“Father, do you think Prince Rui was hinting at this when he took that action?”
Xiao Yi rubbed his fingers thoughtfully. “You think so too?”
Duoduo pondered seriously for a moment, then shook her head gently.
“I don’t think so.”
A gleam flashed in Xiao Yi’s eyes. “Why not?”
“Princess Consort Rui is clearly expecting a daughter, yet Prince Rui deliberately spread news that it’s a son.”
“That means he’s definitely aiming to vie for the throne.”
“If he wants to compete, he’d naturally be wary of Father. There’s no way he’d deliberately try to win you over.”
“Maybe he’s trying to win me over first, to deal with others later?” Xiao Yi’s lips curved into a smile.
Duoduo followed his train of thought, thinking it over.
“Hmm, Father, that makes sense!”
“The Su family is your in-laws. If Prince Rui succeeds in claiming the throne, he could easily control you.”
A smile flickered in Xiao Yi’s eyes.
“And what else?”
Duoduo rolled her eyes playfully. “Father, why would Prince Rui think you’d agree to cooperate?”
Xiao Yi finally nodded.
“If you were him, what would you do?”
Duoduo rested her chin in her hands and began to think seriously.
“If Princess Consort Rui hadn’t revealed my medical skills, then in Prince Rui’s eyes, you would be excluded from the contenders.”
“The first person he’d want to deal with is Prince Ling!”
Prince Ling’s mother is Noble Consort Li. Although she’s been demoted to consort, she still holds the highest rank in the harem.
The Emperor hasn’t taken away her authority over the harem.
That means once the Emperor’s anger subsides, she might be reinstated.
Moreover, in court, Prince Ling commands the strongest support.
The Emperor is getting older; one day he might not withstand the pressure from the ministers and appoint Prince Ling as crown prince.
Last time, Song Shuyu accompanied the Emperor to the ancestral temple. Though she left halfway, the rain prayer was ultimately successful.
People are saying it was thanks to Song Shuyu’s blessings that the rain came.
Now, Song Shuyu’s status as a lucky star is gradually spreading throughout the capital.
Today, when Duoduo went shopping, she even overheard people talking about Song Shuyu.
They said when Song Shuyu was born, the sky was filled with auspicious signs and abundant blessings.
Some, out of gratitude for the successful rain prayer, even made a clay statue of Song Shuyu to worship in the temple and offer incense.
It’s obvious that these rumors are being spread by Prince Ling’s supporters behind the scenes.
With the people’s backing and the ministers’ support, the Emperor will have no choice but to go with the tide.
A satisfied look appeared in Xiao Yi’s eyes.
“So, Prince Rui probably sent Lady Wang’s mother here to make a show of goodwill.”
Duoduo understood as well.
“No wonder Lady Wang’s mother was so attentive to Mother today.”
“At first, I thought it was because of Mother’s status as a princess consort.”
“Now I realize, it’s more than that.”
After speaking, Duoduo looked at Xiao Yi.
“Father, so you mean we should go with the flow and cooperate with Prince Rui?”
A trace of sarcasm curled at the corner of Xiao Yi’s lips.
“Why don’t you agree? You just analyzed everything so thoroughly.”
“If someone is clearing the obstacles ahead for us, why not take advantage of it?”
Duoduo nodded. “But what about Mother...?”
“I’ll talk to your mother myself when the time comes,” Xiao Yi said knowingly.
He understood what Duoduo meant—she didn’t want Su Xian to be caught in the middle and feel awkward.
Duoduo quietly fiddled with her palm.
“Father, there’s something else I want to discuss with you.”
Xiao Yi looked up. “Yes, go ahead.”
“My shop now has a manager, but we still need a few assistants.”
“I don’t want to hire people from outside anymore. Why don’t you just assign a few from your side?”
“I’ll cover all their expenses myself!” Duoduo said confidently.
Xiao Yi couldn’t help but smile.
“Having money really does change the tone of your words!”
He recalled how cautious Duoduo had been when she first wanted to buy the stone.
Hearing her father’s teasing, Duoduo also remembered her initial embarrassment.
“Master says money is a person’s courage. With money, you naturally speak with confidence!” Duoduo explained with a bright smile.
“Alright! I agree! I’ll have Yunxiao arrange the people right away,” Xiao Yi replied with a smile.
“Then, Father, I’ll go find Master now.”
“I have an agreement with Master to study with him every rest day.”
Xiao Yi nodded. “Li Jin is back, in the outer courtyard. You should go.”
“Yes.” Duoduo stood, bowed to Xiao Yi, and then left.
A few days later, during the morning court session, a censor impeached the Minister of War for embezzling military funds and falsifying accounts to deceive the Emperor.
Along with the impeachment memorial, a ledger was submitted.
The Emperor was furious upon reviewing it and immediately ordered the Court of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation.
Soon, the Court uncovered evidence proving the Minister of War had embezzled military funds and traced where the money had gone.
Moreover, they found that the Minister had once lost supplies, causing a defeat that resulted in countless soldiers’ deaths and injuries.
The Emperor promptly stripped the Minister of War of his official insignia and ordered the confiscation of his residence.
All males over ten years old in the Minister’s household were imprisoned, awaiting execution after the autumn trial.
Others were exiled overnight to Liaodong.
Prince Xian, upon hearing the news, tried to enter the palace to plead for mercy but was stopped at the gates.
Consort Shu was under house arrest, so by the time she learned of the matter, a month had already passed.
The downfall of the Minister of War sent shockwaves through those close to him.
Sure enough, several families connected to the Minister were soon found to have problems as well.
The Emperor showed no mercy—those sentenced to death were beheaded, estates were confiscated, and others were exiled.
Everyone lived in fear, and no one dared to plead for leniency.
Within just a few days, the court no longer heard any talk of the Emperor appointing a crown prince.
When Duoduo heard Nanny Li share the news she had gathered, she recalled the information she had overheard earlier.
Censor Li was one of the few impartial officials in the court.
They only answered to the Emperor.
Since Father had handed the ledger to Censor Li, he must have already arranged the entire scheme behind the scenes.
Otherwise, the Court of Justice wouldn’t have been able to uncover the truth so swiftly.
After all, the Minister of War was a seasoned official; how could he have left such a glaring mistake?
Duoduo couldn't help but silently applaud Xiao Yi.
The Minister of War was Prince Xian's father-in-law. With his downfall, it was as if one of Prince Xian’s most powerful arms had been severed.
And because Consort Shu was punished with confinement, it was like Prince Xian had lost both hands.
At least for now, Prince Xian was powerless to stir up any trouble.
No wonder Xiao Yunchuan had been keeping a much lower profile these past few days.
Duoduo couldn’t help but admire how Father had struck at the root, using such a clever and decisive move!
She had learned yet another valuable lesson.
Duoduo picked up the watering can and tended to the flowers.
Just then, an unfamiliar palace maid was peeking in from outside.
