Lu Xingjian arrived at the study in the outer courtyard.
He looked at Qian Ning, the commander of the Imperial Guard, with an extremely imposing gaze.
"Your Majesty, it has been confirmed that the assassin's sister has just become a concubine of the Marquis of Chongshan."
Lu Xingjian's face remained completely expressionless.
His cold eyes revealed a murderous intent.
"Anything else?"
Qian Ning didn't dare to look up.
"The muskets used by the assassins are a new type that the Academy of Literature and Art has just successfully developed."
Lu Xingjian pursed his thin lips and narrowed his long eyes slightly.
The Wensi Academy was an external court agency under the Ministry of Works, which oversaw various types of artisans and was highly specialized.
To avoid being constrained by civil officials, his grandfather, Emperor Xianzong, established a large number of officials to oversee the affairs of the court. There were more than 900 such officials in the Wensi Academy alone.
The late emperor, unable to bear the clamor and remonstrances of the civil officials, dismissed all these officials in charge of conveying imperial edicts.
After ascending the throne, he did not openly appoint officials, but privately allocated a lot of silver to support the Academy of Literature and Art, including the improvement of firearms and guns.
"Can you find out how it leaked out?"
Qian Ning came prepared: "The Chongshan Marquis's residence recently hosted a banquet for the Chief Envoy of the Wensi Academy."
"The chief envoy of the Academy of Literature has already explained it clearly."
The Chief Envoy of the Academy of Literature was only a fifth-rank official, so it was understandable that the Empress Dowager's family would deliberately try to curry favor with him.
Lu Xingjian gave the order directly:
"Order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to search and confiscate the residences of the Marquis of Ruian, the Earl of Chongshan, and the Earl of Anren."
“Take Marquis Rui’an to Renshou Palace.”
Qian Ning's pupils contracted sharply, but she dared not question it and obeyed the order.
For the past two days, the palace has been under heavy security, with all palace gates closed and no one allowed to leave.
Renshou Palace, being the epicenter of the storm, was completely surrounded, so much so that not even a mosquito could escape.
When Lu Xingjian arrived at night, Wang's face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water.
"Is the Emperor going to imprison me?"
Lu Xingjian threw the question back at him.
"What wrong did the Empress Dowager commit that warrants my imprisonment?"
Wang sneered, glancing at the soldiers guarding outside the palace:
"If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext."
Lu Xingjian sat down, looking coldly at Wang Shi: "An assassination attempt on the Empress in public, or a fabricated charge?"
Wang's pupils dilated in shock: "Why would it come to this?"
Lu Xingjian's gaze was sharp and unapproachable: "The fire at the Su family's residence was not caused by your Wang family?"
"The burning of Jingtianzhai, wasn't it at your behest?"
Wang slammed her hand on the table:
"Outrageous! Your Majesty, if you wish to kill or torture me, then do so. Why resort to far-fetched accusations and baseless charges?!"
Lu Xingjian was uncompromising:
"The testimonies, witnesses, and evidence are all readily available, leaving no room for the Empress Dowager to refute them!"
"Bring Marquis Rui'an with you!"
Marquis Rui'an, with his white hair and beard, was led into the palace looking utterly defeated.
"Your Majesty, I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
Lu Xingjian sat upright and simply had the testimonies and evidence presented one by one.
Marquis Rui'an knelt on the ground, staring at the evidence scattered everywhere, his expression horrified, his forehead slamming heavily against the floor tiles until it bled.
"This old minister was completely unaware of such matters!!"
His brain was working at lightning speed.
The evidence is conclusive.
It's not an injustice.
Once the Emperor brings this to the court, the Chongshan Earl's family will be severely punished, if not wiped out.
But.
Why didn't the emperor hand him over directly to the Dali Temple for punishment, but instead summoned him to Renshou Palace?
If it implicates the Marquis of Ruian's family...
He immediately requested permission:
"Your Majesty, it is my fault for failing to govern properly. I beg Your Majesty to let this matter be resolved peacefully and in accordance with clan rules!"
Lu Xingjian was so angry he laughed.
A slight sneer curled his thin lips:
"How can you tolerate favoritism in committing such a heinous crime as assassinating the Empress?"
Marquis Rui'an was greatly shocked and hurriedly tried to remedy the situation:
"This humble servant dares not!"
"It is fortunate that the Empress is unharmed. Moreover, if such a treasonous act were to be publicized, it would only shake people's morale and destabilize the court."
"This old minister would rather sacrifice his own family for the greater good than allow the Emperor's honor to be tarnished or the court's prestige to be lost!"
Lu Xingjian narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he was pondering.
Empress Wang, trembling, angrily retorted, "Is the Emperor trying to force me to my death?!"
"Such disobedience and filial impiety! I must summon the court officials and have them judge this matter!"
Marquis Rui'an knelt down and crawled to Lady Wang's side at the opportune moment:
"Your Majesty, please calm down! It was Ah Qing who failed to discipline his son properly and allowed him to commit such a violent act. It has nothing to do with you!"
Empress Wang stood up, tears streaming down her face, and declared, "I am going to the Fengxian Hall to kill myself before Emperor Xianzong's spirit tablet!"
"I want the world to see how the emperor and empress can't tolerate an old woman like me!"
Lu Xingjian watched Wang's performance with indifference, ignoring it.
This is a threat of suicide; everyone is going to fight to the death.
Marquis Rui'an clung to Lady Wang's leg, repeatedly kowtowing and pleading with Lu Xingjian:
"Your Majesty, for the sake of the royal family's reputation, I beg you to handle this matter privately. This old minister will certainly give you an explanation!"
Lady Wang struck Marquis Ruian's body with her cane, her angry face streaked with murky tears.
Why bother asking him?
"His mind is filled with that bitch Su now, how could he tolerate us?"
"Once I'm driven to my death, won't the Zhang family aunt and niece be in charge of the harem?"
Lu Xingjian looked at her sharply.
Upon seeing this, Wang raised an eyebrow and scoffed coldly:
"Could it be that your good empress didn't tell you that she is Zhang Heling's biological daughter?"
"It seems she doesn't trust you much either."
Lu Xingjian paused, and after a long while finally spoke: "No need for Grandmother to worry."
"Then I shall see what Marquis Rui'an has to do."
"This case will be handed over to the Dali Temple tomorrow."
His words were utterly ruthless.
This is to force Marquis Ruian to clean house.
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