Chapter 395: Emperor Xingyuan Wants to Kill He Qingxiao

Chapter 395: Emperor Xingyuan Wants to Kill He Qingxiao

Xin You remained silent for a long while before calmly saying, "Then I wish him happiness and success."

"Miss, don’t you like Lord He? Since His Majesty is willing to marry the princess to him, why don’t you speak to His Majesty about it?" Xiaolian was anxious about Xin You’s reaction and couldn’t help but blurt out her thoughts.

Xin You had long known that her feelings couldn’t be hidden from Xiaolian, who had been by her side day and night. Now, faced with Xiaolian’s question, she no longer concealed her thoughts: "His Majesty would never agree. If I spoke up, it would only give others leverage over me."

Not only would the faction that wished to eliminate her seize the opportunity, but even His Majesty—whenever she sought to resist in the future, he could use Lord He to force her to compromise.

The support he had shown her these past days, the preferential treatment he'd demonstrated, would not blind her. When it came down to it, what he truly cared about was still the interests of the state—and himself.

"This maid doesn’t understand," Xiaolian shook her head.

Xin You smiled faintly, her voice soft. "Because I don’t want to be a princess who can be used as a political tool to reward ministers."

If, after revealing her identity, she had obediently returned to the imperial family and lived as a docile princess, and if she had liked Lord He, His Majesty would have been more than happy to see it happen.

It would have fulfilled his daughter’s wishes while also granting a favor to a loyal minister.

But she wanted to push for political reforms, to change certain aspects of the current political landscape. Lord He’s lack of familial ties meant he would never pass His Majesty’s scrutiny.

This wasn’t hard to deduce—a princess stirring up trouble, paired with a consort with no familial obligations who could follow her into battle? Unless His Majesty had gone mad, he would never allow it.

Xiaolian vaguely understood, her gaze filled with heartache as she looked at Xin You. "Miss, then what will you do?"

Xin You didn’t answer.

Once she stepped into the political storm, there would no longer be clear-cut solutions.

She didn’t know what the future held.

Before long, it was August. The tax collection in the northern regions was completed smoothly. Though the increase wasn’t as substantial as in the southern regions, it had still doubled.

Emperor Xingyuan was fully satisfied. He commended Yong'an Count and others who had implemented the new policies in the north. Even Xiaoba was granted a ceremonial sixth-rank captain position, and the new policies began to be vigorously promoted nationwide.

With successful trials in both the north and the south, further implementation became much easier. This ease wasn’t just due to existing examples but also the previously lacking confidence that hadn’t existed before the policies were tested. Seeing tangible benefits, the Emperor’s determination to promote the reforms hardened, and some hesitant officials grew resolute.

With the treasury’s revenue increasing, news of floods and disasters from certain regions became less distressing—it merely required disaster relief and repairing embankments. One could say that most of Emperor Xingyuan’s annual flood-season worries had suddenly been resolved by money.

With fewer concerns about state affairs, Emperor Xingyuan had more energy to focus on He Qingxiao, who was still under house arrest.

Nearly a month had passed, and that stubborn man still hadn’t budged. Did he truly believe the Emperor wouldn’t execute him?

The more Emperor Xingyuan thought about it, the angrier he became.

In a certain mansion, several officials gathered to discuss matters, led by Sun Ying, the Minister of Rites.

"At this point, it seems the reforms are irreversible."

"It’s all because of that Xin You. Instead of living as a privileged princess, she had to interfere in state affairs."

"I heard that merging the poll tax into land tax is just the first step. Next, they’ll implement policies requiring officials and gentry to provide corvée labor and pay grain taxes—"

One person slammed the table and stood up. "This is intolerable!"

If merging the poll tax into land tax was like skinning them alive, forcing officials and gentry to provide corvée labor and pay grain taxes would be like breaking their bones and ripping out their tendons—an outright insult to their decades of scholarly struggle and hard-earned achievements.

"It’s not just Xin You. Marquis of Changle, He Qingxiao, has no family ties to worry about. It’s precisely because he’s incorruptible and uncompromising that the reforms in the south were implemented so smoothly."

"No doubt, when new policies are introduced again, he will be another useful tool!"

One man suddenly chuckled: "If we manage to snap this blade, wouldn’t that save us a lot of trouble?"

Another immediately agreed: "Exactly. The Emperor favors Xin You, so we can’t move against her yet. But taking down the Changle Marquis first would be a good move. Recently, His Majesty has been dissatisfied with He Qingxiao—this is the perfect opportunity to take him down."

A few days later, a censor accused He Qingxiao for shielding a disgraced official.

"Xie Yang was sentenced to death for showing disrespect toward Your Majesty. Yet, the Changle Marquis He Qingxiao secretly released him from the imperial prison when Xie Yang fell ill, substituting another corpse in his place to fake his death in custody. As the Northern Commissioner of the Jinlin Guard, He Qingxiao has acted deceitfully, disobeying imperial orders and deceiving the throne. I propose he be punished for the crime of deceiving the Emperor!"

Upon hearing the accusation, Emperor Xingyuan was momentarily stunned.

Xie Yang had been a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Works. Two years prior, when a fire broke out in one of the imperial gardens, Emperor Xingyuan wanted to expand it. Xie Yang repeatedly protested the extravagance, but to no avail. Later, rumors spread of his disrespect, leading to his imprisonment.

The last Emperor Xingyuan had heard of Xie Yang was the news of his death in prison. At the time, he had felt a pang of regret, thinking that once his anger subsided, he should have released the stubborn man, stripped him of his position, and exiled him far away.

But his fleeting regret was one thing—the Northern Commissioner, his very eyes and ears, deceiving him was another.

If he could be fooled in Xie Yang’s case, what else might be hidden from him?

Emperor Xingyuan was boiling with rage but suppressed it to demand proof. Then, he saw Xie Yang with his own eyes.

The censor continued: "Xie Yang was hiding in Shicheng, where a traveling merchant happened to recognize him, and word eventually reached me. Afraid of tipping them off, I quietly sent men to capture this criminal before daring to report to Your Majesty."

Emperor Xingyuan glared at the man kneeling below, his face darkening with fury. "Xie Yang," he said coldly, "what do you have to say for yourself?"

Xie Yang, only in his thirties, now looked a decade older, with streaks of white at his temples.

At the Emperor’s question, he kowtowed deeply. "This guilty man Xie Yang deserves to die a thousand deaths. But I beg Your Majesty to spare Lord He."

Emperor Xingyuan would not tolerate hearing Xie Yang’s plea for He Qingxiao. His chest burned with fury, and he wished he could immediately have the young man who had betrayed his trust drawn and quartered.

Others might be forgiven, but this traitor was the Northern Commissioner of the Jinlin Guard—his very eyes and arms! Was this merely a betrayal of trust? No, it made him, the Son of Heaven, a joke among the court officials!

Seeing red with rage, his fingertips icy, Emperor Xingyuan gritted his teeth. "Summon He Qingxiao to court!"

He Qingxiao, who should have been attending court, was still under house arrest at his marquis’s residence. By the time he received the imperial summons and arrived at the palace, over an hour had passed.

"Your subject, He Qingxiao, greets Your Majesty." Under countless watchful eyes, He Qingxiao knelt in salute.

Emperor Xingyuan looked down at the unflappable young man, his anger only growing. Yet his voice was eerily calm.

A terrifying calm.

"He Qingxiao, the censor has accused you of deception—shielding the criminal Xie Yang by substituting another corpse. Do you admit your guilt?"

He Qingxiao turned slightly, glancing at Xie Yang kneeling nearby.

Tears streamed down Xie Yang’s face, his eyes filled with remorse.

He Qingxiao withdrew his gaze and lowered his head. "Your subject deserves death."

"You certainly do!" Emperor Xingyuan slammed the armrest of his throne. "Guards! Take He Qingxiao to the Meridian Gate and have him beaten to death!"