Chapter 477 [There is nothing behind Jiang Lili]
"I will also severely punish the traitors who slandered the Zhaoping Marquisate! I will definitely give an explanation to the Zhaoping Marquisate and the people."
Emperor Qingning fell into deep thought, wondering which of these people to choose as scapegoats. He was afraid that Yao Chengping, the Northwest Tiger General, might not be saved, but he could delay holding him accountable as long as possible!
After Emperor Qingning announced his decree, Dali Temple official Lu Sui was indignant. "Your Majesty, on the day the case was announced, not only did Zhang Yuan betray me, but the General of the Cavalry also deliberately tried to make things difficult for me! Not only did he stop the men I sent to destroy the evidence, he also maintained order, allowing the Yuelai Escort Agency's convoy to arrive safely at the Dali Temple. I'm afraid the General of the Cavalry has ulterior motives!"
Zhou Jushan leaned over and whispered in the emperor's ear, "Your Majesty, the Princess of Jin gave the Empress Dowager a small mountain of gold this morning and donated two hundred thousand taels of silver to the garrisons in the northwest and Lingnan as military expenses."
Zhou Jushan was acting as a treacherous minister, whispering in the ears of the emperor. He didn't feel bad about Hou Xiaoxiao sending so many things to the palace, after all, they would soon no longer belong to the dog emperor. As for the military funds, by the time they were slowly delivered, Dasheng would probably have changed.
"The Princess of Jin told the Queen Mother that the General of the Cavalry is old and confused, and sometimes acts in a stubborn way. You know the General's stubborn temper. She asked you and the Queen Mother to be more tolerant and patient."
Emperor Qingning's mind was full of "Little Gold Mountain" and "Two Hundred Thousand Taels of Military Expenses" at this time. He remembered that the General of the Cavalry and the Marquis of Zhaoping had a feud and it was impossible for them to be mixed up. Moreover, the General of the Cavalry had repeatedly saved the emperor, so he did not doubt the old general in his heart.
The guards selected by the old general to be sent to the northwest to protect and monitor Xue Wei had been diligently reporting Xue Wei's movements to him every day for the past three years. The guards also reported on Xue Wei's escort of silver. However, because he did not trust the Yuelai Escort Agency, he sent a guard to deliver it personally. As a result, he was delayed on the road for a long time and the news was delayed.
"Princess Jin is very sensible."
Emperor Qingning said to Lu Sui, the Minister of Justice, "The General of the Cavalry is getting old and confused. Even if he hadn't been involved, this matter would have been irreversible. Our focus should be on investigating Zhang Yuan and Xue Wei."
Xia Su, the commander of the military division, reported, "I originally wanted to send someone to secretly control Zhang Yuan's wife and children, but when I saw Zhang Yuan's mansion, I found that his wife and children were gone. It seems that they were secretly protected by someone."
Emperor Qingning frowned, "There's something fishy about this Zhang Yuan. He's left himself a way out. We must find out who's behind him."
Xia Su added, "I heard that Zhang Yuan was very close to an old man selling herbal tea. I wanted to investigate the old man, but found that he had disappeared without a trace, as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth."
Emperor Qingning closed his eyes and said, "The other party came prepared."
"Are the Marquis of Zhaoping and his two sons confirmed dead?"
"Sure."
The Dark Guard Commander then replied, "Although the bodies have been swollen from the seawater, the marks on them are unmistakable. Xin Che's body is completely black, and a golden silkworm Gu worm shell was dug out from his heart. The other two also have black poison from the Gu worm."
"I gave the shell of the golden silkworm to Princess Jin for confirmation. Princess Jin is absolutely certain that this golden silkworm is the same one she planted on Xin Che."
The Right Prime Minister speculated, "The three members of the Xin family are already dead. Could it be that this was orchestrated by the widow of the Marquis of Zhaoping? Is she trying to clear the name of the Marquis of Zhaoping?"
Xia Su shook his head. "They could also be former members of the Xin family army. Three women with a child on a deserted island, barely surviving."
Emperor Qingning listened to the ministers' argument for a while, and his head ached. "It has already happened. There is no point in saying more. Let's investigate what needs to be investigated and do what needs to be done. I am tired. You can all withdraw."
Jiang Lili's father, Jiang Zhoulin, was not listening to what the emperor and other court officials were saying. He felt as if he had fallen into an icy cellar as he recalled the emperor's recent decree.
Welcome back with King Zhao’s ceremonial guard!
Jiang Lili is really coming back!
Jiang Zhoulin was still in a daze until the imperial edict to welcome Prince Zhao's family back to the palace was drafted.
He didn't even know how he left the palace and returned to the Jiang Mansion.
When Jiang Lili's stepsister Jiang Wanyue heard the news that Jiang Zhoulin had returned, she immediately rushed to his study and asked, "Dad, why did the emperor summon you to the palace today?"
Things have been going on in Marquis Zhaoping's mansion lately, and Jiang Wanyue is very nervous.
The emperor summoning my father into the palace must be related to this matter.
"Go and have your mother called."
Jiang Zhoulin's face was solemn. Seeing this, Jiang Wanyue's heart skipped a beat and she asked the maid to call her mother Lu Fangqin over.
Jiang Zhoulin's second wife Lu Fangqin walked into the study with dignified steps. Seeing the solemn expressions of the father and daughter, she flicked the handkerchief in her hand and sat down calmly on the armchair.
Lu Fangqin is over 40 years old but has been well maintained. She looks dignified and kind, with a calm expression that makes people feel peaceful.
Her hair was combed meticulously, adorned with luxurious pearls and jade, the luxurious brocade on her body was not wrinkled at all, and her every move showed the demeanor of the mistress of the house.
If you look closely at her posture, you can see her hidden arrogance.
Lu Fangqin took a sip of tea and said, "What's going on? Why are they all so listless?"
While Jiang Wanyue was waiting, she had already learned the emperor's decree from Jiang Zhoulin: "Jiang Lili will be brought back to the capital as the consort of Prince Zhao."
Jiang Zhoulin repeated the contents of the Emperor's decree. Lu Fangqin was silent for a while, then suddenly laughed out loud: "Master, you are already an old man in His Majesty's service, why are you so worried this time?"
"Even if he was crowned King Zhao, it would only be for show. He left behind a family of women and an eight-year-old child, an orphan with a widowed mother. What kind of trouble can he possibly cause?"
Jiang Wanyue was still terrified after hearing her mother's words. "But back then, I personally sent Jiang Lili off just to see how she looked under my feet. Will she bear a grudge and come back to trouble me?"
"The Emperor was forced to welcome them back because of the situation, and it wasn't sincere. He just did a lot of face-saving work to win them back, but after the storm died down, he would just let them fend for themselves."
"Maybe they will try their best to make these widows of King Zhao shut up forever and stop them from saying anything nonsense."
Lu Fangqin spoke calmly, comforting Jiang Wanyue: "If the emperor is not worried, what should we worry about?"
"Yue'er, you have the support of our entire Ministry of Personnel, and your maternal family is also on your side."
"Your father is now a favorite of the Emperor, while Jiang Lili has nothing behind her. The Emperor still holds a grudge against her father-in-law and husband. How can she possibly have a good ending?"
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