After such a mishap, the emperor naturally lost the mood for entertainment. The empress dowager, being old, also felt exhausted and returned to her palace to rest.
What was supposed to be a harmonious birthday banquet ended up in disarray. The court officials looked at each other in dismay, each secretly calculating their own interests.
The peacocks from the Cao Weaving Mansion, along with the little peacock presented by Lu Xunguang, were sent to the royal garden for careful nurturing.
Li Ying was rewarded generously for her contributions to organizing the birthday banquet, but she showed little joy.
It wasn't until the next day that the Supreme Court finally sent some news.
After a thorough investigation and interrogation, the girl who had lodged a complaint spoke clearly and in great detail, accusing the Cao Weaving official of disregarding the lives of the common people.
If this were the only issue, it wouldn't have been too difficult to handle.
Among the officials like him, how many were truly clean and free from any taint?
A worthless commoner's life was nothing. With some bribes and a bit of silver, the matter could have been easily hushed up.
However, this time, the emperor had long intended to punish the Cao family.
The Cao Weaving official had committed multiple crimes, including harming the common people, wasting manpower and resources, producing the peacock gold thread, and living a life of luxury and debauchery, which was in stark contrast to the current emperor's principle of "frugality".
The Cao Weaving official was immediately imprisoned, dismissed from his post, and investigated. All the silver and property in his mansion were confiscated.
The emperor's severe punishment of corrupt officials was naturally celebrated by the common people, who clapped their hands in joy.
Su Buchi didn't slack off. He carefully examined the case files and finally found a suspicious point before the case was closed.
Normally, the birthday gifts for the empress dowager should have been loaded onto the Lu family's shipping boat to the capital more than a month ago. However, according to the testimony of the complaining girl, the Cao Weaving official had only taken five days to rush the production of the peacock fur robe.
By that time, the birthday gifts escorted by Lu Xunguang had already been placed in the palace. How could he have managed to transport the peacock fur robe secretly without being noticed?
Su Buchi reported the matter truthfully, and as expected, the emperor's expression turned solemn. He ordered a thorough investigation.
After a series of verifications, it was revealed how the Cao Weaving official had planted people in the palace, how he had sent empty boxes into the palace, and how he had replaced them with the newly-made peacock fur robe in a cunning and deceptive manner.
The emperor frowned tightly and his face turned ashen as he read the clear words in the case files.
"Good for the Jiangnan Weaving official! How daring!"
"Out of respect for him as a favored official of the former emperor, I've always been patient. I've turned a blind eye to the Cao family's extravagant behavior and let them off easily. But I never expected this audacious dog of a servant to dare to interfere in my palace!"
Thinking about how the Cao Weaving official had planted people and freely stolen and replaced the empress dowager's birthday gifts as if it were child's play, the emperor felt a burning anger in his chest. He slammed his palm down hard, breaking the scroll of the case file!
"Exile the entire Cao family to serve in the army!"
Once the emperor's order was issued, there was no longer a "Cao" family in the capital.
This once prosperous and bustling aristocratic family was completely destroyed overnight. Like monkeys scattering when the tree falls, there was no chance of making a comeback.
The court was in an uproar for a few days. The emperor was extremely angry, but the empress, being virtuous, suggested that the emperor go to the Beast Garden to view the dragon birds and relax.
It was a good idea, but the Beast Garden now housed many listless and sickly peacocks and dragon birds confiscated from the Cao Weaving Mansion. The emperor took a brief look from a distance and waved his hand impatiently, feeling disappointed.
The servants in the Beast Garden were extremely nervous. Peacocks and dragon birds were extremely proud creatures. After having their proud feathers plucked and suffering such humiliation, they were afraid that the birds would never return to their former glory.
Just when they were at a loss, the little princess from Nanyang stepped forward and volunteered.
"Your Majesty, there are many peacocks in Nanyang. Although I'm not very talented, I'd like to take the risk of taming these dragon birds for Your Majesty. It's my way of sharing your worries!"
She sounded confident, and the emperor naturally agreed.
The little princess from Nanyang immediately set off for the Beast Garden.
She really seemed to know the habits of peacocks well. After just a few days of training, the peacocks regained much of their former vitality, making the servants in the Beast Garden overjoyed.
They regarded the little princess as their savior and readily agreed to her request to see the emperor, saying that she had something important to report.
The emperor knew that she must be coming about the peacocks and patiently listened to her statement.
The little princess from Nanyang took a deep breath and secretly sorted out the speech she had prepared with Li Ying in her mind before calmly speaking.
"Your Majesty, I was ordered to nurture the peacock dragon birds and found that the peacocks confiscated from the Cao Mansion seem a bit strange..."
She deliberately spoke vaguely, and as expected, the emperor asked, "What's strange about them? Princess, don't hesitate. Just speak your mind!"
The little princess from Nanyang gently bit her lower lip and then, as if making a decision, whispered, "Your Majesty, these peacocks are not the green peacocks native to the southern border. They seem to be blue peacocks from Nanyang..."
At first glance, the Nanyang blue peacocks were indistinguishable from the green peacocks brought back by A Man. However, upon closer inspection, one could tell the difference.
The crests of blue peacocks were fan-shaped, while those of green peacocks resembled a cluster of flames. Green peacocks also had orange-yellow down on their cheeks, unlike blue peacocks, which had snow-white cheeks.
Peacocks were called "dragon birds" because of the dense and neatly arranged feathers on the necks of green peacocks that resembled dragon scales, a feature that blue peacocks didn't have.
The Cao Weaving official had lived in the capital and had no previous dealings with Nanyang.
Yet, there were dozens of Nanyang blue peacocks in his mansion...
The strangeness was self-evident.
The emperor clapped his hands and laughed out of extreme anger.
"Good, good! What a good official of mine!"
"Out of nostalgia and for the sake of the former king, I wanted to spare the Cao family's lives. But this traitor dared to collude with the remnants of the Nanyang warlord and secretly exchange gifts. Who knows how many traitorous thoughts he had hidden! This man must not be spared!"
Li Ying was extremely exhausted from organizing the birthday banquet. As soon as she returned home, she fell asleep.
By the time she had regained her energy and got up to wash and dress, the case of the Jiangnan Weaving official of the Cao family colluding with the enemy had already been settled.
Some common people on the streets praised the emperor for his wisdom and discernment, while others felt pity for the unexpected disaster that had befallen the Cao Mansion.
Li Ying let out a soft sigh.
It was true that she and Young Master Lu had set a trap this time.
But if she hadn't fought back and just let things go, it might have been her and Lu Xunguang who were exiled or even beheaded.
In the end, the emperor's favor was unpredictable. Serving the emperor was like being with a tiger.
The capital, although seemingly full of wealth and allure, was not really a place suitable for long-term residence.
Li Ying rubbed her throbbing temples, feeling tired in her heart.