The news that the Grand Princess went to the Marquis of Dingguo's Mansion to propose marriage spread into the palace. The emperor knew that the matter could not be changed.
After the princess entered the palace to pay her respects, the siblings dismissed the servants and talked in the imperial study for a long time. As for what they exactly talked about...
The next day, the Grand Princess went to the court in military uniform. The Minister of the Supreme Court presented the documents found in Master Wang's study to the emperor on the spot.
Although the emperor had already known what was in them in advance and had prepared himself mentally, his hands still trembled unavoidably.
However, the Grand Princess below the court had a piercing look in her eyes, and the group of military generals behind her all fixed their gazes on the box in his hand.
Some things were no longer within the control of him, the emperor!
So when the emperor announced on the spot to reopen the case of the son - in - law's rebellion back then, the whole court was in an uproar. But due to the Grand Princess's imposing manner, no one dared to refute!
However, everyone couldn't help but wonder in their hearts. Was the sky of the Great Yue Dynasty about to change?
Back then, Emperor Dezong fought against the entire court single - handedly and ascended the throne with a strong hand.
Now, most of the military power in the Great Yue Dynasty was in the hands of the Grand Princess, not to mention her prestige in the army.
In comparison, the emperor on the dragon throne was somewhat lacking in both means and courage.
If it hadn't been for the support of the Wang family back then, it was really uncertain who the emperor would be.
So, was history about to repeat itself?
This speculation was not only on the minds of the civil and military officials but also on Xie Fengran's mind.
However, she was more straightforward. She went straight to ask Qin Junxing.
"Do you want to be the emperor?"
Qin Junxing was concentrating on listening to the storyteller telling a new story written by Xie Fengran.
Since this girl knew that her disguise was no longer a secret, she gave every new story directly to Old Cheng and told Old Cheng not to reveal it to him in advance.
He didn't know what benefit this girl had promised Old Cheng, that stingy old man. Anyway, he couldn't order his subordinates around anymore.
"Cough, cough. Ranran, are you asking me to rebel?" Qin Junxing spat out a mouthful of water and coughed violently!
Xie Fengran calmly handed him a handkerchief and said indifferently, "I'm thinking that if you have such an idea, I'd better cancel the engagement!"
"Don't you want to be the queen?"
Xie Fengran gave him a disdainful look and didn't say a word.
Qin Junxing wiped his clothes casually, leaned over to Xie Fengran, put his arm around her, and said, "Ranran, don't be angry. I was just joking. But I really have no such intention, and neither does mother!"
Xie Fengran leaned back and found a comfortable position in his arms. She squinted her eyes and said casually, "Actually, Emperor Dezong didn't have the idea of being a female emperor either. What she wanted was the rivers, mountains, and a lifetime with her beloved one."
It was a pity that she never got to stay with her beloved one for a lifetime!
Qin Junxing blinked and asked, "How do you know?"
"I've read all of Emperor Dezong's personal notes, including those before she became the emperor."
Suddenly, Xie Fengran sat up straight, turned around to look at him, and said seriously, "Moreover, Emperor Dezong had a lover. I suspect that person is your grandfather!"
Qin Junxing: "..." He opened his mouth and said with some difficulty, "Ranran, this is disrespectful!"
Xie Fengran elegantly rolled her eyes and leaned back again. "You're so pedantic. You're not as free - spirited as the princess, and you don't have the breadth of mind of Emperor Dezong."
"..." So, was he being disliked? However, "You asked me if I wanted to be the emperor. Didn't you even think of asking if mother wanted to be the emperor?"
"No need to ask. If the Grand Princess wanted to be the emperor, she wouldn't have guarded the northern border for so many years!"
Xie Fengran turned back and poked his chest. "You told me that Lingfeng Teahouse was left to you by the Grand Princess. I guessed that Emperor Dezong actually gave the most powerful forces to the Grand Princess!"
Otherwise, if the emperor had enough power in his hands, he wouldn't have been restricted by the Wang family for so many years!
"I didn't expect you to be such a smart girl, Ranran."
In response, Xie Fengran let out a snort!
...
Ten days later, the matter of the Wang family was thoroughly investigated. The Dharma Master of the National Protection Temple in the National Protection Monastery personally testified, and the unjust case back then was completely exposed to everyone.
The entire Wang family was executed, and all the women and children were reduced to slaves and exiled to the southern border.
The crimes they had once imposed on the Duke Zhou, the son - in - law, finally fell on their own heads. Their end was even more tragic than that of the Zhou family!
On the day of the execution, the queen fainted from crying in the palace. The crown prince didn't go to the execution ground but appeared at the city gate to personally see the Wang family off to the southern border.
The Grand Princess didn't completely wipe out the Wang family. Almost all those who were beheaded were the initiators back then. The collateral branches of the Wang family were hardly affected.
The crown prince personally put a stack of silver notes into a young man's hand and told him, "Take care."
If Xie Fengran had been here, she would definitely have recognized that this young man was the young master Wang who had blocked her carriage on the street and later had tea with her.
The son of a high - ranking official in the past had now become a prisoner. Young Master Wang didn't look very dejected. He held the silver notes in his hand and looked at the crown prince with a complicated expression. "Your Highness shouldn't have come."
"Blood is thicker than water. I can't just sever my relationship with the Wang family."
"Well, that's true. Your Highness, take care too. In the future..." Young Master Wang shook his head as he spoke. He couldn't do anything now, and among the princes, the Second Prince had done so many things and his influence in the court was rising.
The Second Prince's mother's family had also risen.
The position of the crown prince was still uncertain!
The crown prince, on the contrary, was calm. "Don't worry about me. Aunt no longer holds any grudges against the Wang family. In the future, as long as you live in peace and safety, that's the best outcome."
Young Master Wang didn't refute. He put away the silver notes, bowed deeply to the crown prince, and said, "Your Highness, take care!"
At this time, the official came over to urge them. "Your Highness, it's time for us to set off."
The crown prince nodded and watched as the Wang family's group walked farther and farther away until they were out of sight!
...
On the other side, after the court was over, the Grand Princess was just about to slip away to see her daughter - in - law.
She saw the eunuch beside the emperor trotting over. "Your Highness, the emperor invites you to the imperial study to talk."
The princess rolled her eyes in her heart, but put on a smile on her face and squeezed out a word from between her teeth, "Okay!"
She didn't manage to escape!
When she arrived at the imperial study and saw the emperor sitting behind the desk, she asked bluntly, "Your Majesty, what's the matter? I'm still waiting to see my daughter - in - law!"
The emperor: "..." So, in his elder sister's eyes, he was not as important as his daughter - in - law now?
"Elder sister, I've written the imperial edict of self - blame. Although the main culprit in this matter is the Wang family, I, your younger brother, am also to blame. Moreover..." The emperor paused for a moment and then continued, "Moreover, back then, mother intended for you to succeed to the throne. Now, this is a good opportunity. This is the imperial edict of abdication. I..."
The Grand Princess was okay when she heard the first part, but when she heard the latter part, she couldn't hold back her anger. "Shut up. Don't think that just because you're the emperor now, I won't beat you up."
"..."
"Do you really think I covet this throne? What kind of person was mother? Do you think your little tricks in the dark could be hidden from mother? Even my son - in - law became a stepping - stone for you! It's only now that you've brought down the Wang family. You're really unqualified as an emperor. If mother were still alive, she would have stuffed you back into the womb to be remade!"
The princess looked coldly at the emperor. "Mother gave me the military power not for me to be the emperor, but for me to guard the territory of the Great Yue Dynasty and for the people of the Great Yue Dynasty. Otherwise, do you think you could hold on to the military power if it were in your hands?"
"..." The emperor was a bit stunned by the scolding. How many years had it been since he was scolded?
But still, he was the emperor after all. Couldn't she leave him a bit of face?
"You haven't learned the good things over the years, but instead have learned these hypocritical ways. It's not shameful to want to be the emperor, but it's shameful to want to be the emperor but not do a good job. I think your imperial edict of self - blame is necessary."
The princess glanced at the emperor, snatched the imperial edict of abdication from his hand, glanced at it for a couple of times, and sneered. "If you really have the interests of the Great Yue Dynasty at heart, let the crown prince succeed to the throne. That child seems to be better than the second one."
The emperor finally found an opportunity to speak. "But, elder sister, aren't you介意 that he has the blood of the Wang family in him?"
The princess gave the emperor a look as if he were an idiot. "Only the weak care about such things. The strong never do."
"..." "It's good that elder sister doesn't mind."
Otherwise, he was really afraid that his eldest son couldn't handle it.
However, the crown prince was really having a hard time.
Since the Grand Princess knew that the crown prince had once had feelings for Xie Fengran, she would often ask him to go out with her for a stroll.
It was filial for a nephew to accompany his aunt, but the crown prince said that he wanted to be unfilial!
Because every time the Grand Princess took him out for a stroll, they would meet Qin Junxing and Xie Fengran. Then he was forced to watch the two of them showing their affection. He not only ate a mouthful of dog food but also had to endure the Grand Princess showing off her daughter - in - law in every possible way.
That was not enough. The Grand Princess even handed over the matter of their wedding to him to handle!
Originally, when the Second Prince knew that the Grand Princess had suggested to the emperor that the crown prince should succeed to the throne, he was a bit unhappy and wanted to fight for it.
But seeing the crown prince looking so miserable, he suddenly felt that it was also good not to be the emperor.
Isn't it wonderful to just live well?