Queen Mother Tian listened quietly while holding her cane. She couldn't help but curl her lips: "Not convinced? If Qi Yunxi is not convinced, I can understand a little. After all, she was a member of the Demon Queen's clan and was used to being domineering. In a different world, her life is completely different. It is predictable that she has gone astray. But what is the Fenyang Palace dissatisfied with? Haven't they been treated leniently enough over the years?"
Even so, it still hasn't warmed their hearts.
Empress Dowager Tian sneered a few times and then asked Emperor Yuanfeng: "How are you going to deal with this case?"
"Catch them." Emperor Yuanfeng said briefly, tapping his fingers on the table. His initial anger and disappointment had passed, and he had turned back into the decisive and indifferent emperor. He said coldly, "Over the years, I have given them everything they should have given me, and endured everything they should have endured. Before the queen died, her only request to me was to treat Pei'er and his wife well..."
Thinking of Queen Hu, Emperor Yuanfeng was unable to continue.
He and she were a couple who shared weal and woe. During the most difficult time, he thought he was going to die after falling into an icy lake. It was Queen Hu who jumped into the lake without hesitation and rescued him despite any obstruction. It was also because of this that Queen Hu found it difficult to conceive again, and the child she finally gave birth to died.
Emperor Yuanfeng therefore gave Xiao Pei to Empress Hu to raise.
Queen Hu raised the child with great care and refused to let anyone else do the job for her. Xiao Pei was born prematurely and was in poor health. He always cried at night, so Queen Hu carried him around all night.
She raised this child wholeheartedly. She once said that she did not expect him to become the crown prince, but only hoped that he would live a healthy and safe life.
But how could he bear it
What's more, Xiao Pei was well-educated by her. He was smart, decisive, intelligent, kind and filial since he was a child.
Such a good child ended up going ahead of him.
He closed his eyes and choked up a little: "Mother, Pei'er's death, I always thought it was God's punishment for me, punishing me for rebellion, punishing me for deposing the deposed emperor, and killing all the descendants of the deposed emperor, so my sons killed each other and ended up like this. But..."
But it turns out that’s not the case.
He wants all these people to pay the price!
Empress Dowager Tian suddenly thought of Princess Jingming, and she felt the pain of Emperor Yuanfeng. After a moment of silence, she sighed deeply, "What they did is against the will of heaven. Prince Fenyang and Cui are so stupid that they don't deserve sympathy. What did she confess? Who was behind all these years, driving so many people to work for them?"
Empress Dowager Tian asked the key point, and Emperor Yuanfeng said calmly: "The grandson of the deposed emperor and the original empress, Xiao Yuan."
"Ah!" Empress Dowager Tian suddenly realized, and then couldn't help but wonder: "They are still alive?"
When the deposed emperor burned himself to death in the palace, the evil queen and her people naturally had a bad end and were beheaded by Emperor Yuanfeng himself. The other descendants of the deposed emperor were also imprisoned by Emperor Yuanfeng, and they have all died one after another over the years. However, the original queen before the deposed emperor, Empress Chi, had a son, but later the evil queen won the favor of the deposed emperor and bewitched him so much that he didn't know east, west, south, or north.
In order to please the evil queen, the deposed emperor deposed Empress Chi and banished the eldest prince to Lingnan. Later, the eldest prince disappeared on the way to Lingnan. Everyone said that he was murdered by the evil queen.
It was also because of this that after Emperor Yuanfeng ascended the throne, he sent people to look for Empress Chi’s son but failed to find him, so he did not continue to look for this person.
Who would have known that the people behind the gathering of the remnants of the previous dynasty's forces over the years were actually this father and son.
The matter was of great importance, and Empress Dowager Tian could not help but look serious: "Emperor, now that you have secured the throne, they are nothing but clowns trying to stop a chariot with their arms. You really don't have to worry about them. But... since they were able to bribe so many court officials, collude with pirates, and even insert Qi Yunxi into the Queen and you's side, it is impossible that they have done so many things over the years without someone's support behind them. You have thought about filling the treasury before, but now... you have to think carefully before making a decision."
Xiao Yuan and his men are hiding in Fujian. The young master that Qin Chong and his men are talking about must be Xiao Yuan. From what they said, Xiao Yuan is actually no different from a local tyrant in the coastal areas of Fujian. The reason why they can run rampant in the southeastern coastal areas is, after all, because they are backed by the southeastern wealthy families.
The Chi family was in charge of the Fujian Maritime Customs back then.
Thinking about it this way, the series of events that have happened over the years seem to make sense.
But if we have to deal with them, we can't do the same thing as we do with Princess Fenyang now. After all, those southeastern nobles are related to the livelihoods of the coastal people. They have a strong clan concept, and there is a saying that imperial power does not extend to the countryside. If we suppress them with all our strength, it will easily cause a big chaos.
But now the court is facing internal and external troubles and cannot afford any major chaos.
Emperor Yuanfeng also understood what Empress Dowager Tian meant. He nodded and reassured Empress Dowager Tian: "I know all of this in my heart. Please don't worry, mother. I just can't help feeling sorry for Pei'er and Xiaoci."
Whether we deserve it or not, it’s all in the past.
Queen Mother Tian looked up at him and said, "The person is gone. It is useless for you to feel regret and pain. Xiaoci and Pei'er are gone, but Ah Heng is still alive and well. You should be able to tell the difference."
When people die, they are dead and will never be resurrected, but the living must continue to live well.
Empress Dowager Tian suddenly thought of what Su Yao had said, and her heart ached. She then emphasized her tone, "Emperor, you are a man of great accomplishments, a true emperor. Was that what you wanted? Everyone makes mistakes, and there are some things you can't help. Ah Heng will understand sooner or later."
That is something that no one sitting in this position can avoid.
Emperor Yuanfeng did not expect Empress Dowager Tian to be so clear-headed and confident. He suppressed his regrets and irritability, stood up and saluted Empress Dowager Tian again: "Your Majesty is right, I have learned your lesson."
He strode out the door and immediately called the cabinet to discuss the matter.
The next day, the Fenyang Palace was raided, and the home of Wang Shiquan, the head of the Ministry of Justice in Beijing, was also raided.
In the capital, one team of Jinyiwei followed another, and they were constantly ordered to search homes. For a while, everyone in the capital was in a panic, and many people closed their doors for fear of bringing disaster.
After receiving the news, Mrs. Su was worried at first, but then she thought of what had happened recently and calmed herself down. When the Su family came to pay their respects, she asked, "Yaoyao, the Jinyiwei raided the Fenyang Palace because of the arrest of Master Bai Qi of Juhai Manor, right?"
Su Yao felt a little tired. She had been waiting for the result these days, and now everything was finally settled.