CHAPTER 589: CHAPTER 589: COURAGE

In response to this, Young Master Su had a lot of opinions.

Why did everyone think they would cause trouble?

Was it just because they were young?

Did being young mean they would cause trouble?

It was clearly the adults who were the best at causing trouble!

Unfortunately, they were insignificant, and most of what they said was directly ignored.

The three of them mingled in the crowd.

Young Master Su felt unsatisfied.

But the Ninth Prince and Young Master Shen were full of satisfaction.

Especially the Ninth Prince.

He was excited and thrilled.

Being born in the Imperial Palace, he understood the palace rules better, and generally, he did not get to participate in such grand banquets, let alone one to welcome the Beiyue Envoy.

If it weren’t for Su Yang pleading with the Emperor, flattering him until he was dizzy, they wouldn’t have been allowed into the palace.

Beside the carriage, Xingxing looked around.

"I wonder if Madam has come?" she said.

"Since Yangyang has come, wouldn’t my mother come too?" Su Jin laughed.

"That’s not certain. It seems Madam doesn’t like entering the palace," Xingxing said.

Su Jin looked at Xingxing, "Are you sure?"

Xingxing nodded repeatedly, "Yes, before when we first came to the Capital City, the girl wanted to enter the palace for fun, and Madam was very worried that she would cause trouble."

"Even when the girl asked Madam to enter the palace together, Madam didn’t come."

If Madam had come along, the girl wouldn’t have had the chance to whip Princess Shouning.

She wouldn’t even have the opportunity to take out her whip.

Su Jin was a bit puzzled.

Why did her mother dislike entering the palace?

She only knew that her mother didn’t go out often, but it wasn’t like she avoided people.

Previously, when the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion held a housewarming banquet, the noble ladies of the Capital all met her mother.

Even if she went to the palace, she would still meet the same people.

With Mrs. Tang absent, Su Jin wanted to pay respects to Marquis Dongxiang, but just as she was about to go, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice came over.

Su Jin stopped in her tracks, and since Princess Fu Yun and Zhou Jingyi from Prince Yun Mansion also approached, Su Jin walked with them towards the Imperial Garden.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice entered the palace to report the tribute matters of Yongcheng Bo Mansion to the Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

The Minister of the Ministry of Justice then came to find Marquis Dongxiang.

Marquis Dongxiang’s brows were tightly knit, and he said, "Minister Qu, do not worry."

"The evidence brought back by your son includes a handwritten confession from the person involved in the tribute; the Ministry of Justice is not conducting an unwarranted raid on Yongcheng Bo Mansion, so why fear an impeachment by Duke Chong’s faction?"

"But as for the tribute..."

The Minister of the Ministry of Justice suspected they had fallen into someone’s trap.

Marquis Dongxiang shook his head and said, "The matter of the tribute is true. After you left, I interrogated my subordinates, and indeed there were porcelain items on the ship at that time."

But Qingyun Mountain only demanded grain and grass, never looting items useless to the soldiers.

Young Master Qu found the porcelain and claimed it was a tribute, and indeed, there was a batch of porcelain from the tribute location that was found in Yongcheng Bo Mansion.

This was enough to prove that the findings were true.

But there were no tribute markings on the porcelain, and Marquis Dongxiang could not understand why at the moment.

This handwriting cannot be erased.

If it’s not fake, then the porcelain itself had none.

But if there wasn’t—

Then how could it be called tribute?

Unable to figure it out, Marquis Dongxiang temporarily set it aside and said, "I shall go see the Emperor first."

Watching Marquis Dongxiang walk away, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice lifted his hand to rub his temples.

He had already foreseen the overwhelming impeachment that would come the next day.

Within Hanyuan Hall.

The Emperor was bathing and changing clothes. A little eunuch came in and said, "Emperor, Marquis Dongxiang requests an audience."

Why seek him out at this time?

The Emperor frowned.

"Let him in."

By the time Marquis Dongxiang entered, the Emperor had already dressed and was sitting there drinking tea.

"What brings you to see me now?" the Emperor asked.

"I came to inform the Emperor that I have just instructed the Ministry of Justice to raid Yongcheng Bo Mansion," Marquis Dongxiang said truthfully.

His voice was as calm as if he were saying he had just eaten two pieces of cake, casual and composed.

Yet the Emperor, hearing this, was choked by the tea, coughing directly.

He glared at Marquis Dongxiang, "Such a significant matter, you dare act first and report later?!"

"In terms of courage, I probably cannot compare to Elder Yong Cheng," Marquis Dongxiang replied.

The Emperor’s brows knitted tightly.

There was no one in the entire court as audacious as Marquis Dongxiang.

Yet he said this, making the Emperor curious.

Marquis Dongxiang reported the matter of Elder Yong Cheng embezzling the tribute.

No sooner had he finished his report than Duke Chong arrived.

Elder Yong Cheng was Duke Chong’s brother-in-law, considered half of his confidant.

The Yongcheng Bo Mansion was surrounded by the Ministry of Justice, and several large boxes were carried away, the contents of which were unknown to outsiders.

Duke Chong felt uneasy.

It was, after all, an Uncle’s Mansion with no hint beforehand of a raid, and this was the first time Duke Chong had heard of it.

Such authoritarian and independent action was certainly Marquis Dongxiang’s style.

For decades, he hadn’t changed a bit.

No information could be gleaned from the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, but Duke Chong couldn’t settle his heart without knowing what had happened.

His intuition told him whatever Marquis Dongxiang did was ultimately aimed at him.

So he came to find the Emperor.

The raid on Yongcheng Bo Mansion, the Emperor must know the reason.

If not, then Marquis Dongxiang and the Minister of the Ministry of Justice acted first and reported later, giving him a chance to impeach, determined to give Marquis Dongxiang considerable trouble.

Unexpectedly, Marquis Dongxiang was present.

After paying respect to the Emperor, Duke Chong inquired about the siege of Yongcheng Bo Mansion, "Emperor, after all, it’s an Uncle’s Mansion given the imperial seal, yet it’s encircled like this, especially on such an important day, the officials and I wish to know why."

The Emperor glanced at Marquis Dongxiang, "Explain the reason to Duke Chong."

Marquis Dongxiang was unwilling to speak, but he also knew this couldn’t be hidden, "Elder Yong Cheng embezzled the tribute, a charge punishable by death."

"Embezzling the tribute?" Duke Chong frowned deeply.

"Marquis Dongxiang, is there a misunderstanding? Elder Yong Cheng wouldn’t dare."

Marquis Dongxiang remained silent.

Eunuch Fu elaborated on the matter of Elder Yong Cheng embezzling the tribute.

Upon hearing this, Duke Chong’s face turned as black as coal, his fury bursting outward.

Oh, Elder Yong Cheng!

He had set him up behind the scenes!

Played him, yet required him to clean up the mess!

"Only the boatman’s words, is Marquis Dongxiang sure it’s truly a tribute?" Duke Chong said.

"The Ministry of Justice has already raided Yongcheng Bo Mansion, yet Duke Chong speaks as if certain it’s not tribute?" Marquis Dongxiang smiled faintly.

He finally understood why Elder Yong Cheng wasn’t flustered after being caught.

It seemed before him, there stood Duke Chong.

Indeed.

How could a mere Elder Yong Cheng have the audacity to engage in such a head-risking endeavor?

The Emperor looked at Duke Chong.

Duke Chong’s expression flustered, "I just think Elder Yong Cheng doesn’t have such nerve."

"If the embezzling of the tribute is true, I will definitely not plead for him."

The Emperor waved his hand, saying, "Alright, this matter can be discussed after the banquet."

Duke Chong hurriedly withdrew.

After leaving Hanyuan Hall, Duke Chong’s face grew long and stern.

His fists clenched, bones creaking.

A look that wished to tear Elder Yong Cheng apart.

The power and wealth he gave them only whetted their appetite, daring to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth!