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墨書 Inktalez
Yun Qingyu looked at Xin Yao's serious and loyal demeanor, and smiled sweetly. Then she asked, "Xin Yao, with Consort Lu and her son already lost, do you think the officials aligned with the Third Prince should be purged?"
Xin Yao lowered his gaze and respectfully replied, "This subordinate does not dare to make decisions regarding the master's affairs."
Yun Qingyu raised her eyes to glance at Xin Yao, her gaze carrying an undeniable authority. "I command you to speak."
After a moment of contemplation, Xin Yao said, "Fu Feng and Fu Ying have recently discovered the location of the Prime Minister's Residence's hidden silver. If the master wishes to raid, it can be done at any time."
Yun Qingyu quickly asked, "How much silver can we seize?"
Xin Yao stood up to pour her a cup of tea before responding, "It's slightly less than what the Hong Family has—about 600,000 taels. The Third Prince's funds are mainly stored in the Minister of Revenue's residence. The Hong Family's embezzled wealth includes 800,000 taels of silver, and if those antiques, paintings, and jewelry were sold off, they could fetch around 500,000 taels. Originally, the Third Prince planned to connect the cellar of the Prime Minister's Residence with the Hong Family's underground chamber to create a long secret passage for transferring these funds. However, before he could carry out this plan, the Hong Family was raided."
Yun Qingyu fell silent.
The Lu Family was separated from the Hong Family by a street, with several powerful officials' residences in between. It wouldn't be easy to discreetly connect a secret passage.
Xin Yao continued, "The Lu Family's 600,000 taels are all hidden in their cellar; on the surface, it doesn't appear that they have amassed such a large amount of stolen silver. If the passage could be opened up, combining the wealth of the Lu Family and the Hong Family would provide enough resources for the Third Prince to recruit soldiers and bolster his forces. The Northern Protectorate Prince's territory is far from the imperial capital. If this silver were to fall into his hands, it could strengthen his military power and prepare for future ascension. However, now that the Hong Family has been raided and the Northern Protectorate Prince’s daughter has been killed, the Third Prince has been demoted from prince to duke. Coupled with Chu Yiling’s antics affecting him further, his mother has also been reduced to Consort status. Each of these events has pushed the once high and mighty Third Prince—who had powerful allies and wealth—into a quagmire from which it will be difficult to rise again."
Yun Qingyu nodded slightly. "So aside from the Prime Minister's Residence, the remaining supporters of the Third Prince are actually insignificant."
Xin Yao shook his head and said, "It's not that they are insignificant; rather, your actions have already sent a strong warning to everyone. These officials are all somewhat corrupt and cannot withstand scrutiny; under these circumstances, they do not dare to stand up for the Third Prince."
Yun Qingyu gazed thoughtfully at her shadow guard. "You seem quite knowledgeable about court matters."
Xin Yao lowered her head, saying, "It is the duty of a subordinate." Yun Qingyu smiled playfully, "I thought your duty was merely to ensure the safety of your master."
Xin Yao's expression tightened slightly, and she fell silent. Noticing Xin Yao's tension, Yun Qingyu softened her demeanor and asked, "When did you start investigating this?"
Xin Yao replied, "I just started looking into it in the past two days."
Yun Qingyu chuckled softly, "No wonder I haven't seen those shadow guards from the the Fu family around."
Xin Yao bowed her head and said, "This subordinate acted on her own accord. Please punish me, Your Highness."
Seeing Xin Yao's cautious demeanor, Yun Qingyu curved her lips slightly and spoke gently, "If you are investigating these officials' backgrounds to provide better answers when questioned in this palace, it seems there is no reason for me to punish you."
Meanwhile, outside the Princess Residence, several royal princes paced back and forth anxiously.
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