"Your Highness..."
Tian Yuan really wanted to say that although they were the ones who started the trouble, Princess Zhaoning did not suffer any loss. Instead, they were tortured by Princess Zhaoning and punished by His Majesty.
The princess was not only unharmed, but also saved both her dignity and reputation.
Tian Yuan swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, and his eyes fell on the black jade chess piece in His Highness's hand.
When it was first brought back from the White-headed Man in Luoyang, Your Highness would only look at it occasionally when he thought of it, but recently he has become so fond of it that he cannot let it go.
"The Chen family, the Hu family, the Wang family." The black pieces at Xiao Huayong's fingertips tapped lightly on the chessboard, and he touched them lightly every time he read a name. The chess pieces and the chessboard made a low and crisp sound of hitting each other in the quiet warm room.
"I remember that it was Chen Zhong who received the Tibetans when they came to pay tribute three years ago?"
Chen Zhong is the Marquis of Xuanping, who inherited the title. He himself was a Jinshi and now serves as the Minister of the Temple of Honglu.
"Yes." Tian Yuan answered with gritted teeth. He knew that Chen Zhong was finished.
"He also collected a lot of rare treasures from the Tubo prince." Xiao Huayong's lips gradually straightened, "In recent years, Tubo has been eager to attack the border, and has successfully launched several sneak attacks. If no one leaked the border defense map, how could it be such a coincidence?"
“Your Highness…” Tian Yuan’s eyes widened. This crime was enough to cost Marquis Xuanping his life.
"Chen Zhong will not let her off easily. Even if Chen Zhong does not know that it was her who caused Xiao's death, he will still regard her as the source of driving Xiao out of the palace." Xiao Huayong ordered, "The Minister of the Honglu Temple should also be replaced by someone who can be used by me."
"Yes." Tian Yuan agreed.
"As for the Hu family..." Xiao Huayong pondered.
Tian Yuan was already trembling with fear, and hurriedly said: "Your Highness, the princess has just had a grudge with the three families, and the three families have been in trouble one after another. I am afraid that His Majesty will be suspicious of the princess."
He didn't mean to stop His Highness from seeking justice for the princess. It was just that His Highness's actions were too big and would most likely be exposed under His Majesty's nose. Then all those who followed His Highness would blame the princess.
Xiao Huayong glanced at Tian Yuan and said, "You are right. Let's get rid of Chen Zhong first. The Hu family will not be able to escape the imperial examination next spring. The Wang family..."
"The prince is shrewd and the Wang family is complicated. Your Highness, please be cautious." Tian Yuan reminded in a low voice while shrinking his neck.
He wanted to switch places with the local authorities and let them follow His Highness. His Highness was no longer the clear-minded and bright-minded one in the past. He now had to risk his life at all times to persuade His Highness not to become a tyrant!
"When did I say I would personally take action against the Wang family?" Xiao Huayong raised his eyebrows, "Give all the evidence of the Wang family's crimes in our hands to Lao Wu."
"Your Highness Prince Xin?" Tian Yuan was stunned.
"The reason why the Gu family was destroyed was that they were not united. The Fan family was certainly the culprit, but the Wang family might have contributed to the situation." Xiao Huayong's eyes were focused as he looked out the window. "If it weren't for the fact that the Fifth Prince's princess had sacrificed her life to set up a trap before she died, Wang Zheng would be the Minister of the Chancellery today. The Fifth Prince would have settled this account with him."
"If we hand the evidence to His Royal Highness Prince Xin, he will know that someone is trying to kill someone with a borrowed knife. Will he... follow His Royal Highness's plan?" Tian Yuan was a little worried.
Worried that Prince Xin might start to suspect the Crown Prince, he went to His Majesty and filed a complaint against the Crown Prince.