Marrying a concubine and swallowing her dowry? The mistress turns around and marries a high-ranking

Chapter 651

Huo Tingsheng pressed Xue Qian, "Where is the workshop located in the suburbs? Give me the exact location!"

Xue Qian said, "The workshop is located fifty miles north of the city, in the mountains near Xiaolin Village. However, I do not recommend that Your Majesty send people directly to the workshop, because on the surface, the workshop has no connection with His Highness the Crown Prince. Even if the stolen goods are seized on the spot, it will be difficult to pin the crime on His Highness the Crown Prince. As far as I know, some of the weapons made in the workshop have been secretly transported to the Eastern Palace and stored in the underground warehouse of the Eastern Palace. Your Majesty would be better off searching the Eastern Palace directly to convict His Highness the Crown Prince."

Huo Tingsheng agreed, and loudly ordered, "Someone! Summon Ni Xin to the palace!"

Ni Xin is the Grand General of the Imperial Guard, and the newly promoted commander of the Ancheng Imperial Guard. The previous commander was dismissed by Huo Tingsheng because of the theft of the national treasury.

After Huo Tingsheng issued his decree, Ni Xin arrived quickly.

Huo Tingsheng said, "The Crown Prince is plotting a rebellion. You shall dispatch three thousand Imperial Guards to search the underground treasury of the Eastern Palace for evidence! The rest of the Imperial Guards shall prepare to suppress the unrest!"

He felt that his move was unexpected and worried that if "Huo Jinghuai" were exposed, he would go all out and launch a palace coup. Therefore, he had to make thorough preparations in advance.

Ni Xin was taken aback.

He knew that the relationship between the emperor and the crown prince was very tense, and that the crown prince had begun to prepare for a rebellion, but Huo Tingsheng had discovered it first.

The Imperial Guards are under immense pressure due to the theft of the national treasury, and the newly appointed Ni Xin is no exception. If he can find evidence and capture the Crown Prince now, it will be a great achievement, and things will be easier for him later.

Ni Xin immediately accepted the order with a solemn expression: "Yes! This subordinate will certainly not fail in his mission!"

After Ni Xin left with the imperial decree, Xue Qian cautiously said from the side, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is plotting treason. If the evidence is conclusive, the entire Eastern Palace will be punished. Then, I..."

Huo Tingsheng glanced at her: "If we can capture the Crown Prince, you will have made the greatest contribution. Not only will I not punish you, but I can also give you a new identity and let you start your own life."

Xue Qian mustered her courage: "And my younger sister, I beg Your Majesty to grant her permission to leave the palace and reunite with me..."

Huo Tingsheng was already getting impatient: "I know, you go back to the East Palace first, so as not to arouse Huo Jinghuai's suspicion."

He didn't take Xue Qian and Xue Kui seriously at all, planning to kill the two sisters as well once "Huo Jinghuai" was executed, as keeping them alive would only cause trouble.

Xue Qian thanked them profusely and took her leave, departing from the palace.

Here, Ni Xin indeed solemnly mobilized three thousand elite Imperial Guards and, with lightning speed, charged toward the Eastern Palace.

The Crown Prince's Palace is hosting a banquet today, with civil and military officials, princes and nobles, and other guests gathered together.

Ni Xin ordered the Imperial Guards to surround the entire East Palace, and led a leading elite force to storm in with unstoppable momentum, leaving everyone inside greatly astonished.

"What are you doing!... General Ni? What's going on?"

Ni Xin raised his voice and said, "The Crown Prince is plotting a rebellion. This humble general has come to arrest the Crown Prince and gather evidence of his crimes on His Majesty's orders!"

Everyone was shocked again.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is plotting a rebellion?...How could that be!"

At this moment, Huo Jinghuai rushed over.

"What's wrong? What does General Ni mean by this?"

Ni Xin immediately pointed at "Huo Jinghuai": "Guards! Arrest the Crown Prince!"

A group of Imperial Guards immediately rushed forward, and Huo Jinghuai was shocked, retreating repeatedly.

"How dare you! Who would dare touch me!... General Ni, I am the Crown Prince! Are you trying to rebel?!"

Ni Xin shouted sternly, "You are the one who is plotting a rebellion! His Majesty has discovered that you have privately built a weapons workshop on the outskirts of Ancheng, manufacturing a large number of weapons, and even hiding some of them in the underground palace of the Eastern Palace! What is this if not treason!"

As he spoke, he took out the imperial edict given to him by Huo Tingsheng from his bosom.

"His Majesty's decree is here. Do you intend to openly defy it?"

Huo Jinghuai, far from being guilty, retorted sharply, "This is utter nonsense! When have I ever privately built any weapons workshop, much less hidden weapons in the Eastern Palace! Father must have been slandered by petty people!"

Ni Xin ignored them and ordered his men, "Take them down first!"

Huo Jinghuai refused to yield. With a single command, the guards of the Eastern Palace rushed forward and confronted the Imperial Guards.

Huo Jinghuai spoke each word with resounding force: "Unless General Ni truly finds evidence of wrongdoing in the Eastern Palace, I will never surrender unjustly! Even if it is the Emperor's decree, such a grave crime as treason cannot be pinned on my head without any evidence!"

People around also stepped forward to speak up for "Huo Jinghuai".

"His Highness the Crown Prince is unlikely to commit treason. General Ni, please gather evidence first before making any arrests!"

"Yes! There are so many people here, and His Highness the Crown Prince can't run away. We need evidence to convince everyone!"

What Ni Xin held in his hand was indeed an imperial edict issued by Huo Tingsheng, and it should be genuine. However, Huo Tingsheng's recent actions had left the entire court deeply disheartened and dissatisfied.

He's always suspicious, jumping to conclusions, seeing threats everywhere, and finding fault with everything. He's already punished countless innocent people.

Now he suddenly claims that Huo Jinghuai is plotting a rebellion, which is most likely just his own delusion.

In comparison, Huo Jinghuai is much more popular recently. Almost all the prominent families in Ancheng have relatives or friends who have received his help, so now everyone is willing to say a few words on his behalf.

Those present were either officials or nobles, and many held high positions of power. Ni Xin glanced at the crowd around him, not daring to provoke the wrath of so many powerful figures, and could only back down.

Since the entire Eastern Palace was already surrounded, the Crown Prince couldn't escape even if he had wings. He could find out the evidence first and then take the person away with a clear conscience.

Ni Xinchao ordered a squad of Imperial Guards: "You keep an eye on the Crown Prince. Have everyone else from the Eastern Palace come out and guard him closely. The rest of you, come with me to search!"