Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 511 Fear
The Prince of Huai brought Wang Yan to the Zichen Palace, where the eunuchs were already waiting.

"The Emperor invited Lord Wang in."

The Prince of Huai stopped in his tracks. It seemed he wasn't qualified to listen to the discussions in the Zichen Palace.

Wang Yan's figure disappeared into the Zichen Palace, and then the palace door was closed.

What may seem like just a door separating them is actually an insurmountable chasm.

Prince Huai turned and walked out, carefully pondering the changes in the palace over the past two days. Even someone as composed as him as he was frowned slightly.

In the eyes of the Emperor, what Xia Mengxian and the Bureau of Military Affairs did was no different from treason.

What do they do by controlling officials behind the scenes? Of course, it's to seize control of the political situation at crucial moments.

So, given how important it is to support a new emperor, will these people interfere?
The Prince of Huai took a deep breath; this was the reason why the Emperor was neglecting him.

The royal family may seem glamorous, but a single misstep could determine their future, trapping them in the royal district for life.

My father had been disliked by the emperor and moved out of the palace back to the Imperial Clan Street. During that time, he was restricted from entering and leaving the house and was always surrounded by spies.

Rumors were circulating among the imperial clan that the emperor intended to select an adopted son from among them to enter the palace. If this were true, their family's situation would be even more difficult than that of ordinary members of the imperial clan.

His father, having been raised by the emperor for many years and groomed as the heir apparent, was now stripped of his former status. This resentment was bound to fester in the eyes of others, and his family was the first to be suspected whenever rumors of rebellion surfaced. The censors and officials kept a close eye on them… The atmosphere at home was unimaginable; even he himself often had nightmares of his entire family being executed.

Fortunately, the emperor remembered his father's good deeds and bestowed upon him the title of King of Qin.

How exactly did the Emperor change his mind, and how many people secretly helped him? These were clearly secrets of the Prince's residence, and even the Prince of Huai could not know the full story.

Now he only hopes that his father isn't involved with Xia Mengxian and his ilk; otherwise, the emperor will definitely change his mind again. Then, who can he rely on to turn the tables?
As the Prince of Huai was pondering this, he saw a nun being led to the inner palace. He quickly walked back to the palace gate.

"Who is that?" asked the Prince of Huai.

“Master Jingyuan of Ciyun Nunnery,” the guard said, “has been summoned to Cining Palace to preach to the Empress Dowager.”

Speaking of this, the guard lowered his voice: "I heard that when the incident happened on the Bian River last night, the head monk of the Buddhist Registry and the nuns of Ciyun Temple happened to be there performing a Buddhist ritual."

"Luckily, I didn't encounter those rioters who tried to break through the checkpoint, otherwise I wouldn't be alive."

The two guards beside him hurriedly chanted, "Amitabha."

The Prince of Huai has a far-reaching vision, so the Cining Palace has also intervened? Father had Jiang visit the Cining Palace often in order to gain the Empress Dowager's protection, but the Empress Dowager has never mentioned politics in front of Jiang, nor has she spoken on behalf of the Prince of Qin's Mansion in front of the Emperor.

Empress Dowager Jiang always said that the Empress Dowager was old and only wanted to enjoy her later years. In fact, the doors of Cining Palace were never closed tightly; it was just that Empress Dowager Jiang herself couldn't go in.

"Is there any other news?" Prince Huai asked the imperial guards.

Xu En took many people away from the Imperial City Guard yesterday, and these people will naturally bring up what happened last night when they return.

The guard said, "The merchants in the city have done a great service by capturing the bandit leader."

"Merchants?"

Other guards asked questions out of curiosity.

“They seem to be porcelain merchants,” the guard pursed his lips. “My cousin mentioned it briefly, but he wasn’t very clear.”

Prince Huai raised his eyes.

Ciyun Temple and porcelain merchants.

They seem completely unrelated, yet they are all connected to one person.

Thank you, Madam.

What connection does Lady Xie have with Cining Palace? It seems the Empress Dowager only saw the reliquary she made. Could a mere reliquary have caught the Empress Dowager's eye?

So last night, was it Cining Palace that drove her to do things, or was she borrowing power from Cining Palace?

This person is becoming increasingly interesting. Instead of rushing to attack the Xie family, she's joining forces with Wang Yan to deal with Xia Mengxian, using the Xia Mengxian case to solidify her position in Bianjing. Clearly, she's preparing for a direct confrontation with the Xie family.

How much confidence must one have to dare to do such a thing?
He didn't pay special attention to her every move, but he noticed her unusual behavior, which showed how much she had been doing in private.

So, dealing with Xia Mengxian was something she and Wang Yan had planned together? From Daming Prefecture to Bianjing, the two of them have been working together. What exactly are they plotting? Does Wang Yan know her true identity? Will he join her in dealing with Xie Shumi?

He may not yet realize this, but he is certain that if things continue like this, the situation will be under their control.

……

Inside the Zichen Palace.

After hearing Wang Yan's report, the emperor's expression remained gloomy and uncertain.

When Wang Yan mentioned that there hadn't been any major disturbances in the Imperial Guard camp, the Emperor's expression relaxed slightly. In fact, the Emperor had known about this the previous night; otherwise, the entire capital would have been in turmoil.

The Emperor said coldly, "I prepared my armor last night. If there is any riot in the Imperial Guard camp, I will personally lead the troops to quell the rebellion."

The eunuch beside him looked grim. Last night, the Emperor had been pacing back and forth in the palace with his long sword, which had truly terrified him.

Fortunately, things have calmed down outside.

Having vented his anger, the Emperor handed a memorial to the eunuch: "Take a look at this, Minister Wang."

Wang Yan reached out and took it.

The official said, "This is the list of names that was reviewed and approved in the palace."

The palace eunuchs and servants were investigated, and the names of these officials were extracted from the people who delivered the messages.

“These people colluded with Xia Mengxian and should all be punished,” the Emperor said, pausing slightly. “As for how to determine their sentences, I intend to leave that to you and Minister Xu.”

Wang Yan responded, "Your humble servant obeys."

The Emperor continued, "After this case is over, you will no longer need to be sent to a post outside the capital. I don't have many capable people around me, so I plan to hand over the Jinzou Academy to you."

The eunuch's eyelids twitched slightly; he hadn't expected that the Emperor had already planned a place for Lord Wang.

Wang Yan did not refuse, but bowed to express his gratitude.

The official said, "The origins of the merchants who colluded with Xia Mengxian must also be investigated."

The Emperor stopped speaking, clearly not yet finished. After a moment's hesitation, he waved his hand and said, "Go. I await your memorial."

Wang Yan bowed and withdrew from the main hall. A moment later, the eunuch also came out and said, "His Majesty said that Lord Wang worked hard yesterday. There is no need to rush to hear the case. Go back and rest first. It is not too late to go to the yamen tomorrow."

Wang Yan said, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

“We were terrified last night, but thankfully Lord Wang was there…” The eunuch said, unfolding the cloak in his hand. “This was a gift from His Majesty to Lord Wang, hoping it can protect him from the cold in the future.”

Wang Yan thanked the emperor again for his grace, then accepted the cloak and strode towards the palace gates.

As they exited the palace gates, Wang Yan instructed Sang Dian, "Have someone tell the household that I will return later."

Sang Dian knew without asking that his husband was rushing to the South City Wharf to see his wife.

As the master and servant were talking, they saw a constable walking quickly over.

“Lord Wang,” the constable said, “I am a constable from the Ministry of Justice. The prisoner Zhao Zhongliang in the jail wishes to see you.”