Gu Sinian and Xie Chen agreed to go to the palace together.
Currently, most of the people around Emperor Chongwen were arranged by Empress Lu. On the surface, they still followed Empress Lu's lead, but in secret, they had all obediently pledged allegiance to Emperor Chongwen.
Since His Majesty could replace the fake emperor without being noticed amidst the strict surveillance of Empress Lu and the Lu family, it showed that His Majesty's forces were not as weak as Empress Lu and the Lu family believed.
They all wanted to live well.
"Have those coerced ministers been dealt with?" Emperor Chongwen asked Gu Sinian.
"The蛊虫 (gu worms) have been removed. I also told them that His Majesty knows they were coerced, so he will not pursue their responsibility. For now, they should still follow Li An's instructions. They are also willing to report truthfully to His Majesty everything Li An instructed them to do, and they have expressed their loyalty only to His Majesty."
Emperor Chongwen snorted coldly, "I don't care for this kind of loyalty."
"Fear of death is a natural human emotion," Gu Sinian said.
"If everyone were like this, then my Great Feng would have fallen long ago," Emperor Chongwen said angrily.
Gu Sinian kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, remaining silent.
So many ministers were easily coerced, which was a blatant slap in Emperor Chongwen's face. How could an emperor, in a high position, tolerate such humiliation? Those ministers were mostly personally selected by him! This indicated his poor judgment.
No superior would be able to remain calm in such a situation.
Xie Chen, as always, also remained silent.
Without a response, Emperor Chongwen became even more agitated.
"Xie Chen, and you! You ran off to Southern Xinjiang without a word back then. You're quite something! How much leisure have you enjoyed over the years? Who was it that said we were good brothers and that you would assist me well? My empire almost got stolen!" Emperor Chongwen turned his anger towards Xie Chen.
"That was His Majesty dealing with a tiger," Xie Chen said calmly.
Back then, to gain the Lu family's support, he had married Empress Lu.
While it greatly aided his ascension to the throne, it also left hidden dangers. Over the years, the Lu family, relying on their merit in supporting the emperor, had done all sorts of things in secret, forming factions, acquiring land, and suppressing ministers who did not align with them. Several upright ministers in the court had their futures ruined due to the Lu family's suppression and were forced to resign and retire. After years of diligent study, they ended up returning to their hometowns.
In contrast, Emperor Chongwen, grateful for the Lu family's contributions, had shown them much leniency.
Kindness, at times, is a very good quality.
At other times, kindness can be fatal.
If the Lu family had succeeded this time, would Emperor Chongwen have survived?
Clearly not, and those who resolutely supported Emperor Chongwen would also have perished.
This meant that Emperor Chongwen's kindness had not only harmed himself but also many ministers who trusted him.
"What about the evidence against the Lu family that I asked you to collect?" Emperor Chongwen's expression changed several times before he finally asked through gritted teeth.
"Every piece of evidence, both testimonial and physical, has been collected. Any single piece of it is enough to convict the Lu family," Xie Chen said calmly.
Emperor Chongwen, with his back to Xie Chen and Gu Sinian, said in a muffled voice, "You may both withdraw."
His back appeared somewhat lonely and dejected.
Xie Chen and Gu Sinian walked out of Emperor Chongwen's study one after the other.
"His Majesty is still too soft-hearted. I imagine he won't implicate those innocent members of the Lu family," Xie Chen said.
"Are there any innocent people in the Lu family?" Gu Sinian asked Xie Chen in return.
The entire Lu family enjoyed the resources accumulated by the Lu family through various means over the years. Who was innocent? If they were innocent, then what about those who were pushed to desperation by the Lu family? What were they?