Third Master Cui waited until he returned to Prince Fenyang's mansion, but he was still too angry to control himself. When he saw Princess Fenyang, he sneered, "No wonder you are so angry. To me, your uncle is really crazy! Father even said that he might have some hidden secrets. What secrets could there be? It's obvious that he was bribed by Xiao Heng and climbed up the social ladder!"
Princess Fenyang had long expected that Mr. Cui San would run into trouble. After the servants served tea and left, she snorted slowly, "I told you at the time that he was determined, and you insisted on coming to his house to run into trouble. What did he say?"
"It's the same old story." Master Cui's eyes and eyebrows were cold, and he said coldly: "Forget it, there's nothing to say. If he does it on the first day, don't blame us for doing it on the fifteenth."
As he spoke, he took out the letter from Cui Yuandao to the old man of the Cui family and said mockingly, "He gave me a letter saying that everything he wanted to say was in this letter."
He exchanged a glance with Princess Fenyang and opened the letter without much hesitation.
In the letter, Cui Yuandao reminded the old man of the Cui family that the powerful families have become too powerful to be eliminated. In the early years, the Cui family was affected by business and did many helpless things. However, these businesses are not the foundation for long-term survival. If the Cui family wants to sit back and relax from now on, they can only cut off their ties with those powerful families in the southeast to survive.
It would have been better if Mr. Cui San hadn't read it. But after reading it, he was so angry that he almost died. He slammed the table and sneered, "Good! Good! Good! He is really dedicated to his duty. It's only been a short time, but he has tried his best to help others. He advised us to cut off our tail and survive. To put it more clearly, doesn't he just want us to give up the business?! What does he think?!"
The Cui family has been involved in smuggling for many years. Relying on the convenience of having ships to go out to sea, they have made a lot of money. Even Duke Chengguo was not so good at making money back then, and Prince Duan only knew how to take advantage of the business in the northwest. But after all, smuggling in the northwest is just about ironware and horses. How can it be compared with maritime trade
Relying on maritime trade, the entire Cui family is rich, and almost no one does not benefit from the family business. Those who do not have access to high-level circles can also get considerable rewards and benefits by helping other people in the family. But now Cui Yuandao is shameless and wants his family to give up this business with just a few words.
So what will tens of thousands of people eat and drink
It's really ridiculous!
Master Cui put the letter paper back coldly and sneered: "It's time to take it back to show the old man, to see what he has spent all these years to support!"
Princess Fenyang raised her eyebrows.
The brother and sister scolded Cui Yuandao for a few words, and Master Cui San returned to the main topic: "Xiao Heng has now been canonized as the Crown Prince, which shows that the emperor has completely come to his senses about the prince's past. Now that he has begun to come to his senses, I'm afraid that the reckoning is not far away. What is the reaction in the southeast?"
In what happened back then, Qi Yunxi was just a middleman. If she really had to take action, how could she have the ability to do so
It was the southeastern nobles whose interests were damaged who banded together and used their power to overthrow the prince who supported fighting against pirates, lifting the maritime ban, and establishing the Maritime Customs.
Now that Qi Yunxi is finished and Xiao Heng is in power, aren't those Southeast nobles afraid that Xiao Heng will bring up old scores after he gains power
They should be the ones who are more anxious now.
"My uncle quit at the last minute, so how could they not be anxious? Now they haven't suffered any loss, as they have promoted Yang Canzhi. Although Yang Canzhi is not as good as my uncle, he is also the best choice. Now that they have someone in the cabinet, everything else will naturally be Yang Canzhi's responsibility."
Princess Fenyang was not too anxious. After all, they had finally pushed one of their own into the cabinet, which was much better than being like a headless fly before.
Mr. Cui San's eyes were sharp: "Think of a way to make a connection. I want to see Mr. Bai."
Because of the arrival of the Cui family, Princess Fenyang temporarily forgot that the small Buddhist temple of Queen Mother Tian in the palace had been burned.
But she didn't remember, but Empress Dowager Tian remembered it clearly. She stared at Concubine Pang nervously and asked her with mixed emotions: "Did the Ministry of Punishment find out?"
"It's revealed." Concubine Pang handed the files of the Ministry of Punishment to Empress Dowager Tian and said softly, "Qinghe admitted that she had been instructed by Second Miss Tian a long time ago. If she is unable to re-enter the palace for a period of time, let Qinghe find a way to tamper with the longevity tablet in the small Buddhist hall so that you can 'remember' Second Miss Tian appropriately..."
The Cining Palace was silent and hushed, so quiet that Empress Dowager Tian could even hear her own rapid breathing. She flipped through the files, her expression gradually changing from disbelief to anger. Her hands almost tore the files apart, and her face gradually became gloomy.
She also thought that Tian Xun's arrival was because her daughter's spirit was in heaven, and he couldn't bear to let her suffer the pain of losing her, so he sent another person to accompany her.
She even thought that the bell on Tian Xun's body was a sign that Jing Ming had chosen her to be by his side.
But it turns out that these were all painstaking plots and traps with ulterior motives.
Empress Dowager Tian slowly exhaled from her throat, and after a long while she closed the file. The veins on her forehead bulged as she asked in a deep voice, "Is Qinghe still in the Ministry of Punishment?"
Concubine Pang responded softly.
Empress Dowager Tian then asked softly, "How should we deal with those who destroyed the princess's spirit tablet and set fire to the palace?"
"According to the law, anyone who sets fire to the palace will be sentenced to death." Concubine Pang said in a gentle but firm tone.
"What about instructing others to set fire?" Empress Dowager Tian's expression remained cold. She threw the file on the table and rubbed her brows: "What should I do?"
"Your Highness." Concubine Pang took the file and said without hesitation, "Same thing. Instigating others to set fire in the palace, death penalty."
Empress Dowager Tian glanced at Concubine Pang calmly, then lowered her eyes and hummed, "Then let's do it this way. You are in charge of the harem now, so this matter will be left to you to handle."
She no longer had any interest in seeing Tian Xun again and asking for the truth.
The confessions in this file tell it all.
She could tolerate Tian Xun using Jingming to gain benefits. After all, she herself was also comforted in the process, so she didn't mind giving Tian Xun what he wanted. But Tian Xun shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have been enjoying the benefits brought by Jingming, but he didn't take Jingming seriously and even destroyed Jingming's immortal tablet.
Concubine Pang was not in a difficult position. After all, people in the palace were so afraid of fire that they turned pale at the mere mention of a tiger. Whether in the previous dynasty or the current dynasty, the punishment for arson was the same as murder. What's more, Tian Xun burned the Cining Palace.
She stood up, bowed, said yes, then calmly turned around and left the Cining Palace.