The emperor responded and lowered his head to continue eating.
The three of them hadn't eaten together in a long time, so they talked a lot and the meal took a while.
After dinner, they played chess with the emperor for a while. When the two of them came out of the Taiji Hall, the moon was already hanging high in the sky.
It was getting late.
Having said so much to the emperor, I have nothing to say right now.
As the two were about to part ways and return to their respective palaces, Rong Ning asked, "How is Xie Chong doing with you?"
"He's behaving quite well!" the Crown Prince replied. "He seems to trust you to protect him; he's eating and sleeping well!"
Rong Ning shook her head and chuckled, "Perhaps he doesn't believe me, but rather his grandfather! Brother, I think the path Xie Chong is taking now was paved for him in advance by Prime Minister Xie. Otherwise, why would he entrust so much evidence concerning the survival of the Xie family to a sixteen-year-old child?"
Looking back now, Rong Ning feels that she was used.
But it doesn't matter anymore!
With the Xie family gone, it doesn't matter whether Xie Chong lives or dies, or how he lives.
"Keep a close eye on him, make sure nothing goes wrong!" Rong Ning instructed calmly.
The crown prince nodded, indicating that he understood.
The Eastern Palace was guarded like an iron barrel, with countless secret guards watching at all times. Xie Chong entered the Eastern Palace alone, and he had no way to make any other small moves.
So after entering the Eastern Palace, he actually slept soundly.
It's no exaggeration to say that this was the most peaceful night's sleep he had had in over a month. Every night he was filled with anxiety and fear, wondering when the sky over the Prime Minister's residence would collapse.
His grandfather had long anticipated this day, so on the night Rong Ning brought Xie Xizhu back to the princess's residence, his grandfather gave him all the evidence of the Xie family's crimes and told him that if the Xie family were to suffer a change, he should use these things to seek a way out. At that time, his grandfather would also find a way to protect him and ensure that the Xie family line would not end.
He couldn't accept it; he'd rather die with the Xie family than live on at the cost of betraying them.
Unexpectedly, his grandfather slapped him across the face and called him stupid!
His grandfather sternly lectured him on many principles and told him the story of General Mingwei of the previous dynasty.
This shows that General Wei was also the son of a disgraced official, but he was unexpectedly valued by the emperor. The emperor recognized his talent and promoted him beyond the usual ranks. He climbed the ranks step by step and became a famous general.
His grandfather also warned him that if the Xie family were to be destroyed one day, they would not be innocent. He was already very fortunate to have been spared from being implicated by throwing out all the bargaining chips.
Therefore, he warned Xie Chong not to think about revenge. From now on, he would have no Xie family behind him. Whether he lived a life of glory and prosperity or a life of humiliation and humiliation, he would live for himself!
But no matter what, he must always remember: loyalty to the emperor was his only way to survive.
Just like Prefect Zhu, who did everything in his power to protect his concubine's son, his grandfather also wanted to preserve a bloodline of the Xie family in this way.
As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. If the guilt cannot be escaped, then we should protect one person if we can.
Xie Chong had never experienced any of this; he only knew to follow his grandfather's arrangements. He dared not hate anyone; he only felt tormented.
......
With the evidence provided by Xie Chong, as well as some prior incriminating evidence, the rest became much simpler.
The Prime Minister's mansion is definitely finished, but how to deal with it depends on the Emperor's considerations.
It is true that Prime Minister Xie committed a crime and was not of one mind with the emperor, but if he were to be completely eliminated, it might give the impression that the emperor began to kill his meritorious officials after ascending the throne, which would discourage people and destabilize the political situation.
Although the Prime Minister's Mansion has done many heinous things, its merit in supporting the emperor is an indelible fact. Moreover, Xie Chong personally presented the evidence, upholding justice even at the cost of family ties, which is known both inside and outside the court. Therefore, this person cannot be killed under any circumstances and should even be properly dealt with.
In the following days, ministers may have pleaded for Xie Chong, saying that he had made great contributions to bringing down the Prime Minister's Mansion. Although he was also a member of the Xie family, he had no connection with the Xie family when he presented the evidence, and should not be implicated.
The final result was that the emperor personally issued an edict sentencing all male members of the Xie clan, except for Xie Chong, aged twelve and above to be beheaded, and the rest to be exiled thousands of miles away, never to return to Nanyang City.
After this decree was issued, Nanyang City was in chaos for a while. Those closely associated with the Prime Minister's residence were beheaded, their homes were confiscated, or they were dismissed from their posts.
Rong Ning was busy for quite a while, but her coming-of-age ceremony was just around the corner, so she let the Crown Prince handle the rest and entered the palace three days in advance to familiarize herself with the ceremony's procedures at Zhaoqing Palace.
Her father must have attached great importance to her coming-of-age ceremony, inviting not only the major families in Nanyang City, but also envoys from various countries in Nanyang City to witness the ceremony.
This is quite a big show.
Even when he himself ascended the throne, it wasn't this grand.
With such a grand setup, Rong Ning didn't want to lose face, so she diligently familiarized herself with the procedures.
She was born a royal, and although she doesn't value or like being bound by rules, she knows everything that's necessary, so it's not difficult to get to know her.
Nanyang City is currently in turmoil, making it the perfect time to fish in troubled waters. Therefore, she has taken advantage of this opportunity to secretly expand her influence.
Although she was in the palace, she didn't really let go of all the things outside. Aying would report to her every day, and she didn't miss any of the things that needed to be done.
However, she no longer had to do the exhausting work of confiscating property and exterminating clans, which saved her a lot of time. Rong Ning realized at this time that these few days in the palace were actually the most leisurely days she had had since returning from the Northern Border.
On the night before her coming-of-age ceremony, Rong Ning still went to the East Palace to see Xie Chong.
The imperial decree to deal with the Xie family had already been issued, but it happened to coincide with Rong Ning's coming-of-age ceremony. Her father felt it was inappropriate to carry out a massacre before her coming-of-age ceremony, so he ordered her to be imprisoned first and executed at a later date.
The Xie family was convicted, and the Prime Minister's faction was also decimated, but Xie Chong seemed to have been forgotten and was kept in the Eastern Palace with good food and drink.
Killing him is not an option, but how to arrange his life so that he can live a life of luxury and ease is still undecided, so he can only be kept in the Eastern Palace indefinitely.
The courtyard where Xie Chong was detained was heavily guarded. Since he stepped into the courtyard, Xie Chong had never been released. Although he lived well in the East Palace, he had no personal freedom at all.
Rong Ning asked Xie Chong, the Eastern Palace guard who was guarding the courtyard, about his behavior during this period. They said there were no major problems. He would get up early every day to practice boxing, eat and drink, read books and play chess in the courtyard. When he was in a good mood, he would even play a piece of music.
The eldest grandson of a prominent family, who was carefully raised, was naturally proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Unexpectedly, he ended up using them as a pastime while he was trapped in the Eastern Palace.
Rong Ning admired Xie Chong's attitude towards things. Regardless of what he was thinking, the fact that he could still live his life like this after everyone in the Xie family except him was convicted showed that he was quite strong-willed.
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