Emperor An was shocked by his own guess, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him.
Xie Tianyu has never been a fool, nor is he the kind of person who would lose his brain simply for love matters. Even when the Crown Prince was so arrogant, he was still the only prince who could "compete" with him. How could he lose his mind for a mere beauty?
He tried every means to marry Rong Yue for the benefits that the Rong family could bring. When Rong Yue gave birth to her son, Rong Qianan was still in the court, and the Rong family was still at its peak.
If there were no other benefits to be gained, if there were no compelling "hardships", how could he take such a big risk to exchange for Rong Yue's son.
That's a royal descendant with Rong family blood. With that child in hand, even if Rong Qian'an won't try his best to assist him, he will be biased towards him to some extent in his heart.
How could Xie Tianyu bear to do that?
unless...
The child he gets in exchange can bring him greater benefits!
Emperor An stood up suddenly, his eyes uncertain: "Feng is here."
Eunuch Feng turned his head quickly: "Your Majesty."
"Go and tell Xiao Yan to come to the palace."
"Now?" Eunuch Feng was stunned for a moment: "Superintendent Xiao just left the palace not long ago, and said that he was going to interrogate a few people in the Ministry of War..." Before he finished speaking, he saw Emperor An looking at him with a frosty face. The expression on his face was particularly terrifying. He shuddered violently and lowered his head quickly: "I will send someone to pass on the message."
When Xiao Yan hurried into the palace, it was already more than half an hour later. When he entered the hall, he saw Emperor An standing barefoot on a jade footstool with a coiled dragon pattern.
There were no outsiders in the hall. Emperor An was not as neat as an emperor in the court. His clothes were half open and his wide sleeves were half rolled up. He seemed anxious. He had a black bead string in his hand, and his exposed wrist was much thinner than a month ago.
"Your Majesty."
Just as Xiao Yan was about to salute, Emperor An waved his hand and said, "Stand up, you..."
Just as he was about to speak, his eyes fell on Xiao Yan. Emperor An frowned, "Why are you covered in blood?"
Xiao Yan glanced at the blood on his body and said, "After I interrogated the people from the Ministry of War, I went to King Cheng. Not long after the interrogation, someone from the palace came to say that Your Majesty had summoned me urgently. I was afraid that I would delay Your Majesty's business, so I came directly. I didn't have time to clean myself up. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Emperor An immediately perked up when he heard this: "Have you interrogated Prince Cheng?"
"I have interrogated him, but he still refuses to speak." Xiao Yan's eyes were tinged with fatigue. "I took advantage of him to trick him into revealing the Lu family's affairs. Now, for some reason, he suddenly changed his mind and refused to admit it."
"After being tortured, Hou Rui and the others admitted that their collusion with Prince Cheng was related to the Lu family, but no one pointed the finger at Lu Chongyuan. Instead, their words were vague and it was hard to tell whether they were true or false."
"Your Majesty also knows that Lu Chongyuan is shrewd and the Lu family has a deep foundation. If they only rely on these, the Lu family only needs to push one person out to save the king, and at most give up his official position, and Lu Chongyuan can retreat unscathed, and it will not shake the foundation of the family at all."
Emperor An frowned and said, "You can't find out what the criminal department did?"
Xiao Yan said in a low voice: "I am incompetent."
Emperor An looked at the bloodstains on Xiao Yan's body and knew what means he had used.
He knew very well what the Criminal Court was. Many tough guys couldn't survive a night there. But how could Xie Tianyu, a prince with precious body and delicate skin, hold his tongue and withstand the interrogation of the Criminal Court?
Emperor An sneered: "It's not that you are incompetent, it's that he doesn't dare to say it."
Xiao Yan was surprised: "Your Majesty is saying..."
"Have you ever thought about Xie Yin's background?"
Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment: "King Cheng said that when Princess Cheng gave birth to a child, the child died at birth. He was afraid of losing the support of the Rong family, so he took the child from the woman he kept outside and pretended that the child was the son of Princess Cheng."
"Do you believe it?"
Emperor An's words puzzled Xiao Yan. Seeing his frown and puzzled expression, Emperor An sneered, "Who is Xie Tianyu? He was once only one step away from the throne. Do you think he is the kind of person who would lose his mind and do anything for the sake of beauty?"
"If he was really so foolish, Rong Qian'an was implicated by the Crown Prince and forced to leave the court. After the Rong family fell into decline, he could have legitimately taken a concubine and brought the woman from outside back home. Why did he have to pretend to be in love with Rong Yue and deceive the world?"
Xiao Yan was stunned: "But King Cheng said that the woman had already died..."
"You believe his lies. If that person had already died, how could Xie Tianyu, who was ambitious, not want to have another child? Isn't he afraid that Xie Yin's background will be exposed one day, and he won't have anything to restrain the Rong family?"
"Unless that person is not dead at all, and has the means to control Xie Tianyu and prevent him from having children other than Xie Yin."
Emperor An leaned against the table behind him. Seeing that Xiao Yan seemed unconvinced, he stepped on the pedal impatiently and said:
"Think about it carefully. Rong Yue hasn't had a child for many years. There have been rumors that she was ill, but she suddenly got pregnant recently. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with her body. It is obvious that someone has tampered with her for not having a child for many years."
"That woman dared to cut off Xie Tianyu's offspring, but Xie Tianyu still endured it. If it wasn't because she was deeply in love with him, then she had someone to rely on. If that was the case, why didn't she let Xie Tianyu take her back to the mansion openly?"
Xiao Yan's expression changed: "Your Majesty, are you saying... that woman's identity cannot be revealed to others?"
He couldn't help frowning as he said:
"But Prince Cheng is of noble status, and he can marry any woman he wants. Moreover, it has been more than ten years since the birth of Prince Cheng's wife. The late emperor was still alive at that time. Since the woman could secretly have an affair with Prince Cheng and devote herself to him, why didn't she just ask the late emperor to grant her marriage?"
Emperor An sneered: "If the marriage is granted, how can Xie Tianyu gain benefits from the Rong family?"
Xiao Yan's brows furrowed even more tightly: "But if you want to benefit from the Rong family, why would you take the risk?"
"What if that woman comes from a noble family?"
"Aristocratic family?" Xiao Yan was stunned.
Emperor An said coldly: "Have you never thought about how Prince Cheng and the Lu family colluded?"
Seeing that Xiao Yan, who was always smart, looked puzzled, he suddenly seemed to have thought of something and his face was full of surprise.
Emperor An sneered, "Back then, Crown Prince Li wanted to suppress the noble families, and Lu Chongyuan had no choice but to choose me. At that time, I was not as good as Prince Cheng, so it was not surprising that he secretly supported Prince Cheng. But after I ascended the throne, Xie Tianyu was already half a useless person. Why should the Lu family take the risk to help him connect with the Ministry of War?"
"The Lu family has private soldiers. Although they have never made it public, you should be aware of the family's foundation. They don't even have enough weapons on their own. And they have always wanted to push the fourth prince to the throne. They have repeatedly mentioned the establishment of a crown prince in the East Palace by trying to win over other families. Why would they go to the trouble of provoking Prince Cheng?"
Xiao Yan's eyes widened: "Your Majesty means that the woman is from the Lu family, and Xie Yin is also of the Lu family's bloodline?"
"Not too stupid."
Emperor An glanced at him, then leaned on the red sandalwood table behind him and said, "Either the Lu family used Prince Cheng as a retreat, thinking that if the fourth prince fails, there is still Xie Yin's lineage, or there is a traitor in the Lu family, and even Lu Chongyuan was deceived."
He smiled, full of interest.
"I hope it's the latter. That would be interesting."
Lu Chongyuan has been shrewd and calculating for many years, and he wants to plan everything so that the Lu family bloodline can be placed on the throne. He has been very aggressive in the court over the years, and those aristocratic families have even treated the court as a hunting ground.
It would be really interesting if the Lu family rebelled and stabbed Lu Chongyuan in the back.
Emperor An seemed to be able to see Lu Chongyuan's expression after he learned the "truth". He suddenly laughed, and it was unknown what he was thinking about, but the more he laughed, the happier he became. His originally sinister eyes were filled with inexplicable excitement, his face was abnormally red, and the way he waved his hands and laughed revealed a bit of madness.
Eunuch Feng was startled and opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly he saw Xiao Yan looking at him.
"…"
Although he didn't say anything, Eunuch Feng felt his scalp tighten and he subconsciously swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
After Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze, he stood there quietly, watching Emperor An "going crazy". After the excitement on his face faded a little, he spoke, "What about the Lu family..."
"check!"
Emperor Andy said excitedly.
Xiao Yan lowered his eyes: "But since Prince Cheng won't speak, this matter is just speculation. I can't break into the Lu family and search the women one by one. Moreover, it has been many years, and those who knew about it back then may have been killed long ago. It is difficult to verify Xie Yin's background with just one person..."
Seeing Emperor An looking at him, he paused and said, "The Lu family is extremely wary of me. I am afraid that if I take action, it will alert the enemy. It is better to let others investigate this matter."
"Others? Who?"
"The fourth prince."
Emperor An was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting Xiao Yan to mention the Fourth Prince.
Xiao Yan said calmly: "It is difficult for others to find out about the Lu family's affairs, but the Queen and the Fourth Prince know something after all, and Lu Chongyuan will not be on guard against them."
"The Fourth Prince is a man of excellent character and talent. The Empress and Your Majesty have been married for many years. I feel that their loyalty to Your Majesty must outweigh their selfishness towards the Lu family."
Seeing that Emperor An seemed to be thinking about something, Xiao Yan continued:
"Moreover, the idea of appointing a successor is gaining momentum. Your Majesty is clearly at the peak of his power, but those court officials have long wanted to find another master. Your Majesty, why don't you take this opportunity to test the minds of the princes, especially the fourth prince? If he favors the Lu family, conceals the truth, and deceives the emperor, how can he be qualified to inherit the throne?"
Emperor An suddenly had an idea. He looked up at Xiao Yan and said, "What if the fourth brother kills his relatives for the sake of justice?"
"Isn't that better?" Xiao Yan said slowly, "The Fourth Prince's loyalty to the Emperor is worthy of praise. Your Majesty will also put aside past grudges and treat him the same as the other princes."
Emperor An understood what Xiao Yan meant and suddenly laughed: "You are a cunning guy, full of tricks."
Xiao Yan said: "Then this matter..."
"Just do as you say. Go find the Fourth Prince and explain the interests involved to him and see what choice he makes." Emperor An said.
"I obey your order."
…
Eunuch Feng stood aside from the beginning to the end, watching Emperor An issue an order to hand over the affairs of the Lu family to the Fourth Prince for investigation. Then he waved to Xiao Yan to come closer and talked to him about his recent "cultivation of immortality and alchemy". There was no trace of his previous anxiety on his face.
Eunuch Feng shuddered for no apparent reason.
Xiao Yan's words seemed to be just a casual remark, but they sent the queen and her son into a dead end.
The Fourth Prince went to investigate the Lu family, and succeeded. The Lu family was disgraced, the aristocratic families lost face, collusion with Prince Chen, and confusion of the royal bloodline, any one of which could kill the Lu family. It would not only cut off the Lu family's path in the court, but also make the Queen and her son cut off their own support with their own hands, making it difficult for the aristocratic families to support them anymore.
But if that fails, the Fourth Prince is too selfish in protecting the Lu family. Even if he intends to protect his mother's family, the Lu family will still be at odds with him. Given Xiao Yan's ruthless behavior in the past, he will definitely have a backup plan. Not only can he instigate a fight between the Queen and her son and the Lu family, but if he can prove that the Fourth Prince is deceiving the emperor, that would mean the end of his and the Queen's lives.
It seems that Xiao Yan is setting a trap for the Lu family, but in fact he wants to push the queen and her son into a desperate situation.
Drive the dog into a dead end alley.
How did the Queen and her son offend this Governor Xiao to make him so cruel? !
When coming out of the hall, Eunuch Feng stood under the midday sun. The summer sun fell on his body, and the burning heat rising from his skin slightly dispelled the chill in his heart.
When Xiao Yan came out, he saw that the man in front of the emperor had a red face from the sun.
"It's such a hot day, and Eunuch Feng is still basking in the sun. He really seems to be in a good mood." Xiao Yan said with a smile.
"I feel that people's hearts are unpredictable and make people feel cold."
He didn't hide his sarcasm.
Xiao Yan smiled when he heard this and didn't take it seriously.
Eunuch Feng pursed his lips and looked at him. Seeing that he didn't care at all, he felt a little annoyed, so he simply said directly: "Master Xiao, please excuse me for a moment."
There were royal guards and several palace maids guarding in front of the palace.
Eunuch Feng had something to say but he didn't dare to say it in front of others. He led Xiao Yan all the way to the back of the side hall. He stopped only when there was no one around. He turned around and took out the things that the little eunuch had given him from his arms.
Xiao Yan glanced at him and asked, "Eunuch Feng, what's this?"
Eunuch Feng said in a deep voice: "Where did these things come from? Governor Xiao, please don't tell me that you don't know. Governor Xiao gave me such a generous gift that I dare not accept it."
He didn't want to make the relationship too awkward, so he calmed down and said, "Thank you, Governor Xiao, for your help with my son's matter. But just now you also took advantage of me, so we are even. In the future, I hope you will show some mercy and don't take advantage of me again."
He stuffed the thing into Xiao Yan's arms, then pulled away and wanted to leave.
Xiao Yan chuckled: "Eunuch Feng, this is quite straightforward, but haven't you heard the saying? It's hard to get off a pirate ship."
Eunuch Feng raised his head abruptly: "Master Xiao, are you threatening my family?"
"I guess so."
Such straightforward and unconcealed words made Eunuch Feng's anger pause.
He originally thought that Xiao Yan would try to cover it up or say a few superficial words to cover it up, but he never expected that he would admit it directly.
He was so angry that he didn't know whether he should vent it or not, and along with his anger, he also felt uneasy.
Eunuch Feng tried his best to calm down and said in a cold voice: "Master Xiao, I have never asked about what you have done in the palace over the years, and I have never made an enemy of you. I just want to serve the emperor in peace. Why must Master Xiao drag me into this muddy water?"
"I have never interfered in your affairs with the noble family. I have also defended you in front of His Majesty several times before. Is this how you, Governor Xiao, repay me?"
Xiao Yan tilted his head and said, "The eunuch is protecting me only because His Majesty's will is in favor of me. If His Majesty relies on the noble families, I'm afraid the eunuch would be protecting someone else."