Princess Menglang is hard to change, the whole capital is embarrassed for her

The Emperor said with a sullen face, "Iron ore is the lifeblood of a nation. The court strictly controls it to prevent anyone from having inappropriate thoughts and causing chaos. I didn't expect that the Western Qiang people would be involved in this. This shows that this person not only holds a prominent position in the capital, but also has some connection with the Western Qiang. I have ordered Fang Yao to secretly investigate this person, and for this purpose, I specially brought Fang Jitao back to assist in the secret investigation. I didn't expect that the person I sent was killed as soon as he set out from Western Xinjiang, and Fang Jitao also disappeared without a trace, and there is no news."

"As for the Duke of Chongguo's Mansion, even though his men have already discovered that his second son died at the hands of the Western Qiang, he has remained silent, constantly demanding that I find out the truth for them. Not only is he playing me for a fool, he's also trying to use his second son's life to kidnap me, try to make the Queen feel guilty, and then use my guilt to gain further benefits. He even took the opportunity to frame Fang Yao."

"Also, Fang Yao brought a message to the palace yesterday. He said the man who killed the officer escorting Fang Jitao was sent by Duke Chongguo. Everyone knows that the officer was personally appointed by me. If he dared to touch my people, what else would he not dare to do? How can I dare to allow such a disloyal and unrighteous person, who does not care about the court and abandons his country for personal gain, to continue to hold such a high position?"

"So, I will take this opportunity to take back the power of the Chongguo Mansion. He has people in the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Revenue. The other crimes he is accused of are not enough to cause him any serious damage, and there will be people who will come forward to vouch for him. Only the crime of colluding with the enemy and selling intelligence is something no one dares to guarantee."

"This idea was given to me by Fang Yao. Normally, I couldn't find a reason to search the Chongguo Mansion. But this time, didn't the Chongguo Duke force me to search the Fang family? Fang Yao, this scoundrel, forced me to search the Chongguo Mansion. It couldn't be more reasonable. Now, we really found something. Not only Fang Yao and my people were present at the time, but also Yao Xun, the eldest master of the Yao family, was personally supervising. No one else could forge it, and they couldn't sneak a fake letter in to frame them. The Chongguo Duke must accept this charge whether he wants it or not."

The emperor was in a good mood and said so much in one breath without even taking a breath.

Outside, the Queen was still crying and begging the Emperor to investigate thoroughly and not to wrongly accuse her father, Duke Chongguo. She was shouting until her voice was hoarse.

The Queen Mother sighed and said, "How could such a person exist in this world? To fight for power and gain, they would even use their own son's death. Duke Chongguo has done everything he could to protect the Queen and the Yao family. Such a person is truly terrifying. Rather than letting him become too powerful to be eliminated, it is better to act early and chop off his arms so that he cannot move."

"Fang Yao played a huge role in taking over the Chongguo Mansion so easily this time. However, many people in the court will regard him as a thorn in their side. Especially the Queen and those who follow the Yao family, they want to kill him alive."

"These people are only thinking about the position of crown prince. After the incident at the Chongguo Mansion, they should have bypassed the Duke of Chongguo and directly followed the Queen and the Second Prince. It's time for the Emperor to consider the candidate for crown prince. Regardless of whether the Second Prince is chosen or not, you must find a way to protect Fang Yao. By the way, how did he hide the fake letter in the Chongguo Mansion without being discovered? Did he tell you?"

"I never told you that," the emperor shook his head, a smile on his face. "He said he had a way, and told me not to worry. He came to the palace to ask for an imperial decree to search the Duke of Chongguo's mansion. In fact, he came to deliver a letter to me personally, telling me that the letter had been hidden and everything was arranged properly, so I can rest assured."

"Your Majesty is right. I must find a way to protect Fang Yao. He has offended many people for my kingdom. It was fine when I was here, but once I'm gone, your three grandchildren..."

"The eldest son is the son of the Queen of Chu, and I have high hopes for him. But he is constantly impeached by the ministers, who accuse him of being absurd and domineering. If I choose him as the crown prince, the court will surely be in chaos."

"The second prince is a legitimate son and has a good reputation among the ministers, but his mother's family... it's hard to say. This time, we captured the Duke of Chongguo to prevent the Yao family from hindering the Second Prince from becoming the crown prince, and to prevent the Great Zhou from reaching the point where foreign relatives interfere in politics. Alas, no matter how you look at it, the second prince is not a good choice for decisiveness."

"Then there's the third child. This kid is usually quiet and doesn't attract attention, but he's not without his own opinions. Look at this time, his marriage to the daughter of the Wen family, the Jiangnan textile manufacturer, was unexpectedly completed without any signs. Who wouldn't be shocked? The Wen family not only had to marry their daughter to him obediently, but also had to express their gratitude to him. This kid has really impressed me..."

The Queen's cries gradually faded, and Eunuch Chang came in and said, "The Queen has fainted. I have had someone carry her back to the bedroom."

The Queen Mother summoned Nanny Zheng and said wearily, "It's time for me to return. Your Majesty, please take care of yourself and don't let these things bother you. If you're truly tired, please hand over the matter of Duke Chongguo to Marquis Guanyong and the old Prime Minister. With these two families sharing some of Fang Yao's hatred, Your Majesty will feel less worried."

"Yes, I know. I will see you off." The emperor stepped forward and helped the empress dowager out of the imperial study.

The sky outside was blue and the clouds were white. The sun shone on my body, as if it had dried away all the mildew on my body, and I suddenly felt relaxed and bright.

In the prison.

Duke Chongguo was imprisoned in solitary confinement in a cell. The Ministry of Justice had always been his sphere of influence, but he never expected that one day he would be imprisoned by the emperor.

His cell was furnished with tables, chairs, beds, tea, snacks, and even writing brushes, inkstones, and books.

When the old prime minister and Marquis Guanyong came over, Duke Chongguo was sitting at the table drinking tea and reading. When the jailer opened the door, he didn't even raise his eyelids, pretending not to hear.

"Duke Chongguo's place is nice, cool and quiet." Marquis Guan Yong smiled and bent down as he walked in, looking around.

The old Prime Minister coughed and said to Duke Chong, "The Emperor ordered the two of us to come and speak with you, Duke, and to ask for your explanation for this charge. Alas, even though the evidence is irrefutable, the Emperor still appreciates your hard work and has instructed us to come and warn the people in the Ministry of Justice not to wrong you. But judging by the situation, it's clear that the Emperor was overthinking it. He didn't realize you were being treated so respectfully in the Ministry of Justice, even Zhao himself would be inferior to you."

Duke Chongguo put down the book, closed his eyes and leaned back.

What crime?

Leaking secrets to the enemy to vent personal anger!

Fortunately, no one said he was a traitor.

Does he still have to thank the emperor for his great grace?

A surge of evil fire suddenly rose in his heart, and Duke Chongguo swept the things on the table to the ground.

As soon as he came in, he heard from the people in the Ministry of Justice that the letter found in his house clearly stated that he had colluded with the Western Qiang people in order to frame Fang Jitao.

Pooh.

He did plot against Fang Jitao, but he did not collude with the Western Qiang people.

The Western Qiang people killed his son, and he is still waiting for revenge.

The tone and content of the letter were exactly the same as the one he wrote to frame Fang Jitao. Needless to say, it was clear that Fang Yao had plotted against him.

It is possible that the subordinate who went to Fang Yao's house for identification has been identified, and the person who delivered the letter to Duke Chongguo's Mansion was not that person at all.

What a failure!

Fall short.