Chapter 327 Settled
Xue Quan knew that Physician Wang was still alive; Xue Han told him after the banquet for immortals.
If he hadn't known that Physician Wang was still alive, he wouldn't have remained so thin all these days, and he wouldn't have had to put on such a dejected act.
Thank goodness I raised a good son.
Xue Quan was shocked and angry at the appearance of Physician Wang, but also felt a sense of smugness.
The new emperor looked down at Physician Wang kneeling below him.
He remembered that it was Physician Wang who often went to check on Consort Yu's pulse.
Putting everything else aside, Physician Wang's medical skills are among the best in the entire Imperial Medical Academy, so it's perfectly reasonable for Xue Quan to ask Physician Wang to examine the miraculous medicine.
"Wang Ying, Xue Quan said he asked you to examine the spiritual medicine offered by the sorcerer Miao Qing. Is that true?"
Physician Wang glanced at Xue Quan, then lowered his head: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Xue... did indeed have this sinner examine the elixir offered by the sorcerer..."
These words immediately sparked a buzz of discussion.
Xue Quan's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally settled, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Even knowing that her adopted son would make all the arrangements, she was still uneasy until the moment of its realization.
The new emperor's face darkened: "Then why didn't you find any problems with the so-called elixir?"
"Your Majesty, I am a sinner—" Physician Wang knelt and trembled like a leaf.
"explain."
The new emperor's indifferent words were like a boulder crashing down on Physician Wang, making him tremble and bending his back.
"This sinful subject—" Physician Wang slowly turned to look at Prince Fu, "This sinful subject was following Prince Fu's orders..."
Once the words were spoken, the rest flowed more smoothly.
"Since the Lantern Festival, the late Emperor's health has been deteriorating. Prince Fu said that even if he didn't take the pills, it was only a matter of time. The result would be the same anyway; taking the pills would just hasten it..."
The new emperor was furious: "Then you'll follow his arrangements and plot against the late emperor?"
Physician Wang, with tears streaming down his face, said, "Years ago, my son was poisoned by insects. It was Prince Fu who gifted me, a disgraced official, a top-quality snow lotus for medicinal use, which saved my son's life..."
Later, he accepted gold and silver from Prince Fu on several occasions, and serving Prince Fu became something he could not refuse.
Physician Wang regretted it, but it was too late.
"This guilty subject knows his crime, this guilty subject knows his crime..." Physician Wang kowtowed repeatedly.
The new emperor's eyes were completely indifferent.
The charge of Prince Fu for forcing the emperor to abdicate was already a foregone conclusion. In fact, whether Physician Wang lived or died was not important to Prince Fu's treason case, but it was very important to Xue Quan.
Without Physician Wang's words, even if he wanted to spare Xue Quan's life out of consideration for Xue Han, he wouldn't have been able to do so.
Now, at least Xue Quan is alive.
As the new emperor thought this, he glanced at Xue Han out of the corner of his eye.
Xue Quan was lucky; he was adopted by Ji.
He still remembered the shock he felt when Xue Han told him that Physician Wang was not dead. Then, the news that Physician Wang might still be alive forced Prince Fu to act more quickly.
"Prince Fu, you not only deceived the late emperor, but also used the sorcerer Miaoqing to harm him. What else do you have to say?" the new emperor asked coldly.
Zhu Xiang, who oversaw all government affairs; Yang Zhen, who commanded the Imperial Guards; the imperial physician with outstanding medical skills; the Taoist priest who was highly sought after… This uncle of the king had played a very big game using his reputation for benevolence over the years.
Besides those who were exposed during the coup, there are many more who are just pawns on this chessboard and need to be brought to light through this interrogation.
Prince Fu glanced at the new emperor, his heart filled with despair: "I have nothing to say."
The new emperor finally declared: "Temporarily send Prince Fu and his accomplices to the imperial prison for rigorous interrogation, and find out their other accomplices."
A month later, the earth-shattering case of Prince Fu's treason was finally brought to a close.
Prince Fu was executed by slow slicing; his heir and second son were beheaded immediately; all his other sons, including his third son, who were sixteen years of age or older were ordered to commit suicide, while those under sixteen were imprisoned for life. His six grandsons, all under ten years of age, were also imprisoned for life.
The officials and servants of the Prince of Fu's mansion were punished with either death or exile, depending on the specific circumstances.
Princess Rongning was spared from being enslaved because she married into the Western Jiang Kingdom and killed the Western Jiang King to demonstrate the power of the Great Xia Kingdom. Instead, she and Princess Fu were demoted to commoners.
As for Princess Rongning's act of sacrificing her own family for the greater good, the new emperor did not disclose it to the public.
Apart from Princess Rongning and Princess Fu, the fates of the other members of the Prince Fu's mansion were too tragic, and many others were implicated. For Princess Rongning, who had become a commoner, having a reputation for upholding justice even at the cost of her own family was not a good thing.
Verbal praise cannot outweigh the malice in people's hearts.
The Yang family was treated similarly to Zhu Xiang, so there's no need to go into details.
In addition, nearly a hundred officials who had close ties with Prince Fu were found to have done so, and all of them were punished.
Although Xue Quan had the fault of offering the elixir to the late emperor, he had been examined by Physician Wang and found that he had been misled by Physician Wang. Xue Han had also made great contributions in the Prince of Fu's rebellion. The final result was that he was stripped of his official rank and post and expelled from the palace.
At this time, Xue Quan was taken to Xue Han's residence.
"What?! Even Physician Wang falling into Qinglian Lake was your doing?" Xue Quan's eyes widened in shock, followed by anger. "You arranged it from the beginning, and you only told me after the Immortal Gathering Banquet?"
Ever since he learned that the elixir was a potent poison, he was terrified, unable to sleep at night, and felt utterly hopeless, as if he were waiting to die.
It was incredibly tough!
"If Father finds out too early, it will easily give us away. Prince Fu has been plotting for the throne for many years and is patient and cautious enough that he won't be so easily fooled," Xue Han casually advised.
Having managed the Imperial City Guard for so long, he had long understood one principle: rather than waiting for key witnesses to be killed and silenced by the other party, it was better to control them yourself first.
As expected, the adoptive father's life was saved thanks to Wang Taiyi.
"You're full of high-sounding principles." Xue Quan glared at Xue Han, but he was no longer angry.
Not only was he not angry, he was even somewhat pleased with himself.
The son's excellence is undoubtedly due to his father's efforts.
"Ahem." Xue Quan cleared his throat. "I've been in the inner prison for so long, and now that I'm finally out, why hasn't that girl come over?"
Do you still want to be his daughter-in-law?
Xue Han looked bewildered: "Which girl?"
"Stop playing dumb." Xue Quan rolled his eyes. "Tell me, when do you plan to go to the Yongqing Marquis's residence to propose marriage?"
When the topic of marriage came up, Xue Han became serious: "I plan to wait until after the new emperor's enthronement ceremony."
Upon hearing this, Xue Quan nodded in satisfaction: "The coronation ceremony is just a few days away. Very well, I suppose the Emperor's bestowal of titles upon you will come down after the coronation ceremony, making it more respectable to propose marriage then."
"Yes, I will obey my father."
Xue Quan curled his lip.
If he had listened to him, he would have married a dignified and virtuous lady from a respectable family long ago, and would already have a grandson. Why would he wait until now to marry that crazy girl who dares to say anything?
Qiu Heng, who was being secretly criticized by Xue Quan, was not at the Yongqing Earl's residence. Instead, she and Princess Rongning helped the Fu Princess, who had fainted from crying, onto the carriage.
"The house has been bought. It's not far from the Yongqing Marquis's residence, so you can move in right away. Princess, don't worry, there's a clinic on the way. We can ask a doctor to examine the Princess..."
Princess Rongning's eyes were red, but she didn't shed a tear: "Aheng, don't call me princess anymore, just call me by my name."
She paused, then said softly, "Lingyan, the 'goose' in 'a lone goose flies through ten thousand miles of clouds'."
(End of this chapter)
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