Zhao Xiaohua dared to come because she had her confidence.
Her reliance was on her grasp of future events.
She knew that even if the Crown Prince faced many dangers at this time, he would still become the ruler of Da Liang.
Although he was not a good emperor.
But she didn't need him to be particularly good, as long as it was beneficial to her.
She was very confident in what she knew, thus ignoring Liang Xinran's repeated tantrums.
She knew he needed her help now.
So she was not afraid and remained composed.
"The Crown Prince's worries are three: first, the matter of Jiangning Prefecture; second, the matter of Bazhou Prefecture; and third, Prince Duan."
Liang Xinran, in his high position, looked down at Zhao Xiaohua.
The girl in the hall was not outstanding in appearance, nor was her taste in clothing particularly good.
But her demeanor was truly remarkable.
She was not intimidated by his princely authority, and her words were heartfelt.
However, he did not intend to expose his thoughts in front of her.
He merely looked at her coldly, wanting to hear what else she could say.
"The first worry is nothing, it can be resolved with a wave of the hand." Zhao Xiaohua, not knowing where she learned this classical phrasing, indeed sounded like a strategist.
This statement piqued Liang Xinran's interest.
"How so?"
"The Prefect of Jiangning Prefecture is Liu Qiaosheng, he is the younger cousin of the Grand Princess's consort. Although he has always been close to Duke Huang, he is publicly associated with the Grand Princess.
Whatever he has done, Crown Prince, you only need to say you know nothing."
Zhao Xiaohua recalled that in her past life, someone had stepped forward to resolve this predicament for the Crown Prince.
The method was simple: find someone to take the blame.
The Crown Prince already had a plan for this matter.
The stew in Jiangning Prefecture was simmering well, with continuous silver flowing into the Crown Prince's mansion every quarter.
It was all Liu Qiaosheng's fault for becoming greedy and deciding to persecute the Jiang family to death.
It would have been fine if he had only targeted ordinary merchants in Jiangning Prefecture.
But he chose to target a prominent aristocratic family in Jiangning Prefecture, the Jiang family.
Little did he know that the Jiang family had been entrenched in Jiangning Prefecture for a long time, and they were not to be trifled with by others.
Moreover, he was related to the highly influential Duke of Yu's mansion.
When he made his move, he pulled himself into an abyss.
Truly hateful.
If he didn't take this blame, who would?
However, Liang Xinran had only mentioned these matters to a group of his Eastern Palace strategists and had not yet had the chance to implement them.
This was because Emperor Xingzhao had not yet reached a conclusion on the Jiangning Prefecture affair. Although the original cause was clear, the truth was evident, and Liu Qiaosheng had already been apprehended and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's Celestial Prison.
But the case had not been heard, nor had there been time to investigate who was behind Liu Qiaosheng.
Therefore, Zhao Xiaohua's words could not have been overheard from elsewhere.
They were most likely her own knowledge.
"Indeed, you have some skill." Liang Xinran looked at Zhao Xiaohua with some surprise.
Although her appearance was not outstanding, her analysis was indeed quite good.
"The matter of Jiangning Prefecture is not a worry, but the matter of Bazhou is perilous," Liang Xinran said.
"That is not so. Crown Prince, you may be too optimistic.
Liu Qiaosheng is meant to take the blame, but do you think he is someone who speaks easily?" Zhao Xiaohua said.
She had just tested Liang Xinran.
Seeing that his methods were almost identical to those used in her past life.
However, he thought too simply of Liu Qiaosheng.
Even ants seek to survive; Liu Qiaosheng would not be someone who actively sought death.
Although he was captured, he would definitely not be willing to be the scapegoat, and would likely expose many people during his trial.
Just like in her past life.
Liu Qiaosheng, after suffering torture in the Ministry of Justice's Celestial Prison, was on the verge of revealing everything.
He sold out the Grand Princess's consort, the Crown Prince, Duke Huang, and everyone else.
The impact of their actions was too great, and in the end, they were not severely punished.
But the Crown Prince was still noted in the Emperor's ledger.
At the same time, his impression among the court officials also greatly diminished.
This was the reason for the subsequent deposition.
Zhao Xiaohua explained what Liu Qiaosheng had done in her past life to Liang Xinran through deduction, frightening him into a cold sweat.
"Is this true?" Liu Qiaosheng would betray them like this?
"Crown Prince, what is your impression of Liu Qiaosheng's usual character?"
Liang Xinran hesitated for a moment. His impression of Liu Qiaosheng was that he was greedy for wealth and lust, short-sighted, and a coward...
If he were pushed to desperation, he would likely sell them out.
"Then what should we do?" Liang Xinran was beginning to admire Zhao Xiaohua, and his tone gradually softened.
"Crown Prince, what kind of person do you think is the safest?" Zhao Xiaohua's voice suddenly turned cold.
Liang Xinran hesitated for only a moment before saying, "Naturally, a dead person."
Only the dead can keep secrets.
Zhao Xiaohua smiled and gave Liang Xinran a deep bow.
The implication was that as the Crown Prince, he had the final say, and she hadn't said anything.
Liang Xinran also smiled. He had to admit that although this woman did not look outstanding, her words and actions were very much to his liking, and her advice was quite timely.
"You are right, this plan is feasible." Liang Xinran said, summoning Fu Yuan, a eunuch who served him, and whispering a few instructions. Fu Yuan glanced at Zhao Xiaohua subconsciously and turned to leave.
"The first worry is gone, what about the second?" This was the matter that worried Liang Xinran the most.
It was as if fire was burning his eyebrows.
Having verified that Zhao Xiaohua indeed possessed talent and was not merely rumored to be capable, he immediately invited her to sit, had fragrant tea served, and inquired about the Bazhou affair.
"Regarding the Bazhou matter, this humble one has important news to report." Zhao Xiaohua lowered her voice.
She cautiously looked around the hall. Apart from the Crown Princess, who was weeping with her face covered, there was no one else.
She was then relieved and said in a sweet voice, "Does Your Highness not know who rescued those infected with the plague in Liang?"
Liang Xinran had his suspicions, but lacked evidence. He shook his head and said he truly did not know, asking if she did.
"I dare not hide anything from Your Highness. This humble one has actually been sending people to follow that group, so I happened to see their actions."
Zhao Xiaohua then recounted how she had followed Shen Yun and his group in and out of Bazhou.
"On the way, my men personally saw them capture the guards under Your Highness and rescue those more than thirty afflicted commoners.
We originally followed them all the way to Bazhou Prefecture, but unfortunately, we lost track of them midway and could not find them in time."
Zhao Xiaohua described the process in detail.
She had spent a considerable amount of time in the capital, both in this life and the previous one, but her speech occasionally carried a Sichuan accent.
Liang Xinran paid no mind to this, only feeling that her words stirred his heart and ignited his anger.
"So it was Lu Mingyang and the Wang family's young scion who wronged me." Liang Xinran had been wondering who had intercepted his plans from behind.
When he first arrived in Bazhou and was carrying out the cremation of the plague-ridden commoners, it was also highly classified. He had publicly claimed that they were cremating the bodies of the plague-ridden commoners.
He had always been puzzled as to how the news of cremating living people could have leaked.
He did not expect the crucial point to be here.
"Do you have any evidence?" Liang Xinran asked urgently.
If he had evidence, he would personally deal with Old Man Lu and the young Wang.
Zhao Xiaohua's eyes flickered. She indeed had no evidence.
Moreover, because she still had feelings for Shen Yun, she deliberately concealed his existence, intending to favor him.
And only asked Liang Xinran to deal with Wang Enze and Lu Mingyang.
Zhao Xiaohua thought that she would not help Shen Yun conceal this matter for free; she would definitely seek a favor from him.