The Xu residence was thoroughly searched, and many things were found inside. Those who found the items gestured for the officials from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice to take a look. The two leaders exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.
Didn't Xu Ding say before that his treasury had been robbed? It's only been less than a year, so why are so many gold and silver treasures being found now?
Was it that Xu Ding had lied about the news before, and that the Xu family's treasury had not been robbed at all, or that Xu Ding had become wealthy again in less than a year?
If it's the former, it's fine; at most, it's a crime of deception. But if it's the latter, then Xu Ding is truly audacious, and his crime would be even more serious.
Tonight is Lunar New Year's Eve. People on the street had already prepared for the New Year, and most shops were closed. There were only a few people on the street, mostly replenishing what they still needed at home.
Therefore, not many people saw the news of the Xu family's property being seized at the beginning.
Xu Xingzhou was drinking and having fun in a brothel when his bodyguard rushed to his side and whispered something in his ear. The next moment, Xu Xingzhou's expression changed drastically.
He immediately pushed the girl off his lap and ran outside with the guards.
"What's going on? What happened?" Xu Xingzhou stared wide-eyed at his bodyguard.
"Young Master, during the morning court session this morning, the Emperor suddenly ordered that Master be imprisoned on charges of treason and unauthorized military training."
"Then why don't you hurry back to the manor?" Xu Xingzhou realized what was happening and quickly ran downstairs, but was grabbed by the arm by the guards behind him.
"Young Master, before I received the news, the people from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review had already led their troops to the manor. Wouldn't it be like walking into a trap if we went back now?"
Xu Xingzhou calmed down. Although he was extremely worried, he knew he couldn't panic.
The two people were standing at the top of the stairs when they noticed a commotion coming from the first floor.
Xu Xingzhou looked down and saw a dozen soldiers pushing through the crowd and coming this way.
Xu Xingzhou immediately realized that these people were looking for him, so he had to leave quickly.
Xu Xingzhou glanced at his bodyguards, then the two ran to the other side, casually pushed open the door of a house, which was empty. Xu Xingzhou opened the window, and the two simply jumped into the backyard of Yichun Tower and left from the back.
The officers and soldiers barged into the room where Xu Xingzhou had been, startling the men and women who were drinking and playing around inside. The room immediately descended into chaos.
"Everyone stop right there, don't move."
"Sir, what's wrong?"
"Where is Xu Xingzhou? Where is he?" A soldier carefully looked around at everyone, but did not find Xu Xingzhou.
"Xu Xingzhou went out on something and hasn't come back yet," someone quickly explained.
"Just now? Which way did he go?"
"I don't know. He was just on the stairs a moment ago. He shouldn't have left Yichun Tower yet."
"Quick, after him! He must have received the news and run away!" the soldiers who entered the room shouted.
A man who was on good terms with Xu Xingzhou immediately grabbed a soldier running behind him and quickly slipped a silver ingot into the soldier's sleeve. "Sir, what's going on? Why are so many people suddenly looking for Xu Xingzhou?"
The soldier subconsciously touched the silver in his sleeve, then glanced around cautiously and whispered, "I heard that Minister Xu Ding of the Ministry of Personnel has been raising an army without authorization and has connections with some people in the Zhou Kingdom. The evidence is conclusive. The Emperor has ordered the entire Xu family to be imprisoned and executed on a later date. The Xu residence has been sealed off, and we are currently searching for Xu Xingzhou's whereabouts."
After the officers finished speaking, they immediately turned and left, joining the others to search for Xu Xingzhou's whereabouts.
The man who remained to question him was utterly shocked. What? Lord Xu was a traitor who betrayed his country and even secretly raised an army?
The officers and soldiers were already moving very fast, but Xu Xingzhou was moving even faster.
Xu Xingzhou first followed the guards to change into a set of tattered clothes, then smeared his face with black paint, hunched over, and at first glance, he looked like a beggar on the street.
Xu Xingzhou knew he shouldn't have returned to the Xu residence now, but he couldn't resist coming to see the situation for himself. Many soldiers were standing around the Xu residence, and people were constantly going in and out of the gate, carrying things out of the house.
Xu Xingzhou didn't see any of the masters in the mansion, including Madam Xu. After looking for a long time, he only saw soldiers escorting some servants and maids from the mansion outside.
Looking at the scene before him, Xu Xingzhou clenched his fists tightly, wishing he could go forward and ask where his mother was. Even though he couldn't see the inside of the Xu residence, he could guess that it must be in a mess.
How good could a mansion that has been raided be?
Fearing being discovered, Xu Xingzhou lingered briefly at the entrance of the Xu residence before turning and leaving.
Walking down the street, he saw soldiers patrolling everywhere, each group carrying a portrait. Xu Xingzhou glanced over under the cover of others and saw that the person in the portrait was himself.
Xu Xingzhou quickly lowered his head, hunched over, and walked into a small alley next to him.
No, there are too many people in the capital who know him. Even if he disguises himself, he is very likely to be recognized by someone. He absolutely cannot go out like this.
When Qu Qingxi received this news, she was also stunned. How could the Emperor act so quickly?
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve. After the morning court session, the ministers and the emperor would take a seven-day break, which is equivalent to the modern Spring Festival holiday.
Why did His Majesty suddenly become so anxious this morning of all times?
She originally thought that the Emperor would not announce this matter in court until after the New Year at the earliest.
It was truly unexpected that this would happen today; not only Xu Ding, but even she was caught off guard.
However, Qu Qingxi guessed that today's events must have surprised many people. The Emperor's actions clearly caught everyone off guard.
However, Qu Qingxi always felt that something was wrong with this matter.
Even if the Emperor is eager to deal with the Xu family, it shouldn't be in such a short time. Could it be that something else has happened in between?
As Qu Qingxi was thinking, she suddenly received a letter from Shen Shuyan. The letter said that the emperor intended to make Ren Nuanyun a concubine of the crown prince, and also hinted that the empress could choose a new principal wife for the crown prince.
After burning the note, Qu Qingxi slowly sat down. Why would the Emperor suddenly do this, especially since it seemed to have happened yesterday?
Why is the Emperor in such a hurry to deal with the Xu family's affairs and replace the Crown Prince with a new Crown Princess?
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