Zhao Ji's face instantly turned grim, and he immediately turned to look at the little eunuch behind him.
"This matter arose suddenly. This is intelligence sent from His Highness's side!"
The little eunuch fell to his knees with a thud and quickly took out a locked box.
Zhao Ji glared at him with dissatisfaction but didn't say much else. Compared to the memorials submitted by officials, he trusted the intelligence from the Imperial City Directorate more. After all, officials' memorials generally included their own thoughts. The intelligence from the Imperial City Directorate, on the other hand, simply stated facts without any bias.
Even though Cai You was still present, he didn't pay him much mind. After all, compared to other ministers, Cai You was more favored by him. He directly reached into his怀 and took out a small golden key, then opened the brocade box before him. However, after reading the documents within, his expression grew increasingly grim. Outside of Bianliang city, over two hundred thousand refugees had gathered. At this time, the Jin envoys were within Bianliang city. The two countries were currently discussing a joint attack on Liao. If the Jin envoys discovered such a scale of famine within the Great Song at this time, it was hard to imagine what conditions those Jin people would propose. It was precisely for this reason that he had repeatedly asked officials to keep all refugees outside the capital region.
But now, the situation had completely exceeded everyone's expectations. With the Crown Prince beginning large-scale disaster relief, refugees from several nearby counties had started to converge on the vicinity of Bianliang city day and night. According to intelligence provided by the Imperial City Directorate, within three to five days, the number of these refugees could very well exceed three hundred thousand. The Crown Prince had done all this not only by keeping it from him, his father, the Emperor, but also by openly forging imperial decrees to mobilize the officials of Kaifeng Prefecture. This matter had touched Zhao Ji's sensitive nerves. Kaifeng Prefecture was no ordinary place; it was the capital of the Great Song. Although he held the position of Prefect of Kaifeng, everyone knew it was merely an honorary title. For the officials and constables of Kaifeng Prefecture to be so passively allowing themselves to be mobilized by the Crown Prince was something that made him, the Emperor, find difficult to accept.
To focus their efforts on eliminating the Crown Prince, Prince Yun and others had gone to great lengths, using subtle wording to almost completely erase Prince Xin Zhao Zhen's role in this matter, only vaguely mentioning that Zhao Zhen had provided all the provisions.
"Go and find a few Grand Councilors, and also find that rebellious son of mine!" Zhao Ji said grimly, feeling his authority challenged.
"Yes!" Hearing the Emperor's command, Cai You was overjoyed. Judging by the Emperor's expression, the Crown Prince was likely in trouble today, which was exactly what they wanted. Once the Crown Prince arrived, the subsequent matters would proceed smoothly. Among the remaining princes, besides Prince Yun Zhao Kai, no one else could possibly succeed the Crown Prince. With Zhao Kai's current influence, if he ascended to the position of Crown Prince, no one would be able to pull him down again. Regardless of the price they had to pay, as long as Zhao Kai ultimately succeeded, their sacrifices would bring them extraordinary returns.
Half an hour later, Cai Jing, along with Wang Fu and Bai Zhizhong, the two Vice Grand Councilors, Yu Shen and Tong Guan, one main and one vice Grand Councilors of Military Affairs, and Liang Shicheng, entered the Great Celebration Hall. Seeing that Liang Shicheng had also arrived, Cai Jing silently nodded to him.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!" Finally, the protagonist of the day had arrived. Everyone present understood that with the Emperor putting on such a grand display and the scouts having made such a serious misjudgment, the Crown Prince's position was likely to be lost. Even so, Cai Jing did not detect any hint of panic on Liang Shicheng's face. This made him almost certain that that old fox was up to something today, and his own foolish son had likely fallen into a trap without realizing it. However, the intelligence he currently possessed was very limited, and it was difficult for him to ascertain their scheme at this moment. But as things stood, there was no longer enough time for him to understand the full picture. At this juncture, he could only take things one step at a time.
All the main characters were present, but the Emperor still showed no intention of speaking, flipping through the memorials before him in silence. His reading speed remained unchanged, and his face showed no emotion. However, his silent demeanor was enough to make the Crown Prince tremble with anxiety. All the ministers, including Liang Shicheng, were seated on both sides, and junior eunuchs promptly served tea and refreshments. But for the Crown Prince, there was not even a seat, let alone tea. He stood bent over, maintaining a posture of deference, his face filled with trepidation as he looked at Zhao Ji who was flipping through the memorials.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived..." After a full quarter of an hour, seeing that Zhao Huan's face was already starting to bead with sweat, Liang Shicheng, unable to bear it any longer, said softly.
"You've been very powerful recently!" Zhao Ji blurted out without even looking up. At this, everyone straightened their bodies. This single sentence had revealed a great deal of information. Cai You, standing by to serve, couldn't help but feel inwardly delighted. The Emperor was clearly more than just displeased with the Crown Prince, otherwise he wouldn't have said such a thing!
"This humble son is terrified. I don't know what Your Majesty is referring to..." As Zhao Huan spoke, he knelt directly on the ground. This was not an act; he was naturally timid, and having been suppressed for years, seeing the Emperor about to make a move, he instinctively felt a sense of guilt.
"You don't know what I'm talking about? See for yourself!" As Zhao Ji spoke, he swept all the memorials piled on his desk onto the floor. Cai Jing's eyelids flickered once, and he quickly resumed his dignified posture. His eyes were lowered, his gaze fixed on his nose, completely embodying an attitude of detachment and non-involvement.
"Your Majesty, if the Crown Prince has acted improperly, you may discipline him as you see fit. If you were to fall ill from anger, the people of the world would likely say the Crown Prince is greatly unfilial!" Tong Guan, as one of Prince Yun's partners, naturally stepped forward to smooth things over. While he appeared to be helping the Crown Prince, his true intentions were known only to himself.