Shengjing City, Prince An's Mansion

Lu Xiaoyun received news that Ruoling had contracted the virus. She knew very well what kind of person her brother was; he wouldn't have sent her the message unless Ruoling's condition was extremely critical.

Ruoling died before she was a year old due to excessive worry. Later, she was also tormented by her uncle and aunt. Only after she was three years old and was taken back to the palace by the old emperor did her life become a little better.

However, precisely because her birth mother came from a humble background, the other princesses in the palace were not close to her, and even the noble ladies in the capital were not very willing to associate with her.

Only her fourth and fifth brothers were willing to talk to her more, but her fourth brother was often away on campaigns and could not return for several years at a time, while her fifth brother often traveled with the Imperial Advisor.

She was raised by the Empress Dowager and had few friends, so she was quite lonely.

But she was still a kind and likable girl, and she didn't deserve such an ending.

He immediately wrote a letter and sent it to Lu Yuyan via eagle-borne mail.

"Master, the Crown Prince's wife is not doing well." Feng Yan had just received the news that Zhu Zhi's legal wife, Bu Feizhang's daughter, had been in a coma for two days.

The imperial physician will make a diagnosis within the next day or two.

Lu Xiaoyun nodded. When the Crown Prince's wife gave birth to the Crown Prince Zhu Zixuan, she suffered a difficult childbirth and was bedridden for many years. She was already on her deathbed.

"How is the Crown Prince's condition?"

Feng Yan shook his head: "It's not very good either. It's said that he coughs day and night, and even the imperial physicians are helpless."

The Crown Prince's wife heard about Lu Yuyan's medical skills and sent a visiting card, inviting him to come and see her.

Although Zhu Zhi was not a good person, the children were innocent. Lu Yuyan had gone to see them, and he had also examined the pulses of the Crown Prince's wife. However, they were too ill, and he had come too late. A few years earlier, he might have been able to help, but now he was powerless to do anything.

Zhu Zixuan has congenital heart disease, which would require surgery even in modern times, let alone in this era.

"How is Ren Yong'an?" Lu Xiaoyun asked.

Feng Yan made a chop gesture: "She was confined to the backyard of the First Prince's residence, and was to be killed after she gave birth."

If she hadn't been pregnant with a royal child, she would have been killed along with the entire Zhu Heng family and the nine generations of the rebellious ministers, including Ren Yushan and Xiao Song, when the emperor issued an edict half a month ago to execute them.

Lu Xiaoyun didn't believe that Ren Yong'an was really willing to surrender so easily.

Zhu Yu, who was dealing with the accounts, chuckled upon hearing this: "If nothing unexpected happens, once the Crown Prince passes away, the Emperor will immediately issue an edict to appoint Zhu Dan as the Crown Prince."

Feng Yan nodded: "Yes, I have also received news from the palace. His Majesty was injured in the last palace coup. Although the injury was very minor, a month has passed and it has been lingering without improvement. In the past few days, it seems to be getting worse. Many state affairs have been handed over to His Highness the Fifth Prince to handle."

Lu Xiaoyun waved for Feng Yan to step back.

Zhu Yu looked at Lu Xiaoyun: "What do you want to say?"

Lu Xiaoyun said, "There is still one obstacle to making Zhu Dan the crown prince."

You mean Zhu Chen?

Although the Duke of Yingguo's 130,000-strong army was renamed the Yan Army and transferred to the northwest border, Zhu Chen still had a strong foundation in the court and his military power did not fall into the hands of others.

Zhu Chen, the old emperor will surely get rid of him!

"Yes. Ayan wrote to say that Zhu Chen's epidemic has been cured. He was the one who caused Ruoling to get sick. Ayan gave him a good beating, and he hasn't been able to get out of bed for the past few days."

Zhu Yu snorted coldly: "To use such despicable means against one's own sister, it would be too lenient not to kill him."

Lu Xiaoyun was startled: "What, what are you going to do?"

Zhu Yu looked at the lush osmanthus tree in the courtyard and gripped his pen tightly: "Then let's give him a big gift!"

Furthermore, if we don't make sure he can't recover, given his vengeful nature, Ayan will be in great danger once he returns to Shengjing.

Although with the two of them protecting him, it wouldn't be so easy for Ayan to fall into his hands, but you can only be a thief for a thousand days, not a thief for a thousand days.

Zhu Chen was beaten, but it was only a superficial injury, and he will return to Shengjing City soon.

But what awaits him is a hellish nightmare.

The next day, news came from the Crown Prince's residence that the Crown Prince's wife had passed away.

The Crown Prince was so grief-stricken that he fainted from crying.

Upon hearing the news in the Imperial Study, Zhu Dan paused, his hand holding the vermilion brush pausing, and a smile rarely appeared on his face anymore.

The palace servants standing by were trembling with fear, wondering why the usually gentle and polite Fifth Prince had become so unapproachable lately.

Zhu Dan put down his pen and took Zuo Xiu to the First Prince's residence.

The Crown Prince's residence was still surrounded by the Imperial Guards, and no one dared to come and pay their respects to the Crown Princess at this time.

Although Bu Feizhang was not removed from his position as Right Chancellor, he did not dare to come and mourn his own daughter.

After the palace coup, the old emperor ordered Zhu Dan to select 20,000 elite soldiers from the Northern Army and reorganize them into the Imperial Guard, appointing Qi Shaocheng as the commander of the Imperial Guard.

The remaining 180,000 Northern Army troops took over the original Northwest Military Camp and became the Emperor's army to protect the safety of the Emperor in Shengjing.

The Grand Commander was also a trusted confidant personally selected by the old emperor, Xiao Cheng, the eldest princess's husband.

In reality, the husband of a princess was not allowed to hold an important position in the court, but there was really no one else in the court, and the old emperor could not trust anyone.

Furthermore, the imperial son-in-law, Xiao Cheng, was brave but lacked strategy, and apart from his elderly mother, there were no other men in the household.

Even his eldest daughter, who married him, only had two daughters. Rather than letting someone else benefit from this, he decided to let his eldest son-in-law become the commander-in-chief.

Upon seeing that it was His Highness the Fifth Prince, the Imperial Guards naturally dared not stop him. They hurriedly pushed open the vermilion gate that had not been opened for several months and invited Zhu Dan inside.

White silk was fluttering throughout the mansion. The weather in May was already quite warm, but for some reason, the mansion of the First Prince was desolate.

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