After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

The emperor remained unfazed upon hearing this, only glancing subtly at the crown prince below him.

Last night, the Crown Prince unusually offered to dine with his father, the Emperor.

I thought it was because my son had grown up and was being filial.

However, it is said that after the imperial envoy left the capital, there was very little news about the smuggled salt case in Jinzhou and Quanzhou.

The emperor didn't pay much attention; the salt smuggling case wasn't so easy to investigate.

The Crown Prince recounted the details of the cracking of the salt smuggling case, revealing that Ying Tianwei, the patriarch of the Ying clan, and Ying Mingyuan, Ying Tianwei's grandson, were escorted to the capital; Jin Jing, from the eighth branch of the Jin clan, was also escorted to the capital; and the Prefect of Jinzhou Prefecture, along with the Assistant Prefect and Vice Prefect of Quanzhou Prefecture, were also escorted to the capital.

This is only the first batch of people Qing Min brought back; other involved personnel will arrive in the capital a few days later.

The emperor was shocked. Had the court's long-standing problems been solved just like that?

Before he could praise his son for his discerning eye and for the talent he had chosen, the Crown Prince brought up the matter of Prince Ning's serious injury.

Prince Ning is a prince and the Empress Dowager's own son. His injury is a serious matter, and someone should have been sent back to the capital to deliver the message as soon as possible.

The normal procedure would be for the emperor or empress dowager to send an imperial physician to fetch Prince Ning back to the capital.

But the Crown Prince said that Prince Ning would arrive in the capital tomorrow.

The emperor knew that the crown prince had deliberately concealed the news of Prince Ning's serious injury.

The emperor remained expressionless.

It is unknown whether the Crown Prince was afraid that the news of Prince Ning's serious injury would disturb the peace in the capital and delay the trial of Chen Zijun's case.

Or perhaps they simply wanted to make things more difficult for Prince Ning on the journey.

Regardless of the reason, it's his own son, the crown prince—he's stuck with this situation. The emperor can only reprimand the crown prince for his audacity while trying to clean up his mess.

The emperor went to apologize to the Empress Dowager early this morning.

"Your subject took it upon himself to think that Prince Ning was seriously injured and needed to return to the capital immediately to seek treatment from the imperial physicians. So he sent Qingmin back to the capital at full speed. He did not tell Mother Empress beforehand because he was afraid that you would worry too much and fall ill before Prince Ning returned to the capital."

The emperor stood below, his face filled with guilt and worry.

He really looks like a filial son.

In addition, the Empress Dowager's health was not very good; she would fall ill at the slightest setback. The Emperor's reason was indeed quite reasonable.

The Empress Dowager dropped her prayer beads, stood up, her face turning deathly pale: "What did the Emperor say? Prince Ning was assassinated and is still unconscious?"

The Emperor quickly stepped forward to support her, and said gently, "Mother, don't worry too much. I have already instructed the head of the Imperial Medical Academy to make preparations so that Prince Ning can be treated as soon as he arrives in the capital."

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health. You must not get excited, otherwise Prince Ning will blame himself when he wakes up."

The Empress Dowager composed herself, pulled away from the Emperor's hand, and slowly sat back down.

The emperor didn't seem to care and continued standing there, looking worried.

The Empress Dowager sighed slowly, seemingly relieved, and said, "Your Majesty has gone to great lengths. That child was too careless on his trip out of the capital."

Regardless of what the Empress Dowager thought, to the palace maids and eunuchs, it was a scene of maternal love and filial piety.

Now that Qingmin has entered the palace, Physician Xing and the nannies of Cining Palace are already waiting for him.

The emperor also bestowed a sedan chair upon him, and the unconscious Prince Ning was carried directly to a side hall of the Cining Palace for treatment.

The old women in Cining Palace didn't give Qingmin a friendly look, but the latter didn't care. He straightened his clothes and waited to meet the emperor.

Today, Qingmin is undoubtedly the protagonist of the morning court session.

Everything began the moment he stepped into the main hall and performed the three kowtows and nine prostrations.

Qing Min presented evidence that the Ying and Jin families had conspired to mine and control the salt mines.

The court and the public were shocked. Then Jin Ke confessed his crimes in court. He had been in the capital for a long time and was unaware of what his Eighth Uncle's family had done in Jinzhou Prefecture.

It was mentioned that Uncle Ba was old and had taken the wrong turn.

The courtiers: Is it really that decisive? Even if it's about sacrificing a pawn to save the king, shouldn't you have hesitated a bit?

Little did they know that Jin Ke was sweating profusely and felt a lingering fear.

That old bastard Ying Tianwei even leaked the secrets of the salt mine. He actually dared to keep it from him and wanted to drag him into assassinating the Crown Prince. He's going down a dark path.

This is going to ruin the entire Jin family!

After catching his breath, Jin Ke took the initiative to report that Ying was the mastermind behind the series of assassinations in the capital, and that his seventh brother and others had been misled and confused.

The court officials: Hehe, Uncle is old, and the younger brother was confused for a moment. So, there's no one smart in your Jin family?

Where's your usual haughty, disdainful attitude? Jin Ke, you're shameless.

However, Jin Ke, you've really got guts to name over a dozen powerful families in one go. Aren't you afraid they'll hate you to death later?

Jin Ke also felt wronged when this was mentioned.

He initially confessed very conservatively, but later, after the assassins were arrested, the emperor threw the complete list at his head.

What could Jin Ke do? To show his sincerity in "atonement," he could only do his own thing and drag down all the grasshoppers on the same rope.

This is done to share the burden for the Crown Prince and General Fang's mansion.

Once the case is completely closed, those powerful families might hate him, the "traitor," even more than they hate Fang Nanzhi or the Crown Prince.

Jin Ke was also helpless. He had already taken the step of confessing his guilt, and he really had no other choice.

Having confessed to this extent, Prime Minister Yue, as the head of all officials, asked: "What is the reason why the Jin family and others conspired to assassinate the Crown Prince, Fang Nanzhi, and the Princess of Yiyang?"

Yes, there has to be love, hate, and grudges, right?

Jin Ke hurriedly emphasized this first.

“My Jin family is loyal to His Majesty and the Crown Prince. We would never dare to attempt an assassination. The assassination of the Crown Prince was the Ying family’s own doing. We were not involved.”

The several powerful officials who were exposed harbored deep hatred for Jin Ke.

If it weren't for him, they wouldn't have had to kneel in front of the main hall for several days in a row, and now the clan is in chaos with many things left unresolved.

But no matter how much they hate him, they have to explain now that they absolutely do not have the guts to assassinate the Crown Prince.

Killing a prince is fundamentally different from killing a county princess or a young lady from a wealthy family.

The former would offend the emperor.

On the dragon throne, the emperor sat with his legs apart, exuding an imposing aura and sharp eyes. As he watched them trying to distance themselves from the situation, he couldn't help but scoff.

In the past few days, they have been kneeling outside the palace to plead guilty. Some claimed they were innocent and wronged, while others said their servants acted on their own initiative.

Since none of them are honest, it's rare that they've all come to the same conclusion.

"As for the assassination of Fang Nanzhi and the county princess, it involves an old case that I don't know much about, but my seventh brother has sincerely repented and is willing to tell the truth."

Jin Ke carefully considered his words, observing the emperor's expression.

The other officials from prominent families glared at him fiercely, their eyes blazing with fury. If they weren't in the imperial court, they would have devoured Jin Ke alive.

Has the Jin family head gone mad? Even if he's bowing down to the emperor, does he have to go this far?

Is that something that can be talked about?

In fact, when the assassins were captured and their identities were discovered, the several aristocratic families were terrified, but more than anything, they were heartbroken.

How much time and money did they spend carefully cultivating those talents?

They're all gone now.

Don't be fooled by their daily kneeling outside the palace; they are not uneasy. The scions of noble families are used to thinking three steps ahead before taking any action. They had already made arrangements for the aftermath of the assassination attempt in the street, and they had chosen someone to take the blame.

Then, we can give up some benefits to the emperor, and the matter will be over.

But the reason for Chen Zijun's death cannot be made public.

This is a consensus within their family.

"Then bring Jin Laoqi up."

The emperor said in a deep voice.

This morning's court session was unusually long, only ending around noon.

The story ended because Jin Laoqi fainted halfway through his speech; the imperial physician said it was from hunger.

He's been detained and suffered a lot these days.

The Emperor ordered that the meeting continue tomorrow.

Yun Congsheng walked out of the main hall and looked at the two figures in front of him.

Fang Yin followed behind the Crown Prince, seemingly discussing something.

His eyes flickered, and he watched from behind for a long time until the Crown Prince turned to go to the East Palace. Fang Yin then turned back and glanced at him.

As a military general, with keen senses, how could he not notice being watched?

I'm afraid the Crown Prince sensed it too, but simply ignored it.

Yun Congsheng did not flinch, but bowed to him openly and generously.

Fang Yin nodded slightly and strode away.

After leaving the palace and getting into his carriage, Yun Congsheng asked a trusted confidant to ask for leave and returned to his residence.

After returning home, he had lunch with his wife before going to his study and then into a secret room.

Inside the secret room, there were five or six people, whose identities were unknown.

"I have met the Lord."

Yun Congsheng raised his hand, knowing in his heart that he was not worthy of being their master, not even the famous Chen Zijun.

"I have a question."

“Please speak, my lord.”

"You have chosen me. Until I fail or die, are you willing to obey my every command?"

Shadow Six and the others looked at each other, and finally bowed in unison.

"We will go through fire and water, and follow you to the death!"

Yun Congsheng nodded slightly, understanding.

He went out to change his clothes, wrote two letters, and sent them out.

I took a nap, changed my clothes after waking up, and left discreetly through the back door. I ended up sitting on the third floor of a restaurant.

Bai Wu had been keeping a close eye on things. He was just about to split up his forces into two groups: one group would guard Yun Congsheng to see who he was meeting, while he would return to the Yun residence to investigate the secret room.

He always felt that the secret room was not simple.

Just as Bai Wu was about to leave, he saw the general at the entrance of the restaurant.

Fang Yin was training his troops when he arrived wearing armor, exuding a rugged and domineering aura.

The waiter hurriedly came forward: "General, are you alone or..."

“Someone is already waiting,” Fang Yin said.

The waiter was busy leading the way.

Another voice came from behind: "Second Brother?"

Fang Tong arrived by oxcart.

Well, horse-drawn carriages from the Ministry of Agriculture are not allowed to be used casually, but there are no restrictions on oxcarts.

"You were also... invited?" Fang Tong raised an eyebrow.

He was on duty at the Sinong Temple when he received a letter from someone. Yun Congsheng wanted to talk to him about something related to the "ill-intentioned" person who had been sent back.

He arrived.

Fang Yin nodded; he agreed.

The two brothers didn't say anything more; they already sensed that something was wrong.

The two were led up to a private room on the third floor.

Yun Congsheng hurriedly stood up: "General Fang, Lord Fang."

"Lord Yun, there's no need for such formalities." Fang Yin disliked empty gestures.

Yun Congsheng smiled and asked them if they would like to order some dishes and wine.

"Lord Yun, let's talk business over tea. No need for food, we just had lunch," Fang Tong said.

How can you discuss anything serious when you're drunk?

Yun Congsheng nodded, ordered a pot of tea, and waited for the tea to be served.

He poured tea for the two of them.

The tea is clear and fragrant, making people feel relaxed without even realizing it.

“Lord Yun, we’re all family here, so I’ll just ask directly: didn’t you say that person ran away?” Fang Tong spoke up.

Yun Congsheng said with shame, "I was lying."

"This matter is my fault." As he spoke, he was about to get up and apologize.

Fang Tong pulled him down to sit.

“Lord Yun, we’ve dealt with each other several times, you should know my temperament. I don’t like these trivial matters, there’s no need for this.”

"Besides, the fact that person appeared at your residence suggests that he has some connection with the Yun family, and it's normal that he doesn't want to tell us outsiders."

Fang Tong seemed easy to talk to, and even patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

But Yun Congsheng wasn't fooled and lowered his eyes slightly.

"Lord Fang, are you really not curious about that person's identity? His name is Shadow Six."

Doubt and suspicion appeared on Fang Tong and Fang Yin's faces.

They seemed to be wondering if they had heard of the name before.

Yun Congsheng curled his lips and decided to be more explicit.

"Lord Fang also interrogated Ying Liu, but of course, Ying Liu probably didn't say anything."

"But there is a small mark on Shadow Six's body that should not be able to be hidden."

He stared at the expressions of the Fang brothers, as if trying to discern something.

Fang Tong was thick-skinned from a young age and could lie without batting an eye, while Fang Yin was thick-skinned and used to being a general. He always had a stern face and exuded authority, making it impossible to tell his emotions.

Trying to gather clouds is futile.

"I heard that you keep someone in your household named Ying Si. Perhaps he has the same mark on him?"

This completely exposes the truth.

Fang Tong and Fang Yin exchanged a glance, feeling that since the other party had been so frank in coming to them, they couldn't hide anything from them either.

"Shadow Four is a member of the Chen family's retinue, and Shadow Six should be as well. I wonder what connection Lord Yun has with the Chen family's retinue?"

Upon hearing the question, Yun Congsheng felt relieved; he hadn't guessed wrong.

At first, when Shadow Six was sent back, Yun Congsheng didn't suspect anything.

Fang Nanzhi visited the mansion twice, and even pretended to test him unintentionally. The young girl was very cautious, and Yun Congsheng only had a little suspicion.

What confirmed to him that the Fang family knew Ying Liu's identity was that he sent out two letters, and Fang Yin and Fang Tong both arrived.

Imagine you know that someone else's family is being targeted by bad guys. Since the two families are not familiar with each other, at most you would just watch the spectacle and become more vigilant yourself, but you wouldn't take it too seriously.

But the arrival of the Fang brothers told him that they cared a lot.

It's not that I care about the clouds gathering, it's that I care about Shadow Six.

Knowing this, it becomes much easier to guess whether they know the identity of Shadow Six.

Yun Congsheng saw the mark on Ying Liu; it was something they shared.

It is said that Shadow Four was seriously injured and brought to the General's Mansion. Would the person who treated him have noticed the mark? Would the person who tortured Shadow Six have also been able to observe it?

“When Chen Xiang was at the height of his power, I was still young and not in the capital, so I never met him and had no connection with the Chen family,” Yun Congsheng said frankly.

“In fact, I have no connection with the Chen family’s troops.”

Fang Tong said "Oh," signaling him to continue.

Yun Congsheng smiled and took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

Unfold the paper and you'll see a certain pattern drawn in the center.

It is a mark shared by both Shadow 4 and Shadow 6.

"Do you two know what kind of mark this is?"

Fang Tong remained silent, his face grim.

His daughter took it to ask Master Chen, who said he had never seen it before.

"Does Lord Yun know about this?"

"Yes, I served in the Hanlin Academy for two years and went through some of the palace's books, including some about the late emperor."