Tianliangyuan

The panic brought by Chapter 201, Zhang Yuan

When Cheng Yuan was imprisoned, her old servant was also imprisoned.

However, the prison seemed to treat the two women, mistress and servant, fairly well. At least they were not severely tortured, and they were only given two meals a day, barely enough to fill their stomachs.

Cheng Yuan had lost everything she had, but she was completely unaware of it.

She believed that her possessions were still intact and that she still had evidence that could threaten half of the imperial court, so she remained proud at the beginning of her imprisonment.

It wasn't until Zhao Changqing came to the prison and interrogated her alone that Cheng Yuan returned to prison dejectedly.

She wasn't too upset about losing the money; it was just material possessions. As long as she still had that list, getting the money back would be a piece of cake.

But to her utter surprise, the list also disappeared.

She revealed where she was hiding, but the investigation yielded nothing.

The old servant was taken in for questioning and looked completely bewildered.

She had no idea that her master possessed something so deadly.

If she had known earlier, she would have advised Cheng Yuan to find another way out much sooner.

Although the list was gone, Cheng Yuan had seen it, so she recited it from memory in front of Zhao Changqing.

But who knows if this thing is real or fake?

Emperor Yong'an stared at the list for a long time without giving a response.

From his perspective, there's a 60% chance this list is true.

He saw the name of Prince Qing on it.

However, he did not believe that so many court officials would be involved.

Moreover, if this list is truly believed, then the central government will face a major purge, which will inevitably result in bloodshed.

Zhao Changqing was unwilling to believe it, but as the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, he had no choice but to submit the list, hoping that His Majesty would be merciful and reconsider.

"Besides that, what else did she say?"

"Your Majesty, Cheng Yuan also mentioned a merchant surnamed Fan. This man and his family in the capital have all been detained. Furthermore, I have also discovered that this merchant surnamed Fan is a bookseller and has recently been in close contact with the Jiang family."

Emperor Yong'an glanced sideways: "Which river?"

"Your Majesty, it is indeed the Jiang family. Fan Shushang has frequent dealings with Jiang Wenhe. Moreover, before this, Fan Shushang had cooperated with the Deng family for many years. Later, when the Deng family's business ran into trouble, he sought refuge with the Jiang family. In addition, this person has also contacted Cheng Yuan many times. According to Cheng Yuan's confession, this person was involved in the disaster relief fund case from back then."

"Interrogate this man surnamed Fan first. Also, have Jiang Wenhe under close surveillance. Then, have men secretly arrest the male members of the Deng family and immediately escort them to the Dali Temple prison!"

"The minister obeys the order."

No one expected that the investigation would eventually lead back to the Jiang family.

Emperor Yong'an was irritated. His favoritism towards the Jiang family was certainly not solely due to Consort Jiang.

Jiang Taifu was recommended by many important ministers during the reign of the late emperor, and since the emperor ascended the throne, Jiang Taifu has always been a great help to him and has never gone against his wishes.

Therefore, Emperor Yong'an could not directly take action against the Jiang family.

However, a warning can be given.

Perfectly, the Deng family is the best chicken!

All the male members of the Deng family were arrested and taken to the Dali Temple. Once everyone was apprehended, there was no longer any need to hide the news, so the Jiang family naturally received the information as well.

Jiang Yanping reported all the information he had gathered, and then waited for his father's instructions.

Grand Tutor Jiang never expected that a mere Cheng Yuan could involve so many people.

"The Deng family is not a concern. What I'm worried about now is that guy surnamed Fan."

“Your son is also worried about this man. This man surnamed Fan doesn’t actually have much dealings with our Jiang family. He used to have some business dealings with the Deng family. Now that the Deng family is in trouble, it’s because of this man surnamed Fan. Father, in your opinion, will His Majesty punish our Jiang family this time?”

Grand Tutor Jiang shook his head: "His Majesty is wise and would not punish the Jiang family for such a trivial matter, especially since there is no evidence to support this claim. What I am worried about now is whether Cheng Yuan has something extraordinary in her possession!"

Jiang Yanping was also stunned, then he understood his father's meaning, and his face turned ashen in an instant.

"You mean back then?"

"Hmm?" Grand Tutor Jiang's face darkened, his voice carrying a hint of pressure.

Jiang Yanping broke out in a cold sweat.

“Father, I understand. We must find a way to get to the bottom of this. I heard that Zhao Changqing interrogated Cheng Yuan alone. At the time, besides Zhao Changqing and two assistants, there was only one yamen runner guarding outside. Afterwards, Zhao Changqing hurriedly went into the palace with a bad expression. Perhaps Cheng Yuan confessed something incredible.”

"Go and find out more. Remember, it's just about gathering information; there's no need to make a big fuss."

"Yes, son understands."

With Jiang Taifu in the family, the sky won't fall down.

Once outside the Jiang residence, Jiang Yanping's expression gradually returned to calm.

Many people knew about Zhao Changqing's entry into the palace, but what exactly he submitted to the Emperor was difficult to find out. Moreover, since it involved His Majesty, who would dare to openly inquire about it?

Therefore, Jiang Yanping could only start by getting close to Zhao Changqing.

Zhao Changqing was clearly loyal only to the emperor; in his eyes, all the other princes were the same.

The Emperor trusts such a loyal person, but it would be difficult for others to get information out of him.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who knew.

However, due to the secrecy of the matter, the yamen runners outside the door did not know much, but a few words were enough for Jiang Yanping to guess the whole story.

"Cheng Yuan does indeed have that list!"

Upon learning the news, Grand Tutor Jiang remained surprisingly calm, and his gaze even carried a hint of a smile, which Jiang Yanping found perplexing.

The Jiang family was naturally on that list as well.

Jiang Yanping was worried that His Majesty would investigate the Jiang family, so he hurriedly returned to discuss it with the old man. But it seems that the old man doesn't care.

"It was handwritten by Cheng Yuan herself, not left behind from back then, which makes a huge difference. Besides, even if that list is leaked, so what? Who can prove its authenticity? It involves dozens of officials. No matter how angry the Emperor is, he can't just wipe out the entire court in one go, can he?"

This is reality.

Even an emperor cannot do whatever he wants.

Just like when he exiled the Cheng clan members, wasn't he eventually forced to release them due to pressure from many officials?

The more enlightened and virtuous an emperor is, the more he cherishes his reputation. How could he possibly allow derogatory terms to fall upon him?

Jiang Yanping also figured out the key to the matter, but he was still worried: "The real list has suddenly disappeared, and the servants who used to serve Cheng Yuan have all vanished. It is said that the servants left the capital on the day Cheng Yuan was imprisoned. Is the real list in the hands of one of them?"