Chapter 497.4: Quarrel, Malicious Scheme
With Jing Wan and them returning to the capital, Rui Wangfei naturally just lost a place to stroll around in. However, right now, she was also increasingly peaceful. Those who didn’t know would even think she was living a buddhist lifestyle. Being pregnant actually even having this kind of effect truly was surprising.
However, after returning to the capital, Jing Wan also more or less knew that the thing a certain someone wanted to do might have an outcome soon. Of course, it was also possible that it was just beginning.
Li Hong Yuan’s matters during this period of time actually weren’t much, but because it was mostly regarding the war in the northwest, and Jing Wan didn’t understand, thus not interfering, not even spending that much time to look over, it wasn’t until after returning to the capital did she learn that ever since the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month, some rumors have already spread throughout the capital.
As for who it concerned, one actually didn’t even need to think, wasn’t it precisely regarding the northwest border’s Fu Yun Ting.
As the war became more and more smooth, Fu Yun Ting, as the main commander, apparently produced ambitions that he shouldn’t have, seemingly having the intention of gathering the soldiers for his own use.
Don’t bother with how absurd these rumors were. All in all, it was just circulating very believably, especially when many commoners simply don’t even know how to think on their own, and because their knowledge was very limited, they won’t go ponder over either. They were mostly just following what everyone else said, just believing what others say, even using their own assumptions to spread even more even absurd remarks to even more people. Circulating back and forth, the more absurd it became, to the extent that in the end, no one knew what the original rumor was, and how it came to be.
Reasonably speaking, this kind of thing should be suppressed immediately, so as to avoid mass panic. However, Le Cheng Emperor nevertheless pompously believed that blocking was not as good as ignoring. The more they try to stop, the commoners would just feel there was indeed this matter, so one might as well let it flow on its own. As time passes, and nothing happens, the rumors will also just disperse. At the same time, he even sent the Black Clad Guards to surround the Wu’an Marquis Manor, under the excuse of protecting the people of Wu’an Marquis Manor, so as to avoid being like the Su family previously, because of Su Ming Zhang’s matter suffer attack.
———At the time, how come you just didn’t think of wanting to protect the Su family? Someone practically wanted to roar at Le Cheng Emperor.
This encirclement, in the commoner’s eyes, practically was just solidifying the fact that Fu Yun Ting will rebel, or else why would his Majesty have his family detained? This clearly was just wanting to let Fu Yun Ting ‘refrain from shooting the rat in fear of breaking the vase’.
Many court officials just felt it was absurd, truly too absurd.
But Le Cheng Emperor still just continued on in his own way, confidently telling the court officials that it was fine.
For officials that occupied a high position, not many were stupid. Gradually, more and more people seemingly became aware of Le Cheng Emperor’s true attitude towards Fu Yun Ting. But, the closer they approached the truth, the more they didn’t dare to believe. There was no reason! The Fu family hasn’t done anything that angered the heavens and angered the people.
But in reality, the outcome in everything all showed Le Cheng Emperor’s malice towards Fu Yun Ting and the Fu family.
Spreading rumors in the capital naturally wasn’t Le Cheng Emperor’s goal. His real goal naturally was to let Fu Yun Ting know that he’d ‘detained’ everyone of the Wu’an Marquis Manor, letting Fu Yun Ting think that he will harm the Wu’an Marquis Manor, and from there, enrage Fu Yun Ting to the extent of doing something irrational. And if this were to cause him to suffer defeat in the war, then he will be able to legitimately punish him. And if able to let him really rise in revolt, then even better.
Le Cheng Emperor was precisely banking on the great distance between the two places, causing the information to not travel well. If handled appropriately, can even let Fu Yun Ting think that he’d already ‘mistakenly killed’ the entire Fu family.
Perhaps because of feeling that this idea was feasible, and didn’t need to sacrifice large amounts of soldiers, Le Cheng Emperor lately all carried a kind of strange excitement.
After Li Hong Yuan returned to the capital, he had gone to see him once. In his past life, prior to this good imperial father’s plan prevailing, whether or not this kind of state appeared, he didn’t know, because by that time in his past life, he was already forced to leave the capital, his own situation quite bad, so where did he still have the energy to care about others.
Li Hong Yuan immediately went to aptly warn certain people, letting them pay attention. A certain someone right now was somewhat off in the head. Even the matters regarding the original plan, one absolutely mustn’t act blindly without thinking. At this time, regardless whether it was intentional, or ‘unintentional’, as long as it’s going against him, then it might just provoke him. For someone that wasn’t clear in the head, it was possible for anything to happen.
Things seemingly just came to a deadlock like this, and on Fu Yun Ting’s side, if not for Li Hong Yuan long sending him a letter, perhaps it really would’ve been as Le Cheng Emperor wished.
“Ah Yuan, his Majesty is obsessed with having a good reputation. Even if based on his current arrangement, resulting in ‘mistakenly killing’ will similarly give him a title of being muddleheaded. It appears to be that tiny bit better than being ruthless and heartless, indiscriminately killing the loyal, but it similarly is an ineradicable stigma. Is there something that had him pushed to this point? The so called ‘throne only passing on for six generations’, based on his Majesty’s knowledge, whether or not there’s even the sixth generation, it is all unknown. That’s why, the most sure way was still to end it in his hands.”
Li Hong Yuan lightly tapped the armrest, “Not without this possibility.”
“Then, if it’s really like this, and if Fu Yun Ting still doesn’t act according to his expectations, will he just let someone fake a secret letter or something from the northwest, fabricating some sort of proof of crime, and afterwards, deliberately pretend to be enraged, killing the entire Fu family first. When time comes, Fu Yun Ting really will rebel.” Jing Wan quivered, “How come this feels like the real plan? If Fu Yun Ting really rebels, then he can even erase the stain of ‘mistakenly killing’. After all, by that time, no one will care about the order of which came first.”
“If it’s really like this, then this secret letter won’t come from his hands. He will ultimately need a way for people to believe. That’s why, just the letter won’t be enough, also need a person. These will only be handled by the Black Clad Guards. Li Su Yan is the best candidate. Actually, there’s no need to worry. When this letter appears, we will know nothing at all.”
“Then what should we do now?”
“I will think of a way to let someone obtain his medical record, see whether or not something is wrong with his body. If this is the case, then will just think of a way to prolong his life a little longer. At least, let him feel that the Fu family’s matter can slowly plan for, no need to impatiently rush, affecting his good reputation throughout the ages.”
“Isn’t the construction for Imperial Noble Consort’s ceremonial altars already complete? For the ceremonial ritual, how about picking an auspicious date and starting a little earlier. Additionally, when the people pray for blessings, just have his Majesty counted in as well. After all, he’s the Imperial Noble Consort’s husband, no? Sharing the blessings for the Imperial Noble Consort, isn’t that normal? Just, don’t know whether or not it will affect the Imperial Noble Consort.”
“Wan Wan even wants to give him good fortunes?”
“Whether or not he has good fortunes, in the future, aren’t you the one that has the final say? As the saying goes, having good fortune, one also needs to live to enjoy, no?”
Li Hong Yuan patted Jing Wan’s head like patting a puppy, “En, not bad, those case files weren’t read in vain.”
“Oh stop it.” Jing Wan slapped him aside.
The emperor’s medical records were confidential, but if Li Hong Yuan wanted, it wasn’t anything difficult either.
“Poisoned? Even deeply penetrating the organs, hopeless without a cure?” Jing Wan was shocked, “Which ruthless person did this? In this current state of affairs, even if forcing him to write a posthumous edict, afraid it won’t even have much use. Wait, he just accepted it? Under the circumstance of knowing that Gong Jiu’s skills exceeded the imperial physicians, it’s impossible for him to not look for Gong Jiu. Moreover, Yu Zhong Qing didn’t send news to us either. Even he got kept in the dark as well?”
“No need to think too much. I’ll take a trip with Gong Jiu, and we will know.”
In a certain sense, Li Hong Yuan absolutely was one to take immediate action, entering the palace immediately.
T/N: Speaking of the Black Clad Guards in this chapter, their historical counterpart, the Brocade Clad Guards, at the peak of political corruption, often used means like this to frame political opponents in order to legally execute them, it’s much more effective than assassination.
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