, right?"
At that time, news spread that the Shangguan family had colluded with the enemy and committed treason, and the people of the entire Bianjing city hated the Shangguan family.
If Shangguan Yan's concubine had given birth to a son and had kept him in Bian Jing, there was no way he would have been given the surname Shangguan.
Xie Ting chuckled: "That's a long story."
Xie Rongying picked up the teacup and motioned Xie Ting to continue.
Xie Ting looked at Xie Rongying, who still had a somewhat relaxed expression, and the smile on the corners of his lips deepened.
He said: "When the emperor was still a prince, he and Shangguan Yan were very close. Later, when he was sent by the late emperor to guard the border, he entrusted a distant cousin to the emperor."
"Distant cousin?" Xie Rongying had just taken a sip of tea when she stared at Xie Ting with interest and teased, "Isn't she a concubine?"
"Back then, Shangguan Yan and his wife were deeply in love, and there were no concubines in Shangguan Yan's harem." Xie Ting's face was filled with a hint of contempt. "Although he and his wife had a good relationship, Shangguan Yan had reached such a high position, how could he have only had one woman?"
"So they kept the concubine outside, but nominally she was Shangguan Yan's distant cousin?" Xie Rongying forced a smile and said, "Don't tell me, even the emperor doesn't know that distant cousin is Shangguan Yan's concubine."
Xie Ting frowned and stared at Xie Rongying without making any comment.
Xie Rongying chuckled and put down the teacup in her hand: "And then?"
"At that time, the emperor was still the Prince of Yu, and his wife had only passed away less than two years earlier." Xie Ting's eyes darkened slightly as he spoke of the emperor's affairs. He leaned back in his chair, his expression slightly cold. "Young couples must have had a deep bond. The emperor didn't remarry at the time, so he only had a few concubines left in the backyard."
"Plus, there was also an eldest legitimate son, and the late emperor had been ill for many years. The emperor and the late emperor had a deep brotherly love at the time. In order to ensure that the late emperor could recover well, the emperor also handled the government affairs of the court."
"At that time, Shangguan Yan left the capital and entrusted his distant cousin to the emperor. After the woman entered the palace, she seemed quiet and kept her distance from the emperor, but in fact, she was inadvertently teasing him."
When Xie Rongying heard this, there was no more surprise in her eyes, but rather a calm expression.
How could a person who will never get a name for himself, and who has attached himself to a figure like Shangguan Yan, possibly still be attracted to someone of lower status than Shangguan Yan?
It happened that she met Prince Yu, who was a widower and did not have so many beautiful women in his harem.
There must be ambition.
"But she's already pregnant after only three months in the mansion," Xie Ting said.
Xie Rongying snorted and said nothing.
"Later, when Shangguan Yan returned to the capital, he discovered that the concubine's status had changed and she had even given birth to a son." Xie Ting's smile deepened as he spoke. "I wanted to question the emperor, but I didn't know how. Furthermore, the late emperor was already terminally ill at the time, and the emperor was extremely ambitious."
"The court was in turmoil. The officials all saw the emperor's ambition. The late emperor's old ministers were determined to assist the King of Wei. Many people in the palace wanted to see the late emperor every day. Coincidentally, the King of Wei was poisoned at that time. In order to protect her son, the Queen Mother had to entrust the affairs of the court to her confidants."
"However, the emperor is more skilled than the previous emperor. When the previous emperor passed away, he took over the throne of Dayin on behalf of the King of Wei as regent. Later, news spread that the King of Wei was on the verge of death. Led by Shangguan Yan, many court officials supported the emperor's ascension to the throne."
"At that time, the emperor ascended the throne on the grounds that the country could not be without a ruler for a day, and also promised to return the throne to the King of Wei after he recovered."
Xie Rongying knew that these words were just to deal with the former emperor's old ministers and to shut up the people in the world.
"Even after the emperor naturally became the emperor of Dayin, the court remained turbulent, and many unpleasant rumors spread, such as that the emperor bullied orphans and widows."
"In order to intimidate the court officials and stabilize the people's hearts, violence is the only way to quell the situation."
"So there was this drama where Shangguan Yan was accused of treason and the entire Shangguan family was punished."
Xie Rongying's expression was slightly solemn. She asked, "So Shangguan Yan was willing to bear the blame for the imperial family because of the advice of that distant cousin?"
Xie Ting nodded.
"How interesting." Xie Rongying's eyes flashed with surprise. She continued, "So my distant cousin was already pregnant when she entered Prince Yu's mansion?"
"That's right." Xie Ting frowned. "But she somehow managed to make sure the child was born at full term in the eyes of the officials."
"Is it possible that he was originally a child of an official?" Xie Rongying asked.
Xie Ting shook his head: "No."
"Are you sure?" Xie Rongying looked at Xie Ting doubtfully: "Then what does this have to do with the Zheng family, and you?"
"Zheng's older brother is the child's scholar, so he's usually close to that distant cousin." Xie Ting seemed to have thought of something, and a hint of playfulness crossed his face. "Perhaps the investigation alerted someone. Although the distant cousin is unsure whether I really know anything, she still wants to win me over to be on the safe side."
"So since Zheng's family has no daughter, her brother thought of the fact that Zheng has a daughter, and believed that the Yongyi Marquis' Mansion and the Xie family have a marriage relationship. If Zheng and I persuade them, we will definitely be able to make this marriage happen. Then you will be on the pirate ship, too?" Xie Rongying said, staring at Xie Ting with a smile.
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