Xiao's imprisonment did not cause any commotion. Neither Emperor Youning nor Prince Kang had time to care about her at the moment.
The rouge case involved royal relatives and meritorious ministers, and the mastermind turned out to be Princess Ruyang's husband Wei Tao. The chief of the clan relatives in terms of seniority was the Minister of Zongzheng Temple, who was Emperor Youning's uncle within five degrees of mourning, and the Duke of Xu's Mansion, one of the three great duke's mansions.
When Emperor Youning saw the densely packed list, he was horrified and furious.
The Beauty Pavilion set up by these three people has given away beauties for more than 30 years, including those of Kyoto dignitaries, provincial governors, and local officials. As an emperor, he had never deployed spies so deeply and widely.
And because of these beauties, many local officials became "brothers-in-law". He couldn't imagine what kind of dark days the people in these places lived.
The Embroidered Uniform Envoy was dispatched overnight, and the core members of the Beauty Pavilion headed by Wei Tao were imprisoned overnight.
Any clan member who committed a crime would be imprisoned in the Zongzheng Temple, and the Xiao family was no exception.
Late at night, Xiao Huayong quietly sneaked into the Zongzheng Temple. The most strictly guarded cell held the wanted criminal Wei Tao. He was nearly sixty years old, with not a single gray hair on his head. Only his dark and hard face showed signs of time.
Even though he was wearing his underwear and handcuffs, he still didn't look the least bit embarrassed. He looked at the flickering light of the lamp on the table and said, "Since you're here, why don't you show yourself?"
Xiao Huayong walked out from the corner and stood outside the cell, with one hand behind his back, a black piece twirling on his fingertips.
Wei Tao saw Xiao Huayong's calm pupils shrink, and suddenly smiled, then shook his head and sighed, "I'm getting old, and my eyesight isn't very good. I never thought that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is such a hero."
"Uncle, you should know why I am here." Xiao Huayong's face was indifferent and he did not want to greet Wei Tao.
Wei Tao stared at Xiao Huayong: "What can His Royal Highness the Crown Prince give me?"
"Aunt Ruyang's fate and Wei Zhengye's title." Xiao Huayong said.
Wei Tao was a little excited. He ran down from the stone platform and grabbed the cell with both hands: "How can you save her?"
After the incident, he had tried his best to clear Ruyang of all responsibility, but Emperor Youning liked to implicate others the most.
"Your Majesty has privately forged weapons, raised war horses, trained private guards, and the national treasury is empty. If Aunt Ruyang can expose you with the money you have collected in the past thirty years and claim that she was unaware of your private actions, Your Majesty will certainly forgive her and win a good reputation."
The reason why Emperor Youning and his mother and two of his sons were able to seize the throne was that they had Shen Yueshan's protection in military affairs, the secret support of the Gu family and the aristocratic families in literature, and the cooperation of their eldest sister, Princess Ruyang.
There was already a precedent of the Gu family being wrongly executed, and Shen Yueshan sent his daughter to the capital to show weakness, and rumors spread that Emperor Youning was unkind and ungrateful. If Princess Ruyang was implicated at this moment, I'm afraid all the ministers would be horrified.
Without a prince consort, the Princess Ruyang posed no threat and filled his treasury. Why didn't he be magnanimous and let her go for once
"Your Majesty..." Wei Tao was horrified when he heard this. He was horrified that Emperor Youning actually wanted to secretly form an elite private army, and the entire court had not heard any news of it, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince knew everything, which made him terrified.
Wei Tao took a deep breath: "That money..."
He was about to say that the money had been looted when he suddenly realized something and looked at Xiao Huayong.