Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Xiao Yang looked at Xiao Dingbang in disbelief: "Father, what are you saying? What did Prime Minister Yin show you? How can you be innocent?"

Xiao Dingbang practically gritted his teeth as he threw the memorial in his hand at Xiao Yang, angrily saying, "I say, the Crown Prince is innocent! Look for yourself, isn't this irrefutable proof!"

Xiao Yang hurriedly picked up the memorial he had thrown on the ground.

The document contained a rubbing of the guarantee that Xiao Yang had written yesterday.

Seeing Xiao Yang standing there in a daze, without saying a word.

As Xiao Dingbang spoke, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, now that this case has been resolved, court is adjourned!"

After saying that, Xiao Dingbang left in a huff.

Xiao Yang, his face ashen, walked to Yin Weiyong's side: "Prime Minister Yin, what are you doing?"

Before Yin Xiang could answer.

The emperor's personal eunuch walked to Xiao Yang and Yin Weiyong's side and said, "Prime Minister Yin, Second Prince, come with me. His Majesty wants to discuss this with you."

The two nodded and quickly followed.

The ministers standing nearby were even more bewildered and left in whispers among themselves.

The King of Zhen walked to Xiao Ce's side.

Xiao Ce smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you, Ninth Imperial Uncle, for stepping forward and speaking up for justice at this crucial moment."

The King of the Town, however, said with a dark face, "Come with me."

...

The atmosphere in the imperial study was frozen solid.

Siu Ting-pong sat down at the table.

Xiao Yang stood on the right, and Yin Weiyong stood on the left.

No one dared to speak.

Emperor Xiao Dingbang broke the deadlock by asking, "Xiao Yang, what's the deal with that guarantee? Are you afraid others won't know about your shady dealings, so you wrote a confession yourself?"

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yang prostrated himself on the ground with a thud, saying, "Father, this guarantee was coerced into writing by Prime Minister Yin's daughter... I knew nothing about it..."

Before Xiao Yang could finish speaking, Yin Weiyong interrupted, "Your Majesty, after being bullied yesterday, I did not receive any comfort from the Second Prince. Instead, I felt his aloofness and threats. That's why I coerced the Second Prince into writing this book, in order to prove my innocence."

"After I found out, I reprimanded her. After all, if this matter gets out, it will be detrimental to me, the Second Prince, and even His Majesty."

Xiao Dingbang sneered, "Prime Minister Yin, since you know this, why are you using this to exonerate that good-for-nothing! If you hadn't produced this today, I would have thrown that good-for-nothing into prison! Are you just going to let this good-for-nothing bully your daughter and get away with it?"

Yin Weiyong bowed and said, "Your Majesty, how could this old minister not know? However, my daughter said that after the Crown Prince forcibly took him yesterday, he destroyed all the evidence. Not only that, he also fabricated false evidence to mislead you!"

"Your Majesty, this is all a carefully prepared trap! They must have known about our plan in advance, which is why they turned the tables on us. Someone must have leaked the information beforehand."

Seeing Yin Weiyong looking at him, Xiao Yang quickly said, "Prime Minister Yin, what do you mean? Do you suspect that I leaked the information? I also suspect that you have been bribed by Xiao Ce. Otherwise, why would you produce the guarantee I wrote to help him!"

Yin Weiyong was furious: "Your Highness, Pan'er is my only beloved daughter. If I had known beforehand, I would have risked my life to prevent her from going to that den of wolves and being defiled by the Crown Prince!"

"Moreover, this old minister originally did not want to produce the document you wrote. However, before court today, my daughter repeatedly instructed me not to make a big fuss about this matter, otherwise she would not live! This old minister also hinted to His Highness the Second Prince several times."

"If it weren't for His Highness the Second Prince's insistence on verifying my daughter's identity, I would have had no choice but to produce that document to protect her reputation!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince seems fearless, and the King of Zhen has not yet spoken. It seems he has something to rely on! Your Majesty, you and I both know very well that the Crown Prince is mediocre and could not possibly have such cunning and shrewdness. Clearly, someone is guiding him from behind."

“If this matter escalates, regardless of whether the Crown Prince can be brought down, my daughter will ultimately be the biggest victim! My daughter is strong-willed, and if this becomes known throughout the city, she will have no face to live in this world!”

"That's why I risked my life and resorted to this desperate measure! In truth, from the moment the Crown Prince forcibly took my daughter, I had already lost!"

"Your Majesty, please forgive this old minister's love for his daughter. This old minister is filled with regret; I should not have let my daughter use herself as bait!"

Xiao Dingbang calmed down for a moment: "Prime Minister Yin, you're right! I don't blame you. That good-for-nothing didn't have such thoughts; there must have been someone plotting behind the scenes."

Xiao Yang's voice was cold and sharp: "It must be the Ninth Imperial Uncle. I knew he was keeping his composure this time, not uttering a single word. It must have been his scheme. They were definitely planning to use this to their advantage, forcibly taking Prime Minister Yin's daughter, in order to win over Prime Minister Yin and gain his support for the Crown Prince!"

Yin Weiyong listened and said sternly, "They're dreaming! Your Majesty, the reason I did this today is because I thought of a better way to remedy the situation. On the one hand, it will allow my youngest daughter to have a peaceful end, and on the other hand, it will completely eliminate the Crown Prince."

Seeing Yin Weiyong's words, Xiao Dingbang's eyes sharpened, and he said, "Oh? In this situation, are there any other solutions?"

Yin Weiyong said, “The Crown Prince is mediocre and incompetent, as everyone knows. Yesterday, my daughter told this old minister that the Crown Prince is indeed in love with her, is infatuated with her, and even proposed to her, saying that he will plan to marry her and make her the Crown Princess.”

"I was thinking, since they like to use a scheme against us, why don't we use a scheme against them too? Let my daughter pretend to agree, then complain that he's incompetent and has no achievements, and let him go and make a name for himself!"

"Now the Turks have repeatedly invaded our northern border, and wars are frequent. They are urging the Crown Prince to volunteer to guard the northern border."

"In this way, sending him to guard the frontier is actually equivalent to exile. With the Crown Prince's health, he'll probably die from the arduous journey before he even reaches the northern desert! Even if he survives by chance, the Turks will raid the northern desert, and since the Crown Prince is so far away on the frontier, if he is assassinated, it will definitely be the Turks' doing!"

Xiao Yang's eyes brightened upon hearing this: "Prime Minister Yin, your idea is excellent! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Xiao Dingbang's expression shifted slightly: "Prime Minister Yin, would that cowardly good-for-nothing Xiao Ce dare to go? Even if Xiao Ce is stupid, is the King of Zhen a fool? Even if they all agree, are you really willing to marry your daughter to that good-for-nothing?"

Yin Weiyong cupped his hands, his face fierce, and said, "Your Majesty, I am truly filled with regret. However, now that things have come to this, what's done is done. That good-for-nothing must pay the price. My daughter also wishes to avenge herself for being defiled by the Crown Prince."

"Moreover, this old minister also has his own selfish motives. As the saying goes, parents who love their children should plan far ahead for them!"

"The Second Prince will surely shoulder great responsibilities in the future. Although my daughter made him write this guarantee, this old minister knows in his heart that he is ashamed to let the Second Prince marry my daughter."

"As long as the Crown Prince dies on the northern frontier, my daughter will also have the title of Crown Princess! At that time, I beg Your Majesty to grant her a fiefdom, which will ensure her a life of wealth and comfort. I wonder if Your Majesty will grant my request?"

Xiao Dingbang's eyes brightened slightly as he said, "Prime Minister Yin, if you can truly succeed in doing this, then even letting the Second Prince marry your daughter would be perfectly acceptable!"

Xiao Yang looked unwilling after hearing Xiao Dingbang's words, but Xiao Dingbang stopped him with a look.

Yin Weiyong witnessed all of this: "Your Majesty, after this incident, even if the Second Prince harbors no resentment, my daughter cannot accept it. In truth, what I said is the best outcome for her. And I will certainly do my utmost to assist the Second Prince!"

Xiao Dingbang nodded and said, "Good, Prime Minister Yin! As long as your daughter can trick that good-for-nothing Crown Prince into volunteering to be stationed on the northern frontier, I will reward her handsomely."

Yin Weiyong bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in my mission this time. Then this old minister will take his leave."

Xiao Dingbang nodded and said, "Alright, Prime Minister Yin, but remember to be careful this time! Make sure nothing goes wrong!"

Yin Weiyong bowed and withdrew.

“Father, can we trust the words of that old fox Yin Weiyong? Although there is some truth to what he said, we wouldn’t have been able to release that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce on the spot today without his help! Could he have been bribed by the King of Zhen?” Xiao Yang stepped forward and asked.

Xiao Dingbang's gaze deepened: "It shouldn't be! The Prince of Zhen has tried to win him over several times, but Yin Weiyong looks down on that good-for-nothing Xiao Ce! Yang'er, don't worry! No matter what, you shouldn't get involved in this. Let's wait and see. If that good-for-nothing really volunteers to guard the frontier, then what he said is true!"

"If Yin Pan'er really manages to trick Xiao Ce into going to the northern frontier, will Ninth Imperial Uncle want to tear them to pieces?" Xiao Yang asked, slightly excited.

Xiao Dingbang revealed a sinister smile: "Of course. I hope Yin Weiyong won't disappoint me."

...

Inside the Prince's Palace of Zhenwang.

Xiao Ce recounted his plan to King Xiao Dingshan of Zhen in detail.

According to the original owner's memories, Xiao Dingshan was an absolutely trustworthy person.

He's not my father, but he's better than one.

The fact that the original owner of this body, who was such a useless person, has survived until now is entirely due to Xiao Dingshan's help; otherwise, he would have died hundreds of times over.

After listening, Xiao Dingshan looked worried and said, "Your Highness, are you playing with fire? What makes you think that Prime Minister Yin will help you? His mother, Consort Yu, enjoys the Emperor's favor, the Second Prince is currently enjoying great favor, and his maternal family is very powerful in the court. What makes you think that Prime Minister Yin would abandon such a son-in-law to help you!"

Xiao Ce said with a smile, "Because her daughter is already mine! That alone forces him to stand on my side! He has no other choice. Yin Pan'er is Yin Weiyong's Achilles' heel! I don't know how such a shrewd person could make such a terrible move, using his most beloved only daughter as bait!"

Xiao Dingshan laughed out loud: "Isn't it because they've tried to frame you several times and they're getting impatient? After this year, according to the laws of the Great Xiao Dynasty, you will establish the Crown Prince's Palace and begin to gradually assume personal rule! How could they not be anxious?"

"However, Your Highness, you really have fooled everyone! Even I didn't realize you possessed such cunning and scheming!"

Xiao Ce sensed a hint of doubt in Xiao Dingshan's voice and said with a wry smile, "Ninth Uncle, isn't this all for self-preservation?"

"Then why did you decide not to pretend this time?" Xiao Dingshan asked Xiao Ce with piercing eyes.