The Crybaby Prince is Reborn, Where is the Prince Going?

Chapter 138 The sharpest knife is the emperor

After the morning court session ended, Ji Zhonghuan came to visit Jinyou with the news that He Zhiyi became the imperial concubine.

At that time, Xiao Yunzhen had just woken up and was making a big fuss in Jinyou's room. Because he didn't see Jinyou when he opened his eyes, he ordered the wet nurse to look for Jinyou all over the yard.

Still searching while crying.

She was crying loudly, the kind that couldn't be comforted, and in her heart she was calling Jinyou's name over and over again. It didn't sound like she was looking for someone, but like he was calling for her life.

As soon as Jinyou returned to Liuyunzhai from outside the mansion, he heard Xiao Yunzhen crying and shouting.

There was no other way but to coax this little ancestor to be quiet, and by the way, rescue everyone in the yard from his evil voice.

Xiao Yunzhen took a long time to calm down. Just as the two of them finished their breakfast, Ji Zhonghuan came.

"This subordinate greets the prince."

"Master Ji, you're here early. Did you just finish court? Is it time for dinner? Wenyan, go to the kitchen and bring me some porridge and cakes."

In order to ensure that no one would suddenly leave the table to go to the toilet and interrupt the court session, skipping breakfast became an unwritten rule that officials voluntarily followed.

Ji Zhonghuan blushed when Jin You pointed this out. He had arrived a little early, but he hadn't really been hoping to freeload on the Regent's meal. As if afraid Jin You would bring him a bowl of porridge the next second, he hurriedly said, "I only have a few questions I'd like your help with, Prince. It'll be quick."

You won’t starve to death.

"Master Ji, you are wrong. Health is the most important thing. Even if you want to discuss things, you must first eat a full meal to have enough strength. It won't take too long to have breakfast. Why should you be so polite to me, Master Ji?"

Soon Wen Yan came over with a bowl of porridge and several plates of snacks and placed them in front of Ji Zhonghuan.

"Since the prince has said so, I will not be polite to him."

"Master Ji, please."

Ji Zhonghuan was indeed hungry. Today's morning court lasted longer than usual, so long that his legs were trembling before it ended.

He then rushed to the Dali Temple to report for duty, and then went straight to the Regent's Palace to find Jinyou.

Ji Zhonghuan did have some questions in his mind and wanted to ask him.

But before he could finish his words, he had already eaten a bowl of porridge and two plates of snacks.

When he was eight-tenths full, Ji Zhonghuan put down his chopsticks.

Seeing this, Wen Yan quickly packed up, left the study and closed the door for them.

As soon as the person left, Ji Zhonghuan spoke anxiously.

"Your Highness, I will speak frankly. Where did you get that list?"

Jinyou blinked in an ambiguous manner and asked him, "What's wrong?"

Ji Zhonghuan slapped his thigh anxiously, "Your Highness, you may not know that the people on this list are very wide-ranging and complex. If we uproot them all, I'm afraid it will cause unrest in the court!"

Jin You was shocked. He didn't look at the list carefully and didn't know who was involved or what forces and powerful people were involved. It must be very difficult for Ji Zhonghuan to say such a thing.

"What do you want, Master Ji?" he asked.

"I, your humble servant, do not wish to see the court become a mess, but there is no way to guarantee that the political situation will remain stable after this matter is exposed."

Once this matter is completely exposed to the public, the people involved will not be one or two, but dozens or even hundreds.

They were scattered throughout the court, from the fourth rank to the seventh rank.

There are officials serving in the capital, and there are officials serving outside the capital.

The number of them was so large and their power was so complex that even Ji Zhonghuan could not guarantee that he would not be left with no one to use after removing them.

This was the first time in his life that he felt frustrated. It was because his hope was slim, and he might not even be able to do it on his own.

After listening to Ji Zhonghuan's worries, Jinyou tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table as he thought.

This action is what He Qianzhao is used to doing when thinking. After staying with him for a long time, Jinyou unconsciously got used to tapping while thinking.

Perhaps the presence of a sound could give him a little peace of mind.

Jin You paused, tilted his head, and asked Ji Zhonghuan, "Is it true that there are no officials among these people who are wholeheartedly serving the people?"

Ji Zhonghuan understood what Jinyou meant.

He hurriedly said, "Yesterday, I secretly investigated the names on the list. Several of them are indeed officials in the capital. They have no record of committing crimes, nor have they abused their positions to oppress the people. However, my authority is limited and I cannot verify the names on the list with their political achievements one by one, so I dare not make any rash conclusions."

Jin You thought about it and realized that this was true. The evaluation of officials should be the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue. If one wanted to know an official's political achievements, one could only look for them in the files of the Ministry of Revenue.

Ji Zhonghuan was originally an official of the Dali Temple, so he had no right to handle such information.

Moreover, some officials were posted abroad, and how could he know if they were wholeheartedly serving the people without any contact? This really put him in a difficult position.

So Jin You changed his approach: "If it's a minor official in a remote area, and there's no threat, we can just leave it alone for now. The capital has been unstable for the past two years, and the Emperor has repeatedly expressed his desire to reduce the power of the aristocratic families, but he's just never had the opportunity. Since Master Ji finds it difficult to do so, then let the Emperor take care of it. What do you think, Master Ji?"

Ji Zhonghuan frowned subconsciously. He actually didn't want to report it, but he was afraid that Emperor Xuan would be biased.

Jin You glanced at him, guessed what he was thinking, and said, "The Emperor is also a ruthless person in some ways. He wants to eliminate the aristocratic families even more than he wants to eliminate my father. If the aristocratic families are involved, I'm afraid the Emperor will not let them off easily. Then, with the students' verbal criticism and pressure on the Emperor, he may not refuse severe punishment."

"I know that the Emperor has long disliked aristocratic families, but this list also includes some princes and nobles..."

Jinyou interrupted him: "It is not necessary to report the entire list. Some people are chess pieces when they are alive and discarded when they die. Lord Ji will understand this. Instead of worrying about whether the king will suffer, it is better to throw away some useless people and dispel some of the emperor's suspicions. And Lord Ji, don't forget..."

Jinyou smiled and said, "Aunt is now the Imperial Noble Consort. If the Emperor is not allowed to vent his anger, I'm afraid that Aunt's death will only be brought forward."

"You..." Ji Zhonghuan opened his eyes wide, a little bit unbelieving: "Did you do this on purpose?"

Before coming to the palace, he wanted to ask about the Imperial Concubine.

It would not be good for them to push the Imperial Concubine into the spotlight.

He was still thinking that with Jinyou's intelligence, he would definitely not do such a thing as lifting a stone to drop on his own toes.

However, Ji Zhonghuan never expected that from the prince's tone, he was the one fanning the flames behind the scenes, pushing the imperial concubine into the abyss step by step.

But why?

He was a little confused, and Jinyou didn't explain it to him.

He simply said, "This prince still says the same thing: those who are alive are chess pieces, and those who are useless are discarded. Moreover, Master Ji, your relationship with the king must be extraordinary. You truly hate the king, and your scolding of him is also a genuine expression of your feelings, but you still help the king. I dare to guess that you must have something to ask of the king, or that the king has done you a favor."

In an instant, Ji Zhonghuan's face turned pale and a little cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

He clenched his fists, his whole body tense, in a state of extreme alert. He stared at Jinyou's face, which hadn't opened yet but bore a striking resemblance to He Qianzhao's, his palms sweating with nervousness.

He pursed his lips, struggling to decide whether to speak, and then he heard Jinyou continue, "This prince is not interested in your family affairs. This prince is not saying this to threaten you. I just hope that you can clearly understand, Master Ji, that everything we do is beneficial to the Regent's Palace, and that is enough.

"The sharpest sword in the world belongs to the one sitting on the throne. If you don't make good use of it, can you alone bring peace to the world?"