Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 358 This time, we must be at the forefront.
Shen Bo came out later than Lu Jie.

The emperor sat down with several groups of people in succession, and finally kept Shen Bo and the crown prince behind.

I thought he had something to say, but he didn't. The emperor just sat cross-legged on the couch, gritting his teeth and glaring at the huge pile of evidence in front of him.

After sitting in silence for a long time, he suddenly waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

The Crown Prince went first, followed by the Grand Commandant.

The Crown Prince stopped outside the palace gate and then silently bowed deeply to Shen Bo.

Shen Bo subconsciously reached out to help him up, but he refused. Only after the entire bow was completed did he stand up on his own, take a step back, cup his hands in greeting, and leave.

When Shen Bo went on his expedition, he had not yet established an heir apparent and knew nothing about this crown prince.

Unexpectedly, he remained unknown and was oppressed by the Yan family, causing him to hunch over at a young age.

The moment he saw him, he somewhat understood the resentment Shen Qingzhou had felt towards his "apathy" earlier.

After watching him leave, Shen Bo arrived outside the palace gate, looked around, and then saw Lu Jie's back again.

Lu Jie, whom he had regarded as a treacherous minister for more than a decade, now strolled in the sunlight, full of vigor and spirit like a young man.

He opened his mouth and said "Hey," but no sound came out. His raised hand paused in mid-air for a moment before he lowered it.

Both of them were sons of officials who grew up in the capital. They had met when they were young and studied Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism together at the Imperial Academy. As they grew older, they thought that everyone had their own ambitions, but they never expected that they would end up being like-minded people.

"Grand Commandant, the young mistress sent someone to inquire whether you are returning to your residence or going to the yamen. She said she would prepare a victory celebration banquet for you!"

Shen Bo withdrew his gaze, thinking of his daughter-in-law, who was always obedient to his son. He had harbored prejudice and suspicion towards that girl for almost half a year; perhaps she lived in constant fear, afraid that he might poison her in the inner quarters one day?

The people before him were none of the people he had imagined.

He reined in his horse: "Let's go back to the yamen to get some things first, and then return to the manor. There's no need for the victory banquet. Go and tell Mr. Yi to come over as well. Tell him I have something to say."

……

Lu Jia's side has better access to information than Yan Jia's.

Before dawn, Shen Qingzhou had already laid out the entire plan, and had already contacted Shen Bo, Lu Jie, Donggong, and Li Quan overnight.

Shen Bo was able to reach the Qianqing Palace without prior notice because Li Quan had made arrangements behind the scenes.

Of course, the plan was implemented with extreme precision, but whether it would achieve the desired results on schedule was still uncertain.

Shen Qingzhou was outside that morning, while she was inside. She barely had time to close her eyes, let alone sit down.

When Li Quan delivered the news that the emperor had interrogated Yan Shu, they were half relieved. But when they heard that Yan Song had followed Yan Shu into the palace, their hearts immediately jumped again!

Yesterday, Yan Shu was in such a predicament that his life hung by a thread. Yan Song, that old scoundrel, was able to save Yan Shu's life from the emperor's clutches. His ability and skill in understanding the emperor's mind are evident. If he goes in with him, will he still have a chance to escape?
It wasn't until the emperor, in a fit of rage, ordered Yan Shu to be beaten to death, and then the news came that he had already died at the hands of the imperial guards before he could be beaten to death, that her heart finally settled down!
Seeing that the people she had sent out to wait for Shen Bo had not yet returned, she could not contain her excitement and went out to find Shen Qingzhou, who was using the small teahouse in the bustling southern part of the city as a temporary dispatch center.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw him sitting by the window, drinking with Guo Yi, whom I hadn't seen in a long time...

"Guo Yi was busy last night too; he went to see He Ping for me." After seeing Guo Yi off, Shen Qingzhou strolled along the moat embankment with Lu Jia. "He Ping specifically mentioned to Father earlier that I had met him, so why not use this person? The Emperor has spent his whole life playing the game of imperial power. Yan Shu certainly deserves to die, but if he decides it's better to keep Yan Shu around, things will become even more complicated."

"To be honest, I was afraid that something unexpected might happen and all our efforts would be in vain. So I had Guo Yi go to see him in the early morning. So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, all the guards on duty today received a reminder from He Ping."

Lu Jia suddenly realized: "No wonder, it must have taken a lot of force to break Yan Shu's neck in one go."

In other words, whoever takes over the escort of Yan Shu today will be killed instantly if the emperor orders his execution. In fact, given the current situation, He Ping may not even want Yan Shu to be alive anymore.

"Exactly."

The setting sun bathed the capital city in its golden light, and a gentle breeze rippled across the water's surface. Shen Qingzhou stopped in front of a flower vendor, picked up a bunch of blooming osmanthus blossoms, smelled them, and then bought them to give to Lu Jia.

"He Ping has no grudge against the Yan family. He may not necessarily want the Yan family to fall. The more the various forces in the court fight each other, the more secure his position as commander will be."

"Unfortunately, once Yan Shu and I visited him one after another, he had to make a choice."

"For him now, it is safest to strike while the iron is hot and suppress the Yan family's power first."

Lu Jia lowered her head and stroked the flower branch, then nodded: "It's a good start that Yan Shu died so quickly. But we still have a lot to do next."

Grand Commandant Shen presented evidence that Yan Shu had interfered with the distribution of annual stipends to the imperial clan. While the crime was true, it exceeded the scope of his authority. Once the emperor realized what had happened, he would most likely investigate the matter further. At present, Lu Jie had not yet met with Shen Boxiao, and Lu Jia was still unaware whether they had a countermeasure in mind.

As for the Yan family, the Emperor dismissed almost everyone in the Ministry of Revenue today. Although no one complained to Lu Jie, he was present today but did not say a single word in defense of the Yan family. Moreover, the Emperor punished so many people but not him. Yan Song, who was already wary of him, will surely guess eight or nine parts of the reason later.

Then there's the Crown Prince and Li Quan.

The direct cause of Yan Shu's death today is the Crown Prince's complaint. For many years, the Crown Prince has had to live at the mercy of the Yan family. Moreover, he lives in the capital, yet the Emperor has never known his situation. It is conceivable that he has no way of building up political power for himself.

The only exception was Shen Qingzhou, who was introduced through the Dowager Consort.

If the arrogance of the Yan family cannot be further curbed, it will only be a matter of time before Yan Song extends his poisonous hand to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince is already on the same side, so he must stand up for himself in the palace.

Furthermore, with Li Quan and Gao Hong already having Yan Song's support, they could launch an attack at any moment.

After this incident, Li Quan will undoubtedly fall on the Yan family's target list. Given these two factors, the threat Li Quan faces will likely be even greater.

In short, as long as the emperor's decree to investigate the Yan family is not issued, the Yan family will definitely retaliate.

No bad people should be let off the hook. No innocent people should be harmed.

They must plan every step of the way ahead of the enemy!

"Young Master, Young Madam, Master has arrived at the manor and says he has important matters to discuss. Second Young Master has also returned, bringing news from the Yan family!"

Tang Yu jogged over to him.

Shen Qingzhou immediately took Lu Jia's hand: "Let's go!"