Chapter 208 Inheritance

After Qian Suihong left with his mother.

Li Jin and the Hua sisters then walked in.

Qin Jinzhi pointed to the person inside the sack.

"Take a look at this person, isn't he Wu Youji?"

Li Jin stepped forward and revealed the person's face.

"Princess, it's him!"

The Hua sisters also stepped forward to identify it, then frowned and exchanged a glance.

Hua Manxi squatted down in front of the man and touched the back of his ear.

A short while later, a human skin mask was removed.

Beneath the mask was the face of an old man.

When Qin Jinzhi saw that face clearly, she burst out laughing.

That's absurd.

She recognized this man; he was the Crown Prince's former father-in-law.

He didn't die.

The current Crown Princess is the second Crown Princess; the first Crown Princess was the Crown Prince's childhood sweetheart.

My father is His Majesty's horse officer.

The two were engaged before His Majesty ascended the throne.

The two married after the crown prince was named heir apparent.

The Crown Princess gave birth to a son and a daughter for the Crown Prince.

I went home to visit relatives during the Dragon Boat Festival.

A fire reduced the Crown Princess's maternal home to ashes.

The crown prince was devastated.

The following year, he married Lady Wei's daughter, who became the Crown Princess.

Too much time has passed, and this aunt only remains in her childhood memories, but she still remembers that the Crown Princess was gentle and virtuous, and a very kind person.

This Wu Youji, no, Wu Youji, was the emperor's grandfather's personal attendant and also the crown princess's father.

He attended many family banquets held in the palace.

So even after all these years, she still recognized him.

The fire at the Wu residence that year was suspicious, but after three months of investigation, no problem was found.

Qin Jinzhi smiled; it wasn't surprising that no problems could be found.

Pei Yunxiao's death was also suspicious.

Everyone knows perfectly well that these people did not die in an accident.

But there wasn't a single clue.

Is Wu Youji seeking revenge for the Wu family?

Were the Wei family involved in the arson case back then?

But he had somehow managed to get the Cold Toad Incense to be used by the Wei family so quietly for so many years.

With so many lives lost in the Wu family, he would only want to kill them as quickly as possible.

How could it be just a drug that would kill off offspring?

Moreover, if he didn't die, why did he live in anonymity for so many years?

Afraid of retaliation?

But how could someone risk going to the Eastern Palace to take action if they were afraid of retaliation?

Qin Jinzhi's smile widened.

She said, "How could people like my grandparents have given birth to such an idiot?"

Her uncle, the crown prince, is the real acting master.

For so many years, she had never realized the Crown Prince's intentions.

It turned out that he had given the Cold Toad Incense to Lady Wei.

So all those years of feigning discord with the emperor and empress were just an act on his part.

Qin Jinzhi recalled how she had kicked the crown prince into the water.

Even if he was incredibly stupid, he had faced countless open and covert attacks since he moved into the Eastern Palace.

How could he let his guard down so easily?

Because the Crown Prince knew that among all the officials in the court, only the Qin family were the most loyal royalists.

As long as the Qin family exists, he will have no worries.

He is the only bloodline of His Majesty and the Empress, and that position will surely be his in the future.

Qin Jinzhi's smile deepened. The Crown Prince knew from the beginning that Qin Jinzhi was cooperating with the Emperor to eliminate the powerful families.

She is a fine knife.

It can help His Majesty realize his ideals from back then.

It can also protect him when he ascends the throne in the future.

She's blinded by her own limited perspective.

If that's the case, then all she did wasn't in vain.

Insidious and cunning, they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

Patience, hypocrisy.

They really are of the same ilk.

No wonder Qian Suihong's father wouldn't let her continue the investigation.

The black market is actually connected to the crown prince.

However, this black market gave many people a chance to survive.

However, he suffers from many chronic and recurring illnesses.

Trafficking in women and children, selling slaves illegally, and using live people to fight each other for amusement were commonplace.

The prince's close ties with the black market have not changed this situation.

Since that's the case, Qin Jinzhi accepted the black market goods.

They're all family after all, but she should go and see the Crown Prince.

Presumably, the news has already reached the Crown Prince's Palace from the black market.

The next day after court, the Empress sent someone to wait outside the main hall and asked Qin Jinzhi to deliver some tonics to the Crown Prince.

Qin Jinzhi arrived at the East Palace openly and honestly.

However, this time the palace servants of the Eastern Palace seemed to be waiting for Qin Jinzhi.

One of them stepped forward and said, "Greetings, Princess."

This is Prince Wang Wei, the Crown Prince's personal attendant.

Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

Eunuch Wang said respectfully, "His Highness the Crown Prince specifically instructed me to wait here."

Qin Jinzhi nodded and followed Eunuch Wang into the East Palace.

Eunuch Wang led Qin Jinzhi to a pavilion in the middle of a pond.

There was only the Crown Prince inside.

The crown prince was feeding the fish with his back to Qin Jinzhi.

Qin Jinzhi walked to the Crown Prince's side and said, "Uncle, why haven't you learned your lesson? You still dare to ask me to come to the pond alone."

The prince smiled slightly, but didn't stop feeding the fish.

"Your father-in-law is getting old, you rascal, go easy on him."

Qin Jinzhi shrugged. "I didn't arrest him."

The prince threw all the fish food in his hand into the water.

Fish swarmed to the water.

"You found out everything?"

Qin Jinzhi looked at the Crown Prince's face, which was no longer concealed.

"Why doesn't Uncle continue the performance? If you insist on stopping me, I won't be able to find out anything about these things."

The prince sat down on a stone bench, and various kinds of fruit were laid out on the table.

He pushed a plate of sour apricots in front of Qin Jinzhi.

Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"It seems Uncle's information network is a bit outdated; my sense of taste has returned."

The prince's eyes darkened, then he smiled and said, "It seems that the title of the world's number one divine physician will undoubtedly belong to your friend from now on, as he can even cure the Azure Poison."

Qin Jinzhi picked up a sweet fruit from the side, shook her head, and said casually, "It's not untied."

The crown prince was taken aback. "What?"

Qin Jinzhi took a bite of the fruit. "She stole her family's secret medicine for me. I can live for another three years."

The prince frowned. "I've been searching for the Orchid Grass for so many years, but unfortunately, the people I sent out have never returned. Don't worry, your uncle won't let you die."

Qin Jinzhi slowed down her chewing of the fruit. "Why did you do that?"

The Crown Prince gave a self-deprecating laugh, “For so many years, I have been unfilial and have let down my father and mother. As the Crown Prince, I have had too many things I couldn’t control. Fortunately, you have been by their side all these years. It was not in vain that I sent someone to tell Uncle Qin to send you to the palace.”

Qin Jinzhi nodded after hearing this. "Why did you suddenly tell me all this, Uncle?"

The Crown Prince pushed the plate of sweet fruit toward Qin Jinzhi.

“The Xiao and Qin families are one family in this world. Before, you were still young, and I was afraid that many things would implicate you. But what you have done in the short few months since you returned to the capital shows that you have really grown up. Unlike Uncle Qin or Ziyi, you are more like the Emperor. If you were a boy, I would like to let you sit on that seat in the future.”

Qin Jinzhi waved her hand, "You'd better not try to take advantage of me."

She threw the fruit pit aside after she finished eating.

"What happened to Old Master Wu?"