Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 214

First they recruited men and then equipped them with weapons.

Xie Wei didn't dare to think too deeply about it. Regardless of whether he wanted to rebel or not, even if he just wanted to raise a few private soldiers to protect his family, it was already against the rules.

If discovered, it's a capital offense.

After returning from the outskirts of Beijing, Xie Wei was in a very bad mood.

When this was told to Madam Fan, Madam Fan was completely dumbfounded.

You say they're not armed, so you call them servants or guards. It's normal for high-ranking families to keep skilled guards, but now that they have everything, their interest is in private armies.

Xie Wei, in particular, said that this group of people looked more like Deadpool.

Such people are fearless and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. They are elite assassins who can take on ten enemies at once. In addition, they use methods such as poisoning their weapons, making them formidable.

“You previously said that there were at least five hundred people in your father’s four private estates on the outskirts of Beijing. You underestimated that number.”

"Could it be that there are more than five hundred people?" Madam Fan asked in surprise.

Xie Wei nodded solemnly, “He has bought two new estates on the north side of the mountain, which are hidden by dense forests and are more secluded. The crops there don’t yield good results, so few people go there, but the estates cover a larger area and have people on hand. Song Qing has seen them, and all of them together must have at least two thousand men.”

Two thousand elite Death Servants, if used properly, can indeed accomplish quite a lot.

"I don't think my father-in-law has any intention of rebelling, so why has he suddenly started raising a private army?" Madam Fan frowned.

Before Zhao Xingjin emerged, Xie Mingshen served under Emperor Hui. At that time, he was called the Grand Secretary, but in reality, he was no different from a regent. Almost no one in the court opposed him, and he practically usurped the emperor's power. Later, he married Xie Jiu to the Wu family, who held military power. If he wanted to rebel, how could he not succeed?

However, Xie Mingshen did not harbor any intention of rebellion. Fan Shi could tell that he did not want to bear the infamy and wanted to quietly be a wise and virtuous ruler of the Xie family who would reap all the benefits and be remembered for generations, as well as a pillar of the country. How wonderful that would be.

Unlike Zhao Xingjin, who used the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials," Zhao Xingjin was not afraid of being branded as a traitor. He was willing to risk everything and did not care about empty fame.

Xie Wei's eyes were also thoughtful. "It's not a good thing at all. We need to tell the palace immediately and let Xiao Jiu decide how to handle it."

"The day after tomorrow is Princess Heyi's wedding day. The city will be bustling with activity, and no one will pay attention to this remote area on the outskirts of the capital. If we want to find solid evidence of a crime, this is the perfect opportunity. Moreover, since the Xichi people have left, we won't air our dirty laundry in public and alarm them," Madam Fan said immediately.

Xie Wei agreed with this, and the couple did not dare to delay, so they immediately sent a message to Xie Jiu.

Inside Jingming Palace, after Chunrong told Xie Jiu about this, Xie Jiu immediately clenched the handkerchief in her hand.

If Xie Mingshen's actions were reported by outsiders, it would implicate the entire Xie clan. However, if Xie Wei and Xie Jiu were to do it, it would be considered putting righteousness before family, and they would be able to turn a blind eye.

"Let's go see the Emperor!" Xie Jiu raised his eyebrows, his eyes sharp.

Royal study room.

Upon hearing Xie Jiu's words, Zhao Xingjin's expression immediately darkened, though his phoenix eyes remained inquisitive as he stared intently at Xie Jiu.

"Was this really a message from your brother?"

"It is absolutely true." Xie Jiu's face was calm and her eyes were clear. "If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may summon my brother to the palace and ask him."

Zhao Xingjin met her gaze, remained silent for a moment, then lowered his eyes and turned to sit down on the dragon throne.

"Very well, if that's the case, I'll summon him and ask him." In truth, he didn't doubt the veracity of the matter, but was Xie Wei truly acting out of a sense of righteousness and betraying his father, or was he forced by circumstances to do so in order to protect himself?

Zhao Xingjin did not want another member of the Xie family, like Xie Mingshen, to emerge in the court.

Xie Jiu was not unaware of her thoughts, but she understood her brother's character even better, so she was not afraid of Zhao Xingjin's tests and investigations.

Soon, Xie Wei, from the Xie family outside the palace, received a summons from the palace.

It was said that Xie Wei was to be assigned to handle some of the procedures related to Princess Heyi's marriage. However, the trouble caused by Lü Weixing and the Chen family led to further problems, resulting in the punishment of many people and leaving the originally planned positions without sufficient staff.

The reason was sufficient, and Xie Mingshen had no doubts. Although Xie Wei knew in his heart that something might happen, he still dared not be careless and went to the palace immediately.

When he arrived, he did not see Xie Jiu in the Imperial Study. Only Zhao Xingjin was sitting behind the desk, his face as cold as ice.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty." Xie Wei bowed respectfully.

Zhao Xingjin looked at him coldly, "Do you know why I summoned you here?"

After asking this question, Xie Wei frowned slightly, then looked up at Zhao Xingjin, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty must already know what I told Consort Jin."

"Then you still dare to come? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you, and then kill your father too?"

Zhao Xingjin leaned forward slightly, his eyes like sharp blades fixed on Xie Wei. The imposing aura he had honed through life-and-death battles on the battlefield sent shivers down Xie Wei's spine.

The gaze of those in power always makes people nervous, and Xie Wei was no exception. Yet, despite the nervousness, he felt more at ease.

He had met Emperor Hui, whose eyes naturally carried the oppressive aura of someone who had held a high position for many years. However, those eyes were more murky, mixed with suspicion, muddle-headedness, cowardice, and arrogance, as well as a lack of confidence, requiring the dragon robe to intimidate others.

Zhao Xingjin, however, was different. Although his murderous aura was outwardly revealed, he still made people feel that he was restrained. He did not show his emotions, and his eyes were like those of a tiger or wolf, which made people dare not act rashly. He was authoritative without being angry.

This is his confidence; even without the dragon robe, he still exudes the aura of a monarch.

Such a ruler is the kind of ruler he is willing to follow.

Therefore, Xie Wei not only did not avoid Zhao Xingjin's gaze, but instead met it head-on, his eyes shining brightly.

"Although we are father and son, I absolutely do not agree with what my father has done. The reason I went to Lizhou to serve as an official was because I disagreed with my father's political views and my persuasion was ineffective. At that time, Emperor Hui was muddleheaded and I was unable to realize my ambitions in the capital. I had no choice but to be a coward and leave the capital, so that I could at least keep my integrity and not be tainted by the filth in the capital."

"Now that His Majesty has summoned me back to the capital, I thought that with a new wise ruler, my father would repent and start anew. But I never expected that while I was away, he first colluded with the Wu family, intending to offer his daughter to curry favor with the Emperor, forcing my younger sister to take a desperate gamble and seek His Majesty's protection to avoid becoming their pawn. Later, he hired someone to kill my wife and my mother, and even lied to me, saying it was the work of thieves. This man is truly unfit to be a subject, a husband, or a father!"

At this point, Xie Wei's true feelings were revealed. The fire in his eyes and the anger on his face showed his disappointment, blame and resentment towards Xie Mingshen.

Zhao Xingjin stared at him intently, seemingly unmoved by his words.

“You are related to him by blood. No matter how terrible he is, he is still your biological father. He gave you life and raised you for many years. Can you really bear to part with him? Do you dare to be unfilial?”

“If he had not allowed me to read these books and understand the principles of ruler and subject, family and country, people and the world, I might not be kneeling here. But since I understand the principles, I cannot turn a deaf ear. Even if I die, I must stop my father from continuing like this. As the old saying goes, spoiling a child is like killing a child, and vice versa. If I indulge my father, I will only harm more people.”

Xie Wei's face remained unfazed, showing only determination and sincerity.

"Your Majesty, your subject Xie Wei hereby denounces Grand Secretary Xie Mingshen for raising a private army and stockpiling weapons on his private estate in the suburbs of the capital, with ulterior motives. Moreover, the weapons are from the Xichi people, so he is also suspected of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. Furthermore, he has hired someone to kill his wife, which constitutes a murder. All these crimes are supported by conclusive evidence!"