"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has fainted from anger again."
Shen Xihe:...
Just the day before yesterday, she had conversed pleasantly with Xiao Huayong, and yesterday she heard his condition had improved.
She raised her hand, signaling Hongyu to pause styling her hair, and turned to look at Biyu beyond the beaded curtain: "How did he faint from anger?"
"It was the eldest master of Wanping Count's residence who complained to the Crown Prince, saying the Court of State Ceremonial accepted bribes and hindered his peerage inheritance..."
Through Biyu's account, Shen Xihe understood the whole story.
The Wanping Count's residence was also an old-established noble family in the capital, their peerage having been reduced from a hereditary three-generation dukedom to a countship.
Qu Yanguang's father still held the title of marquis, but by his brother's generation it became a countship, and the next generation would be viscounts.
Qu Yanguang's background was somewhat troubled. His father, the former Wanping Marquis, was originally the second legitimate son—neither accomplished in literature nor martial arts, nor was he a wastrel, but solely fond of traveling.
He married young to settle down, but later during his travels he encountered an accident and was rescued by Qu Yanguang's grandfather. Qu Yanguang's grandfather was originally an herb farmer with only one daughter.
The Wanping Marquis had lost his memory at that time and been robbed of all his possessions, so he had to remain in the deep mountains with Qu Yanguang's grandfather. Over time, he developed feelings for Qu Yanguang's mother. With Qu Yanguang's grandfather's approval, they performed the wedding ceremony, wrote marriage documents, and became officially wedded.
After Qu Yanguang's grandfather passed away, they moved from the mountains to a town, opened an herb shop, and Qu Yanguang set up a painting stall. They lived quite harmoniously, and soon Qu Yanguang was born.
Not long after Qu Yanguang's birth, the Wanping Marquis disappeared one day, vanishing for seven years.
Actually, the Wanping Marquis had been forcibly taken back to the marquis residence by servants. His father had died of illness, his elder brother had passed away unexpectedly, and the vast Wanping Marquis residence awaited his inheritance.
Although he didn't remember these people, he knew it was all true. As a man, he needed to shoulder the responsibility of the Wanping Marquis residence. He sent people to fetch Qu Yanguang and his mother, unaware that shortly after his abduction, Qu Yanguang's grandmother had ordered to "kill the mother, spare the son."
By chance, Qu Yanguang and his mother escaped this fate and went into hiding.
Seven years later, Qu Yanguang's mother fell seriously ill. With no relatives left, and eight-year-old Qu Yanguang having no one to entrust him to, his mother cautiously inquired about the Wanping Marquis's identity and sent him a letter.
Before the Wanping Marquis could arrive, Qu Yanguang's mother passed away. Eventually, the Wanping Marquis took Qu Yanguang back to the marquis residence.
There was prolonged dispute over his mother's status—his current wife couldn't become a secondary wife, nor could his deceased wife become a concubine.
Fortunately, Qu Yanguang's biological mother had left a letter for the Wanping Marquis before her death, stating that her husband was not the Wanping Marquis. The Wanping Marquis erected a tomb for her under the identity he had when they married. After much argument from the Wanping Marquis, Qu Yanguang was recognized as the legitimate eldest son.
As a compromise, the Wanping Marquis could not request to appoint an heir during his lifetime.
Later, when the Wanping Marquis passed away, the peerage was inherited by the legitimate son of the Wanping Marchioness, that is, the second legitimate son.
The duty of the Court of State Ceremonial: To determine legitimacy and succession for all peerage inheritances.
Qu Yanguang's inability to inherit the peerage was decided by the current Court of State Ceremonial, Xuanping Marquis Chen Zhong.
It was said that Qu Yanguang endured humiliation for three years to gather evidence.
"Why did he bring the complaint before the Crown Prince?" Shen Xihe picked up Duanming, who had run over to her."The news from the palace is that the reason His Highness the Crown Prince was able to wake up was because a physician from the Imperial Hospital used the acupuncture method presented by Qu Yanguang," Biyu replied with lowered eyes and submissive demeanor. "His Highness only learned of this yesterday and summoned Qu Yanguang, who immediately lodged a complaint."
After sending people to verify the facts, the Crown Prince summoned the Marquis of Xuanping early this morning. The Marquis spoke wildly in the Eastern Palace, causing His Highness to faint from anger.
"Spoke wildly?" Shen Xihe asked.
"Rumors say... the Marquis of Xuanping told His Highness not to meddle in others' affairs, implicitly mocking that His Highness doesn't have long to live, and even ridiculed that His Highness has no power or influence..." Biyu tactfully relayed the information she had gathered, as the original words were too vulgar to repeat.
"The Marquis of Xuanping holds the position of Court of State Ceremonial, one of the Nine Ministers. How could he be someone so unrestrained in speech?" Shen Xihe didn't believe it.
That day at Hibiscus Garden, the Marquis had shown himself to be quite cautious in nature.
"It's absolutely true. The Minister of Rites and the Minister of the Imperial Clan, who had gone together to consult about His Highness's coronation ceremony, heard everything clearly," Biyu also found it somewhat unlike the Marquis's character, but there were witnesses. "The Marquis of Xuanping has already been imprisoned."
The Sixth Prince, Xiao Changyu, was so furious that Xiao Huayong vomited blood and had to kneel at the palace gate, being dispatched to search for Snow Lotus in the Tianshan Mountains. What was Chen Zhong compared to this?
Xiao Huayong had just begun to recover. If anything were to happen to Xiao Huayong, it would be a capital offense!
However, this matter was far from over. The next day was court assembly day, when a memorial from Shunan was presented, listing the various evil deeds committed by Chen Yi, the heir of the Marquis of Xuanping, over the years to accumulate merit - acts for which evidence had never been captured before.
Three days ago, Chen Yi reverted to his old ways and was caught with ironclad evidence.
When Tao Zhuanxian's impeachment resounded through the hall, it was no less than a sharp slap across the face of the Youning Emperor.
In earlier years, the Prince of Shunan had repeatedly submitted memorials requesting Chen Yi's transfer, while Chen Yi had also submitted memorials accusing the Prince of Shunan of unfair rewards and punishments and intentional suppression. The Youning Emperor had always sided with Chen Yi.
Now with ironclad evidence, the Censorate listed several crimes of the Marquis of Xuanping's household, including embezzlement of tribute goods.
It must be known that all tribute goods were first submitted to the Court of State Ceremonial, which would assess their value and determine the quantity of return gifts.
Before all civil and military officials, the Youning Emperor ordered the Embroidered Uniform Envoys to raid the Marquis of Xuanping's residence. They confiscated five chests of gold, silver, and jewels, some of which were rare treasures from foreign countries, more exquisite and beautiful than those in the national treasury.
When these treasures were carried into the Hall of Bright Governance, the Youning Emperor's face darkened as he looked at them - it turned out he, the Emperor, only received what the Marquis of Xuanping had left behind!
Both Chen Zhong, the Marquis of Xuanping, and Chen Yi were sentenced to immediate execution. The Marquis's household properties were confiscated, the female family members were sent to the Side Court Palace, and the male members were sentenced to exile three thousand li away.
"Who exactly is behind this scheme?" Shen Xihe fell into deep thought.
In just one day, a single day had caused the complete collapse of the Marquis of Xuanping's household - far faster and more ruthless than her own plans.
Although she had also laid similar plans, she couldn't have executed them so cleanly. At the very least, the Marquis would have had a chance to fight back and proclaim his innocence. If he had managed his affairs well over the years, someone might have worked to overturn the case for him.
But with this person's move, Chen Zhong didn't even have a chance to catch his breath before becoming a dead man.
"Your Highness, could it be... His Highness the Crown Prince?" Biyu asked in a low voice.
"For what purpose?" Shen Xihe asked. "Apart from bringing down the Marquis of Xuanping's household, what would he gain? He has no one to appoint to the position of Court of State Ceremonial. Moreover, if he were behind the scheme, he shouldn't have put himself forward."It must be understood that Chen Zhong had angered him first, followed immediately by the timely arrival of a memorial from Shu'nan, and then the Censorate's impeachment.
"Every step of this was calculated with utmost precision."
This relentless bombardment forced the Youning Emperor to cut the Gordian knot swiftly and intimidate all officials.
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