Chapter 196: Asking Father-in-law For Help
Chai Du was brought back to Dali Temple once again. This time Chai Yuan did not cause a scene, because he had already made a fuss at the city gate, nearly fighting with Dali Temple and alarming the Capital Garrison.
Marquis Yichun stopped Chai Yuan and made him go home. This time he came to Dali Temple personally.
“Let His Majesty question me first, then you can question my son.” He sat in the Dali Temple hall and said calmly.
The Emperor arrived soon.
“What is going on? I just heard the news…” he said, “Bring that deputy general up, I will personally…”
Before he finished speaking, Marquis Yichun interrupted him: “Your Majesty, let me ask one question first.”
The Emperor waved his hand, and the officials in the hall all withdrew. The Imperial Guards stood guard outside the door and closed it.
“Father-in-law.” The Emperor sat down. “Please speak.”
Marquis Yichun looked at him: “Your Majesty, do you think the White Horse Town case was done by Chai Du?”
The Emperor looked at him and shook his head.
Then, it was you who did it, trying to frame us. I originally thought it was just to recognize a daughter, but unexpectedly you want to deal with our Chai Clan…
Marquis Yichun looked at the Emperor, the words in his heart surging up. Deng Shan, you have sat on the throne of under heaven, but only for a dozen years or so, not yet secure!
You must weigh your actions carefully!
But just as these words reached his lips, the Emperor spoke again.
“I know who did it.”
He knows who did it? Marquis Yichun was stunned, and the surging words stopped at his lips.
The Emperor’s eyebrows lit up with excitement: “Originally I had no clue, until Ji Ying’s servant jumped out, then I realized their purpose.” He sneered mockingly, “Actually I should have realized it earlier. Ever since that child appeared, Father-in-law you have been dissatisfied with me in your heart, and A Feng has quarreled with me multiple times.”
Marquis Yichun swallowed the surging words and frowned: “What are you talking about?”
“I am saying this is all a conspiracy.” The Emperor said gravely, “A conspiracy to drive a wedge between me and the Chai Clan.”
Marquis Yichun looked at the Emperor: “Your Majesty, you know who it is?”
The Emperor nodded without speaking and pushed a case file record in front of Marquis Yichun.
Marquis Yichun picked it up and looked. His face instantly turned grave, and he suddenly stood up.
“What a scoundrel! I knew it! The Li Clan is no good!” he shouted.
The Emperor raised his hand and shushed him.
……
……
“Your Majesty!”
“Since you know who it is, why not arrest them immediately!”
“Why instead arrest Chai Du?”
Marquis Yichun asked in rapid succession.
He lowered his head to look at the case file he was gripping. The content was simple: it was an interrogation record of a Dali Temple menial laborer who was instructed by a schoolteacher funded by the Li Clan to pass a message to Ji Ying’s servant.
Although simple, Marquis Yichun realized it at a glance.
“Because there is not enough evidence.” The Emperor said softly, also looking at the case file. “It does not mention it was Lord Li’s order. He merely funded a private school, something the Li Clan has done for generations. Punishing him on this basis would not convince the public and would instead incite unrest.”
The Li Clan’s reputation is no less than the Chai Clan’s, and they have even more popular support.
Marquis Yichun naturally knew this too and looked at the Emperor: “Then what does Your Majesty plan to do?”
The Emperor stood and bowed: “Please Father-in-law and Second Brother put on a real act with me.”
A real act… Marquis Yichun frowned slightly.
“Please have Second Brother pretend to be interrogated, to confuse the petty villains.” The Emperor continued, “This way, while they are off guard, we can find more evidence against the Li Clan, and also root out the Li Clan’s spies planted in the Gaoyang Army.”
At this point his brows furrowed deeply.
“This deputy general was personally trained by Second Brother, a man trusted for over ten years, yet he takes orders from the Li Clan. Who knows how many scoundrels are still hidden in the military.”
“That is Second Brother’s Gaoyang Army!”
Marquis Yichun said from the side: “Your Majesty is wrong. That is not Chai Du’s Gaoyang Army, it is Your Majesty’s.”
As he spoke, he bowed low.
“This subject has failed to teach his son properly and has been deceived by villains to this extent.”
The Emperor reached out to help him up and sighed deeply: “Marquis, it is also I who has failed to judge people clearly and let wolves into the house.”
With that, he gripped Marquis Yichun’s hand.
“Please help me, Marquis.”
Marquis Yichun’s expression shifted for a moment, then he looked at the Emperor and slowly nodded: “This subject will discuss it with Chai Du.”
……
……
Once informed of the true mastermind, shown the Emperor’s sincerity, and involving the Gaoyang Army’s security, Marquis Yichun should accept putting on the real act.
This way Chai Du would outwardly hand over military power of the Gaoyang Army, and the Imperial Court would send people to take positions in the Gaoyang Army for investigation. Although nine out of the ten sent would inevitably be Marquis Yichun’s picks, even one of the Emperor’s men would be enough to pry open and split the Chai Clan’s military power.
The Emperor was lost in thought quietly for a moment, then walked around the screen door to the dark chamber in the hall.
This was a setup in the Dali Temple official rooms for conveniently listening to interrogations without being discovered by the interrogated.
At this time, two young girls were sitting in the dark chamber. Seeing the Emperor enter, the maidservant disguised as Miss Yang immediately stood up and quietly withdrew outside the dark chamber.
The Emperor paid no attention to this maidservant. She never spoke in his presence, silent and unobtrusive, as if she did not exist.
She was a very proper and obedient maidservant.
The Emperor was very satisfied.
His daughter had trained her people well.
“Your Majesty.” Yang Luo’s eyes shone with joy. “As expected, only the real culprit could provide such detailed evidence. Look, in the records handed over by this deputy general, after they killed the people, they did not leave immediately. They waited until the government used death row prisoners disguised as mountain bandits before leaving.”
At this point she patted her heart.
“Luckily I did not go to the government to reveal my identity.”
“A Luo is clever.” The Emperor said with admiration.
Yang Luo smiled mockingly to herself inwardly. It was not that she was clever; she had died once and learned her lesson.
“A Luo.” The Emperor gave a wry smile. “If you had not come up with this idea in time, I’m afraid this time I truly could not deal with the Chai Clan.”
Of course he knew how arrogant the Chai Clan’s power was, and he knew the Chai Clan had raised his son as one of their own. If he did not act against Marquis Yichun, the rivers and mountains he had won might change surname to Chai before passing to the second generation.
But with the dynasty newly established, external and internal troubles unstable, he had not yet found a suitable opportunity to weaken Marquis Yichun.
Unexpectedly, this daughter who had drifted outside gave him an opportunity.
And it was a very roundabout and covert good method.
“I know how hard it is to accomplish something.” Yang Luo said softly. “Your Majesty bears the rivers and mountains on your shoulders, making it even harder to act.”
With that she looked at the Emperor.
“Do not fear being bullied. No one will be bullied forever.”
Being bullied—only his daughter saw that he was being bullied. Everyone else thought this Emperor was high above, only bullying others and not being bullied, but in fact he had it hard, living less freely than when conquering the world… The Emperor’s eyes stung.
He looked at the young girl before him, one whose blood flowed with his own, unconnected to any nobility, wholeheartedly devoted only to him—his daughter.
“Yes.” The Emperor said. “I will not be bullied forever.”
My daughter will not be bullied again either.
Yang Luo curtsied: “Then I leave the next matters to Your Majesty. I am returning to the National Academy.”
The Emperor looked worried: “Still continue living in the Imperial Palace. What if there is another assassination.” He added, “Living in the Imperial Palace also gives sufficient reason. After all, Miss Yang is a White Horse Town survivor, and she should be protected until the case is cleared.”
Yang Luo shook her head: “Cannot delay homework. Your Majesty, our matters are our own. Since I ranked first at the National Academy entrance to become a libationer disciple, I cannot disappoint the libationer’s intention. I must study well.”
At this she smiled again.
“As for the assassination, so many times and they have not hurt me, showing their luck is not on their side.”
The Emperor could not help laughing heartily.
This was his Luo Ying—upholding sincerity, neither arrogant nor anxious, neither panicked nor hasty, calm and steady, fearless… exactly like him in his youth.
No, even better than him in his youth.
The Emperor’s expression softened as he nodded: “Alright, I will listen to you.”
……
……
Imperial City, Princess Hall. A palace maid hurried in.
“Princess, Princess.” Ignoring that the Prince of Donghai was sitting in the hall talking with Princess Pingcheng, she came straight in and interrupted.
Princess Pingcheng immediately stopped talking with the Prince of Donghai and looked at her: “News?”
The Prince of Donghai’s furrowed brows relaxed, somewhat nervously looking at the palace maid. His younger sister had her inquire about Uncle’s news, right?
“Yang Luo left Dali Temple and returned to the National Academy.” The palace maid said. “She…”
Princess Pingcheng asked: “Did Father Emperor send her?”
The palace maid shook her head quickly: “They went by carriage themselves.”
Princess Pingcheng asked: “What carriage?”
The palace maid was stunned for a moment, but luckily she had paid attention to this, and quickly answered: “Dali Temple’s carriage.”
Dali Temple’s carriage. Princess Pingcheng nodded, signaling the palace maid to withdraw.
The palace maid did so and left.
The Prince of Donghai beside her was stunned and not quite back to his senses. What is going on? The news the palace maid was sent to inquire about was what carriage that Yang Luo took?!
No updates on the road tomorrow.
