ebookland Chapter 258 Clearing the clouds and revealing the sun
Chapter 258 Clearing the clouds and revealing the sun
Shen Yu and others also gathered around, and the atmosphere was very tense for a while.
Seeing Zhao Lin confronting the officers and soldiers, the situation was about to break out. Shen Li was anxious, but she knew she had to remain calm at this moment.
She quickly looked around and found that many people had gathered around to watch. Suddenly, she had an idea.
Shen Li said loudly: "My fellow villagers, today the Second Prince sent people to search Fuxilou, but he took out an unknown package and accused us of harboring contraband. This is clearly a false accusation!
Since opening, our Fuxilou has always abided by the law and operated with integrity. The Emperor personally bestowed the plaque on us as a sign of recognition. What is the Second Prince's motive for doing this?"
The people around began to talk about it and expressed their doubts about the soldiers' behavior. At this time, Chu Qiu also took the opportunity to shout, "Everyone, look, we have never seen this package before. Maybe they brought it themselves to frame us!"
The captain saw that the situation was not good and his face turned a little ugly, but he still said with all his strength: "Humph, stop quibbling here! If you have anything to say, we can talk about it when we get to the government office!"
However, just as the officers and soldiers were about to forcibly take everyone away, a loud shout suddenly came from the distance: "The Emperor has arrived!"
Everyone was shocked and knelt to greet him. The emperor, accompanied by Li Quan and a group of guards, slowly approached.
The emperor's face darkened as he scanned the area with a cold gaze, finally settling on the captain. "I want to see what contraband is hidden in Fuxi Tower that warrants a search by soldiers!"
The captain was so frightened that he trembled all over and quickly presented the package to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this... this was found in Fuxi Tower..."
The emperor opened the package and saw that it contained some ordinary clothes and miscellaneous items, no contraband at all. The emperor was immediately furious: "How dare you! Are these the contraband you mentioned? Who ordered you to openly frame Fuxilou in the capital and disturb the peace of the people!"
The captain collapsed to the ground in fear, crying out, "Your Majesty, spare me! It was...it was the Second Prince who ordered me to do this. I was only following orders!"
The emperor snorted coldly, "Take this man away and await his punishment! And bring that rebellious son Xuanchen to me as well!"
Soon, Xuan Chen was brought to the scene. Seeing the emperor's rage, he panicked, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Father, I'm innocent! Someone is framing me. I didn't do this!"
The emperor's eyes widened in anger. "How dare you quibble! The evidence is irrefutable, yet you still want to shirk responsibility? As a prince, you don't care about sharing the burdens of the court, but instead spend all day fighting for power and scheming against others. How can you live up to my expectations of you?"
Xuan Chen was speechless and could only bow his head in silence. The emperor turned to look at Shen Li, his expression softening a little: "Li'er, you are frightened. I will definitely give you justice. This Fuxi Tower is a property that I personally bestowed upon it. How can I allow others to slander it at will!"
Shen Li bowed slightly: "Thank you, Uncle Emperor. Li'er believes that you will be able to see through everything."
The emperor then addressed the people around him, saying, "I will certainly give everyone an explanation for what happened today. I will not allow anyone to do whatever they want in the capital and disrupt the government!"
The people shouted "Long live the emperor" and expressed their appreciation for the emperor's fairness.
Afterwards, the emperor severely punished the second prince Xuanchen, stripping him of some of his power and ordering him to reflect on his mistakes. Fuxilou also gained fame after the incident, gaining greater trust and love from the people, and its business prospered.
Shen Li knew very well that although the crisis had subsided temporarily, the situation in the capital was still complicated.
She decided to run Fuxilou more cautiously, while also paying close attention to the developments in the court to prevent any other changes, and decided in her heart to secretly cultivate her own power.