Chapter 408 What can I do for her?

The spacious and elegant study was brightly lit. Prince Rui was leaning back in his chair, holding a book in his hand, without turning a single page for a long time.

Qingyan, who was standing guard to the side, wanted to tell him to rest several times, but he remembered that his master was waiting for a letter and would not rest until he received it. So he could only pray in his heart that the Duke of Chu would reply to the prince soon.

Just then, there was a noise outside the door. Qingyan immediately opened the door and saw the steward holding a letter. He hurriedly asked, "Did it come from the Duke of Chu's mansion?"

Seeing the steward nod, Qingyan quickly snatched the letter from his hand and went into the study. She hurried to Prince Rui's side and said, "Your Highness, it's a reply from the Duke of Chu."

Upon hearing this, Prince Rui immediately sat up straight, took the letter, opened it, and read it carefully, word by word. After finishing, he sat there in silence again. Qingyan, puzzled, hesitated for a long time before asking, "Your Highness, has something happened?"

Prince Rui glanced at him, said nothing, and got up to walk towards his bedroom. Qingyan scratched his head and followed behind. He couldn't help but complain inwardly that ever since his prince fell in love with the Duke of Chu, he had been doing some rather inexplicable things from time to time.

Prince Rui, walking ahead, was unaware that his attendants were inwardly criticizing him, as he was troubled about how to get along with Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu's letter stated that she would tell the Emperor the next day that Ma Mingqian was the Prime Minister's son, a fact she had discovered through investigation, to prevent the Emperor from harboring any ill intentions towards him.

But he's a man, and this is something he should naturally shoulder. However, Jiang Yu is different from other women; she's even stronger than most men, and she does things that most men can't. So, it's perfectly reasonable for her to want to take on this responsibility now. It's also perfectly reasonable for Jiang Yu to like things being led by her.

And what about me? What can I do? What can I do for her?

This question lingered in Prince Rui's mind, leaving him unable to find a solution and causing him great distress. Even when lying in bed, he tossed and turned, pondering it.

...........

As night deepened, Jiang Yu finished thinking about what she needed to do the next day and closed her eyes. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard hurried footsteps outside, followed by Xia He calling her name.

She sat up, frowned, and asked, "What happened?"

Xia He lifted the bed curtains and said with a serious expression, "Lord Duke, Ma Mingqian is dead."

Jiang Yu was taken aback, then waved her hand and said, "I understand, you should go and rest too."

"Yes," Xia He replied, and quietly left. Jiang Yu lay down again; Ma Mingqian's death was within her expectations. The Prime Minister had cultivated his influence in the capital for many years; killing a prisoner imprisoned in the Jingzhao Yi prison was not beyond his capabilities.

She just hadn't expected the Prime Minister to be so ruthless as to kill his own son. Ma Mingqian was far more outstanding than his eldest son, Pei Hanming. The Prime Minister must hate her even more now.

She smiled slightly as she lay down, unafraid of anything; after all, it was a life-or-death situation. Even without Ma Mingqian's death, would the Prime Minister not hate her? Of course he would.

Why didn't she take precautions even though she knew the Prime Minister would eliminate Ma Mingqian?

First, given the Prime Minister's influence in the capital, she couldn't prevent it. Second, she didn't want to make a big fuss over this matter, lest the Emperor see the power of the Duke of Chu's mansion and become suspicious of her. Maintaining the Emperor's trust was the most important thing at this stage.

So tell me, did the emperor not know the power of the Duke of Chu's mansion? Of course he did, but knowing without seeing is completely different from knowing and seeing you using your power to stir up trouble.

What would the Emperor think if he knew Ma Mingqian was the Prime Minister's son, but died the very night he was arrested? A villain with compassion is completely different from a ruthless villain who would even kill his own son. The latter is far more dangerous and far more feared.

So, did the Prime Minister not think of this? Of course he did, but he had no choice but to do it. If Ma Mingqian didn't die, more of his secrets would be exposed.

Jiang Yu turned over, closed her eyes again, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

........

Prince Rui learned of Ma Mingqian's death the following morning. Upon hearing the report, he paused for a moment before acknowledging it. What Jiang Yu could think of, he naturally could too.

He was to see the Emperor today, so he ate a little something and went to the palace. He went to the Empress Dowager first. When she saw his dark circles, she thought he had stayed up all night researching again. She scolded him for not taking care of his health and then sent a lot of tonics to Prince Rui's residence.

After leaving the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace, he headed towards the Imperial Study. When he arrived, Prince An was also there. Upon seeing him, the Emperor stopped his conversation with Prince An and asked him if he had been injured the previous day.

“When I returned to the manor yesterday, I heard the sound of a slingshot exploding, so I rushed over immediately,” Prince Rui said earnestly. “By the time I arrived, the assassination attempt was over, and I was unharmed.”

The emperor was relieved and did not ask what he had done outside the palace yesterday, nor why he returned so late. Instead, he said, "It's good that you weren't injured."

Then the emperor spoke with Prince An, who reported to the emperor that Ma Mingqian was dead. The emperor frowned upon hearing this. Although he could guess that the assassination of Jiang Yu was related to the prime minister, he didn't know Ma Mingqian's identity, so he asked, "What grudge did Ma Mingqian have against the Duke of Chu?"