20demayo Chapter 582 The Little Princess Who Depends on the Imperial Concubine in the World of Palace Fightin
Chapter 582 The Little Princess Who Depends on the Imperial Concubine in the World of Palace Fightin
It was dark at night. Xiao Qingzi stood in the corridor of the side hall of Yongshou Palace, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the secret letter hidden in his sleeve.
The moonlight shone on his handsome pale face, reflecting a pair of eyes as cold as a pool.
The memories of the previous life emerged clearly in his mind - Rong Fei's father and brother relied on their daughter's favor and the support of the Fifth Prince to form a clique in the court and sell official positions and titles. They were not exposed until three years later.
By then, they had already emptied half of the Ministry of Revenue, and even delayed the payment of food and wages to the soldiers in the northern border...
"I won't let you get away with it for so long in this life."
He raised the corners of his lips slightly, stuffed the secret letter into his sleeve, turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
---
Three days later, Qianqing Palace.
"boom!"
The emperor slammed his palm on the imperial desk, causing the teacup to fall over and the memorials to scatter all over the floor. His face was filled with gloom.
"What a Rong family! What a parasite to the country!"
The courtiers knelt on the floor of the hall, no one daring to look up. The emperor grabbed the stack of secret reports on the table, his fingertips almost crushing the paper.
"They're selling official positions and titles! They're seizing fertile farmland! They even dare to embezzle disaster relief funds! Do they have any respect for the law?"
"And not a single local official reported it. This is dereliction of duty! This is a massive dereliction of duty!"
The Dali Temple official prostrated himself and reported, "Your Majesty, the evidence is irrefutable. The Rong family father and son have confessed to their crimes..."
The emperor sneered, "Pass on my decree: Rong and his son are dismissed from their official posts and exiled to Lingnan. Three generations are forbidden from returning to the capital! All their property will be confiscated into the national treasury!"
"Local officials who shielded the Rong family father and son are guilty of the same crime as the Rong family."
After a pause, considering that Concubine Rong still had the Fifth Prince to raise, he added, "Concubine Rong...is demoted to Concubine Rong. Effective immediately, she will move out of Jingyang Palace and relocate to Jingxin Garden!"
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"
Rongpin - formerly Rongfei - madly tore up the demotion edict sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Her eyes were red as she grabbed the collar of the eunuch delivering the imperial edict and screamed, "Who murdered my father and brother?! Was it that bitch Xia Yingying?"
Thinking of Xia Yingying's threats to her in the Queen's Palace that day, Rongpin became more determined.
It must be that bitch Xia Yingying who framed my father and brother.
The eunuch was so frightened that his face turned pale: "My Lady, Your Majesty, calm down! The evidence of Lord Rong and the others' crimes was verified by the Censorate. No one framed them!"
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has ordered that you should move to another palace."
"Get out! Get out of here!"
Rongpin could not accept the reality. She pushed the eunuch away, grabbed the celadon vase on the table and smashed it against the door.
There was a crisp sound of "crashing", and porcelain shards flew everywhere. The palace maids knelt on the ground trembling, and no one dared to persuade them.
"Mother concubine."
The six-year-old Fifth Prince was held in the arms of his wet nurse, looking at the excited Concubine Rong with fear in his eyes. He wanted to run over, but was held tightly by the wet nurse.
"Fifth Prince, be good. Your Majesty is in a bad mood right now."
"Xia Yingying...you're so cruel!" Rongpin's chest heaved violently, her nails dug deep into her palms, her eyes twisted and sinister, "I will never let you go!"
She suddenly turned around and rushed out: "I want to see the emperor! The emperor will definitely find out--"
"Your Majesty! You are still under house arrest!" The nanny tried to stop her, but was slapped away by her.
"Get out of here! I'll see who dares to stop me!"
Outside Qianqing Palace.
Rongpin knelt outside the palace gate with her hair disheveled, tears streaming down her face, "Your Majesty! My father and brother were wronged! Please have mercy, Your Majesty!"
The vermilion palace gate remained motionless. After a while, Li Dequan emerged, hunched over, and said with embarrassment, "Empress Rong, His Majesty has said... the evidence is irrefutable. You should return."
The emperor prided himself on being a wise ruler. The crimes of Rong and his son were already established, and without anyone framing them, it was impossible for him to show leniency.
"No! Someone must have framed us!" Rongpin rushed forward and grabbed Li Dequan's sleeve. "Eunuch, go and tell him again, just say that the fifth prince misses his father..."
Li Dequan sighed and gently pulled back his sleeves. "Your Majesty, why are you doing this? His Majesty hates corruption the most. You will only embarrass His Royal Highness the Fifth Prince by making such a fuss."
Rongpin was struck by lightning and collapsed to the ground.
Yongshou Palace.
"The Rong family fell?" Xia Yingying, who was braiding Miaomiao's hair, paused when she heard this. "Did my father do it?"
Hongxiu shook her head: "It's not General, I heard it was a secret report suddenly received by the Censorate."
Xia Yingying glanced out the window thoughtfully - Xiao Qingzi was quietly sweeping the yard, as if he was unaware of everything.
This is a good thing.
Since Concubine Rong was in trouble, Xia Yingying was naturally happy.
But Rong Fei, that fool, may not think that this matter has nothing to do with her.
"Mom, it hurts..." Miaomiao touched the hair that was pulled in pain with grievance.
Xia Yingying quickly let go and kissed her little head: "Be good, mother, be gentle."
Suddenly, there was a noise outside the palace gate.
"Xia Yingying! Come out here!"
Xia Yingying shook her head, as expected.
Concubine Rong actually brought people to Yongshou Palace!
Her clothes were disheveled, her eyes were red, and she pointed at Xia Yingying and said sternly, "You are so cruel! It's not enough to harm my father and brother, now you are even trying to take away my position!"
Xia Yingying stuffed Miaomiao into Hongxiu's arms and stood up with a cold face, not afraid at all: "Rongpin, are you crazy enough?"
"Stop pretending!" Rongpin screamed hysterically, "Apart from your Xia family, who else has the ability to collect so much evidence in one night!"
Xia Yingying laughed in anger: "Your own father and brother have done so many evil things, and you're blaming others?"
"Whether it's selling official titles or seizing farmland, could it be that my Xia family framed them? Was that disaster relief money also deliberately given to your father and brother in order to frame them?"
Rongpin was furious: "It's just some land and property. Isn't it the same for every official?"
She didn't think it was a serious problem.
Xia Yingying raised her eyebrows: "I'm sorry, but we in the Xia family don't do that."
What my father hated most was officials who bullied the weak and exploited the people.
She waved her sleeves and said, "Come here, send Rongpin back! Don't dirty the ground of Yongshou Palace!"
The guards immediately stepped forward to hold Rongpin. She struggled desperately, her hairpin fell off, and her long hair was disheveled like a mad woman: "Xia Yingying! You will not die a good death! I will not let you go--"
The sound faded away.
Miaomiao poked her head out from Hongxiu's arms and asked timidly, "Mother, why is Concubine Rong so fierce?"
Xia Yingying took her daughter and said lightly, "Because she did something wrong and refused to admit her punishment." She touched Miaomiao's face and said, "Remember, Miaomiao, if you do something wrong in the future, you must admit your mistakes. Got it?"
The little girl nodded seriously: "Yes! Miaomiao is the best!"
After thinking for a while, Miaomiao added: "Miaomiao is a good baby and will not make mistakes."
Xia Yingying laughed and pinched the little guy's chubby cheeks: "Yes, yes, our Miaomiao baby is the best."
After raising it for so many days, the little guy has finally become a little plumper. He looks so chubby and tender, so cute.
Outside the window, Xiao Qingzi lowered his head and swept the fallen leaves, with the corners of his lips slightly raised.