At midday, as the sun began to set slightly in the west, it was the time when the Emperor had just woken up after his midday nap.
The man standing in front of Tianlu Pavilion, dressed in a light blue-green robe and wearing a jade crown and brocade belt, was none other than Li Qingchen, the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan.
Half an hour ago, he and Imperial Censor Zhang Jian entered the palace together to ask Eunuch Cao to inform the Emperor that he was still asleep during his morning nap. Just now, Eunuch Cao came out to say that the Emperor had woken up, but only summoned Zhang Jian, and told Minister Li to wait outside.
Therefore, Li Qingchen continued to stand in front of the door, his body as straight as a wall, his wide sleeves with scroll patterns hanging down at his sides, his gaze fixed on the pair of vermilion lacquered pillars in front of him. Two lifelike golden dragons were coiled on the pillars, giving off a sense of solemnity.
But a wild thought suddenly flashed through Li Qingchen's mind: Who says there can only be one true dragon?
Just as he was lost in thought, the door of Tianlu Pavilion opened again, and Eunuch Cao came out and bowed to Li Qingchen: "Young Prince, His Majesty summons you in."
Li Qingchen nodded to Eunuch Cao, then strode forward, swept his robes, and stepped into the house.
Inside the pavilion, on a throne adorned with gilded dragons, sat a man nearing fifty, yet whose eyes still gleamed like swords. He wore a bright yellow dragon robe and a cloud-patterned crown; he was none other than Emperor Pingjia, Zhu Xian.
Li Qingchen strode forward and greeted Zhu Xian, "Your son greets Your Majesty."
Although Emperor Pingjia's expression was somber and he didn't seem to be in a good mood, he was still his adopted son, so he raised his hand and said, "Your subject need not be so polite."
When Li Qingchen straightened up, his gaze subtly swept over the Imperial Censor Zhang Jian. It was difficult to discern the outcome from Zhu Xian's face, but it was much easier to glean it from Zhang Jian's.
Seeing Zhang Jian's dark face, as if he had just been severely reprimanded by the Emperor, Li Qingchen knew what was going on.
With him as the scapegoat to vent first, letting the Emperor vent his anger will make things easier for me later. The Emperor wouldn't scold two people in one day for the sake of his health.
As expected, although Emperor Pingjia was displeased that Li Qingchen had stepped forward to help the Wei family at this time, he had personally bestowed the pardon to the Prince of Qiaochuan's mansion years ago, stating that no matter how serious the crime, as long as it was presented, leniency would be granted. Therefore, after venting his anger, he had decided not to pursue the matter of Wei Zheng's embezzlement.
In truth, Emperor Pingjia didn't entirely believe the Censorate's accusation that Wei Zheng had embezzled funds allocated by the court. After all, Wei Zheng was the man who had once donated 100,000 taels of silver for disaster relief in Wu County. The Wei family had no shortage of gold and silver; was it really necessary to risk their lives for 30,000 taels?
Furthermore, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that Wei Zheng was responsible for this matter.
But with such a great disaster, the imperial court must give an explanation to the people of Wu County. Whether they deserve their punishment or are scapegoats, someone has to be pushed out to bear the resentment of the people in the disaster area.
Thus, Emperor Pingjia turned a blind eye and issued an edict to investigate Wei Zheng.
But he never expected that a small family like the Wei family would have both Duke Sheng and Li Qingchen running around for them.
Since that was the case, Emperor Pingjia thought it best to release the Wei family; at worst, he could just find another scapegoat. His word was law, and he couldn't go back on his promise to the Prince of Qiaochuan's residence.
Moreover, in the long run, the fact that Li Qingchen was able to use this pardon to save the Wei family is actually a good thing for the royal family of the Daye Dynasty. After all, as long as this pardon remains in the Qiaochuan Prince's Mansion, even if the Li family has rebellious intentions, they still have this life-saving charm to fall back on, and sooner or later they will be released back into the wild.
Thinking of this, Emperor Pingjia felt extremely pleased. Compared to the Qiaochuan Prince's Mansion, a major threat, what was the Wei family? Let them go.
After a moment of silence, when Emperor Pingjia spoke again, his brows had relaxed, and he seemed to be in a much better mood:
"My lord, Zhang Aiqing says you gave the imperial pardon that I bestowed upon your Qiaochuan Prince's Mansion to the Wei family?"
"Yes, Father."
Why is that?
"Because Wei Shuwan, the third daughter of the Wei family, once saved my life. But the Wei family is so wealthy that they are as rich as kings and nobles. I really can't think of anything to repay them with. After thinking it over, I can only give this item to them."
Emperor Pingjia nodded slowly: "It must have been difficult for you."
However, he naturally sensed that Li Qingchen's words contained ulterior motives, which was nothing more than reminding him once again that the Wei family was so wealthy that they would not deign to spend a mere 30,000 taels of silver on dam construction!
Emperor Pingjia was not one to procrastinate. Having made up his mind, he said directly, "Since this is something I bestowed upon your Qiaochuan Prince's Mansion, it is only right that your Qiaochuan Prince's Mansion decides how to use it. If you are determined to do so, I will grant your wish."
"Thank you, Father Emperor!" Li Qingchen bowed with his hands clasped, which was a way of showing his determination.
Emperor Pingjia gave a soft "hmm," shifted his gaze to Zhang Jian, and decisively said, "Then go back today and release the entire Wei family."
"Your subject obeys!"
...
Zhang Jian walked out of Tianlu Pavilion with a sullen face. He was worried about how to explain this to Prince Jing when he saw Li Qingchen, who had left before him, standing on the jade steps, as if he was waiting for him.
As expected, upon hearing footsteps behind him, Li Qingchen turned around to look at Zhang Jian, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
"Lord Zhang, shall we walk together for a while?"
Although Zhang Jian was somewhat confused, he nodded in agreement and stopped when he reached Li Qingchen's side, extending his arm: "Please, Your Highness."
"Please, Lord Zhang," Li Qingchen said politely in return.
After walking side by side for a while, they turned into a palace alley, away from the guards. Li Qingchen, who had been casually chatting about the cool weather, suddenly stopped talking and asked in a different tone:
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