In the days that followed, the Censors of the Censorate collectively submitted memorials, accusing Prime Minister Lin Ruofu of seizing other people's property and harming the lives of ordinary people. This matter shocked the court and the public. However, because Wu Bo'an himself was labeled as a spy from Northern Qi, public opinion generally favored the Prime Minister's side.

However, on the way Wu was being escorted to the Court of Judicial Review to make his statement, he encountered an assassination attempt out of nowhere. Whether Wu was lucky or the Prime Minister was particularly unfortunate, the Second Prince happened to be touring the streets with the heir of Prince Jing and saved him in the nick of time.

As a result, the situation began to change.

Rumor had it that His Majesty the Emperor had asked both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince how this matter should be handled. The Crown Prince, after a moment of silence, stated that the evidence was insufficient, and moreover, the Prime Minister had contributed greatly to the country and should not be easily judged based on hearsay. Although the Second Prince had saved Wu in the street, he maintained a similar silence as his brother, the Crown Prince.

After all, the Prime Minister was the head of all officials, and no matter how he was dealt with, it would cause a great uproar.

However, that night, Prince Jing, after hearing about this matter from his son, was furious and, in a rare move, entered the palace for a long talk with his imperial brother. No one knew exactly what they discussed. That night, His Majesty the Emperor went through the memorials of the past decade, looking at the silver taels of the Ministry of Revenue and the political achievements that the Prime Minister had painstakingly made, remaining silent and uttering only a sigh.

…

…

"Peng Tingsheng, the Prefect of Shandong Province… hmm, he passed the imperial examination eleven years ago. At that time, I had just ascended to the position of Prime Minister, and I thought this student was very obedient." Prime Minister Lin Ruofu was in his forties this year, but his face looked somewhat old and haggard. "But I didn't expect him to be so obedient. You should know that I didn't ask Peng Tingsheng to do these things. Wu Bo'an is already dead. If I really wanted to take revenge on his family, it would have been so simple."

"Perhaps Prefect Peng secretly speculated about your Excellency's thoughts and did this foolish thing," Yuan Hongdao, a close friend and confidant of Lin Ruofu, frowned slightly.

"Oh?" Lin Ruofu looked at him with a faint smile and said softly, "But Peng Tingsheng is not a fool. If it wasn't an order from the Prime Minister's residence, he would never bet his official reputation. Moreover, who committed the murder in the capital the day before yesterday? Why did it lead to the Prime Minister's residence?"

Yuan Hongdao's expression was somewhat wooden. He gently stroked his long beard under his chin and said, "He Zongwei is a member of the Eastern Palace, but just a small pawn. He shouldn't have the guts to do this. There must be someone supporting him behind the scenes, but I don't know if it's the Empress or the Eldest Princess."

"It's Yun Rui," the Prime Minister said with a smile. "Most of her strength in the court lies in the Censorate. She is retaliating against me."

"Retaliating for what?"

"Retaliating… for many things, I suppose," the Prime Minister sighed. "Including Chen'er's matter, including the son-in-law's matter, including the things between her and me."

"Actually…" Yuan Hongdao hesitated.

"Speak."

Yuan Hongdao smiled slightly and said, "Actually, it still depends on His Majesty's meaning. If His Majesty doesn't believe it, your Excellency's position will naturally be as stable as Mount Tai."

"His Majesty will definitely see through such clumsy methods," the Prime Minister said with a smile. "But the problem is whether His Majesty is willing to see through it."

"What do you mean by that, your Excellency?"

"So many officials died in the past few days in the capital, and as the head of the civil officials, I should have been responsible," the Prime Minister said, closing his eyes and analyzing. "The most crucial point is that His Majesty doesn't want me to continue being the Prime Minister."

Yuan Hongdao replied respectfully, "Your Excellency, there is still room for maneuver in this matter. Please have Minister Fan speak. The Fan residence has close ties with the Supervisory Council. If Chen Pingping is willing to stand on your Excellency's side, then no matter how much the Censorate makes trouble, His Majesty will firmly stand by your side."

Lin Ruofu shook his head: "His Majesty just wants me to make way for someone else."

"Make way for whom?"

"For the Crown Prince, or rather, for the future Emperor," Lin Ruofu said thoughtfully. "Fan Xian's momentum is too strong. If I am still in the court, with him managing the Supervisory Council in one hand and the Internal Treasury in the other, and with me supporting him behind the scenes, this kind of power may not even be matched by the princes. I told Fan Xian a few days ago that a tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind…"

"His Majesty's meaning is very clear. He wants to cultivate Fan Xian into a loyal minister to assist the prince who will eventually sit on the dragon throne… Since Fan Xian is to ascend, I must naturally step down," Lin Ruofu said with a smile. "If I am still here, Fan Xian will be in danger."

Yuan Hongdao was slightly startled, but he noticed a faint smile on the corner of the Prime Minister's lips, as if mocking something.

The sound of Da Bao playing with water came from outside the window. The Prime Minister's expression softened, and he stood up and walked to the window, looking out at his simple-minded eldest son. His eyebrows twitched slightly, and he said softly, "Tomorrow I will have Wan'er take Da Bao to the Fan residence."

Yuan Hongdao waited for the Prime Minister's next words.

"I will enter the palace to resign. I believe that His Majesty, seeing my hard work over the years, will allow me to have a relatively peaceful old age."

Yuan Hongdao was about to say something, but the Prime Minister coldly waved his hand to stop him and turned back to look at him quietly.

…

…

After a very long silence, Lin Ruofu's words carried a hint of sadness: "The letter to Peng Tingsheng was written by you."

The study suddenly became quiet. After a long time, Yuan Hongdao whispered, "Indeed. Even the assassination incident in the capital this time was arranged by the guards of the Prime Minister's residence."

"Why?" The Prime Minister frowned, looking troubled. "Since I entered the court as an official, you have been my only friend. I have always treated you with the utmost respect. Why have you been so patient for so many years, suddenly making a move, and not leaving me any way out?"

Yuan Hongdao and the Prime Minister had been friends for half their lives. They could truly be called lifelong friends. Yet, it was this person who had arranged so many things, pushing the Prime Minister into such an awkward situation. He knew too many secrets of the Prime Minister's residence. This time, with the framing and slander, even Lin Ruofu could only retreat!

He looked at the Prime Minister's somewhat old face and said with a slight apology, "Everyone's existence has a purpose, an intention. Old friend, I have been hiding in your study for so many years, actually for this day. I promised someone that when he needs you to step down, I will lend him a helping hand."

Lin Ruofu looked at his old friend in front of him, his lips slightly curved: "How many benefits did Yun Rui promise you that would make you betray a friend for personal gain?"

Yuan Hongdao shook his head and said, "It's not betraying a friend, nor is it seeking personal gain… It's just that His Majesty needs you to retire, and the Eldest Princess also needs it. The court needs you to leave the capital. As for seeking personal gain…" He smiled bitterly and said, "I originally thought… if you hadn't noticed what I was doing, I would have accompanied you back to our hometown and spent our old age together."

Lin Ruofu was slightly surprised and could not see what his strategist, who had followed him for many years, was really thinking in his heart.

…

…

In the capital shrouded in the night, Yuan Hongdao, accompanied by a page, packed his luggage. With a trace of melancholy, he looked back at the tightly closed gates of the Prime Minister's residence, sighed softly, and got into a carriage.

In the carriage, a Censor from the Censorate was looking at him coldly: "Mr. Yuan, when will you be going to the Court of Judicial Review to testify?"

Yuan Hongdao did not even look at the middle-aged man and gently stroked the long beard under his chin. After a long time, he said indifferently, "There is no need. The Prime Minister will enter the palace to resign tomorrow, and His Majesty will terminate the investigation of this case."

Upon hearing this, the Censor from the Censorate flew into a rage and rebuked him: "The evidence is all there. His Majesty will definitely arrest the treacherous Prime Minister and put him in prison! If you dare not testify in court, be careful that you cannot escape the consequences. You have followed the treacherous Prime Minister for many years. How can you be clean?"

Yuan Hongdao glanced at him coldly. This strategist, who was always known for his elegance, now had eyes that were extremely cold and sharp, like two sharp blades, making the Censor feel somewhat afraid.

"I only follow the orders from Xinyang," Yuan Hongdao looked at the pitiful Censor in front of him and said coldly, "When did it become your turn to arrange my affairs?"

The Censor was shocked and realized why the Prime Minister's confidant scholar would turn against him at the most critical moment. It turned out that… the other party was also a member of the Eldest Princess!

——————————————————————

At dawn, a carriage left the West Gate as soon as the city gates opened, rushing onto the official road and heading towards Xinyang.

Yuan Hongdao pressed the sharp sword hidden in the umbrella handle, frowning slightly, wondering how the somewhat crazy Eldest Princess would arrange for him, this chess piece that had been dormant for many years, after arriving in Xinyang.

Deep down in his heart, there was inevitably a trace of guilt towards Prime Minister Lin Ruofu. After all, they were old friends of several decades, and they had spent more time together than with their own families. After hiding in the Prime Minister's residence for so many years, he finally fulfilled his promise and played the most dishonorable but also the most important role in the Prime Minister's downfall. The fact that Lin Ruofu did not kill him was something that Yuan Hongdao should be grateful for.

He had dismissed the page who had been following him. Besides him, there was only the coachman in front of the carriage. Yuan Hongdao looked coldly at the coachman wielding the whip, discovering that the other party's wrist was extremely flexible, obviously possessing extremely high martial arts.

After a long time, the carriage passed the Eighteen Mile Station and entered a deserted mountain road. At this moment, the carriage slowly stopped, and the coachman turned his head, looking at Yuan Hongdao coldly with extremely unusual, extremely sharp eyes.

After a moment of silence, the coachman suddenly said, "Director Chen Pingping ordered his subordinate to express his gratitude to Mr. Yuan." He paused slightly and then said in a deep voice, "Please allow me to personally express my admiration to Mr. Yuan."

Yuan Hongdao said with a slight sadness, "I don't admire myself at all… Tell me about the plans in Xinyang. I believe that after this incident, the Eldest Princess should trust me."

He was a nail, a nail that Chen Pingping had planted beside the Prime Minister many years ago.