Chapter 434: Disposal (1)
The Emperor ignored the Crown Prince and looked at Prince An: "Prince An, I consider that I have treated you quite well. Is it because I refuse to decree a marriage between your daughter and Prince Yu that you intend to rebel?"
"Hmph," Prince An snorted coldly, "The Emperor has indeed treated this old minister generously, and I have always remembered it, never intending to rebel. But what is Prince Yu considered to be? Born of a concubine from a Foreign Clan, back in the day Xia Ji, that witch, bewitched the late Emperor and disrupted the palace. They should have been executed back then! Yet after the late Emperor’s death, you, Emperor, have showered Prince Yu with favor. This was originally a matter of the Imperial Family, not one for this old minister to comment on. But Emperor, now you are denouncing me for rebellion, are you not worried about Prince Yu’s rebellion?"
Prince An pointed at Su Yaogeng sitting next to the Emperor and said, "Moreover, when did our Nanyao Country have such a rule that a mere woman, the Eldest Princess, could attend to court matters? Emperor, kindly explain to this old minister, who set such a rule? Why did this old minister take such a step, hahaha, presumably the Eldest Princess knows best!"
Su Yaogeng looked coldly at Prince An and said with a chill in her voice, "I truly do not understand why you, Prince An, would plot to rebel? Your daughter inexplicably found a Spirit Cultivation Level expert to kidnap my daughter, and this account I have yet to settle with you. You tell me, how should we calculate this debt?"
Prince An "jumped" up, glaring at Su Yaogeng, and said, "My daughter was killed by you all working together, yet now you’re telling me you don’t know? If it wasn’t for your excessive bullying, why on earth would I have come to this point!"
Guards hurried forward to restrain Prince An, fearing he might do something reckless.
Su Yaogeng snickered and said, "Prince An, I respect you as an elder minister. You have ruled the Southern Land as a local emperor for so many years, and the Emperor, taking into account your contributions to Nanyao Country, has turned a blind eye to your actions for a long time. Do you truly think the Emperor is unaware of what you’ve done in the Southern Land? Do you know how many petitions accusing you come from the Southern Land officials each year? You’ve hoarded soldiers, acted tyrannically, and completely disregarded the court. If not for the Emperor’s nostalgia, do you think you could have remained stable until now? Your He Family was indeed loyal and brave in the past, but the Emperor has never wronged you a bit. This isn’t your justification for rebellious actions!"
Prince An, exasperated by Su Yaogeng’s words, shouted with his face red and neck swollen, "The Emperor has treated us well, but once the Fourth Prince ascends to the throne, how could there be a place for our He Family in the Southern Land? I have operated in the Southern Land for years, not to make wedding clothes for others!"
"Finally spoken your heart, so you know this summons to the capital by the Emperor very likely relates to deciding who will be established as the Crown Prince, so you have already made preparations, gathered troops, just waiting to see who the newly appointed Emperor is. If it’s not your chosen candidate or they do not cooperate, you are ready to rebel at any time. Am I correct?" Su Yaogeng sneered, "He Yanxin is merely your pretext, what you truly care about is your status in the Southern Land. To say who has fostered Yan Xin to be so unruly and fearless, daring to act recklessly at the Emperor’s feet, turns out it’s you as a father teaching by example!"