Liu Yifu was imprisoned by imperial decree on charges of embezzlement and bribery.
To be honest, not many people believe this. He usually seems so frugal; he wouldn't even replace his worn-out boots with new ones, just patching them up and wearing them again.
How could someone like that embezzle and accept bribes?
But since he didn't associate with any political parties, and everyone says that factions attack those who disagree with them, and he didn't take sides, no one spoke up for him except for a few officials with whom he had a good personal relationship.
Chi Yan frowned and analyzed, "Actually, this matter depends on His Majesty's attitude. If he believes that Lord Liu was framed, then Lord Liu is not in any serious trouble."
Conversely, Liu Yifu would certainly suffer a beating.
After all, that was the imperial prison; going in there would be a painful ordeal.
A hint of hesitation flashed across Shen Tangning's face: "Then what do you think of His Majesty's attitude?"
Chi Yan pursed his lips, his tone heavy: "The wrath of Heaven is unpredictable. I cannot fathom His Majesty's thoughts. Today in court, His Majesty was extremely furious."
He paused, then added, "But I think there might still be a chance for things to turn around."
If they could all see through this principle, how could Emperor Chongde not see through it?
For an emperor, it is not a good thing for one party to have absolute power in the court; rather, he prefers to see various forces vying for power.
But if a loyal minister like Liu Yifu were to die because of a conspiracy, wouldn't that chill the hearts of those other loyal ministers?
Who will dare to wholeheartedly serve His Majesty in the future?
Therefore, he felt that His Majesty might not be truly angry. Under the current circumstances, he could only go with the flow. First, he wanted to see who was obstructing Liu Yi's reinvestigation of the case. Second, he wanted to take the opportunity to give other officials a warning.
Shen Tangning's eyes flickered uncertainly: "In that case, there's nothing we can do."
Chi Yan's eyes flickered slightly: "It should still be possible to visit Lord Liu."
She looked up, a hint of worry flashing across her face: "There must be many people watching what's happening at the Imperial Prison right now. Won't His Majesty become suspicious if you get too close to Lord Liu?"
Emperor Chongde was most wary of his ministers forming factions, and since Chi Yan had just entered officialdom, his sharp edge might not have been a good thing.
Chi Yan stared straight at her, a smile spreading from the corner of his eyes to his eyebrows, and a hint of joy inevitably arose in his heart: "It's alright. At times like this, being loyal and righteous is always more reassuring than being self-serving. Being too clean makes it impossible for people to find fault with you, which is what makes people wary."
Shen Tangning cares about Liu Yifu, but she still doesn't forget to weigh the pros and cons and doesn't lose her rationality because of it.
But he himself, without realizing it, had already fallen outside her scope of weighing the pros and cons, which proved that she had long regarded him as one of her own.
Impatience leads to a loss of composure.
The two comparisons showed that Chi Yan's lips never left his mouth.
Shen Tangning quickly understood Chi Yan's meaning, her eyes showing deep thought: "You are very thoughtful."
She had said long ago that Chi Yan was very suitable for officialdom. He had an extraordinary keen sense of politics. The only downside was that he thought too simply about people's hearts and had a compassionate and kind heart. His strong sense of loyalty and righteousness became his weakness.
She looked up and saw Chi Yan's expression, and couldn't help but twitch her lips slightly: "What are you grinning about?"
Chi Yan: "..."
...
Chi Yan did indeed go to the imperial prison. At first, the guards tried to stop him from entering, but after he pestered them relentlessly, they finally gave in.
Chi Yan entered the imperial prison without incident, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
Sure enough, if His Majesty had truly sentenced Liu Yifu to death, he would never have been able to see him.
As they passed through the long, dark tunnel, a chill swept over them, accompanied by screams that rose and fell. Chi Yan frowned uncomfortably.
"Lord Chi, this way please."
Chi Yan followed the jailer to the door of a cell. He paused slightly and looked up at the person inside. The dimly lit cell made him squint uncomfortably.
A beam of light shone through the skylight, illuminating the figure sitting in the corner. Liu Yifu stood tall and straight, his expression calm and composed.
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