It wasn't until the emperor's expression gradually softened that Xie Chengyin slowly spoke: "Father, what happened?"
Being cuckolded is already annoying enough, but having to explain to your biological son that you have been cuckolded is already very annoying just thinking about it, and having to say it out loud
.
Seeing the emperor's face getting more and more ugly, Meng Shaoqing considered the person and then said: "I went to the dungeon of Dali Temple today to meet Hu Sheng!"
Xie Chengyin turned his gaze to Meng Shaoqing: "What then?"
"Hu Sheng wanted to exchange peony for a secret. I didn't agree, but he didn't agree either. He thought the matter was a done deal, so he told the whole story, and this matter involved the imperial concubine.
The Empress and the Sixth Prince!" Meng Shaoqing looked at Xie Chengyin and said softly.
The emperor said that this matter involved the royal blood, and Meng Shaoqing named the imperial concubine. The matter was already clear. Xie Chengyin took a deep look at Meng Shaoqing, and he nodded helplessly. At that moment, Xie Chengyin understood the matter.
That's roughly the whole story.
Xie Chengyin pondered for a long time, and then asked: "What do you plan to do now?"
"Seize the family and exterminate the clan!" The emperor's voice was very soft, but very clear. People standing in the imperial study could hear it clearly.
Xie Chengyin looked at the emperor in front of him, pondered again and again, and finally said: "The Prime Minister has disciples all over the civil and military affairs of the court. If you are too anxious, it will affect the foundation of the government. We cannot do it directly, and this matter concerns the imperial concubine and the six emperors."
Emperor brother, we still need to take a long-term approach!"
"Everything must be based on evidence!" The emperor looked at Xie Chengyin and said calmly, "It's impossible for Hu Sheng to say whatever he says is what he said. We have to investigate, but we can't do it blatantly, we have to do it carefully, and we can't let anyone go!"
When the emperor spoke, his voice was not loud, but his whole body was filled with a murderous aura. Even His Royal Highness, who often quarreled with the emperor, was still frightened: "We want to investigate, but we can't alert the snake. We have to eliminate Prime Minister Hao and the emperor step by step.
Otherwise, the power of the imperial concubine’s mother’s family in the court will be of no benefit to the father!”
Meng Shaoqing, who had been listening on the sidelines, suddenly said: "This autumn examination, we can select a group of capable scholars, and we can use this group of scholars to replace some of the official positions! As long as we have candidates to replace them, then this big tree will count.
If it falls, there won’t be any problem!”
The emperor glanced at Meng Shaoqing for a long time, and then nodded: "Prime Minister Hao was responsible for the exams in previous years, so naturally it's not easy to let him be in charge this year. What candidates do you have?"
"Prince of Dali Temple!" Meng Shaoqing laughed, "In today's court, the only one who dares to play against the Prime Minister is the Qing of Dali Temple!"
"Okay, the Minister of Dali Temple is responsible for selecting the number one scholar in Wen Dynasty, and the Marquis of Yongchang is responsible for selecting the number one scholar in Wu Dynasty!" The emperor looked at Meng Shaoqing and said calmly, "Marquis Yongchang has been inactive for several years. It's time to walk around the capital.
!”
Although Meng Shaoqing was unwilling, he could only accept his fate.
When walking out of the palace, Xie Chengyin looked at Meng Shaoqing: "Didn't you involve Su Xubai in this?"
"If I'm not mistaken, His Majesty will definitely cut off Prime Minister Hao's arm this time, but he is afraid of making him defensive, so he will definitely use the marriage between Su Xubai and Hao Jiaojiao as a cover!" Meng Shaoqing
He frowned, "Su Xubai is afraid that he will become a victim!"
Xie Chengyin was speechless.
Meng Shaoqing was right. Although the two things seemed unrelated, since the emperor wanted to uproot the Hao family, he couldn't do it so quickly. In order to stabilize the hearts of the Hao family, the marriage between the Hao family and the Su family was regarded as
It’s a done deal!
"You recommend the Minister of Dali Temple because you want Su Xubai to know about this matter as soon as possible!" Xie Chengyin said lightly, "Aren't you afraid that he will cause trouble?"
"He's not that kind of person!" Meng Shaoqing laughed, "I just suffered a lot for him and Cheng Chun, a pair of fateful couple!"
When Xie Chengyin thought of this pair of hard-luck mandarin ducks who had a rough fate, he really didn't know what to say.
"That little lady in Chengchun has a rock-like heart. She was finally softened by Su Xubai along the way. If something like this happens again, I'm afraid there will be another twists and turns!" Meng Shaoqing shook his head helplessly.
, "It's just that I pity Su Xubai, a feeling of affection is no match for the imperial power!"
Xie Chengyin was really speechless. After all, as ministers, they always had to share the worries of those in power. Although they sympathized with the pair of fateful mandarin ducks, they had to do so.
When the sky was slightly bright, bursts of thunder suddenly sounded, shocking Su Xubai who was sleeping. He put on a coat and opened the door. He looked at the servants walking around in the yard holding umbrellas and felt inexplicably behind him.
There was a chill on my back.
"Where's the woad?" Su Xubai asked.
The attendant hurriedly stepped forward: "Silang is still resting. Does Fifth Master want to see him?"
Su Xubai frowned slightly, and then said: "No need, send someone to check if something happened last night?"
Although the attendant was a little strange, he didn't ask any more questions and immediately sent someone to inquire.
Su Xubai couldn't fall asleep again, so he got up and went to the study. He obviously had the book in his hand, but his thoughts always drifted to the window.
Today, Su Xubai arranged for Chengchun to meet Chengjia and his wife. In order to cover up others' deception, he deliberately asked his sister-in-law to take Chengjia and his wife to the Widow's Square in the suburbs of Beijing so that Chengchun and Chengjia and his wife could meet there.
But the heavy rain in the early morning made him a little upset, and he always felt that something was going to happen.
Not long after, Shia Lan rushed over. As soon as he entered the door, he told all the news he knew: "Last night, His Majesty interrogated Hu Sheng overnight, and also called His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince Yongchang into the palace.
We kept talking secretly until we came out late at night!"
"Why is there a sudden interrogation?" Su Xubai was a little confused, and the uneasiness in his heart became stronger and stronger.
"I heard that it was because the Crown Prince of Yongchang went to interrogate Hu Sheng first, and was called into the palace not long afterward!" Jian Lan explained, "When I went to the residence of the Marquis of Yongchang to find the Crown Prince, I heard that he had already
Went to court!"
Su Xubai was still sleeping, so he didn't have to go to court, but this matter was really weird and already made him feel uneasy. The case Hu Sheng was involved in was not a small one, but it was not so big that it would require His Majesty to interrogate him overnight, unless
, Hu Sheng was also involved in other matters involving the royal family.
Su Xubai thought for a while, but really couldn't figure out why. Finally, he had to say: "Sister-in-law is going back to Widow's Square today. You can go with us. Be careful on the way!"