However, Xia Jun and Jiang Chao were burning old rations, so where did the army's provisions go? With so many pairs of eyes watching, it was impossible to transport the army's provisions intact. Once Xuan Li's secret passage was exposed, the Emperor would be aware of his intention to rebel and would inevitably suppress him vigorously. Therefore, Xuan Li's great cause would come to an end.
He could not help, and even had to avoid arousing suspicion and protect the secret passage. This was destined to sacrifice the Xia family, and the Xia family's power was exactly what he needed. In this way, at least Xuan Li's efforts over the past few years would go up in smoke. Qi Feng simply wanted to laugh. Jiang Ruan's move was really too ruthless. It was difficult for Xuan Li to advance or retreat. In the end, he had to cut off a piece of raw flesh from his body.
"Then what should we do now? Find a way to inform His Majesty of Xuan Li's secret passage? "Qi Feng asked.
"If we say it now, Xuan Li will have a hundred ways to prove that the secret passage has nothing to do with him. Moreover, if His Majesty finds out, it will inevitably implicate Jinying Wang fu. Jinying Wang fu's position in the court is already awkward. If they are involved in this matter, there will be a hundred disadvantages and no advantages. "Jiang Ruan said," The most important thing is … "
"Then what should we do?" When Qi Feng saw that she unquestionably rejected this suggestion, he knew that she must have other ideas in her mind. He asked, "Third Sister-in-law, do you have a good idea?"
"I said that this time, I want them to swallow their blood and teeth. Even if they suffer a great loss, they will not dare to say it." A trace of hostility flashed in her eyes, "Xiao Shao still needs the eight hundred carriages of army provisions. I also want to thank Xuan Li for transporting them intact. I want this batch of provisions!"
"You …" Qi Feng looked at her in surprise. After a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter was extremely carefree. As he laughed, he said, "Third Sister-in-law, your temperament is really happy. You are also bold and your idea is even better. If this matter succeeds, if I were Xuan Li, I would definitely be so angry that I would be bedridden. You are really … brilliant!"
Jiang Ruan declined to comment. At this moment, Lu Zhu pushed open the door and walked in. Seeing that Qi Feng was also there, she bowed and came forward to hand over a letter. She whispered, "Miss, Master has sent a letter."
Jiang Ruan took the letter and did not care that Qi Feng was present. She took out the letter and finished reading it in a short time. After reading it, she did not have any emotions and handed the letter to Lu Zhu, "Take it out and burn it."
Lu Zhu went out as she was told. Qi Feng looked at her and asked, "What happened to Third Sister-in-law?"
"It's nothing. It's just that Father feels that Second Brother is in prison. As a younger sister, I should do my part to save him." Her words were full of sarcasm. When Qi Feng heard this, he felt that it was harsh. He couldn't help but say, "What kind of logic is this? As a father, even if he wants to help Jiang Chao, you shouldn't be the one to do it. You're just a lady, why are you involved in this? Has Jiang Quan gone mad? "
"He's just a little naive." Jiang Ruan sneered, "Save him? I just want to watch him take one step at a time until he can no longer turn back. He has lived long enough. This time, I want his life. "
…
In Nan Hua Yuan, the Emperor waved his hand, and the eunuchs who were about to speak fell silent. Eunuch Li drove them all out. The Emperor stepped through the door and saw the youth who was practicing calligraphy in the room.
It was too early to say that he was a youth. He looked more like a child. He was born with a delicate appearance, and it seemed that every time he saw him, he was more stable and reserved than before. The Emperor softened his footsteps. When he got closer, he saw the words written on the child's snow-white Xuan paper: Those who love desire are like holding a torch. If they walk against the wind, their hands will be burned.
His handwriting was excellent. It was as delicate as others, and there was not the slightest sharpness. However, this did not mean that the youth was really as harmless as his handwriting. In fact, everyone had a temper. When they were still young, they could judge a person by their handwriting. However, in this youth's handwriting, his heart could not be seen clearly.
The Emperor looked around and recalled Eunuch Li's report. The side palace hall that Xuan Pei lived in was the most remote hall in the palace. It could not even compare to the private residence of a seventh-ranked official. Later, he vacated Nan Hua Yuan, where the Fourth Prince had lived, for Xuan Pei. The Fourth Prince had also been favored by the Emperor. If not for the accident that happened later on, it was unknown what the situation would be like now. The Emperor's action immediately aroused speculation among the court officials. Those with a bit of insight began to inquire about this Thirteenth Prince, who seemed to have no backing.
Although he had the Emperor's favor, Xuan Pei did not have a strong maternal family, so people in the palace did not think highly of him. Even so, seeing that Nan Hua Yuan was well-organized and well-arranged, and not extravagant, one could tell that Xuan Pei was a person with means and ideas. The Emperor looked at this child that he did not value, and a complicated feeling suddenly arose in his heart.
Xuan Pei seemed to sense his arrival and turned to look. After a slight shock, he saluted, "This son greets Imperial Father."
"Dispense with the formalities." The Emperor waved his hand. "We have come to see you." It was difficult to hide the weariness between his brows. Such a big thing had happened in the capital. Jiang Chao and Xia Jun had burned down the granary, almost angering the people of the world. He could not restrain his anger. What was even more infuriating was the Xia family's contempt for imperial power. The Xia family's private army had dared to attack the army led by the garrison. Xia Cheng had pleaded for mercy, but he had been thrown into prison. Although his actions seemed rash, the Xia family had already incurred the wrath of the world. If he did not capture them, it would be difficult to quell the resentment of the world. Moreover, the country was still the Xuan family's country. When was it the Xia family's turn to point fingers? As the Emperor, he had to let the world know that if he wanted to crush the Xia family, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.
It was not that he did not know that the Xia family had been stirring in the dark for so many years. He had turned a blind eye because he did not want to break the balance. Now, it seemed that some things could not be tolerated. Since the Xia family had proactively exposed this layer of skin, naturally, he had to suppress them with all his strength.
Dealing with the Xia family was not enough to worry the Emperor. What worried him was how to pay the army. The war had already strained the national treasury. The last time they had collected grain from the people was not long ago. Now that they had to do it again, how could they appease the people? Thinking of this, the Emperor slowly furrowed his brows.
Seeing this, Xuan Pei thought for a moment. "Is Imperial Father worried about the granary?"
The Emperor suddenly looked at Xuan Pei. His son's intuition was sometimes too sharp, especially now that he was only eight or nine years old. Why did he feel like he was facing a grown man? Slowly, he said, "Thirteen, what do you think about this matter?"
"The Xia family has been disrespectful to the court. They have committed a crime and will be punished by Imperial Father." Xuan Pei gently avoided this topic and said, "In my opinion, the most important thing now is not to punish the Xia family or punish them. Instead, it is the problem of food for the soldiers at the borders."
If there were any suspicions that he and the Xia family had some kind of plan, Xuan Pei's words were enough to dispel all doubts. He did not mention punishing the Xia family, but instead brought up the matter of the army's pay. In one's position, one would naturally pay attention to matters in that area when considering benefits. For example, when Xuan Hua learned of this matter, he wrote a memorial that listed all the crimes of the Xia family. He did not think at all about the urgency of the war. Xuan Pei could put aside his own interests and think of this point. Perhaps it was because he was still young, or perhaps he really did not care about politics.
The Emperor's gaze softened and his tone softened. It was as if a father from a normal family was treating his son and had the intention of testing his son's homework. He said, "Yes, the army's pay at the borders has all been turned to ashes, but the soldiers have to eat rations. What do you think?"
"In order to protect Imperial Father's country, the soldiers of the Great Jin dynasty shed their blood and laid down their lives, yet they are being played by their own people. The Xia family has let them down, but the Imperial family cannot let them down. Otherwise, who will work for Imperial Father in the future? Who will protect this country?" Xuan Pei's tone still carried a trace of childishness, but his gaze was incomparably calm. "But now, the frequent confiscation of rations does not care about the lives of the common people. Disregarding the will of the people, it will cause unrest among the people. But the national treasury is temporarily unable to produce this amount of money and rations, so we can only act in other ways. " Xuan Pei raised his head to look at the Emperor. His eyes were naturally beautiful. At this moment, perhaps he had thought of a good idea, his pair of eyes sparkled, melting the hearts of those who looked at him. He was like a child presenting a treasure. He smiled and said, "In my opinion, Imperial Father can confiscate the Xia family. The Xia family has been in the Great Jin dynasty for so many years, they must have saved up a lot of money. Take out all the money in the Xia family, find a rich merchant to buy rations, purchase a new batch of rations, and transport them over. As for the Xia family, they have been officials in the court for many years. Imperial Father can, on account of their feelings, spare them from their death sentence and change it to exile. This gives them a chance to atone for their crimes, and on the other hand, it can demonstrate the benevolence of the royal family. What does Imperial Father think? "
The Emperor was silent for a while, not saying anything, but he still concealed a trace of deep meaning in his eyes. He had also thought of Xuan Pei's idea before, but he could not make up his mind at the moment. Now, Xuan Pei's words made him make up his mind. But … he looked at Xuan Pei. Xuan Pei looked at him with hope, like a good son waiting for his father's praise. He slowly reached out a hand to touch Xuan Pei's head. Xuan Pei's body stiffened, as if he was not used to such intimate contact. In the end, he stood without moving. The Emperor sighed and said, "What you said is very good. I think this idea is not bad."
The Xia family's influence in the court was too extensive. Capturing them all in one fell swoop would indeed alert the enemy and cause unnecessary trouble. Xuan Pei's idea was very desirable. It could demonstrate the benevolence of the royal family and not alert the other henchmen. It could also give the Xia family a feeling that they did not need to be too pressured. The Xia family had amassed countless fortunes over the years, so they could raise a sum of money for the army.
The Emperor was surprised at Xuan Pei's sensitivity to politics at such a young age. Although his idea for this matter was not perfect and had some loopholes, the general direction was not wrong. For a child, this was very good.
He said a few more things to Xuan Pei before hurriedly leaving. After the Emperor left, Xuan Pei stretched lazily and looked at the words on the table for a while before ordering a young eunuch to the side to take the paper and throw it away. He sat down on a chair, played with the paperweight in his hand, and smiled slightly.
The Xia family … had reached its end.
…
The matter of the granary being set on fire raised a great wave in the court in Jing. However, before the officials could discuss it, the Emperor's edict came suddenly. First, he sent the eldest grandson of the Zhao family, Zhao Yi, to lead troops to confiscate the Xia manor. The Xia manor's endless silver was put into the national treasury to prepare new provisions. All one hundred and eighty-three members of the Xia Residence were exiled. Jiang Chao, like Xia Jun, was also exiled to a desolate place in the northwest.
Although the Emperor's edict was swift and decisive, it did not put the Xia family to death. At least in the eyes of the common people, the royal family was merciful. However, the officials sensed a certain meaning from the Emperor's action, and for a while, they did not dare to act rashly.
When Jiang Ruan heard the news, she was drinking tea in the room. When she heard the news, she was slightly stunned and whispered to herself, "How can it be so fast?"
As soon as her voice fell, she saw Qi Feng hurriedly walking in from outside. Recently, in order to deal with the Xia family, he often came here to discuss ideas with Jiang Ruan. Today, his expression was somewhat serious, but there was also a bit of joy in the seriousness. He said, "Third Sister-in-law, it's done."
"This time, it's been hard on you." Jiang Ruan smiled, "With your help, things can be so smooth."
"I was about to talk to you about this." Qi Feng whispered, looked around, and shook his head, "I haven't had time to do this yet. It's not me who told the Emperor. My people haven't started the plan yet. The one who prompted the Emperor to issue the imperial edict is someone else."
Jiang Ruan frowned, "Who is it?"
"His Thirteenth Highness." Qi Feng was also very strange, "I heard that that day, the Emperor went to His Thirteenth Highness' side hall to sit for a while. After he came out, he went to the imperial study to draft the edict. I think he must have heard something from His Thirteenth Highness and made this decision."
The teacup in Jiang Ruan's hand trembled, and a large drop of tea splashed out. Qi Feng was shocked by her action and said, "What's wrong, Third Sister-in-law?"
Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes. Why would Xuan Pei suddenly do such a thing? Today, according to his previous life, he was just a child who didn't understand anything. But since the last time she saw him in the palace, she felt a little strange. Now, he could even influence the Emperor's actions. She had deliberately ignored the news of Xuan Pei, so as not to bring trouble to Xuan Pei. Now that she thought about it, it was very strange. It seemed that she had unknowingly missed something very important. A bold guess came to her mind, could it be …
Xuan Pei could almost communicate with her telepathically, and even this time, he naturally pushed the boat with the current and gave the Xia family a fatal blow. If it was because of that reason, everything was not impossible.
Qi Feng looked at her carefully, not letting go of any expression on her face. But after a moment, Jiang Ruan raised her head and smiled, "No matter what, we have achieved our goal."
Qi Feng was very regretful that he could not find out Jiang Ruan's thoughts, but he also knew that the girl in front of him never showed her emotions, so he felt relieved and said, "Yes, I think this time the Xia family will not be able to escape."
Lian Qiao, who was sitting on the side sewing, heard this and asked curiously, "Miss, what do you mean? His Majesty did not sentence the Xia family to death, which is clearly letting them off easy. " When she heard this news, Lian Qiao was still very indignant. In her opinion, the Xia family wanted to exchange the army's pay and framed the Jinyi Guards. It was a heinous crime. Even death ten times was not enough.
"They did not take action because they did not leave any traces," Qi Feng smiled and explained for Jiang Ruan, "Don't worry, we don't need to do anything. Naturally, there will be people who want the Xia family's life."
The Xia family had been officials in the court for so many years. Although they were very involved, they had also formed many old enemies. For example, the Fifth Prince's people hated them to the point that their teeth itched. Moreover, the journey to the northwest was very long. How to safely reach the desolate northwest had become a difficult problem. They were confident that in less than three days, the Xia family would die suddenly.
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