The subtle fragrance of cotton needles

It was getting dark.

Inside the Yangxin Hall.

"Your Majesty, Young Master Yang Fan has arrived and is waiting outside the Palace of Tranquil Longevity!" Eunuch Su gently reminded Mo Cheng who was reviewing memorials.

Mo Cheng nodded. After his last personal meeting with Yang Fan, he could feel from Yang Fan's words that this man was ambitious, knowledgeable, and fair in his dealings with others, which was quite good.

"Your Majesty, your servant Yang Fan greets you. Long live the emperor."

Mo Cheng nodded slightly: "Stand up. I called you here tonight to ask about what happened today."

Yang Fan knew that Mo Cheng had called him over at night because of the assassination of the Queen today: "Yes."

"Although the assassination of the Queen of Prince Yuan's Mansion today has been transferred to the Dali Temple for investigation, I still want to ask you alone." Mo Cheng did not put down the memorial in his hand. Except for looking up at Yang Fan when he asked Yang Fan to stand up, he did not look at him again.

"I will tell you everything I know." When the incident happened, Yang Fan had already guessed that he would be interrogated later, and he had already made preparations.

"I heard that you happened to save the queen when she was about to be assassinated, so you deserve a reward." Yang Fan was a little confused about what Mo Cheng meant, but he was quickly pulled back by Mo Cheng's next sentence, "But the assassin attacked suddenly, how did you find out?"

As expected, he came: "Your Majesty, I was invited to attend the wedding banquet of His Royal Highness Prince Yuan. I was in the main hall at the time and happened to discover the assassin's behavior."

"Coincidentally?" Mo Cheng asked calmly, seeming to not quite believe it.

"Yes." Yang Fan said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Yang Fan was still waiting for Mo Cheng to continue asking questions, but unexpectedly Mo Cheng started talking about rewards instead: "So, what reward do you want?"

The opportunity really came. Yang Fan was a little excited, but more uneasy. To be cautious, Yang Fan refused: "Your Majesty, saving the Queen is my duty. I dare not accept your reward."

Mo Cheng looked up at him, put down the memorial in his hand, and picked up the pen beside him to make an annotation: "It's okay, the Great Rong Dynasty has always been clear about rewards and punishments. Since you saved the queen, you should be rewarded."

Since Mo Cheng said so, Yang Fan followed suit, knelt down and said, "I'm afraid what I said may be offensive."

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate my father's flood control project in Jiangnan."

When Eunuch Su heard what Yang Fan said, he was immediately shocked: "Young Master Yang, be careful with your words!"

Mo Cheng narrowed his eyes and put down the memorial in his hand: "Let him speak."

"This matter involves His Royal Highness Prince Yuan. It is a serious matter, but I have been thinking about it for a long time and I have to report it." Yang Fan continued under pressure, "Three months ago, I heard the Minister of Works talking about what happened back then in Henglou. I had no doubts, but I heard the Minister of Works saying that my father's fault was deliberately done by someone. The emperor was wise and did not sentence the Yang family to a serious crime, but they were deceived by the villain. How can I bear it?"

"You were deceived by a villain? I personally ordered the Dali Temple to conduct a thorough investigation of the matter. It was indeed your father who missed a process. Now you come to tell me that I was deceived by a villain?" Mo Cheng now looked Yang Fan in the eye. The emperor's aura instantly suppressed Yang Fan.

Yang Fan withstood the pressure and clenched his fists: "Your Majesty, this matter is not groundless. If it is false, the Yang family will bear the crime of deceiving the emperor!"

"Oh? Tell me, where does the wind come from?" Mo Cheng's tone suddenly turned cold, and the pressure became even greater, as if he wanted to tear Yang Fan to pieces.

"I thought to myself that no matter how bold I was, I couldn't commit such a crime of deceiving the emperor under the feet of the emperor, so I was suspicious and listened patiently to the Minister of Works' continued story. When the Minister of Works mentioned my father, he said that it was my father who didn't know what was good for him and blocked the nobleman's way. Now he was demoted and transferred to a distant place, which was a good deal for the Yang family. I felt that there was a reason for this, so I immediately started to investigate. In the end, I found out that the Minister of Works sent someone to steal the process drawing at night and replaced it with a fake process drawing to frame my father."

As Mo Cheng listened, his slightly cloudy eyes became slightly indifferent. It was the Minister of Works again!

"What does this have to do with King Yuan?"

Yang Fan kowtowed fiercely, and said loyally: "Your Majesty, I have also found out that the Minister of Works is secretly clearing obstacles for His Royal Highness Prince Yuan. The next one is probably the Minister of Revenue, and the top candidate has been selected, and that is the person who will participate in the Autumn Examination this time."

"How do you know that the Minister of Works must be a subordinate of Prince Yuan?"

"Your Highness Prince Yuan has a concubine whom he loves very much. She is the younger sister of the Minister of Works who just came of age."

"Yang Fan, you have investigated the causes and consequences of this matter so carefully. Are you deliberately targeting King Yuan?" Mo Cheng continued to ask questions step by step.

Yang Fan was not in a hurry. He had already made up his mind, despite the overwhelming pressure at this time: "I have no such intention. It is still unknown whether His Royal Highness Prince Yuan was involved, but His Royal Highness Prince Yuan was the one who reported it. Moreover, it is true that the Minister of Industry framed the Yang family. I have obtained the evidence. I ask the emperor to uphold justice for my Yang family."

"Do you have evidence? If you don't have solid evidence, I will investigate your entire Yang family. If we find that you are forming a clique for personal gain, not only you, but your entire Yang family will be implicated in the crime of deceiving the emperor."

"Your Majesty once praised me. I am the most outstanding one in the Yang family. If I take on this responsibility, I will be shouldering the fate of the entire Yang family! I am willing to use my life and honor to clear the name of the Yang family! Please, Your Majesty, investigate this matter thoroughly!"

"Your Majesty, please investigate this matter thoroughly!" Yang Fan kowtowed hard again. This time, if he fails, he will die!

Mo Cheng stared at this talented person whom he personally recognized. He was indeed a rare talent in the Yang family in a hundred years, but how could he allow Yang Fan to challenge his authority as an emperor so easily!

Eunuch Su saw that Mo Cheng's face was not very good, and he didn't know whether he should stop Yang Fan now, but since the matter had developed to this point, it was no longer something he could control.

"Are you threatening me?" Mo Cheng was silent for a while, then said in a deep voice, "You are defying me like this, which is enough for me to punish you. Do you still have a life to bear the crime of deceiving the emperor? If you are punished for multiple crimes, even if you have ten lives, it will not be enough!"

"This matter concerns the fate of our Yang family for a hundred years. I have already consulted the elders of my family. The fate of the entire family is on my shoulders alone! The Yang family is innocent. Your Majesty, please understand! The Yang family has never let down the royal family for hundreds of years. It has never happened before and it will never happen in the future! Please understand!"

Yang Fan was so determined that he was not shaken at all by Mo Cheng's words.

Mo Cheng had been staring at Yang Fan, and suddenly the pressure on Yang Fan eased: "In that case, you should submit the evidence to the Dali Temple, and let the people there conduct a thorough investigation!"

Yang Fan was stunned for a moment, then he came to his senses and bowed down: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Eunuch Su," Mo Cheng interrupted Yang Fan, "Pass on my order, immediately have the Dali Temple investigate the case of the Yang family's Ministry of Works!"

Eunuch Su didn't quite understand, but when he saw Yang Fan still kneeling, he understood: "Hey!"