Happy Spring Every Year

Duke Chongguo is already in his sixties and has obviously been living a life of luxury. The jade belt around his waist supports his round belly.

As he walked quickly on the palace road, his belly swayed slightly and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

Today, the Imperial Guards surrounded the Anyang Marquis's Mansion without any warning. He sent many people out to investigate, and after getting the news, they immediately went to the palace to ask for an audience with the emperor.

At his age, he should be enjoying his retirement at home, but he is working so hard all for his beloved grandson.

His grandson simply fell in love with a woman and wanted to take her into his family, and he also gave the woman's old man enough silver and money.

Unexpectedly, the old man was ungrateful and insisted on making a fuss. Sun Sun just pushed him lightly, but the old man deserved to die. He hit the back of his head on a rock and died.

How small a thing?

Looking around the capital, which young master is not like this?

But Jiang Xun insisted on holding on to it and put his grandson in the imperial prison and sentenced him!

Duke Chongguo has been racking his brains these days, looking for ways to rescue his grandson, but the Dali Temple Minister, who is Jiang Xun's immediate superior, is helpless against Jiang Xun.

He also went to look for Prince Rui, but Prince Rui always stayed behind closed doors and refused to see him.

After all this time, his hair almost turned white. Suddenly, an opportunity came from heaven, and Jiang Xun was seeking his own death!

Thinking of this, Duke Chongguo walked faster. When he reached the door of the imperial study, he hurriedly wiped his forehead and neck with a brocade handkerchief and tidied his appearance.

"Xuan."

The palace door opened and the voice of Eunuch Fushun was heard.

As soon as Duke Chongguo raised his eyes, he saw Earl Anyang and his son Jiang Xun kneeling in the hall. Earl Anyang looked embarrassed, and his back was soaked with sweat.

Duke Chongguo was overjoyed upon seeing this, as it was clear that the news he had heard was correct, the Anyang Marquis’ Mansion was really going to be finished this time!

He hurried into the hall, knelt down and saluted, and then spoke passionately:

"Your Majesty, I am shocked to hear that Jiang Xun, Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, allowed his mother to practice witchcraft in the palace, cursing and harming Crown Prince Xianhuai. He is truly devoid of conscience and deserves death!"

"How can such a double-faced person be qualified to be the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple? And how can anyone believe that he is impartial and fair in enforcing the law?"

"Your Majesty, my grandson is still imprisoned in the imperial prison because of Jiang Xun's perversion of justice. I beg Your Majesty to choose someone else to re-examine this case and give justice to my grandson!"

After Duke Chongguo finished speaking, Emperor Sheng kowtowed deeply behind the table.

He originally thought that Jiang Xun had brought about his own destruction, and that what he asked for today was reasonable and a sure thing. However, after he finished speaking, there was no sound in the hall for a long time.

Duke Chongguo couldn't help feeling uneasy, so he mustered up the courage to look up, and saw Emperor Sheng with cold eyebrows and eyes, looking down at him.

Duke Chongguo was so frightened that he kowtowed again: "Your Majesty, I wonder where this old minister is——"

"Chongqing, I have already ordered a blockade of all news within the Anyang Marquis's residence. How did you learn about the witchcraft incident?"

"Or is it that you, Chongqing, are so all-powerful that even my Imperial Guards are nothing more than that in your eyes?"

Emperor Sheng spoke slowly as he rubbed the yellow talisman with Prince Xianhuai's birth date into his palm bit by bit.

Upon hearing this, Duke Chongguo suddenly raised his head, and his pupils trembled violently at this moment.

The siege of the Anyang Marquis's Mansion was known to everyone in the capital, so he sent many people out to gather information.

Not long after, everyone brought back similar news, all about witchcraft.

He was eager to save his grandson, and thought the news of the witchcraft had already spread throughout the capital, so he found out that it was so easy to find out, so he hurried into the palace...

When his thoughts reached this point, Duke Chongguo suddenly felt a chill on his back, his mind was churning with thoughts, and he immediately turned his head to see the reactions of the people in the hall.

Jiang Xun was still as calm as ever. Anyang Bo was indeed in a mess, but he had already stopped crying at this moment.

The two princes looked at their noses and their hearts, and both lowered their heads to look at their feet. Only His Royal Highness the Grandson stared at him straight.

Duke Chongguo was not stupid after all, and he slowly realized what was happening.

He opened his mouth, his heart sank, cold sweat rolled down his cheeks, accumulated on his jaw, and finally fell to the ground with a plop.

.......

Everything that happened next seemed to be a natural progression.

Emperor Sheng gave an order on the spot and sent Commander Wen to search the Mansion of Duke Chongguo. It was obvious that some "clues" would be found.

Duke Chongguo was clueless about everything he asked, crying and shouting injustice.

But now, the finger of blame in this case points to the Chongguo Mansion, and the clues also stop at the Chongguo Mansion.

Duke Chongguo had lived a life of wealth and prosperity, and had never imagined this day would come. He was now so frightened that he was trembling all over and could not even speak complete sentences.

Emperor Sheng waved his hand, and Eunuch Deshun understood and sent someone to pull Duke Chong out.

Duke Chongguo immediately struggled violently, crying out in tears, "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

"Even if I had a hundred or a thousand guts, I wouldn't dare offend His Royal Highness the Crown Prince—"

The voice of Duke Chongguo gradually faded away. Looking at the direction, he must have been sent to the imperial prison.

The hall suddenly became quiet.

Emperor Sheng raised his eyes and suddenly looked at his two sons standing beside him.

The emperor's heart is as deep as the abyss, and no one can know what Emperor Sheng is thinking at this moment.

The silence stretched on, making me uneasy and my throat tighten.

In this depressing atmosphere that was almost suffocating, Emperor Sheng suddenly threw the puppet in his hand away with great force.

boom!

He fell in front of Jiang Xun.

"Father, please calm down! Grandfather, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!"

The voices cascaded up, and everyone in the hall knelt down again.

Prince Rui and Prince Xiang were just affected, and now they were so exhausted that they dared not even breathe.

Jiang Xun lowered his eyes, and when his gaze met the puppet's face, a hint of sadness overflowed from his eyes.

At this time, Emperor Sheng finally spoke: "Everyone leave, Jiang Xun stay."

Everyone was as if they had been pardoned, except for Anyang Bo, who turned his head to look at Jiang Xun with fear in his eyes when he heard this.

Jiang Xun turned his head and shook his head slightly at Earl Anyang.

Everyone came out one after another, even Eunuch Fushun tiptoed out of the imperial study, closed the palace door, and stood guard outside the palace.

At this time, in the imperial study.

Emperor Sheng slowly stood up, walked in front of Jiang Xun, and asked calmly, "How is it?"

Jiang Xun remained kneeling, gently shaking his head, "I dare not make any rash judgment."

He reached out, picked up the cracked paulownia doll, and wiped it gently with his sleeve.

Emperor Sheng watched Jiang Xun's actions intently, and suddenly asked, "Do you doubt me?"

If others heard this, they would be terrified, but Jiang Xun just shook his head and said the same thing:

"I dare not make a rash judgment."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Sheng was stunned for a moment, and then he chuckled.

After a long while, he said meaningfully, "What the monk said just now is true. It is true that wealth and nobility are often fickle, and family members are often suspicious of each other..."

Jiang Xun did not reply, but Emperor Sheng seemed to have been accustomed to it. Not only did he not blame him, but he started talking again.

"Duke Chongguo has indeed lost his duty. Let him spend some time in the imperial prison until the truth is revealed."

Emperor Sheng turned around and waved at Jiang Xun without looking back.

"Go back, go back and tell your parents to straighten themselves out. They shouldn't be a stain on you."

Jiang Xun heard this and bowed, "I'll take my leave."

Footsteps sounded behind him, steady as always.

At this moment, Emperor Sheng suddenly asked in an ambiguous tone, "Xiuzhi, are you Jiang Xun?"

Jiang Xun paused when he heard this, turned around and bowed again, saying respectfully, "I am a minister of the emperor."

Emperor Sheng: “…”

"roll--"

Jiang Xun: "Yes."

The palace door opens.

Anyang Bo stood in the distance with his shoulders hunched and his back bent. When he saw Jiang Xun walking towards him in the light, his eyes instantly turned red.