Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Prince Jing lowered his voice and said, "It's best not to let them leave for the time being. If they leave the villa tomorrow, it will be very difficult for them to return. You are my friends, so I am speaking frankly. Don't let the small things lead to big things and delay the child's treatment. You should also stay out for the time being, otherwise the capital will be in chaos for a while."
"What's going on?" Xiao Jingyan and Lin You asked at the same time.
King Jing didn't say anything else. He dipped his finger in tea and wrote the word "Han" on the table. When the two of them saw it clearly, he wiped it off.
As people who had followed King Jing all the way back from the northwest, they knew some of the tricks involved, so they shut up and nodded silently.
It seems that I really can’t take my little niece home. If something happens, my home is not as safe as the palace!
Xiao Yao was still eagerly waiting for her fourth uncle to come and take her home! She had originally wanted to tell Xiao Yuan and the princess the news, but she was afraid that Xiao Yuan would keep asking questions, and she was also afraid that the princess would be worried about her daughter, so she planned to wait and see when she left tomorrow.
No one would have thought that on an ordinary day, at a court meeting that could not be more ordinary, something huge would happen that would turn Kyoto upside down.
"Duke Qing, do you have anything else to say in the face of these evidences?" the emperor asked slowly.
"Your Majesty, please understand. This must be someone spreading rumors and slandering my son. Never mind that he wouldn't secretly purchase war horses and store fodder. Even if such a thing happened, it must have been because I, your son, wanted to share the burden of your majesty's worries and do my best for the country, not for any selfish desires."
Duke Qing trembled and said that he had indeed been worried for a while when Prince Jing first returned to the capital. Later, seeing that the Emperor seemed fine, he used his connections to silence everyone Prince Jing had brought back. Duke Qing, who thought everything was over, had never expected that the Emperor would suddenly attack him during the morning court session. What was he going to do?
"In that case, I should thank you and your son very much." The emperor was almost amused by his anger. He had seen people with thick skin, but he had never seen anyone thicker-skinned than Duke Qing and his son.
Don't think that I don't know how those people died in the prison. If I didn't want the Queen Mother to believe that it was the Han family who did it; if I didn't want to take down the two Duke's Mansions in one fell swoop; if I wasn't afraid of alerting the enemy, I would have stopped their actions long ago.
"I dare not, I am terrified." Duke Qing lowered his head. He did not have the courage to look the emperor in the eye. A bad feeling arose spontaneously.
"Even if these matters remain to be verified, then the fact that Prince Jing was besieged and hunted in Han Yaowu's (Duke Qing's eldest son) territory is none of your business, right?" The emperor sat up straight, his expression set. He had been preparing for this day for a long time, wanting the opportunity to bring down the Han family in one fell swoop. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous. He no longer wanted to live under the Han family's shadow, nor did he want them to extend their influence over the imperial family, sending a steady stream of girls into the harem and various royal palaces.
"Duke Qing, do you have anything else to say?"
"I only ask that the emperor conduct a thorough investigation and clear my family's name." Duke Qing planned to send a carrier pigeon to his son as soon as he left the court, asking him to be careful and alert.
"I have thoroughly investigated. Han Yaowu ignored Prince Jing's repeated requests for help and remained silent, nearly causing Prince Jing's death. He also secretly stockpiled food and purchased war horses without the emperor's permission. His crimes are proven. The verdict is as follows: Han Yaowu will be immediately escorted back to the capital. All matters in the northwest will be handed over to the imperial envoy. From now on, no man or woman in the Duke of Qing's mansion is allowed to leave the house at will."
The emperor narrowed his eyes. He was not looking at Duke Qing at the moment, but Duke Hanguo who was standing next to him and trying to remain calm. What happened next would be decided by his mother. He hoped that she would not let him and his brother down.
"Your Majesty, I am wronged! Please do not listen to the slander of these villains. The people in the Duke of Qing's mansion are loyal to you and Tianyu, and they have absolutely no second thoughts!"
"What do you mean by this, Duke Qing? You are loyal, so this means I am framing you, right?" King Jing stared at Duke Qing sarcastically. Because he married the daughter of the censor Yin family but did not marry his daughter as his principal wife, he joined forces with his mother to use so many despicable means on the Yin family.
Driving the Yin family out of Kyoto had caused his wife to be depressed for so many years and she had never been truly happy. He had endured this for more than ten years, just waiting for an opportunity like today to avenge his wife.
"Your Highness, Duke Qing is your father-in-law after all. You should give the Buddha some consideration and not kick him when he's down." Duke Hanguo glanced at the emperor meaningfully. His younger brother's daughter was Prince Jing's concubine, and his own daughter was a noble concubine in the palace. If the emperor and Prince Jing were willing to give his younger brother a break, he wouldn't have to worry about being implicated, right?
"I've never heard of a concubine or a concubine's father being able to call himself father-in-law. My father-in-law has been expelled from Kyoto for many years. I don't know if I would recognize him if I meet him now." Did his uncle want to take the opportunity to target his elder brother, or did he want to spare the Duke of Qing's Mansion for the sake of his mother? He had begged hard in those days, hoping that his mother and the Han family would let the Yin family go, but what was the result!
"Your Majesty, Han Yaowu has been escorted back to the capital. Please give your instructions." A man who looked like a general came in from outside the hall. He was the general responsible for secretly escorting Han Yaowu back to the capital. Because they had to act in secrecy, this group of people took a remote route, so they returned many days late. This was one of the reasons why the emperor had delayed dealing with the Duke of Qing's Mansion until today.
"Impossible! I was in touch with Yaowu a few days ago! How could he come back at this time? It must be fake."
"If no one communicates with you, how can you stay in Kyoto obediently? In order to get your cooperation, we have already thought of various possible situations." King Jing admired the frightened expression of Duke Qing while speaking slowly. He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
"Throw the man into the Sky Prison, Minister of Justice. If someone dies again this time, I will punish you for both crimes. Then you can wait to have your head brought to me!" The emperor's intimidating voice came from above, and the Minister of Justice was so frightened that he knelt down on the cold ground. He knew that this was his only chance to make amends. If anything happened to anyone else, especially Han Yaowu, he would be really finished.
"I obey your order." The trembling Minister of Justice staggered back.
"If there's nothing else, let's adjourn the court. Tell the commander of the Imperial Guard to personally escort Duke Qing back to his residence." The Emperor glanced at Duke Han, who visibly flinched, and a sardonic smile played across his lips. He must be tormented right now, unsure of his fate. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have bothered to covet the throne. This time, he was determined to uproot the Han family. Even if they were deeply rooted and faced numerous obstacles, he would not tolerate them any longer.
The emperor glanced at Prince Jing. "Could this guy not smile so brightly?" The concubines in your mansion are from the Duke of Qing's mansion, and there are two county ladies. Their surnames are Yun, right? Even if you don't care about all this, you should always think about your mother. We haven't gotten over this hurdle yet! Is it really okay for you to get so carried away like this now?
"I'm afraid it will be difficult for Mother to pass this test. You should quickly put away the smug look on your face and make sure Mother doesn't see it." Seeing that they had arrived at Fengxiang Palace, the emperor turned around and warned his brother.
"I'm not afraid. Don't you still have me, brother?" Because of the Han family, the Queen Mother must be dissatisfied with me. No expectations, no hurt. The outcome is already determined, and it can't be improved immediately if I want to. Why bother thinking so much?
"You..." The emperor, choked by his brother, wanted to get out of the sedan chair and beat this guy a few times. Why did he have to take the lead every time there was a problem? I have only heard of others helping the emperor to solve problems, but I have never seen anyone dare to let the emperor take the lead! Letting the emperor be a shield for the prince, there is no one in the world more daring than his brother!
"You better restrain yourself. If you dare to push the blame on me alone, you will be in trouble." The emperor threatened King Jing dryly.
"Look, my royal brother, isn't that Eunuch Qu from our mother's palace? Guess where he's going?" Prince Jing put away his ruffian look and instantly transformed into a noble prince, which made the emperor's mouth twitch.
"Your servant pays his respects to the Emperor and Prince Jing." Eunuch Qu knelt down swiftly. His attitude today was particularly respectful and humble.
"Is there something wrong, Eunuch Qu?" King Jing particularly liked to observe people's expressions today, especially those related to the Han family. King Jing really wanted to see their shocked and disbelieving expressions. The more he saw, the more comfortable he felt.
"I am here to invite the Emperor and the Prince on the orders of the Empress Dowager."
"Oh, is there something wrong?" King Jing leaned forward and asked.
The emperor was speechless and didn't know what his brother and the servant had to say. The queen mother came to find someone just to ask about the Han family. During the morning court session, he asked his confidant to block the news from the court. Otherwise, the mother and son would not have met in this Fengxiang Palace. I'm afraid the queen mother would have rushed to the court long ago.
"I don't know the reason." Even if he knew the reason, he wouldn't dare to say it! Even the Queen Mother shouldn't discuss state affairs, let alone a eunuch like himself! Eunuch Qu knew in his heart that King Jing hated him to the core.
It was he who read out the decree to expel the Yin family, and it was he who delivered the imperial decree to the palace to appoint Han Ying as a concubine. It was also he who delivered the news of summoning Concubine Han to the palace at countless royal banquets...
King Jing looked at the eunuch who had followed his mother for many years and had been bullying others for half his life, and said silently in his heart: It will be soon. It won’t be long before I will be able to separate the head and body of this villain and eradicate all his disciples.
In front of Fengxiang Palace, the two brothers got out of their sedan chairs, looked at each other, and walked inside. It was easy to deal with outsiders, but their own mother... Oh! What should they do with her?
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