Chapter 34 Finding Clues

"Alright. After it's done, I will report your merits to Your Majesty and I will not treat you unfairly."

"Thank you, Master!"

"Chuntao, let's go!" Ye Wanning pulled Chuntao and quietly left the meditation room.

Back in the temple's front courtyard, Ye Wanning's heart was still pounding.

"What do we do now?" Chun Tao's voice trembled slightly.

Ye Wanning took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down: "We must tell His Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Pei immediately, and warn them to be careful."

She looked up at the sky: "We still have time, let's hurry back to the capital!"

The two quickly left Bao'en Temple, boarded a carriage, and headed towards the capital.

Ye Wanning remained in the carriage, pondering what she had just overheard. Who exactly were that old monk and the mysterious man? Why were they targeting the Crown Prince?

"Could they be remnants of the Third Prince's faction?" Or do they have other backers?

Ye Wanning dared not think any further. She only knew that she had to stop them as soon as possible, otherwise the Crown Prince would be in danger again.

Upon returning to the capital, Ye Wanning did not go to the Minister's residence, but went directly to the Pei residence.

When Pei Zhi heard that she had arrived, he quickly invited her to meet him in his study.

"Miss Ye, what's the matter that you're in such a hurry to see me?" Pei Zhi asked.

Ye Wanning told him what she had heard at Bao'en Temple, and Pei Zhi's face immediately became serious.

"How dare they be so audacious!" Pei Zhi exclaimed angrily. "It seems the remnants of the Third Prince's faction haven't been completely wiped out, and their ambitions are quite large; they actually intend to harm His Highness the Crown Prince!"

“Yes,” Ye Wanning said, “we must stop them as soon as possible.”

Pei Zhi frowned: "Did you get a clear look at that old monk and the mysterious man?"

"No." Ye Wanning shook her head. "We just heard their voices, but we didn't dare get too close."

Pei Zhi thought for a moment: "The abbot of Bao'en Temple is the Venerable Huineng. He is highly respected and would not do such a thing. It must be some monk in the temple, or an imposter."

He paused for a moment: "I've sent people to Bao'en Temple to investigate the old monk's identity, and I've also strengthened the protection of His Highness the Crown Prince to prevent them from harming him."

Ye Wanning nodded: "Alright. We should also inform His Highness."

Pei Zhi said, "I have already sent someone to inform His Highness, so don't worry, someone will protect him."

Ye Wanning felt a little relieved: "Thank you, Lord Pei."

Pei Zhidao said, "This is our shared responsibility."

Ye Wanning left the Pei residence and returned to the Minister's residence. She told Minister Ye and Ye Chengjing what had happened at Bao'en Temple, and the two were very shocked.

"These people are truly despicable!" Minister Ye roared. "They even dared to touch the Crown Prince! I'm going to the palace right now to speak with the Emperor!"

Ye Wanning nodded: "Father, go ahead. We'll also be prepared to deal with anything that might happen."

Minister Ye hurriedly left the Minister's residence and went to the palace.

Ye Chengjing said to Ye Wanning, "Ningning, who do you think that mysterious person is? He can arrange for someone to get close to the Crown Prince, so he must be no ordinary person."

Ye Wanning frowned: "I don't know. But I think it must be someone from the Third Prince's faction, or someone related to Consort Li."

She paused, then asked, "Brother, we can't just sit idly by. Could you check who's been in contact with His Highness the Crown Prince lately?"

Ye Chengjing nodded: "Okay, I'll have someone investigate."

In the following days, the atmosphere in the capital grew even more tense. Pei Zhi ordered increased protection for the Crown Prince, while Ye Chengjing secretly investigated those who had contact with the Crown Prince's associates. Ye Wanning stayed in the Minister's residence, closely monitoring the situation. She knew that the mysterious man and the old monk would not give up; they would definitely find a way to deal with the Crown Prince.

Sure enough, news arrived a few days later. A palace maid who had poisoned the Crown Prince had been captured. According to her confession, she was instructed by a mysterious person who gave her a bottle of poison. But the mysterious person was cunning; the palace maid didn't recognize him, had never seen his face, and only knew that he had a hoarse voice.

“It seems our precautions have worked,” Pei Zhi said. “But this also shows that they haven’t given up, and we can’t let our guard down.”

Ye Wanning nodded: "Yes. As long as that old monk and the mysterious man are not caught, His Highness the Crown Prince will not be safe."

Pei Zhi said, "I have already sent people to intensify the investigation of Bao'en Temple, and I believe we will find news of the old monk soon."

A few days later, Pei Zhi's men finally brought good news.

"My lord, we've found a clue!" A guard rushed in and said to Pei Zhi, "That old monk isn't a monk from Bao'en Temple, but an imposter eunuch under Consort Li! We found letters in his room that connect him to the mysterious person!"

Pei Zhi and Ye Wanning's eyes lit up when they heard this.

"That's wonderful!" Ye Wanning exclaimed. "Quickly, bring me the letter!"

The guard handed over the letter, and Pei Zhi took it and read it, his expression growing increasingly grave.

"What's wrong?" Ye Wanning asked.

Pei Zhi handed her the letter: "Take a look!"

Ye Wanning took the letter and read it. Although the meaning of the letter was not very clear, she could at least confirm that the mysterious person was the Minister of Personnel! The Minister of Personnel was the cousin of Consort Li, the mother of the Third Prince, and had always supported the Third Prince. She never expected that he would dare to do so many bad things behind her back!

"So it was him!" Ye Wanning glared angrily. "You can know a person's face but not their heart!"

Pei Zhi said, "We can't wait any longer. I'll go to the palace immediately, tell the Emperor about this, and arrest the Minister of Personnel and that eunuch disguised as a monk!"

Ye Wanning nodded: "Okay!"

Pei Zhi rushed into the palace, and soon good news arrived. The Emperor was furious and arrested the Minister of Personnel and the eunuch disguised as a monk, ordering a thorough investigation. After interrogation, the Minister of Personnel and the eunuch finally confessed. It turned out that they were instructed by Consort Li to take action against the Crown Prince while the Third Prince was imprisoned, so that another prince could ascend the throne and continue to control the court.

When the Emperor learned the truth, he was furious and imprisoned Consort Li in the Cold Palace, never to be seen again. The Minister of Personnel and the eunuch were executed, and their cronies were all purged.

With this, the Third Prince's power was finally wiped out, and the court was finally at peace.

The crown prince finally secured his position, gained the emperor's favor, and was given important responsibilities.

Ye Wanning stood in the courtyard of the Minister's residence, looking at the sunlight outside. Finally, she relaxed her furrowed brows. This long-standing struggle was finally over.

But she knew this was just the beginning. Her revenge was not yet complete. She still needed to find out the cause of her mother's death, and everyone who had hurt her mother would be punished.

"Miss, what are you thinking about?" Chuntao came over and handed her a cup of tea.

Ye Wanning took it and smiled, "I'm thinking, things will finally be a bit more peaceful from now on."