allonlinenovel Chapter 374: Could it be that Prince An is also involved?
Chapter 374: Could it be that Prince An is also involved?
Master Zhang took out a piece of letter paper and said, "This letter explains the situation in Fengcheng, the city closest to the border in Chen State."
He then took out another piece of letter paper and said, "This letter states how many troops the State of Chen has secretly dispatched to the border."
"This letter describes the reaction of the people in the city after the State of Chen was defeated."
"And this one, it says..."
After explaining one by one, it was found that none of the letters was asking the Duke of Zhenguo about the situation in Dai Viet.
Moreover, the words used were respectful and the questions were rigorous. It was obvious that he was speaking in the tone of a subordinate reporting the truth to his superior.
After reading the rest of the text, the ministers also understood.
This is not a letter of communication with the State of Chen to betray Dai Viet. It is obvious that the Duke of Zhenguo is far away in the capital and is always worried about the safety of the border. So he sent people to sneak into Fengcheng, keep a close eye on every move in the city, and then secretly pass it on.
I'm afraid the reason why they used the Chen language was because they were afraid that using the Yue language would arouse suspicion among people around them during the delivery of the letter.
Poor Zhenguogong Mansion is devoted to Dai Viet, and is now fighting desperately at the border, but has to endure such suspicion, and his only daughter was almost thrown into prison without a chance to defend herself. It's really... Alas...
After the contents of these letters were clarified, the charges of treason against the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion were naturally cleared.
After listening to those contents, Xie Qian'an couldn't help but take a step back, his heart filled with shock.
If these two ministers had not always obeyed the emperor's orders and not participated in party disputes, he would not have believed it.
But how is this possible...
He had clearly prepared those letters himself, given them to his confidant, and had him find someone to put them in the study of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. How could the contents have changed...
This should have clearly proven that the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion was collaborating with the enemy and treasonous...
Xie Qian'an's gaze fell on the guard's face, and he saw that the guard's face was also full of astonishment, and he was obviously shocked.
If this person hadn't betrayed, then...
Xie Qian'an suddenly looked at Shen Qionghua and saw that the other party was looking at him with a sneer in his eyes.
It’s her…it’s actually her…it’s definitely her!
She had known his plan for a long time and deliberately changed the content of the letter to outwit him!
All his plans came to nothing!
Still putting on a show in front of him and fooling him!
Shen Qionghua!
You have ruined my plans again and again, and I will never let you go!
Luo Xiyao covered her face with her hands and cried bitterly. After Master Zhang finished reading the letter, she burst into tears and said with extreme grievance:
"Your Majesty, these letters must have been secretly sent back by my father's people in the State of Chen. They used the Chen language to avoid arousing suspicion."
"My father was very careful and meticulous. However, due to an accident, a carrier pigeon fell, allowing someone to peek at the letter. Without even knowing the contents of the letter, they insisted that my father was collaborating with the enemy and treason."
"My father fought for the Kingdom of Yue his entire life, fighting in hundreds of battles. His body is covered with countless scars, both large and small. He is still at the border defending his country. It is truly chilling that among the people he protects there are such cruel and heartless people who wish to drag the Zhenguogong Mansion to hell."
Luo Xiyao's face flushed red and she was very emotional. She didn't know whether this heartless person was referring to the guard who had made the false accusation or someone in the hall.
Xie Rong's eyes darkened, and he coughed lightly, saying, "This matter was my negligence. I almost wrongly blamed the Zhenguogong Mansion."
Since he has not colluded with the enemy or committed treason, Xie Rong should come out and express his position to avoid giving people a handle and causing criticism.
Luo Xiyao's eyes flashed with sarcasm when he heard this, but he spoke respectfully, "How can the emperor be blamed for this? If anyone should be blamed, it should be the guard who made the false accusation and the people behind him. If it weren't for their lies and inciting the adults, the emperor wouldn't have been forced to search the Zhenguo Mansion, causing so much trouble."
"Your Majesty, please punish the culprit severely!"
"Your Majesty, please severely punish the culprit to comfort the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion!" All the officials knelt down and said.
The Duke of Zhenguo has always had a good reputation in the court, and most officials did not believe that he would commit treason and betray the country.
However, nothing is absolute, and no one dares to speak up to argue for the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion in the face of such a disaster that could lead to the confiscation of property and the destruction of the country.
If it is true, he will inevitably be regarded as an accomplice by the emperor. His own life is insignificant, but the harm to his wife and children and the family is the biggest.
But now that the Duke of Zhenguo has been cleared of suspicion, it is natural for him to help punish the culprit.
Xie Rong's gaze fell on the guard as he spoke. The guard was already trembling with fear, and he threw his head to the ground and said, "Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty, please spare me! I didn't know. I really didn't know what the letter contained!"
"If I knew this, I wouldn't dare to go to the Emperor even if I had ten times the courage!"
"Your Majesty, please spare my life for the sake of my devotion to Dai Viet. Your Majesty, please spare my life!"
Luo Xiyao sneered and said, "You can't even read the Chen language, yet based on a piece of paper, you think our Zhenguo Mansion is collaborating with the enemy and treasonous. You even dare to make such a fuss before the Emperor. There must be someone behind this. Why don't you confess the truth?"
"This...this..." The guard hesitated. He was not stupid. If it was really a misunderstanding, he might be able to keep his life. But if he was really instructed by someone to falsely accuse the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, he would be in danger of losing his life.
The guard looked at the Minister of Revenue with a hidden gaze. The Minister of Revenue was also panicked at this time, not knowing why the original plan had gone wrong.
Luo Xiyao noticed the guard's gaze and immediately changed her tone, directing her words at the Minister of Revenue. "Oh, and the Minister of Revenue, you've been an official for so many years, you should be extremely cautious and careful. How could you so easily believe a guard's words, question my Zhenguogong Mansion, and even bring someone to this palace?"
"This behavior is truly out of character. He even spoke up for this guard time and again. Could it be that you are in cahoots with this guard, framing the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion together?"
"The so-called conflict between our two families is just a pretext to fool people!"
No matter how foolish the Minister of Revenue was, he knew he couldn't admit it. He immediately said, "Princess Pingning, please stop talking nonsense. I'm doing this for the sake of Great Yue. Even if I made a mistake, you can't just say I'm deliberately framing you."
As he spoke, he immediately defended himself to Xie Rong, "Your Majesty, please understand. I am truly wronged. Although my son had some conflicts with Princess Pingning, they were only minor disputes between children. No one's life was endangered. Why would it be worth my arduous efforts to frame him?"
"I truly care about the interests of Great Yue. When this guard told me what happened, I became uneasy at the thought that the border troops were now in the hands of the Duke of Zhenguo. Therefore, I, believing that it is better to be mistaken than to let him go, reported this matter to the Emperor."
"Your Majesty, I am truly wronged!"
The Minister of Revenue was in charge of the treasury and was Xie Qi'an's right-hand man. Xie Qi'an could not allow him to be demoted for this matter, so he immediately pleaded, "Father, please calm down."
"The Minister of Revenue did fail to oversee this time, but ultimately, he was also concerned about the interests of Great Yue. I beg Your Majesty to forgive him for his dedication over the years."
As soon as Xie Qian'an finished speaking, Luo Xiyao said, "Your Highness, what you said is not right. All the adults in this palace are dedicated and hardworking. If we let them off lightly, then everyone will be able to speak freely and slander us at will. Wouldn't that be a complete mess?"
"It just so happens that today there's an adult who understands the Chen language and can prove my father's innocence. If someone else can't prove their innocence in the future, then they'll truly die unjustly!"
"This is based on the assumption that the Minister of Revenue is truly innocent. If he really framed me on purpose, then we cannot let him off."
"Your Highness Prince An is only a few years older than me, how can you be so immature in your thinking..."
"you……"
"Oh, right!" Luo Xiyao interrupted him, glancing at him sideways, "I forgot. Just now, His Royal Highness Prince An was also trying hard to search my Zhenguo Mansion, even at the expense of Prince An's Mansion. Could it be that His Royal Highness Prince An was also involved?"
"Otherwise... why are you speaking up for the Minister?"