"In order to frame the Fifth Prince, she secretly made a dragon robe."
"To seize the throne, she poisoned the Emperor and allied with the Chang Family to stage a rebellion, leading to rivers of blood in the palace."
One by one, the crimes were revealed, and the faces of the officials changed dramatically.
Finally, Xiao Yeyang announced the Emperor’s decision: the Noble Concubine and the Sixth Prince were demoted to commoners and given a cup of poisoned wine. The entire Chang Family was executed, and all officials involved in the rebellion were imprisoned, with further punishment to be determined later.
Officials arrested under this decision included not only those loyal to the Sixth Prince but also those from the factions of the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Fifth Prince.
Although the Second Prince and Fifth Prince had been framed by the Noble Concubine, it did not absolve them of their own misdeeds. The Crown Prince, who had defiled the inner palace, was even less forgivable.
The Emperor decided to deal with all the disruptive officials in one go.
The Crown Prince, Second Prince, and Fifth Prince remained under house arrest, but their sons were freed and allowed to leave their residences.
This cleared about one-third of the official positions in the Imperial Court.
How to fill these vacancies, however, was no concern of Xiao Yeyang. After court, he returned directly to the Prince Residence.
"The Fourth Prince is being cared for in the palace to recover from his injuries, and Xiao Moreng has been summoned to Qianqing Palace by the Emperor. It may seem like he’s there to look after the Fourth Prince, but anyone perceptive can see that the Emperor intends to personally mentor Xiao Moreng."
Hearing this, Daohua couldn’t help but ask, "Is the Emperor so set on this decision? Isn’t he going to evaluate further? The Seventh Prince may not be ideal, but there are still other young princes."
Xiao Yeyang replied, "The Emperor is sixty years old now. Although his health is decent, the burdens of state affairs are increasingly taxing. Xiao Moreng is already fifteen and knows everything he needs to; teaching him will be far easier than starting with the younger princes."
"Of course, the Emperor hasn’t issued a formal decree yet. Everything could still change. What happens next depends on whether Xiao Moreng can capitalize on the opportunity that the Fourth Prince fought so hard to secure for him."
Saying this, he smiled at Daohua.
"It’s time to pack. It’s already July; we should return to Xiliang. Even though Beijing’s splendor is unmatched, we always yearn to go back."
Daohua smiled and said, "Today’s Xiliang is built bit by bit through your efforts and dedication, so of course you can’t help but think of it often."
Xiao Yeyang chuckled and asked, "What about you? Don’t you want to go back?"
Daohua replied, "I do, of course I do. Look at all that has happened during these few months in Beijing. I still prefer the open and free expanse of Xiliang."
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