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Chapter 1365: Impeachment
Editor: Henyee Translations
Princess Consort, in particular, seethed with anger, berating anyone who dared to slander the Crown Prince and even suggesting they deserved dire consequences!
However, the sudden eruption of such fervent defense raised suspicion rather than quelling it.
It seemed as though she was plagued by a guilty conscience.
Before the Crown Prince could provide evidence of his innocence, an imperial censor swiftly lodged an impeachment against him, and the news spread like wildfire within the Imperial Court.
The Emperor, incensed by the allegations, summoned the Crown Prince and other princes to interrogate them.
One couldn’t overlook the gravity of the situation—embezzlement from the national treasury by the Crown Prince was an enormous scandal, one that could lead to the forfeiture of his position.
Naturally, the Crown Prince vehemently denied the accusations.
How could he possibly commit such an act?
The other princes jeered at him, pus.h.i.+ng the Crown Prince to the brink. His eyes welled with tears as he knelt before the Emperor, kowtowing fervently.
Seeing this, though the Emperor was reluctant, he ordered a thorough investigation.
This was an immense matter, and the Emperor could not rest easy without discovering the truth.
The Fourth Prince observed from the sidelines, his demeanor icy and his smug satisfaction barely concealed. He eagerly antic.i.p.ated the Crown Prince’s downfall.
As for the rumors—well, they held a grain of truth!
Did the Crown Prince truly believe he could conceal such a clandestine act? If he hadn’t been absolutely certain, why would he have allowed the news to circulate and secretly directed the censor to impeach him?
Indeed, the Prince of Qingdi was still in the capital, leaving the Fourth Prince in a dilemma over whether to expose the matter. After all, airing their dirty laundry in public was a risky proposition.
After careful consideration, why not proceed?
The Crown Prince might have had absolute certainty about the presence of the Prince of Qingdi and his a.s.sociates in the vicinity. With that a.s.surance, no one would dare to voice objections, even if irregularities arose.
Considering the undeniable evidence at hand, why not seize this opportunity to file a complaint? The one losing face would be the Crown Prince himself. It wouldn’t concern anyone else. Even if their Father found out, he would be livid and reprimand the Crown Prince!
Of course, the Fourth Prince exercised great caution in handling this matter. He had verified multiple times that the Crown Prince had indeed used funds from the national treasury!
A sum of 40,000 taels was not insignificant.
If future events unfolded favorably, perhaps when the Prince of Qingdi departed the capital, their Father would close ranks and deal with the family matters, ultimately deposing the Crown Prince.
In the current moment, despite the Crown Prince’s kowtowing and declarations of innocence, the Fourth Prince harbored nothing but disdain. He regarded the Crown Prince as a liar who had taken a step back to advance.
Did the Crown Prince truly believe he could keep his actions concealed and remain safe? Heh!
The Emperor conducted a thorough investigation, arriving at a swift conclusion.
As it turned out, the Crown Prince had been falsely accused. He hadn’t utilized a single tael of silver from the national treasury. Princess Consort had no need to fret over this year’s finances, not because the Crown Prince had secured it through improper means, but rather due to the Imperial Plantation’s bountiful harvest. They had sold a substantial quant.i.ty of herbs, food, and livestock.
The notion of 40,000 taels of silver was nothing more than baseless rumors. In fact, the Crown Prince had no such sum at his disposal. The Imperial Plantation’s earnings amounted to a clear 8,000 taels of silver.
Furthermore, the Emperor had granted an additional thousand taels of silver, bringing the total to nearly ten thousand taels of silver. This explained Princess Consort’s newfound financial freedom this year.
With the Crown Prince’s innocence firmly established, both he and the Emperor breathed sighs of relief. Otherwise, the Qin Empire would have been unable to salvage its dignity, and the position of the Crown Prince would have been entrusted to another.
