Xie Chen said Li An had kidnapped Qin Tingxue to coerce A Nian.
A Nian was someone who worked for him.
Coercing A Nian meant forcing A Nian to betray him.
As an emperor, betrayal was the one thing he could not tolerate.
If A Nian betrayed him, he would certainly show no mercy.
Therefore, this was forcing him to fall out with A Nian.
Emperor Chongwen was not unaware of Li An's minor schemes.
However, due to guilt, he had shown Li An more leniency.
After all, it was his oversight that led to Li An losing his mother at a young age and enduring such hardships.
Therefore, after discovering Li An's identity, he wanted to compensate him.
Moreover, Li An's initial performance had truly satisfied him.
It even gave him the feeling that Li An was indeed his son.
However, before long, Li An began to reveal his ambition.
Having ambition was not a bad thing.
What Emperor Chongwen was dissatisfied with was that Li An had claimed before him that he had no interest in the throne and was content just to acknowledge him as his father.
Yet, even so, when Li An's schemes continued, he did not hold him accountable.
Emperor Chongwen believed Li An might simply be using these methods to gain his attention.
Now, he realized he had been too naive.
Emperor Chongwen slowly squatted down, removed the gag from Li An's mouth, and asked in a stern, slow voice, "Why did you do this?"
"Your Majesty, it's not true, it's not true," Li An mumbled, trying desperately to defend himself. "It's not like he said. Gu Si Nian and the others secretly supported the First Prince, so, so... they framed me!"
"You used despicable means against the court officials, forcing them to do your bidding? And the ministers colluded to frame you?"
"I never publicly revealed your identity. You, a Dali Temple Minister, this identity—" Emperor Chongwen paused, then continued after a moment, "Li An, you have disappointed me greatly."
"You thought making me a Dali Temple Minister was your compensation? I earned my position through my own abilities," Li An said, his voice filled with anger, his expression even more contorted. However, his face was already bruised and battered, so the contortion was not very noticeable.
Emperor Chongwen slowly stood up.
"You have disappointed me too much. I wish you had never come before me."
With that, Emperor Chongwen waved his hand dejectedly, "Hand him over to the Imperial Clan Court. Investigate, investigate thoroughly."
Xie Chen was taken aback.
Handing him over to the Imperial Clan Court, without the latter words, Xie Chen would have thought Emperor Chongwen intended to protect Li An.
But with those words, it proved Emperor Chongwen had no intention of covering for him.
So, all the preparations he had made were now useless?
If he had known, he should have hit him harder.
The people of the Imperial Clan Court were all Emperor Chongwen's men; he couldn't interfere if he wanted to.
Li An's actions were enough to warrant him dying several times over.
Li An was taken away, struggling and begging, but Emperor Chongwen remained unmoved.
Xie Chen watched Li An being dragged out of the imperial study, his cries gradually fading.
Emperor Chongwen stood with his hands behind his back, his back to Xie Chen, like a statue.
Xie Chen suddenly felt he could no longer stay.
He cleared his throat, "Your Majesty is wise. I shall take my leave."
"Xie Chen, do you wish for him to die?" Emperor Chongwen suddenly asked.
Xie Chen replied without hesitation, "He used schemes, but they didn't involve Tingxue. I certainly have no objections. If they had involved her, I would have risked my own life rather than let it pass."
The implication was that if Li An had targeted Qin Tingxue, Xie Chen would have wanted him dead.
Emperor Chongwen was silent for a moment, "Tell A Nian I will give him an explanation."
Although Li An was his son, in Emperor Chongwen's heart, Li An's significance was far less than Gu Si Nian's.