"Minister Song..." The Empress Dowager looked at Song Ting in a panic, but was horrified by the expression on his face. She then looked at Zhang Bingzhi, "This Huaiyue..."
Zhang Bingzhi narrowed his eyes: "I have heard of this old minister. It seems that she is indeed a beauty that the commander brought back from Jiangnan."
"I have also heard that the beauty is from the Drunken Spring Pavilion, named Huaiyue. She is known to everyone in Jiangnan, and the wealthy and powerful in Jiangnan are willing to spend a fortune just to see her."
"The commander was so fond of that beauty that he couldn't bear to be apart from her for even a moment. So, for this prayer ceremony, the commander arranged for her to accompany him in a carriage."
"This old minister has the honor of witnessing Young Master Huaiyue's demeanor today. He is indeed an unparalleled person in the world. No wonder the Princess wants to meet him."
Embracing the Moon.
The Empress Dowager felt the name sounded familiar: "Huaiyue... I feel like I've heard this name somewhere before."
Zhang Bingzhi reminded her at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty, the spring banquet the year His Majesty ascended the throne..."
The Empress Dowager suddenly remembered—oh, that year at the spring banquet, the son of Dong Ji, the Vice Minister of Rites, mentioned this name to Song Ting, and then Song Ting…
The Empress Dowager's face turned even paler. "This..."
"Unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns, the Commander has still become involved with Huaiyue. It's a pity about Lord Dong and his beloved son..."
Zhang Bingzhi shook his head regretfully and let out a long sigh.
The old fox seemed to have a plan all under control, and was slowly tearing apart the pretense of peace that the two were maintaining.
"The man is gone, but I still think the commander was a little too agitated when it came to matters concerning him."
"These maids are not like your tough and thick-skinned subordinates. Please be lenient, Commander, otherwise we may not be able to get any information out of them."
These words, both overt and covert, were meant to belittle and humiliate Huai Xu, and further linked the princess's drowning to Huai Xu.
Zhang Bingzhi himself stood silently between Song Ting and another palace maid, seemingly afraid that he would strangle the man again.
Song Ting casually tossed aside the dead palace maid, slowly stood up, and stared intently at the remaining palace maid, his gaze sweeping past Zhang Bingzhi.
His tone was icy as he spoke: "You are lying. The princess would never want to see Huaiyue."
"Your Excellency is wise; Chunxi is telling the truth! From the moment the carriage departed, the princess has been longing to see Young Master Huaiyue!"
"It's just that the commander has protected that person too well, and the princess doesn't want the adults to know about this, which is why she hasn't taken any action yet."
"But after dinner tonight, the princess suddenly told us very happily that she was about to meet that young master Huaiyue!"
The palace maid named Xia Qing had one of her ribs broken by Song Ting, and she was in excruciating pain, so she could only speak in broken sentences.
With each word she spoke, Song Ting's expression grew increasingly grim.
Everyone present had different expressions. It wasn't just because of the princess's death; what everyone was more curious about was the relationship between Song Ting and Huaiyue.
—The ruthless commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, as cruel as a demon, would actually kill someone in front of the Empress Dowager for the sake of a male courtesan.
Even though he usually does whatever he wants, it's not like his usual personality.
"That's impossible."
Song Ting took a step forward, but was blocked in front of him by Zhang Bingzhi:
“Commander Song, now is not the time to act rashly. The cause of the princess’s death has not yet been determined. I’m afraid you can’t just kill them without knowing the truth.”
Song Ting completely ignored his advice and pushed him directly. In terms of strength, Zhang Bingzhi was no match for him and fell down amidst the Empress Dowager's scream.
"Commander Song!"
Zhang Bingzhi tried to stand up a few times but couldn't. He only managed to stand with the help of his guards.
"How dare you be so insolent before the Empress Dowager! You are showing no respect for His Majesty and the Empress!"
Song Ting ignored him completely, walked straight to Xia Qing, and grabbed her neck just as she had when she choked Chunxi. Her face was deathly pale, but a hint of ruthlessness lurked beneath.
"My men have been guarding Huaiyue all along. Tell me, how did the princess contact Huaiyue, and what method did she use?"
Xia Qing clung to his arm and spoke haltingly and with difficulty:
"I don't know the specifics, but the princess told both of us that it was Young Master Huaiyue who took the initiative to contact the princess."
"As for where and where they met, this servant does not... know. Please, Your Excellency, be so kind as to understand..."
With Xiao Wu and Qi Zhou guarding Chu Huaixu, it's impossible for me not to know if he meets someone.
Song Ting was now certain that he had been dragged into a trap, and that someone wanted to use Huai Xu to get rid of him.
It's just unknown whether the person who designed all of this knew Huai Xu's true identity.
They weren't targeting him alone, but rather trying to kill two birds with one stone.
Regardless of the circumstances, if the Empress Dowager were to meet Chu Huaixu, it would be difficult to conceal his true identity any longer.
He could not allow Chu Huaixu to be put in danger again, no matter the cost.
Thinking of this, Song Ting's eyes darkened, and Xia Qing stared wide-eyed and breathed her last.
"Commander Song! What are you doing! These two palace maids only said that the Princess was going to see Young Master Huaiyue, but they didn't say that the Princess's death was related to that person. How could you just kill them?!"
"Your Excellency's haste makes this old minister suspicious. Could it be that the Commander knows something and wants to kill these two palace maids to silence them in order to protect that girl named Huaiyue?"
Zhang Bingzhi looked heartbroken and readily accused Song Ting'an of harboring a criminal.
Song Ting seemed completely unconcerned, her icy gaze piercing the other person:
"That treacherous servant who spouted nonsense, he was killed, so be it. Does Your Excellency intend to hold me accountable for this?"
"This old minister would not dare, but I would say the same thing: the most urgent task now is to find out the truth of the matter."
"Regardless of whether the princess has seen Young Master Huaiyue or not, and regardless of whether the princess's drowning is related to that young master, it would be better to call that young master forward first."
"Ask him face to face to find out the truth. If this matter really has nothing to do with you, then we can clear your name."
Zhang Bingzhi used a strategy of retreat as a means of advancement, but in reality, he was pressing forward relentlessly.
"Otherwise, with so many people and so many mouths here, rumors will inevitably spread. Does the commander intend to kill them all?"
Song Ting stood with his hands behind his back in the main hall, his eyes lowered and silent. The Empress Dowager, her nails painted with nail polish, dug deep red marks into her palms.
The atmosphere was tense and silent; everyone kept their heads down and dared not even breathe loudly.
Only Zhang Bingzhi looked at Song Ting with a confident smile in his eyes.
"What does Your Majesty think of this old minister's suggestion?"
The matter should have been resolved this way. The Empress Dowager glanced at Song Ting's expression and, seeing that the latter had no intention of speaking, said:
"Then let's do as the Grand Secretary says and invite that woman named Huaiyue up first."
"Let's see who dares!" The Empress Dowager's words had barely fallen when Song Ting, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly moved.
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