Emperor Liang Cheng suddenly asked Chen Zhaoci, "Where are Mr. Yue and his party now?"

Chen Zhaoci paused for a moment, then replied, "The other day, Brother Bai wrote a letter saying that he went to his fourth sister's house. His fourth sister married into the Lin family in Gaoqing County."

Marquis Yongning was taken aback by Chen Zhaoci's answer. He hadn't expected his daughter-in-law to answer Emperor Liang Cheng's question so casually, without any respectful titles or formalities, as if they were just having a casual chat.

Emperor Liang Cheng was slightly taken aback, then recalled hearing that the third wife of the Marquis of Yongning was not fond of formalities, and now it seemed that the rumors were not unfounded.

Marquis Yongning opened his mouth to say something about Chen Zhaoci, but when he thought about how Chen Zhaoci always acted, he kept sighing in his heart.

Emperor Liang Chengdi, thinking that the New Year was approaching, said with some melancholy, "I wonder if they will be able to come back for the New Year."

Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "He's back. Brother Bai said he's coming back to spend the New Year with his grandmother."

For some unknown reason, Emperor Liang Cheng said to Chen Wufu, "Wufu, arrange for twenty men from Team B to rush to Gaoqing County overnight. Make sure to protect Mr. Yue and his party."

Chen Wufu agreed and went outside to make arrangements. That night, Chen Wufu had already transferred quite a few people from the inner guard.

Emperor Liang Cheng said to Marquis Yongning, "Lord Xu, after tomorrow when the windows of the Imperial Study have been opened for ventilation, please ask the Chen family to go to the southwest to obtain medicine. Also, please ask your third wife to stay in the palace to treat me at any time."

Marquis Yongning said with some difficulty, "But Zhao Ci is a noblewoman."

Emperor Liang waved his hand and said, "I know that the west side room of my imperial study is where the palace maids who serve tea and snacks live. I will have to trouble the Third Consort to stay in the west side room for the time being. All the medicinal materials are brought from your residence. In the next few days, if the Third Consort has any requests, she can go to Wufu to discuss them. There is a secret passage in the palace with an entrance in the imperial study. This is the biggest secret of the palace, and you all know it today."

Thinking of that secret passage, Marquis Yongning kept muttering to himself, "The emperor's heart is unpredictable. Who knows when I will be silenced by the emperor in front of me for knowing this secret?"

Emperor Liang Cheng had Chen Wufu take the Chen siblings to the west side room, and then had Marquis Yongning sit down on a chair next to the couch. He slowly said, "This poisoning should have been done by Wang Xiuyuan."

Marquis Yongning exclaimed in surprise, "Wang Xiuyuan? Isn't she also from the Wang family? How could she use poison from the southwest?"

Emperor Liang Cheng sneered twice and said, "When the Wang family was divided, the collateral branches were dissatisfied with the main branch, while the main branch suppressed the collateral branches in earlier years. The relationship between the two sides was not good. Consort Shu came from the collateral branch. She was a concubine chosen for me by the late emperor when I was still a prince. Later, in order to be safe, the Wang family selected one from the main branch and sent her to the harem."

When Marquis Yongning thought about the current state of the Wang family, he realized it was indeed the case. Many people said that the Wang family was truly a case of fortunes changing every thirty years. Who could have imagined that a girl from an unknown collateral branch of the Wang family, who was sent to the residence of an unfavored prince, would later become the emperor's Consort Shu? Moreover, the collateral branch of the Wang family had produced a capable talent like Wang Junzhuo. Relying on Wang Junzhuo's power in the southwest, the collateral branch of the Wang family had not only surpassed the main branch of the Wang family, but now the main branch of the Wang family had to rely on the collateral branch for survival.

Wang Xiuyuan was sent to the palace by the Wang family after Emperor Liang Cheng ascended the throne. She was not particularly favored and was only granted the title of Xiuyuan after giving birth to a prince. Over the years, her rank has not risen. Apart from having a newly adult prince by her side, she is no different from other unfavored concubines. However, it seems that this woman is not someone who can survive by relying on the emperor's favor. With her forbearance and scheming, she is planning to poison Emperor Liang Cheng and put her own son on the throne. After all, the Empress Dowager is the most honorable woman in the entire Liang Dynasty.

Emperor Liang Cheng had never imagined that such a venomous snake was lurking among his own people. If it weren't for the head of the Imperial Medical Academy saying that he had been poisoned by a rare toxin from the southwest, he wouldn't have suspected Wang Xiuyuan. He was well aware of the sordid affairs between the main and collateral branches of the Wang family. It was because he was aware of this that he allowed a girl from the main branch of the Wang family to enter the palace and allowed this girl from the main branch to have a child, all in the hope that this girl from the main branch of the Wang family would restrain Consort Wang and Wang Junzhuo. Now it seems that he has shot himself in the foot.

Marquis Yongning didn't really want to hear about these private matters of the inner palace, but now, Emperor Liang Cheng was probably feeling sad and unwell, so he wanted to find someone to vent his pent-up frustrations. Marquis Yongning listened until he felt numb, wishing he were deaf and couldn't hear anything. Unfortunately, his hearing was excellent, and he could hear everything Emperor Liang Cheng said very clearly.

Emperor Liang Cheng said, "Lord Xu, I have known you since childhood, and I placed my hopes on your family as you grew up. This is because I trust you and the old lady of your household. After all, the old lady is a person who keeps her promises. Although the Grand Princess was practicing asceticism in a temple outside the city, she made a solemn vow that her descendants would be loyal to the royal family of Liang. You have done very well over the years. If we really think about it, it is our Xiao family that has let down your Xu family."

Emperor Liang Cheng even changed his self-address, indicating he was preparing to have a casual chat with Marquis Yongning. Marquis Yongning's spirits immediately lifted. He knew that Emperor Liang Cheng's actions meant he had something important to tell him. In the past, whenever there was something important and dangerous that he wanted Marquis Yongning's household to do, he would first play the emotional card with Marquis Yongning. Marquis Yongning knew that his own mother was the daughter of the brilliant and beautiful Grand Princess who had saved the Great Liang from dire straits.

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