Chapter 143: Xiao Yiyuan

Chapter 143: Xiao Yiyuan

Tang Shuyi believed that Consort Liang and her son wouldn't collude with the enemy, mainly because they lacked the capability and conditions to do so.

Consort Liang came from a humble background; her family could not provide her with any support. Under such circumstances, any collusion with the enemy would merely result in their exploitation; they simply couldn't borrow the enemy's power. Being a wise woman, Consort Liang should know that this path to the throne was unsuitable for her and her son.

You might say that the Second Prince could use the enemy's army to force his way into the palace, but utilizing an enemy army presupposes that you have military power yourself! Without military power, inviting the enemy army over would not lead to a forced palace entry, but rather direct annihilation.

And the truth was, the power of Consort Liang and her son had no connection whatsoever with military authority. This was also why the Second Prince had initially tried to win over Xiao Huai. However, Xiao Huai had refused.

So, what's the deal with Su Bingcang?

Tang Shuyi pondered over and over again, suspecting that Su Bingcang might be an agent of another power under the guise of serving the Second Prince. And that power might be the real force colluding with the enemy nation.

Who could this force be?

Tang Shuyi pondered over the powers of several princes and had some suspicions. However, now was not the time to confront these entities. Until her siblings, the Xiao clan, had come into their own, she wouldn't dare to stir this hornet's nest.

After bathing, Tang Shuyi lay in bed and swiftly fell asleep. Despite the multitude of issues she faced, she wasn't one to agonize over problems, and rarely lost sleep over them.

The following morning, just after breakfast, while her siblings had not yet left, Steward Zhao reported that the Ministry of Justice had sent someone. They had reached a verdict concerning the near-fatal strangulation of Xiao Yuzhu in the palace.

A cold laugh escaped Tang Shuyi's lips. "That was rather quick."

Barely a day had passed, and a verdict had been reached. The Ministry of Justice was not known for such swiftness.

"Yuzhen, Yuming, you two go greet them," Tang Shuyi instructed.

Xiao Yuzhen and Xiao Yuming nodded and headed to the front hall. The visitor was Sun Xiuwei, the magistrate of the Ministry of Justice. Sun Xiuwei was somewhat related to the Marquis of Yongning; his niece by marriage was the eldest daughter of the Sun family, married to Sun Xinjue, the legitimate eldest grandson of the Sun household. Sun Xiuwei was Sun Xinjue's paternal uncle.

Sharing a familial connection made conversations easier. After exchanging pleasantries, Sun Xiuwei said, "Actually, this case at our ministry was merely a formality. That girl, Qing'er, confessed without much interrogation. She claimed that Consort Hui had bribed her to murder the young miss of the Marquis of Yongning. The palace was very cooperative, sending Consort Hui directly to the Ministry of Justice. Consort Hui didn't even resist, taking full responsibility for all the charges."

This outcome was anticipated, with Consort Hui being the scapegoat presented by the palace. Therefore, neither Xiao Yuzhen nor Xiao Yuming were surprised.

Sun Xiuwei continued, "The Emperor decrees that Consort Hui be demoted to a commoner and banished to the Cold Palace. All eunuchs and palace maids involved in this matter are to be executed by beating."

Xiao Yuzhen and Xiao Yuming nodded in acknowledgment and expressed their gratitude to Sun Xiuwei. After all, had he stuck to formalities, he would have simply declared the verdict without elaborating.

After seeing off Sun Xiuwei, the brothers returned to Shi'an Garden and relayed his words to Tang Shuyi. She showed no particular emotion, having anticipated this outcome.

"Consort Hui must have assumed all guilt for the sake of the Third Prince," she mused. "As for whether the Third Prince will blame us for Consort Hui's fate, we need only to remain vigilant in the future without undue worry."

For a family like theirs, having one or two enemies was nothing unusual. If they were to fret daily about potential harm from foes, life would be unbearable.

Her siblings all nodded in understanding.

Xiao Yuzhen's preparations for his journey were nearly complete. He planned to bid farewell to Fang Dàrú and Qi Liangsheng in the coming days before setting off. Meanwhile, Xiao Yuming began his flamboyant frolicking about the city.

That day, he and his friends Qi Er and Yan Wu, accompanied by their attendants, rode their horses out of the city. Ostentatious by nature, Xiao Yuming couldn't keep a low profile. He galloped along the bustling streets of the capital, causing many to dodge out of the way. Qi Er, Yan Wu, and their attendants followed closely behind.

After the group had passed, many bystanders murmured among themselves:

"Who is that young master? How can he be so brash in the middle of the city?"

"You don't know them? They are from the houses of Yongning Marquis, Qi Family, and Nanling Earl. Alas, all are forces not to be trifled with."

……

Xiao Yuming paid no heed to these matters. Mounting his horse, he galloped towards the city gate. The guards at the gate recognized them and, without a word, allowed them to pass through. These three dandies were well known to them.

However, trouble struck just as they left the city gates. As Xiao Yuming rode out, the common folk steered well clear of him, but a youth of around eighteen or nineteen, whether from shock or confusion, stood frozen in his path.

Seeing that his horse was about to collide with the boy, Xiao Yuming instantly tightened the reins. The horse neighed, lifting its front hooves. Xiao Yuming then pulled on the reins to the side, guiding the horse to take a few steps away, narrowly avoiding trampling the youth. The young man, frightened, fell and sat on the ground.

From atop his horse, Xiao Yuming glanced at the boy before snapping his whip to continue forward, tossing a command over his shoulder, "Shimo, give him money."

Upon seeing this, Shimo dismounted promptly and approached the youth. At that moment, a scholarly young man in his early twenties was helping the youth up from the ground. Shimo, observing that the lad was unharmed, took out a silver ingot and placed it in the youth's hand, saying, "If you're injured and this isn't enough, come find me at Yongning Marquis’ residence later."

Having said this, he mounted his horse, flicked his whip, and rode off. Xiao Yuming was already far ahead, and he had to catch up quickly.

The youth looked at the silver ingot in his hands, somewhat at a loss. He turned to the scholarly-looking man beside him and said, "Brother, this... this is ten taels of silver, just given to us like that? I'm fine!"

"I just took a fall and my bottom hurts a bit."

The scholarly-looking man glanced in the direction where Xiao Yuming and his companions had disappeared, remarking, "Since they've given it, just keep it."

The youth's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "How great would it be if we encountered such events every day!"

The scholarly young man slapped the back of his head, saying, "What are you thinking? Not all sons of these noble families are reasonable. Let's go."

The youth scratched the back of his head with a simple grin, then handed the silver ingot to the scholar, who waved it off, "Keep it for yourself."

The youth, smiling, carefully tucked the silver ingot into his bosom, adding, "It's just in time, we were almost out of money, and I’ve heard everything is so expensive in the capital."

The scholar did not respond, shouldering his baggage as he headed towards the city gate.

This scholar's name was Xiao Yi Yuan.