lcionline Chapter 441 Searching the mansion, rescuing people, and being demoted to commoner.
Chapter 441 Searching the mansion, rescuing people, and being demoted to commoner.
The eldest prince tried to stop them, but several red invitations were still delivered to the emperor.
The eldest prince secretly resented the steward for being so careless; didn't he know to collect and destroy the invitations?
Although there are no explicit hints in the invitation, anyone with a basic understanding of literature should be able to tell that the wording is different and that it is not an ordinary invitation.
Would an emperor who was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics and military strategies not be able to see it? Of course not.
After all, just by looking at the emperor's furrowed brows, which could trap mosquitoes, you could tell how furious the emperor was.
What is your son planning to do by kidnapping your employee's child right under your nose?
To force someone to abdicate and hand over the throne to a more capable person?
I always knew my eldest son was ambitious but incompetent, but now I realize how utterly brainless he is.
Is this how the struggle for the throne is conducted?
The emperor slammed his fist on the table in anger, "How dare you!"
The eldest prince knelt down with a thud. "Father, please calm down. Your son really knew nothing about this matter. Someone must have been behind it and deliberately framed me."
My mansion is teeming with people, inside and out, oh right, there are also eunuchs from the inner palace. How could I possibly hide so many sons of noble families!
"Even now, Your Highness, you're still trying to deny it! Do you dare let us search your residence?!"
This old man was also driven to desperation. It was alright as long as His Majesty the Emperor was here, but once the Emperor returned to the palace, the eldest prince would be even less likely to release the person. He might even kill the person to eliminate any potential threat and clear his name!
No, the only way to save their son is to confront him head-on and subdue the eldest prince so that their son can live!
The old man had a son late in life. He was already past the age of fifty, but his only son was only fourteen years old, the same age as Jiang Xiaoqi.
She was pampered and spoiled at home, even more so than a young lady from a noble family.
"Search the mansion? Today is my wedding day, and the Crown Princess is still in the mansion. How dare you search the mansion!"
"Father, this must be a setup by someone to frame me. Don't believe their one-sided story!"
The emperor's face was grim as he glanced between the eldest prince and several senior officials. "I also want to see if there's anything hidden here. Guards, search the mansion!"
The eldest prince felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. However, he quickly regained his composure and thought that the place where the person was being held was so well hidden that it might be difficult to find.
Moreover, since it's his wedding day, he had his men increase the dosage of the medicine, and now those dozen or so young masters are all fast asleep, not making a sound.
Even if you walk around the tunnel, no sound can reach you.
"Father, how could you not trust me? I was treated like this on my wedding day..."
Before he could finish speaking, the guards who had gone to search the mansion rushed over to report, "Your Majesty, several sons of missing officials have been found in a hidden cellar in the backyard."
The slap in the face came so swiftly! The Crown Prince's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his legs went weak, almost causing him to collapse to the ground.
Several elderly men were so moved that tears streamed down their faces. They knelt down to express their gratitude and then tried to run to the back of the house.
"Why, how could it be?"
The eldest prince couldn't understand how someone who wasn't from the manor could find the tunnel and cellar so quickly and accurately.
His cellar entrance was in a location that no one would expect. Could there be a traitor among them?
The eldest prince turned his head toward his group of brilliant advisors, but none of them met his gaze.
Whether they were studying astronomy or geography, even the ants on the ground seemed more attractive than the Crown Prince at that moment.
The eldest prince, whose body was already limp, knelt down again with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly, "Father, I have truly been framed! I have absolutely no intention of rebellion!"
"Your Majesty, I only... Your Majesty, I only... I only listened to the slander of those villains. It was all their doing, all their idea!"
The eldest prince is useless at everything, but he's number one at betraying his teammates!
The advisors bowed tremblingly, thinking, "My God, the Crown Prince is a terrible person!"
Then don't blame them for turning ruthless too. They know about the kidnapping, but they don't know about that group of actors and assassins.
Are kidnapping the sons of high-ranking officials and assassinating the emperor on the same level?
Isn't that like washing the necks of nine generations of your family clean, just waiting for someone to cut them open?
They mean making a decision early, not setting off early! That idiot prince is truly hopeless!
Alas, they chose the wrong lord; they were too hasty!
It's all because the eldest prince gave too much back then!
Without further ado, the emperor issued a decree.
All the members of the opera troupe were arrested and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice prison for interrogation. All the advisors, officials, and servants of the First Prince's residence were also detained.
The Crown Prince's residence is hereby sealed off, effective immediately, and the Crown Prince is demoted to a commoner.
"Father, Father! You can't treat me like this! I am the eldest son! The matter has not yet been investigated, how can you so hastily decide that I have been offended!"
"I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this! I was framed! The actress isn't one of my people! Kidnapping wasn't my intention!"
The emperor's bodyguards received a look from the chief eunuch and immediately stepped forward to gag the eldest prince, without knocking him unconscious, thus giving the prince some dignity.
At this moment, the guards carried out one after another the officials' sons, who were covered in dust and dirt, from the cellar.
The elders helped the guards support their sons, afraid of dropping them.
We need to call a doctor right away. I wonder how much sleeping potion that damned prince gave the child. Could it have damaged his brain?
When the people saw His Majesty the Emperor, they dared not show any resentment or unwillingness. After all, without His Majesty the Emperor's presence today, they did not know if their sons would have been found successfully.
Searching the residence is easy to say, but without absolute authority, who can issue such an order? Who dares to search a prince's residence?
Forget it, since our son has been rescued, let's not bother arguing with the royal family about this.
Although His Majesty did not say anything, he will remember the grievances suffered by these officials.
They might not get any compensation right now, but it could potentially help their son make a better future.
Everyone had their own thoughts, but they all remained silent, simply preparing the carriage to take the child to see a doctor as soon as possible.
On the day of the Crown Prince's wedding, the busiest people were actually the medical clinics in the capital, since not every household had its own physician.
However, before the doctors could even prescribe medicine, each of these adults was greeted by an imperial physician, who was sent by His Majesty the Emperor.
Lin Shenxuan carried the unconscious Lin Qi out of the house without the help of guards.
Jiang Xiaoqi looked at Lin Qi's condition; it wasn't too bad.
Without saying much, Minister Lin took out a white porcelain bottle and slipped it into Lin Qi's arms when no one was looking.
Thinking that there was nothing else to do, he figured that he, as the "servant" brought by the guest, could simply follow the host out.
Who knew that after almost all the people had been escorted away, dozens of men in black would emerge from under the stage!
The Crown Prince is speechless! What the hell is going on? He set up the stage and let others perform on it one show after another!
Someone else took the spotlight, but he's being made to take the blame! Do they think he's a sucker?!
Father! Your son is innocent! Your son is truly innocent!
A feeling of being "unable to defend oneself" lingered in the heart of the eldest prince.
It would be better to just knock him unconscious; he doesn't want to be so awake right now!