Chapter 485 The Story of Zongzheng Qingyue!

Li Qingluo thought that Zhang Tingjiu was really a talented person.

Having endured humiliation and hardship for so many years, and even managed to use the situation to eliminate his enemies, he is now even more willing to take on responsibilities out of gratitude.

Moreover, they are quite thorough in their work.

I really don't know what's wrong with Princess Zhiyuan. She ignores such a consort who tramples on her every day, yet she insists on putting her heart on Xie Huaiyuan for decades and refuses to turn back.

Although Li Qingluo didn't completely trust Zhang Tingjiu, she really didn't have a better choice than letting him handle the aftermath.

Seeing so many monks dead, the people, after their initial impulsiveness, were filled with fear.

Everyone gathered together, all looking terrified.

Zhang Tingjiu quickly rushed over and took charge of the situation.

"Don't be afraid, folks."

"You're just trying to get your money back, and I, the prince consort, will stand up for you."

"However, I, the Prince Consort, need you to agree to one thing."

After a while, Leng Dian found Li Qingluo and Duan Rong standing on the edge of the cliff and reported, "Your Highness, Miss. Zhang Tingjiu and his men have dug up all the gold and silver from the ground."

"However, judging from the quantity, it should not be enough."

He said that the Xie family was implicated in a corruption and bribery case back then, but the matter was dropped after Xie Huaiyuan suddenly became a monk.

"Although the Xie family got out of that mess, they were still badly hurt and were completely broke years ago."

"But strangely enough, the Xie family has continued to live a comfortable life all these years, and Zhang Tingjiu has been investigating for a long time but has not been able to find the source of the Xie family's money."

"The shops and estates they own now simply cannot support their current lifestyle."

"But Zhang Tingjiu just understood everything."

Li Qingluo: "So, the Xie family officially severed ties with Xie Huaiyuan back then, but in private, Xie Huaiyuan has been secretly sending money to the Xie family all these years."

"They were sending money to exploit the local people, deceiving the common folk, and even taking money from the high-ranking officials and nobles of Nan'an."

Li Qinglu couldn't help but let out a cold laugh: "This Xie family is just like Xie Huaiyuan, they're all rotten to the core."

"The Xie family may not have been entirely innocent when they were embroiled in the corruption case back then."

Li Qingluo remembered what her mother had said: Xie Huaiyuan had lied to her and given her to that person in order to protect the Xie family.

Looking back now, Li Qingluo still feels that Xie Huaiyuan died too easily.

"Ah Shi, do you still remember what Princess Zhiyuan said when she pointed at Mother's face and cursed her in the Guanyin Hall?"

She wants to dig up Zongzheng Qingyue's corpse, splatter it with dog blood, and seal the soul nails!

Li Qinglu clenched her fists upon hearing this.

Duan Rongshi's voice was as cold as ice: "Forgot?"

"Once their remains are burned to ashes, we might as well taste these flavors ourselves."

Leng Dian understood what they meant and nodded in agreement.

"By the way, Zhang Tingjiu, in front of the people, took all the blame for killing the monk onto the guards of the princess's residence."

"He also promised to spare the lives of these people today, as long as they do not reveal the princess's background."

Li Qingluo: "With so many people, there are bound to be some cowards who will let slip the secret, so it can't be kept secret."

"Is this his method?"

Leng Dian: "It seems like they have a backup plan. Right now, everyone's carrying the gold and silver to the front of the mountain to dig up the collapsed and buried mountain road."

Duan Rongshi: "Send half of the men to help dig. Keep a close eye on this man and see what other tricks he has up his sleeve to clean up the mess."

Leng Dian: "Yes!"

In the blink of an eye, only Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi remained on the cliff.

This matter can be considered to have come to an end.

Once the mountain road is completed, everyone will leave this place one after another.

Now, there is finally no one around, and no one will come at this time.

Duan Rongshi looked down at Li Qingluo and asked, "Luo'er, could you tell me the whole story of your mother?"

He has followed in her footsteps and brought his mother's two enemies to their doom.

Who are the Empress Dowager's next enemies?

He has been searching for the truth for so many years; it's time to get to the bottom of it.

Li Qingluo quickly replied, "Of course."

She pulled Duan Rongshi to sit down on the edge of the cliff, just like when they were still in the underworld, and Zongzheng Qingyue held her hand and sat under a tree.

She began to tell the story of Zongzheng Qingyue in detail...

As far back as Zongzheng Qingyue could remember, she had always lived in that small, square courtyard in the Cold Palace.

She has a twin brother named Zongzheng Langri.

Their mother was the former empress of the Great Chu Dynasty. She was a noblewoman who was both shrewd and skilled, unlike ordinary women from noble families, but also the most beautiful woman in the entire Great Chu.

When she was young, the late empress accompanied the late emperor on his campaigns, offering him advice and occasionally even personally leading the charge.

It can be said that their mother made significant contributions to the previous dynasty, and their entire maternal clan helped the former emperor seize the throne.

However, later, the late emperor was instigated by treacherous people and believed that the empress's fate would clash with his ability to secure the throne.

He forgot who helped him fight on the front lines, and he also forgot who helped him secure his throne.

He married another cousin from the Empress's maternal clan and brought her into the palace as a concubine. While appeasing the Empress's maternal clan, he personally banished the Empress to the Cold Palace.

Even their own son, Zongzheng Langri, was implicated and imprisoned in the Cold Palace along with the Empress.

The Empress gave birth to Zongzheng Qingyue in the Cold Palace.

Perhaps due to the humiliation and heartbreak he suffered, he passed away in despair when Zongzheng Qingyue was two years old.

Until her death, seven-year-old Zongzheng Langri was unable to find a royal physician, and the news may never have even left the Cold Palace.

The guards were like two stone statues, unmoved no matter how much Zongzheng Langri kowtowed until his head bled.

Zongzheng Langri could only hastily use his small hands, carrying his younger sister on his back, to bury his mother under the tree in the courtyard.

From then on, Zongzheng Langri and his younger sister Zongzheng Qingyue ate spoiled food and drank rainwater, growing up slowly in extreme malnutrition and hunger until Zongzheng Qingyue was five years old, and he was ten years old.

The border region is engaged in a fierce battle with Daliang.

The Great Chu suffered repeated defeats and lost several cities in succession.

The late emperor wanted to personally lead an expedition again, but suddenly realized that his years of leisure and extravagance had left him physically unable to keep up.

Even wielding a large sword, he could only manage ten moves before he was already panting heavily.

Only then did he remember the days when he had a clever and skilled empress by his side.

He then suddenly remembered that the empress who had accompanied him was still imprisoned in the cold palace.

They also have a son.

When he suddenly felt like visiting them, he discovered that his empress had long since died.