"After my bloom, all flowers wither—new()" Search for the latest chapter!
Although Yu Gong did not know what demon had suddenly possessed his once well-behaved son, causing him to become so unrecognizable, he vaguely sensed that this matter was not simple. His son had always been devoted to studying the classics of sages and scholars. Though he possessed some of the aloofness typical of literati, he had never made enemies, and no one would have set a trap for him.
From yesterday until today, he had also expended great effort to thoroughly investigate, and indeed, there was no trace of his son having offended anyone. Moreover, the disaster had persisted for over half a year, and during this period, his son could not possibly have made enemies. If a grudge had been formed earlier, it would not have waited until now to surface.
He was more inclined to believe this was a case of "immortals fighting," with them merely being innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. His son was merely a catalyst; the true target was the Pingyao Marquis estate.
The Pingyao Marquis estate was the root of their Yu clan. If the root were severed, the entire structure would inevitably collapse.
As for who was behind it, Yu Gong could not immediately discern, but his greatest suspicion fell upon the Crown Princess before him. He had not forgotten the earlier rumors about the Crown Prince being favored by heaven—it was he who, under Prince Zhao's orders, had spread them to Dengzhou.
Perhaps from that moment on, he had been wrong—wrong in not listening to his elder brother's advice, wrong in recklessly meddling in the affairs of the princes, which had brought such calamity upon the Yu family.
Just as Yu Gong was succumbing to despair and resignation, Shen Xihe, having glanced at his inner turmoil, leisurely spoke: "Governor Yu, do not lose heart just yet. There may still be room for maneuver in this matter."
Shen Xihe's voice was clear and cool, like a mountain spring flowing over a shallow stream, possessing a magical quality that could soothe the soul. Yet, upon hearing it, Yu Gong felt a chill in his heart. Instinctively, he straightened his back, focusing intently, afraid that missing a single word might plunge him into an abyss of ruin. "What does Your Highness mean by this?" he asked.
"After this incident occurred, the Crown Prince and I investigated Yu Wulang and felt that he should not have had the opportunity to come into contact with the traitorous officials. The suddenness of this matter is indeed rather abrupt," Shen Xihe said calmly. "If not for our inclination to believe that Yu Wulang was framed by others, based on the crime of conspiring with traitorous officials alone, Governor Yu would not be standing here now."
This point was also a source of confusion for Yu Gong. He had always assumed this was Shen Xihe's retaliation for his earlier facilitation of Prince Zhao, allowing those rumors unfavorable to the Crown Prince to spread into Dengzhou. Logically, if it were the Crown Princess's doing, she should have ordered his arrest immediately after obtaining his son's confession and the evidence uncovered.
Even though he differed from his son—not personally involved in sabotaging the disaster relief efforts—he still held an official position and required the Emperor's judgment. Yet, she should not have simply let him go, allowing him to come and go freely without stripping him of his duties.
After all, at this moment, it would be quite easy for the Crown Princess to take his life. She need only imprison him and stage a "suicide out of fear of punishment," and even the Emperor would find no fault in it.
But Shen Xihe had not done so. Now, she even seemed to be speaking to him with apparent sincerity. Was she genuinely suspecting that someone else was stirring trouble, or was this a ploy of "letting the enemy off only to catch them later"? Did her goals extend far beyond merely targeting him?
Yu Gong's heart was torn. One side warned him that the Crown Princess was extremely dangerous and he must not be swayed by her words; the other side struggled faintly with the possibility that perhaps this truly was not the Crown Princess's doing. Maybe someone else had indeed seized the opportunity to muddy the waters, targeting him while making him resent the Crown Princess?Watching the hesitant Yu Gong, Shen Xihe merely said unhurriedly, "Whether Fifth Young Master Yu will be executed tomorrow depends on whether he truly conspired with the traitorous minister."
Yu Gong did not grasp Shen Xihe's meaning. Suppressing his anxiety, he asked, "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."
After all, it was his own legitimate son. Even the slightest possibility made him want to protect him. It wasn't that he wasn't wary of Shen Xihe—he simply wanted to understand her intentions clearly before making a judgment.
Shen Xihe, however, let out a soft laugh. "We shall see if anyone storms the execution ground tomorrow."
With that, Shen Xihe turned and left.
She left Yu Gong standing there in a daze, unable to collect his thoughts for a long while.
Was it that he didn't understand why someone would storm the execution ground? Or was it that Shen Xihe thought he would send someone to do it and was deliberately warning him?
After returning, he pondered it endlessly and had no choice but to seek counsel from his trusted aides.
Xiao Changyan was intent on framing the Yu residence for kidnapping and plotting against Xiao Changgeng. Since he had managed to covertly harm Fifth Young Master Yu, he naturally had spies planted close to Yu Gong. Although Xiao Changyan was in a neighboring county, where sending a person back and forth would take considerable time, carrier pigeons were naturally faster than people. By midnight, he had received the news.
"The Crown Princess said someone would storm the execution ground? The Crown Princess doesn't believe Fifth Young Master Yu has sided with the Imperial Uncle." Xiao Changyan, draped in a cloak, stood before the candlestick.
"The Crown Princess is sharp-witted. Fifth Young Master Yu's past is easily verifiable. For him to suddenly be linked to the traitorous minister, it's only natural for the Crown Princess to be skeptical," the advisor who delivered the message felt Shen Xihe's reaction was appropriate.
The fact that she hadn't rushed to have Fifth Young Master Yu executed indicated she wasn't using His Highness's hand to target the Yu family.
Xiao Changyan nodded, puzzled by another point. "Why did the Crown Princess say someone would storm the execution ground?"
What made Fifth Young Master Yu worthy of it? Could it be that the Crown Princess intended to send someone to storm the execution ground? Even if she suspected a setup or that someone was framing Fifth Young Master Yu, she wasn't related to him nor did she seem like a selfless, justice-seeking person who would go to such lengths to save him.
This point also baffled the advisor, and for a moment, master and servant fell into silence.
Perplexed, Xiao Changyan put on his outer robe and cloak and went to find Xiao Changgeng. Xiao Changgeng appeared to have already retired for the night but was awakened by the conversation outside his door between Xiao Changyan and the eunuch on night duty. He lit a lamp and said, "Eighth Brother, your late-night visit must be urgent. Please come in."
Xiao Changyan expressed some regret. "Your health is still weak. I shouldn't have disturbed you."
"Eighth Brother, you are too kind. I am already much better. It is because you do not treat me as a stranger that you come to me when something arises." Xiao Changgeng's eyes were clear. "Please speak frankly, Eighth Brother."
Xiao Changyan rubbed the thumb ring on his finger before saying, "Have you ever met the Imperial Uncle?"
"Only from a distance," Xiao Changgeng answered truthfully. "Last year, during the summer retreat at the resort, the Imperial Uncle kidnapped the Crown Prince and demanded that His Majesty personally ransom him."
Xiao Changyan fell silent for a long time after hearing this. The faint glow of the candlestick illuminated his profile, accentuating the handsome and resolute half of his face.
"Why does Eighth Brother mention the Imperial Uncle?" Xiao Changgeng asked after waiting for a while.
"Twelfth Brother, you may not know this, but the ones who threatened you and me that day were sent by the Imperial Uncle. His lackeys in Dengzhou are Yu Gong's legitimate son..." Xiao Changyan explained the trap he had set to Xiao Changgeng, though of course, he did not admit it was his own scheme, presenting it as if it were the truth.Xiao Changgeng also pretended not to know, taking his words at face value, his expression slightly darkening: "Is Eighth Brother worried that the Emperor's uncle might send someone to rescue Yu Wu Lang?"
"After all the effort put into nurturing this pawn, and with no knowledge of how many other pawns the Emperor's uncle has planted in the court, would it not chill the hearts of others if he were left to die?"
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