Chapter 1170: Chapter 933 Truth 12_2
"It is truly difficult; how did it come to you entering the palace so late at night today?"
The Princess of Yi hurriedly replied, "Are you not asking questions you already know the answers to?
Today is the day of the final examinations for the Enke, and early in the morning, His Majesty ordered the encirclement of the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue’s mansion.
Then, Ping’an Pharmacy, Li Family’s Gambling House, and the Peach Blossom Garden were raided, and immediately afterward, they arrested the Li Family’s second master born of a concubine, along with over a dozen officials of various ranks in the capital. That might be bearable, but why were both left and right chancellors arrested as well?
The Prince heard about this and was extremely worried, even falling ill. I had no choice; seeing he was truly unable to be at ease, I had to come to the palace!"
The Princess of Yi recounted passionately, looking truly like a wife anxious about her husband’s affairs.
The Empress Dowager Xiao didn’t concern herself with the truth; either way, she knew this person came to inquire about news for the Prince of Yi.
"As for this matter!
We must mention the Emperor’s youth!
His handling of matters is lacking in thoroughness."
"Ah?"
The Princess of Yi thought to herself, the Empress Dowager’s words are quite abrupt!
The Emperor just crossed into adult age; by the Dragon Boat Festival, he’ll be twenty. How is he still considered young?
If it were an ordinary family, with an early marriage, their child could at least be attending a private school by now!
The Emperor said: "My precious daughter Suisui can not only attend private school but also slay monsters!"
"Ah! I’m not speaking of the current Emperor, but of when the Emperor was young and ascended the throne, just opened the Enke Examination, and appointed the Champion Scholar Li Xu, who took bribes, secretly helped officials meddle in the Great Hall, set up secret information posts, sold official positions, and even tampered with the imperial examination, pressing topics for the metropolitan exam!"
The Princess of Yi couldn’t help but cover her mouth.
"It’s that severe?"
After all, the Princess of Yi is simply an ordinary woman.
If it were the Prince of Yi himself, he would certainly know that this is merely the tip of the iceberg, far from warrants such massive upheaval!
"So that’s the case. Li Xu’s audacity is astonishing; he is the first Champion Scholar after His Majesty ascended to the throne!
How could he not understand to appreciate the imperial grace, betraying the Emperor’s expectations?"
Once the Princess of Yi spoke this, the Empress Dowager Xiao knew that the matter was glossed over with her.
However, once she returned to tell the Prince of Yi, whether he believed it or not was his business.
"Indeed! I was also furious; I personally reviewed his exam papers when he was chosen as the Champion Scholar."
The Princess of Yi knew that during the Emperor’s youth, she was the one handling state affairs from behind the curtain, and thus consoled her: "Discovering it now is also a good thing. If Li Xu had managed to hold that position in the Central Secretariat for a few more years and Lin Xiang retired, he would have become the left chancellor. If it had truly come to that, it would have been a disaster impossible to fathom!"
Comforting the Empress Dowager, the Princess of Yi only now felt something was amiss: "If it is Li Xu taking bribes, then why arrest both the left and right chancellors overnight?"
"It’s not arresting; it’s inviting them to the palace for a dialogue with Li Xu, to see which of these bribed officials needs to be dismissed and which can be retained!"
"I see. As long as there is no issue with the left and right chancellors, the foundation of the Great Han won’t collapse, and my Prince can be at ease!"
The Princess of Yi had just sighed in relief when a childish voice came from behind the curtain, "Among them, one certainly has a problem!"
The Princess of Yi widened her mouth, "Ah, this..."
The Empress Dowager Xiao held her forehead: How could she forget that this little ancestor always acted unpredictably!
"Eldest Princess, the Empress Dowager and the Princess are speaking, it’s not polite to interrupt!"
Hiding at the back and not having left, Xie Pan’Er never expected that the supposedly sleeping Xiaosui would suddenly wake up and unwittingly utter such a line!
"Achoo!"
Xiaosui let out a big yawn, not noticing what Xie Pan’Er had said.
"One of the two chancellors has a problem? This..."
The Princess of Yi looked towards the Empress Dowager Xiao.
The Empress Dowager Xiao and the Emperor favored this royal relative, the Prince of Yi, the most.
Naturally, they also took a liking to the Princess of Yi because of their appreciation for the Prince.
The reasons are none other than that the Prince of Yi, during his middle age, followed Grand General Ji on the battlefield, and she accompanied him there, taking a bullet for him, which harmed her health significantly, requiring her to take medicine constantly, which is why there is always a medicinal aroma wherever she goes.
This is the true reason why the Princess of Yi leads a reclusive life!
"Ah, this child, I didn’t want to make you and the Prince worry, which is why I didn’t mention it. The Emperor indeed suspects this matter is somewhat linked to the left and right chancellors, thus summoned them to the palace for a little probing!"
