Turning Their Scheme Against Them

Since the goods have been received, the system probably doesn't have enough points to upgrade. That leaves only one possibility: I've been transported to another world.

The system was probably stunned by Zhao Ruxi's wild imagination. After a moment of silence, it said wistfully, "Sigh, I wish I had been transmigrated. This host is so difficult to manage; I'm exhausted."

After court, Xiao Lingyan stayed at the Ministry of Works. He only returned to his villa when Zhao Ruxi Xiao Lingyan to the capital.

"Master." The gray-clad man who had gone to Beining to deliver the message saw him and quickly stepped out.

"Has the letter been sent? Has there been a reply?" Xiao Lingyan asked.

"There's a reply." The man in gray took out a letter and handed it to Xiao Lingyan.

Xiao Lingyan opened the letter, read its contents, and exclaimed, "Brilliant! This is a brilliant idea!" With that, he burned the letter, stood up, and went to the Listening to the Waves Pavilion next door.

Xiao Lingpu had just returned from the yamen and, upon seeing his younger brother, smiled and said, "If you hadn't come soon, I would have sent someone to fetch you."

Ever since Xiao Lingyan also started working in the government office, the two brothers have been very busy and have hardly ever met. So unless there are special circumstances, they usually have dinner here before returning to the palace. They can also chat while eating.

Xiao Lingyan dismissively. "Let's not eat first, I have something to tell you."

Since Xiao Lingyan returned from Jiangnan, he has matured considerably, and Xiao Lingpu no longer treats him like a child.

Seeing his younger brother's serious expression, he knew that what he was about to say was important, so he stood up and said, "Let's go for a walk."

The two brothers left the courtyard and headed towards the pond, leaving all their attendants on the shore. They then crossed the winding bridge and entered the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

The pavilion was built in the middle of the pond, surrounded by water on all sides. To prevent anyone from eavesdropping, no flowers or trees were planted around the pavilion; instead, it was paved with bluestone slabs. Sitting in the pavilion, one could see clearly both inside and outside. It was a place specially arranged by Xiao Lingpu for meetings.

The two talked inside for a while. Xiao Lingpu then called over his subordinates and gave them a few instructions, saying, "Just relay the message to the people around the Third Prince, and don't worry about anything else."

"Yes."

After his subordinates left, Xiao Lingpu stood up. "Alright, let's eat. Knowing the Third Brother's personality, he'll definitely connect these things. The Crown Prince is destined to bear this blame."

He patted Xiao Lingyan on the shoulder with satisfaction. "Fifth brother, I didn't expect you to be so resourceful. After Jia Songlin's incident, those people are all investigating who orchestrated it. Although Censor Pan has no connection with us, as long as there is any contact, it can always be found by someone with ulterior motives. Now that we've directly shifted our focus to the Crown Prince, things will be much easier for us."

Xiao Lingyan smiled bitterly to himself.

This scheme wasn't his idea.

He feigned modesty, saying, "I only found out that Zhao Yuankun is Fifth Miss Zhao's uncle after sending someone to investigate, which gave this plan a starting point. If Second Brother knew about Zhao Yuankun, he could also come up with this plan."

The two brothers flattered each other as they returned to the front yard for dinner.

That very evening, someone close to the Third Prince Xiao Lingheng reported to him, "Your Highness, I suspect that the Crown Prince was behind that incident."

Ever since Jia Songlin was dismissed, Xiao Lingheng had ordered an investigation into the matter, wanting to know who had instigated it. He had a feeling that things weren't that simple.

But after investigating, it all seemed to be a coincidence, and the matter was quite simple.

The simpler and more coincidental it seemed, the more Xiao Lingheng doubted its authenticity. But after investigating for a long time, he couldn't find anyone behind it, as if things really were that simple.

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, he perked up and asked, "What makes you say that?"

"There's a man named Zhao Yuankun by the Crown Prince's side, who is the Fifth Miss Zhao's uncle. Some time ago, he separated from the Earl of Suiping and tried every means to get into the Office of the Grand Steward. Recently, he has done several errands for the Crown Prince and is highly valued by him. He is capable and favored by the Crown Prince, so he should be promoted. But the strange thing is that he is still in the same place, and the Crown Prince has no intention of promoting him."

Xiao Lingheng frowned.

She should have been promoted, but wasn't. Was it because they were worried that promoting her would attract their attention, making it harder to use Fifth Miss Zhao as a pawn?

Once you think about it that way, it makes sense.

The Crown Prince wanted to take advantage of the Palace Guards, but he felt that Jia Songlin way, or he suspected that Jia Songlin was a subordinate of several princes. So after learning about Jia Junze and Ge Wu, he specifically asked Zhao Yuankun to have Fifth Miss Zhao recruit Ge Wu.

Anyone who has investigated Jia Junze's character knows that with his foul temper, he would absolutely not tolerate this. And as long as he picks a fight with Fifth Miss Zhao, the protective Kang Shilin will inevitably jump in. The Emperor has always held his uncle in high esteem, and to Gao Xing his uncle, it seems not impossible to dismiss a fourth-rank general of the Palace Guards. Thus, the Crown Prince's goal is achieved.

Look, this whole thing is so tightly linked, it's a meticulously designed trap.

It seems there's no doubt that the Crown Prince was behind this.

Xiao Lingheng's face gradually darkened.

He stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then ordered, "At the morning court tomorrow, have someone impeach the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

He had long known that this Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was one of the Crown Prince's men, and had been sending people to investigate him for the past few years, gathering a great deal of evidence against him. However, since they had been at peace before, Xiao Lingheng did not want to provoke the Crown Prince for no reason, so he had not taken any action against this person.

The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, supported by many ministers; he is also the eldest son and has cultivated his influence in the court for many years, making him someone that cannot be offended.

But since they dared to set a trap for him, if he didn't retaliate, the Crown Prince and the other princes would think he was incompetent. It was time to show his strength.

So the next morning, before Zhao Ruxi had even gotten out of bed, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was impeached by the censor at the morning court session.

Xiao Lingheng had been keeping an eye on this person for several years and had collected comprehensive evidence. He was simply taking no action; if he did, it would inevitably lead to this person's downfall.

Thus, following the dismissal of Jia Songlin, a fourth-rank general, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, a third-rank official, was also brought down in the imperial court.

After court, the Crown Prince roared in the Eastern Palace, "Why? Why were we suddenly impeached? Are they mad dogs? They bite anyone they can get their hands on!"

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly for me!"

Upon investigation by the Crown Prince, Xiao Lingpu and Xiao Lingyan immediately spread the word. As a result, when Zhao Ruxi finished her classes at the academy and went to train the accountants, the Crown Prince received the news.

"Your Highness, it's said that it's because of Zhao Yuankun. Zhao Yuankun is an official in the Office of the Grand Steward, and he's done two good deeds recently, earning your favor. But you haven't promoted him. And the one who clashed with Jia Junze this time is Zhao Yuankun's niece, Zhao Ruxi. So some people think that the Jia Family's affair was a trap you set. Today they're here to retaliate against us."