Huh? The Tyrant Cries After My Inner Thoughts Were Exposed!-Chapter 147: So What If He’s a Third Rank Official
As the guests dispersed, Su Juan went to call for the groom to fetch the horse, while Xie Xun smiled, tidying his messy hair and clothes, his gaze falling on the Xin Wen couple.
At this moment, there were only a few people present.
"Eldest Young Master Xin, Mrs. Xin, if you can’t control that mouth of yours from now on, it might be more than just a slap."
Xie Xun still had a carefree demeanor, but the smile in his eyes sent a chill down one’s spine.
The Xin couple finally understood why this young lord made such a scene; it was likely because their son and daughter-in-law had said something inappropriate, which was overheard by Heir Xie.
As Xie Xun walked away, Mr. Xin’s face changed, "I told you yesterday to be cautious when making connections, and now you’ve offended the Heir of the Duke Ping Mansion!"
Mrs. Xin hurriedly consoled him, pulling her husband, "Don’t be hasty, let’s hear what our son has to say first."
In the room, Su Lingling, wearing her wedding dress, was surprised, "Did he really slap him?"
The maid chuckled, "I saw it with my own eyes. The young lady exerted pressure, and Mr. Xin truly slapped Eldest Young Master Xin. They wouldn’t dare offend the young lady and Heir Xie, and Mrs. Xin was terrified."
"I never thought the young lady would protect Miss like this, knowing how Miss was wronged today and standing up for her."
Though it seemed odd that someone like Su Juan would stand up for her, knowing that the Xin family was reprimanded gave Su Lingling some relief.
"Mother was right; we’re a family. Our glory and disgrace are shared."
"It’s good Miss understands." The maid smiled, placing the pastry in Su Lingling’s hand, "Master-in-law came earlier and brought these pastries, saying he was afraid Miss would be hungry after today’s grievances and told her to have some pastries for now. It shows that Master-in-law truly cares for Miss."
Su Lingling felt shy, nibbling on the pastry, "At least he has a heart."
...
Leaving the Xin family, on the way back to the Duke Mansion, Su Juan noticed the injury on Xie Xun’s neck, "Not fighting back when hit, that’s unlike you."
I don’t believe someone as inept as Xin Wen could pin Xie Xun to the ground and hit him.
Xie Xun sighed, Su Juan truly thinks highly of me.
He rubbed his neck, not feeling much pain, "I didn’t expect Xin Wen to hit so hard. I need to apply some good medicine when I get back. I can’t have a scar on my face."
Knowing how Xie Xun cherished his own face, Su Juan said, "Your injury is on your neck, not your face."
Xie Xun said seriously, "The neck is also important."
The face is connected to the neck. If there’s a scar on the neck, how is it different from having a scar on the face?
Su Juan looked puzzled, "What did Xin Wen do to provoke you today?"
Xie Xun pouted, "The Xin couple have loose tongues. You know me, I can’t stand such talk."
He didn’t elaborate to Su Juan, not wanting to sully Su Juan’s ears with that talk.
Seeing that Xie Xun brushed it off with a couple of sentences, clearly not wanting to talk about it, Su Juan didn’t press further.
Xie Xun suddenly remembered what Xin Wen had said earlier, "Oh right, today I also heard Xin Wen mention that the Xin family has gotten involved with the Prince Jing Mansion. They’ve been closely interacting with Song Qianfan lately, and he said that Song Qianfan will help him. I reckon the bribery affair during the Zhongzheng evaluation involves the Xin family to some extent."
Upon hearing this, Su Juan wasn’t surprised, "The Xin family has been declining for decades. That Xin has no hope of rising. To rejuvenate the Xin family, they naturally choose between Prince Han and Prince Jing."
"But Song Qianfan acts out of self-interest. To him, the Xin family is of no benefit. It’s likely that Xin Wen is just being overly optimistic."
She understood Song Qianfan too well. At this time, the Xin family was just a declining household, and Xin Zhang had yet to show any promise. He wouldn’t catch Song Qianfan’s eye at all.
Xie Xun gave Su Juan a curious look, "You seem to know Song Qianfan well."
From start to finish, Su Juan had accurately grasped every move of Song Qianfan. She even seemed to understand what he would do next.
Su Juan simply smiled, "After all, I stayed at the Prince Mansion for a while. Naturally, some understanding came from the interactions."
Xie Xun didn’t believe it. He perked his ears to hear more, but since Su Juan became suspicious, he rarely heard anything useful again.
...
The Ministry of Justice spent two whole months investigating the bribery case among officials, presenting all related evidence before the Emperor.
Prince Han completely lost much of his influence within the Six Ministries, almost compromising himself, and now he’s confined to the Prince Mansion for self-reflection.
Song Qianfan acted more ruthlessly than Prince Han. Before the situation blew up, he secretly eliminated all those involved, so the Ministry of Justice didn’t trace anything back to him.
Currently, with Prince Han’s influence within the Six Ministries diminished, Song Qianfan also has hardly anyone left at his disposal. Neither side benefited from this.
Xie Xun lamented, "Song Qianfan is truly ruthless. Those people helped him a lot in the past, yet he didn’t hesitate to abandon even his closest allies."
Su Juan smiled silently. For Song Qianfan, as long as he can protect himself, he would abandon even his parents.
This time, by sacrificing an arm to save himself, besides Yu Ting and the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he likely has no one left. However, these two should not be underestimated. After all, Yu Ting is the Deputy Commander of the Forbidden Army. If anything happens to Yan Zheng, Yu Ting could swiftly rise, and his ruthlessness is comparable to Song Qianfan’s. He was Song Qianfan’s greatest support in past rebellions.
Also, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel has worked under Song Qianfan for years, recruiting many talents—a person that cannot be ignored.
"Miss, what are you thinking?"
Seeing Su Juan deep in thought, with her tea growing cold, Shen Ruhui asked her.
Su Juan finally put down her teacup, "I was thinking, this Minister Mei is quite old at this point. It’s about time he made some room for others."
Shen Ruhui pondered for a moment. The Ministry of Personnel oversees the selection of civil servants nationwide. Minister Mei hasn’t hesitated to abuse his power for personal gain, escaping this time by sheer luck. His intentions aren’t pure, and he’s a significant support to the Prince Jing Mansion—he can’t be ignored.
"Miss, are you aiming at the Ministry of Personnel?"
On the side, Xie Xun was shocked, looking at Su Juan, then at Shen Ruhui. These two are truly bold and daring.
No one expected that at this moment, Song Qianhang, carrying some confession statements and evidence, entered the palace and knelt before the Emperor, his voice resonating throughout the Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty! I must accuse the Princely Heir of Prince Jing Mansion, Song Qianfan, of forming cliques for personal gain, raising death warriors, accepting bribes, and disrupting the important evaluations of Zhongzheng!"
