The Moon is Full in the Traveling House

The atmosphere of today's morning court was particularly solemn, and there seemed to be an oppressive atmosphere in the hall. Usually at this time, Prince Jin and Minister Tong always came to the court early and participated in the court discussion in high spirits, but today, both of them were absent.

The emperor raised his head slightly, his eyes passed over the dragon throne, and glanced at the prince below. He saw the prince standing upright in the hall, his expression solemn and resolute, his eyes revealing a calm air. The emperor thought to himself, and he had guessed about 70% of the results of the prince's tour.

"The prince is back." The emperor's voice was not loud, but the majesty contained in it was like an invisible pressure that filled the entire hall. He looked at Xie Tianlin and slowly asked, "How did the tour go?"

Xie Tianlin knelt on his knees, lowered his head, and responded respectfully: "Your son just returned at the end of the night yesterday. I know that your Majesty is very busy and extremely hard-working. Your son really could not bear to disturb your Majesty's rest so late at night, so I failed to go to see you in time. I beg your forgiveness." His words were full of sincerity and self-blame, and his attitude was humble and respectful, making it difficult to find any flaws in him.

The emperor nodded slightly to show his approval, and then asked: "It's okay, Prince, you have been traveling all the way for the country and the people, and it's really hard. I just want to know whether you have gained anything from this trip?" The emperor's tone was slightly softer than before, but the words still revealed an irresistible power.

Xie Tianlin raised his hands high, presented a neatly folded memorial to his head, and then handed it forward carefully, saying, "Reporting to the emperor, I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission. However, I encountered assassinations by unidentified people many times on my way back, and I went through many hardships, which delayed me for some time. I hope the emperor will understand!"

Seeing this, the general who protected the country and the Marquis Dingyuan hurriedly stepped out and presented a memorial. "Your Majesty, regarding the assassination of the Crown Prince, we have something to report." Their words were filled with indignation and determination.

"Eunuch Sun, present it." Xie Wushang's eyes turned cold. Although his voice was not loud, it carried an irresistible majesty.

Xie Wushang took a deep breath and slowly opened the prince's memorial. As he read deeper, his brows gradually furrowed, and he was secretly shocked. These people were so bold! When he closed the memorial, his hands trembled slightly.

Then, Xie Wushang turned his attention to the memorials from the general and Marquis Dingyuan. After reading them word by word, he found that what they said about the assassination of the crown prince was exactly the same as what Xie Tianlin said. At this moment, the emperor's face became extremely gloomy, as if water could drip out of it.

"Come here!" The emperor shouted angrily, his voice full of majesty and anger. "The Minister of Revenue Tong Yi is suspected of smuggling salt and assassinating the prince. The evidence is irrefutable! Immediately send troops to search the Minister's Mansion and put all the Tong family members in the prison! The case will be jointly tried by the Left Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, and the Dali Temple! In three days, I want to see the result. In addition, the Prince of Jin is under house arrest and no one is allowed to visit him."

After saying this, the emperor slammed the table hard, stood up, and stared into the distance with cold eyes. The entire court was in dead silence, and everyone bowed their heads in silence, secretly shocked by this sudden change.

At this time, everyone in the Jin Wang group was ashen-faced and trembling all over. They knew that the current emperor was not a good person. Seeing him so angry, Minister Tong would definitely lose his life, and the Jin Wang would never be able to make a name for himself again. Everyone was silent, no one dared to come forward to plead for mercy, and they only thought about how to distance themselves from the matter. Some cunning people had already begun to consider whether they should change their ways and find another wise leader to join.

Xie Tianlin saw the scene in front of him, and his originally clear and deep eyes became even darker and deeper. The rampant illegal salt has caused the people to suffer terribly, and even the guards who have grown up with him since childhood have suffered misfortune. These instigators must pay a heavy price for this evil act, and they must not be allowed to go unpunished!

"Since there is nothing else, let's adjourn the court. Prince, follow me to the imperial study." The emperor ordered in a low voice.

"Yes, father." Xie Tianlin bowed respectfully.

"Long live the emperor! Farewell, Your Majesty!" The ministers shouted in unison and knelt on the ground in unison to pay farewell. They did not stand up and leave until the emperor and his son walked away.

Seeing the emperor walking further and further away until he disappeared from sight, the crowd began to stir. Some people could not suppress their curiosity and rushed forward to try to find out the truth from the people present.

However, facing the inquiries of the crowd, General Xiao Yi always maintained his dignity and coldness. His upright image has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and no one dares to offend him easily. People know the temper of this general very well, so naturally they dare not disturb him too much.

At this time, a few brave people turned their attention to Marquis Dingyuan. They gathered around him, and one of them asked, "My Lord, I heard that you and the general played an indispensable role in rescuing the Crown Prince and capturing the thieves alive! I wonder if there is any unknown secret behind this?"

Dingyuan Hou glanced at the person who was speaking. It turned out to be Nie Qing, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. He knew that this person's daughter had married into the Jin Wang Mansion and was obviously a member of the Jin Wang faction. Dingyuan Hou secretly sneered at this question with ulterior motives.

The corners of his mouth slightly raised, and he replied calmly: "Whether there is any inside story, why don't you ask His Royal Highness Prince Jin in person? I believe that in a few days, the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple will jointly try the case. At that time, Lord Nie may as well go to observe the trial, and everything will naturally be revealed."

After saying this, Marquis Dingyuan no longer paid attention to the people in front of him, turned around and walked away. His steps were firm and fast, as if he didn't want to stop for a moment. Because he knew very well that the private salt incident involved a wide range of people, and every family was involved to some extent. At this moment, he had to rush back to the mansion as soon as possible to properly handle the relevant matters to avoid causing trouble for himself. As for those who still wanted to continue to pester him, he really had no time to deal with them.

In the spacious and bright imperial study, Xie Wushang sat in front of the desk, staring solemnly at Xie Tianlin in front of him, while the latter stood respectfully opposite him.

"My son! Do you think Prince Jin was involved in this incident?" Xie Wushang stared at Xie Tianlin with a sharp gaze and asked in a stern tone.

Faced with his father's sudden questioning, Xie Tianlin was a little confused for a moment. He knew that the emperor's mind was unpredictable and that he could get into trouble if he was not careful. So he responded cautiously: "Father, I don't have any solid evidence at the moment, so it's hard to make a conclusion."

However, Xie Wushang was obviously not satisfied with this answer. He frowned and said in a low voice: "Think carefully before you answer! I want to hear the truth!"