The prince is more stable

Chapter 85 Cutting out the roots
There is no such thing as "gentlemanly manners" in this era. It is not uncommon for men to beat women as long as they are ordered to do so.

Chen Shou walked up to Cao Ning, raised his big hand and immediately hit him hard.

With a crisp sound, the first slap knocked out two of Cao Ning's teeth. Cao Ning screamed and was about to cover his head to protect himself, but two imperial guards held his hands and feet on the left and right.

Chen Shou also let himself go at this moment, slapping Cao Ning's cheeks again and again, and Cao Ning screamed in pain.

The atmosphere at the scene was very depressing. Many female Taoist priests were watching in surprise not far away, and there were even some female officials in official uniforms, but no one dared to step forward to stop them.

Seeing Cao Ning's miserable appearance, Feng Shi became increasingly uneasy. She grabbed Zhao Xiaoqian's arm and said, "That's enough. If this continues, it will not end well and will bring you trouble."

Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand to signal Chen Shou to continue slapping him, and then helped Feng into the house.

After entering the room, Zhao Xiaoqian looked around at the furnishings inside. He saw only a worn-out bed, a curled-up straw mat and a cushion, a solitary lamp on a low table, a few volumes of scriptures and an incense burner.

Thinking that his mother had spent several years in such an environment, Zhao Xiaoqian felt a pang of pain in his heart, and his hatred for Cao Ning grew deeper.

"I asked Di Ying to bring you food, clothing and other necessities. Why didn't you use them, mother?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked in confusion.

Feng listened to Cao Ning's screams outside and said anxiously, "I am a monk. The gift you gave me is too expensive. If I use it, people might gossip and envy me. So I gave it to the abbess and asked her to sell it and use the money to help the poor."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Whether you are in the secular world or a monk, you must first be good to yourself. Save yourself first, then save others."

Feng finally smiled and said, "I'm a Taoist, yet you're using Buddhist verses to persuade me. Aren't you afraid of the Taoist Master's blame? Besides, is this how 'save yourself first, then save others' is interpreted?"

Zhao Xiaoqian also laughed: "Anyway, this is how I understand it..."

Then Zhao Xiaoqian said sternly, "I know mother is not happy here. Please wait a little longer. When I am more mature, I will bring her out of Yaohua Palace in a dignified manner."

Feng's eyes were filled with tears, but she smiled and said, "I heard from Miss Di that Qian'er is becoming more and more promising. Mother doesn't ask you to do anything for me, but only hopes that you will be cautious in everything you do, don't cause trouble, and don't offend villains."

Outside the house, Cao Ning's screams gradually faded. Feng Shi became increasingly worried and said, "Qian'er, make them stop. If someone dies, it will be a disaster."

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he said, "How could a few slaps lead to death? Mother, you're worrying too much."

Then he turned around and shouted, "Chen Shou, break her legs! Wei Jie, send someone to take her to Bingjingwu and have them interrogate her thoroughly!"

Chen Shou and Wei Jie outside responded loudly, and then they heard a high and shrill scream. With two clicks, Cao Ning's legs were broken and he fell unconscious.

When Zhao Xiaoqian walked out of the house, Cao Ning had already been dragged away by the imperial guards. Many female Taoist priests were standing outside, looking at the ferocious Zhao Xiaoqian, and everyone was silent.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked around, his gaze lingering for a long time on the female officials in particular. He then said in a deep voice, "My mother is a hermit here. She is kind and doesn't fight with others, but I'm not that easy to talk to!"

"From now on, if I find out who dares to bully my mother again, it won't be as simple as breaking their legs... I will kill you!"

It was a sunny day, but there seemed to be gusts of cold wind in the air.

The female officials and female Taoist priests who were watching the scene couldn't help but shudder, and their eyes turned towards Feng with awe and horror.

Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly: "Whoever is in charge, stand up!"

After a long silence, a female official walked out of the crowd tremblingly.

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at her and said, "Find my mother a comfortable place to live right away. Forbid her from doing any odd jobs. Arrange for someone to serve her day and night. Don't worry about her food, clothing, or other necessities. I will deliver them every month."

The female official bowed repeatedly in response.

Zhao Xiaoqian returned to the house and chatted with Feng for a long time. The mother and son were reunited, and it seemed as if they had endless things to say. It was not until dusk that Zhao Xiaoqian reluctantly said goodbye.

We have to leave. This is a place for Kundao to practice meditation. Zhao Xiaoqian has gone too far by barging in today. It is impossible for him to stay here overnight.

Besides, what happened today was quite a big deal, and he still had to be busy cleaning up the aftermath and eradicating the problem completely.

After bidding farewell to Feng, Zhao Xiaoqian led everyone away. Only after they left Yaohua Palace did Wei Jie come forward with a wry smile.

"Sir, you were indeed a bit impulsive today. I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to the emperor. Our Imperial City Division..."

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head: "It's okay, I will explain it to the emperor myself and won't implicate you."

"That's not what I meant, your Excellency. It's easy to apprehend Cao Ning, but his father, Cao Anzhen, is quite popular in the court. I'm afraid it would be difficult to deal with him. If we arrest him for questioning, the court officials will not sit idly by."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled. "Interrogate, gather evidence, and convict. Brother Li Yan, believe me, this is a time of transition between the old and the new. Everyone in the court is worried about their own safety, and no one will come out to cause trouble. As long as Cao Anzhen is proven to be an ironclad case, no one will say anything."

"I don't know if Cao Anzhen is a member of the New Party or the Old Party, but he was able to serve as the Right Censor for several years during the Yuanyou period without any change, so he must be an Old Party member. Brother Li Yan, do you remember the mission the emperor has assigned to us?"

Wei Jie was startled, then gradually realized: "Remember, the emperor originally needed the Imperial City Bureau to purge some of the old party to make room for the new party officials..."

Zhao Xiaoqian's smile widened. "That's right. So, there's a ready-made idiot who has come to our doorstep, asking us to deal with him. Why are you still hesitating? The Imperial City Bureau's actions may cause criticism from the court officials, but in front of the emperor, we are right."

"As for the opinions of the court officials, don't take them to heart. We are cleaning out the old party, and the new party officials will only silently support us. No matter how much the old party protests, it will be useless. Sooner or later, they will be cleared out."

Wei Jie looked at him in amazement, feeling very surprised.

I originally thought that Zhao Xiaoqian was being a playboy today and acting recklessly without considering the consequences, but I didn't expect that he had already seen through the direction of development before he decided to take action.

Therefore, today we are not acting on impulse, but acting after careful planning and following the trend.

Wei Jie was not surprised by what Zhao Xiaoqian said, but it felt different when these words came from the mouth of an eighteen-year-old boy.

He is only eighteen years old, but his aura is like those old foxes in the court. If he passes a few more years, who knows what kind of monster he will become.

"The prince is very talented, no wonder he is so highly regarded by the emperor." Wei Jie immediately flattered him, but this time his words were indeed somewhat sincere.

Zhao Xiaoqian was too lazy to care about his inverted sentence. He still had to rush to Bingjingwu to personally try the father and daughter of the Cao family.

"I'll leave the collection of evidence against Cao Anzhen and Cao Ning to Brother Li Yan. Remember to be quick. Prepare the evidence and confessions immediately before the court officials in Bian Jing react."

Zhao Xiaoqian paused, murderous intent flashing in his eyes. He suddenly lowered his voice and said, "No matter what crime these two are convicted of, I want them to leave Bianjing as soon as possible, whether it's relegation or exile. Bianjing can no longer accommodate them."

Wei Jie immediately understood what he meant by hearing the elegant meaning of the music.

Of course, Zhao Xiaoqian had a reason to let the father and daughter leave Bian Jing as soon as possible.

Some things can only be done cleanly if you leave the emperor's feet.

Wei Jie thought for a moment and whispered, "This father and daughter have offended the Crown Prince. They will surely suffer disaster. Heaven will punish them for their blindness. After leaving Bian Jing, they might encounter murderous bandits, or accidentally fall off a cliff..."

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a straight face, "I didn't say anything."

Wei Jie smiled and said, "I didn't say anything either."

(End of this chapter)