Anyone could tell that this matter was not simple. Although the Queen didn't know the ins and outs, she sensed its complexity.
"Yes, and it turns out to be related to the Xie family again." Yi Qing simply spilled the beans.
The Queen was quite surprised. She never expected so many things to happen in such a short time. The Mu family clearly didn't take the Xie family seriously and dared to use them like this.
"There's another thing..." Yi Qing became even more cautious. "Muyu, take the Crown Prince aside first."
The Crown Prince seemed to be particularly fond of Yi Qing and clung to her, reluctant to leave. Muyu had a hard time coaxing him out. To make the Crown Prince let go of Lady Xiao's golden bell, she specially brought over a jade bell.
The Queen was curious. "Why does the Crown Prince like you so much?"
"Maybe he thinks I'm a doctor," Yi Qing joked.
"Aren't you and Xiao Jinghan planning to have a daughter? You could marry her to my son in the future."
"Absolutely not!" Yi Qing was startled. "I won't let my daughter compete with other women for a man." After saying that, Yi Qing noticed the Queen looking a bit down. "I don't mean it that way. You know what I mean, right?"
The Queen certainly understood. "What do you want to tell me? The Crown Prince is too young to understand anyway."
Yi Qing cleared her throat. "Lady Xie tried to poison Duke Xie twice."
"What?" The Queen stood up immediately.
"The first time was at the Xie mansion. She tried to make Duke Xie take an overdose of heart - nourishing pills. The second time was at our place. She put monkshood powder in Duke Xie's tea," Yi Qing whispered.
"My mother..." The Queen couldn't believe it.
"I'm just reminding you so that there won't be any more trouble in the future." Yi Qing knew it would be hard for the Queen to accept.
"Was it just my mother's idea, or did the whole Xie family know about it?" The Queen quickly calmed down.
"I don't know about that," Yi Qing shook her head. "Actually, there's no real feud between our Xiao family and the Xie family. It's just that what happened to my mother made Lady Xie feel really humiliated."
The Queen knew about this matter. "Thank you. I won't keep you. Just send someone to deliver the bill later."
"Okay." Yi Qing knew the Queen needed some time to think alone.
After Yi Qing left, the Queen slumped into the chair. It took a long time for her expression to turn resolute. The Xie family, once her backer, had now become a burden.
"Your Highness," Muyu came in and told the Queen about Lady Xiao dealing with the maids in the harem.
The Queen smiled. Yi Qing knew so many things but still firmly supported her. She was really touched. "Go and get the account books from the Imperial Household Department."
"Yes." Muyu bowed and left.
Yi Qing soon left the harem and saw Xiao Jinghan waiting at the palace gate. From afar, several maids were peeping.
Xiao Jinghan had been looking gloomy at first, but when he saw Yi Qing coming, he walked towards her with a smile. "I was worried the Queen would keep you for dinner." He took Yi Qing's hand.
"The Queen isn't in the mood for that now."
"Did you tell her everything?"
"I've already known about it. Hiding things will only make the situation more confusing in the end." Yi Qing didn't originally plan to tell everything, just to give a warning, but she didn't mention Duke Xie's matter.
"The three - department joint trial of the fraud case will be held tomorrow. The cases of Xue Bozheng and Xie Xiuxian will be heard together. Do you want to go and listen?" Xiao Jinghan waited here just to tell Yi Qing this.
"Of course I do." Yi Qing looked at Xiao Jinghan. "Those people have been targeting me for so long. I have to see their faces."
Xiao Jinghan nodded. He knew Yi Qing would never miss this opportunity.
The fraud case from years ago ended too quickly. Anyway, just a few poor scholars were involved, and no one really cared. No one would have thought that after so many years, this case would be dug out for a three - department joint trial. All the people still alive who were related to that case were present, including Duke Xie, who was in poor health.
The court was set up in the Court of Judicial Review, but the chief judge was not the minister of the Court of Judicial Review but Xu Maozhi, the vice - minister. On one side were the Minister of the Ministry of Justice and the Prefect of the Capital, and on the other side was the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Below them was Duke Xie, and there were also a group of officials related to that case standing there. The court was very quiet, showing no sign of starting.
"Lord Xu?" Minister of the Ministry of Justice Li Entong reminded him.
"Let's wait a bit longer." Xu Maozhi was looking towards the door. It was really strange that someone was late at this time.
"Everyone has arrived. What are you still waiting for, Lord Xu?" Li Entong was dissatisfied.
"General Xiao and Lady Xiao are here," an official outside announced.
Everyone turned around and saw Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing coming in. Yi Qing was wearing her official robe for the first time and thought it was quite useful.
"General Xiao, how can a woman attend such a court hearing?" Li Entong bowed but his words were far from polite.
Yi Qing twirled the eight - dragon golden bell around her finger. "Can we start now?"
Li Entong's face turned as red as a pig's liver. "Please come in, Lady Xiao."
Yi Qing gave Li Entong a sympathetic look. She thought he was so old and wondered why he always had to look for trouble.
Everyone looked at Li Entong. He had only been promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of Justice in the past two years and was at the height of his success. This was probably his first time in a three - department joint trial, and he probably wanted to show off his authority.
"Bring the court to order," Xu Maozhi slapped the gavel.
First, Xue Bozheng's family was brought in. They recounted that after Xue Bozheng entered the city, he met Xie Xiuxian. At first, he wrote letters home to reassure them, and later he wrote to tell them to be careful.
"Nonsense!" Duke Xie said with difficulty.
"Whether it's nonsense or not can be proven by evidence," Xu Maozhi said and ordered people to carry out all the calligraphy and paintings found in the secret cabinet of Duke Xie's study. "These were found in the secret cabinet of Duke Xie's study. They are all Xue Bozheng's masterpieces. Among them, the date on 'Where to Go' is earlier than the time when Duke Xie publicly presented his 'Where to Go'."
Duke Xie looked pale at those things. He finally understood the strange things Yi Qing had said at the Xiao mansion these days.
"Xue Bozheng was seeking fame and deliberately advanced the date when he copied the work," Duke Xie said gloomily.
"If he was seeking fame, why was this calligraphy only in the secret cabinet of Duke Xie's study and no one else knew about it?" Xu Maozhi asked.
"Lord Xu is clearly taking the Xue family's side," Li Entong looked at Xu Maozhi. "Duke Xie has such a great reputation. How can he be compared with an unknown scholar?"
"Really?" Xu Maozhi glanced at Li Entong. He didn't suspect that Li Entong was in cahoots with Duke Xie. There were many people like Li Entong in the world who highly respected Duke Xie. "Bring up Duke Xie's previous articles and the stone inscriptions left by Xue Bozheng when he was young."
A person may change, but it's impossible to completely change from the core overnight, especially writing habits, which are formed over a long period.
"Duke Xie thought that by destroying all his previous works, everything would be fine," Xu Maozhi said.
It happened to be the turmoil during the deposed emperor's reign. Those things were destroyed without a trace, and no one would suspect that Duke Xie did it deliberately.