At that time, Song Zhao looked at Noble Consort Chen's smug expression, and suddenly understood one thing:
Noble Consort Chen's foolishness was most likely inherited from her father and brothers.
The harem's greatest taboo was for a consort to have ties with a past dynasty. Even letters sent by a consort's family into the palace had to be inspected by the Imperial Household Department before being given to the consort.
If this letter containing the tiger tally had gone through the Imperial Household Department's hands, Xiao Jingheng would have known about it.
But if it didn't go through the Imperial Household Department, how did the tiger tally and letter get delivered in?
Yet Noble Consort Chen dared to brazenly take it out.
This showed that she was either extremely dull-witted, or had become unruly in the palace, discarding all its strict rules.
Yet Xiao Jingheng did not look into this matter, and instead seemed very delighted.
He said that Ning Grand General's achievements were extremely great, and now that the realm was at peace, he should be promoted and ennobled.
Xiao Jingheng also had Noble Consort Chen's desk and chair moved next to his, and sat almost side by side with her.
Noble Consort Chen was elated, and seeing the Empress to the left with a green face, she respectfully toasted the Empress during the banquet,
"Empress, at the beginning of the new year, this concubine offers you a toast with water instead of wine. This concubine is pregnant and unable to stand, I hope the Empress will not blame me for this?"
The Empress forced a smile and said, "My sister's intention is kind, how could I blame you?"
She, the Empress, still had to stand and walk to the Noble Consort's side to clink glasses with her.
It was truly preposterous.
Yet this scene happened right in front of Xiao Jingheng's eyes.
He only busied himself drinking merrily with the princes, willfully ignoring it.
The next day at the morning court session, Ning Bochuan brought his eldest son Ning Xiuqi to hand a memorial to Xiao Jingheng, asking to resign his post and return home.
This completely dispelled Xiao Jingheng's suspicions and apprehensions towards them.
He had always known that the Ning father and son were not clean-handed, and had embezzled no small amount over the years.
But they had rendered merit to the country, and their achievements outweighed their faults. Xiao Jingheng had turned a blind eye, unwilling to nitpick with them.
He thought that if the Ning family was content to live quietly from now on, he could leave them a way out to retreat from the capital back to Sichuan and Shaanxi, to live affluently for the second half of their lives.
So at court, although he did not agree to the Ning family's request to resign, he said:
"You have established great military achievements for the founding of the dynasty. Now the realm is at peace, and I know you have spent half your life on battlefields, and now wish to retire and spend your days in leisure. I will reserve your official posts, and you will still be Grand General Who Pacifies The Frontiers to the outside world. But if you wish to live a peaceful life, I permit it."
Ning Bochuan cupped his hands respectfully, and loudly said:
"This subject thanks Your Majesty profusely! If the nation calls again in the future, we will surely serve Your Majesty, stabilize the dynasty, and not hesitate to offer our heads and spill our hot blood!"
After court that day, Xiao Jingheng summoned Prince Rui.
All this time, he had been using Prince Rui to check the Ning family. For the Ning family's sudden relinquishing of power, he also wanted to hear Prince Rui's opinion.
"What do you make of this matter?"
Prince Rui said: "This foolish brother does not dare make wild speculations. I only have one doubt. Since our dynasty's great victory over Candle Shade, nearly half a year has passed. With Candle Shade thoroughly routed, the realm is now at peace. Why did the Ning family not relinquish their military power then, but instead only gave up their iron grip on the troops now, right when Noble Consort Chen is about to give birth?"
Seeing Xiao Jingheng's increasingly overcast expression, Prince Rui added in a low voice,
"Does my foolish royal brother think they might have deeper motives for doing this?"
Prince Rui was practically spelling out that the Ning family was trying to make Xiao Jingheng lower his guard, safely allow the Noble Consort to give birth, then make their move afterwards.
Xiao Jingheng knitted his brows, continuously rubbing his thumb ring as he slowly said after a long pause:
"I am not without your apprehensions. Sometimes, the inclinations of the human heart can be more fearsome than power in hand. I do not know what the generals and troops think about Ning Bochuan's resignation."
Prince Rui understood now. Xiao Jingheng wanted to probe Ning Bochuan's standing amongst the soldiers. But if Xiao Jingheng summoned the generals himself, he would surely not hear the truth from them.
So Prince Rui said: "If you wish to investigate, it is no difficult task. Among the armies are many personal guards who have fought alongside this foolish brother."
Xiao Jingheng said: "Then discreetly ask around, and see what the generals and troops privately think about Ning Bochuan relinquishing his military power to the court."
Prince Rui bowed with cupped fists, and loudly said:
"This foolish brother will surely not fail your order!"
In the following days, Prince Rui wholeheartedly carried out this task, privately probing many generals in a roundabout manner.
He sorted through the intelligence he gathered, but the results were vastly different from his expectations.
The generals' evaluations of Ning Bochuan were unexpectedly good.
They said he governed the army strictly but treated the soldiers well, had no airs in daily life, and could get along with even the lowest soldiers. They could find no faults with him.
Regarding Ning Bochuan's resignation, the generals all said that although they felt some regret, they believed the Emperor must have better arrangements, and as the dynasty's generals they would look to the Emperor for guidance.
Prince Rui knew well that reporting this to Xiao Jingheng would make Xiao Jingheng spare the Ning family.
But how could he willingly let the Ning family get away scot-free?
To him, his birth mother had been hounded to death by Noble Consort Chen, and his arm had been broken by Ning Xiuqi.
He would never easily let go of vengeance for his mother's death.
So when replying to Xiao Jingheng, he embellished and exaggerated:
"This foolish brother privately asked the generals, and they universally sang praises of Ning Grand General. They mentioned Ning Grand General treats the soldiers well, viewing them as brothers, and is amiable without airs.
After all, I did not hear anyone speak a single bad word of Ning Grand General, but only extol and laud him ceaselessly. As for Ning Grand General's resignation, this foolish brother heard some vulgar words that I dare not repeat, for fear of sullying Your Majesty's ears."
At this time, Xiao Jingheng's expression had already become extremely ugly.
He angrily rebuked:
"Just say it."
Only then did Prince Rui hesitantly and haltingly say:
"Some generals said Ning Grand General's resignation is because Your Majesty sees the present peace in the realm and wants to forget moral principles. When the rabbit dies... the hound is stewed!"
