The atmosphere fell into silence for a moment, leaving only Xiao Lingyu's gradually heavy breathing.
Suddenly, he lifted his robe and knelt on one knee.
"Father, there must be something fishy about the Queen Mother's death. Otherwise, why would the thieves risk their lives to rob her body? Your son..."
Before Xiao Lingyu finished speaking, he felt that the emperor's eyes had changed when he looked at him. The look in his eyes was deep and cold.
He was stunned for a moment, and then the emperor spoke: "Prince, you are truly filial. Otherwise, I will leave this matter to you to investigate."
The emperor sounded sarcastic when he said this, and Xiao Lingyu's eyes widened. The other princes, except Xiao Yanli, looked at Xiao Lingyu with some sympathy.
Xiao Lingyu's mind raced as he thought of a solution. Suddenly, he recalled something Jiang Zhiyu had said to him: "As a son, you must know how to show weakness."
He hid his thoughts in his eyes and stammered, "Father, Father?"
The emperor also felt that he had been too obvious. Seeing Xiao Lingyu looking at him with admiring eyes, which were full of trust in him, and the fear revealed by his words just now, he couldn't help but feel moved.
I was being too sensitive. No matter how others said he was mature beyond his years, he was still just a child after all. He hadn't experienced anything major. It was reasonable for him to say such things after suddenly losing his mother who had raised him since childhood.
Thinking of this, the emperor's eyes softened as he looked at him. He helped him up and stroked the back of his head soothingly. "I know you're afraid, but it's okay. You still have father. He promises that unless something goes terribly wrong, no one can shake your position as crown prince."
As soon as he said this, the expressions of the other princes changed.
The emperor continued, "As for your mother, I will privately send a thousand households to investigate. After all, she was abducted from the palace. If the news gets out, it will be inappropriate."
Since the emperor said so, Xiao Lingyu could only nod.
Tears rolled down his eyes, and the emperor wiped them away with a chuckle.
Jiang Zhiyu: “…”
What a great drama, what a loving father and filial son.
Sensing that Jiang Zhiyu might be about to say something serious, Jiang Kang'an quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, my grandfather is old and has been frightened today. I'm afraid he's in poor health. If there's nothing important, we'll withdraw first."
The emperor nodded slightly.
…
After leaving the palace and getting into the carriage, Jiang Kang'an's expression relaxed a little.
It was late at night and the long street was silent except for the sound of wheels passing by.
Jiang Wenjing saw Jiang Kang'an finally relax his frown, and his own heart also settled down. "Brother, why were you so nervous just now? Grandfather was also a veteran of many battles. The palace banquet was just a small matter for him. How could he be so frightened that he fell ill?"
Jiang Kang'an didn't expect Jiang Wenjing to take his casual excuse seriously. He looked at him in surprise before chuckling, "Most of the other adults have left, leaving only us and the princes. If His Majesty wants to have a private conversation with the princes, wouldn't it be inconvenient for us to be here?"
A look of realization flashed across Jiang Wenjing's eyes.
Jiang Kangan shifted his gaze from him to Jiang Zhiyu, who was reading a storybook with great excitement.
No wonder I can’t get up during the day, it’s because I don’t sleep at night.
There was still some distance between the palace and the Xu residence. Jiang Wenjing sighed softly, "The prince and princess of Nan Gu are secretly helping Prince Yu rebel. Add to that the incident with Malzahar earlier. His Majesty will surely not tolerate Nan Gu anymore. Another war is about to begin."
He said the last sentence with deep emotion, and Jiang Kang'an sighed softly, "That's right. With the outbreak of this war, I wonder how many more people will be displaced and flee."
"It would be great if there were no war," Jiang Wenjing said with his eyelashes lowered. "I wonder who the emperor will send to conquer Nan Gu."
"That's up to His Majesty."
Jiang Kangan responded.
"However, there have been rumors that the Crown Prince has fallen out of favor with the Emperor and won't be able to sit on the throne of the Crown Prince for long. Today, the Empress was suddenly assassinated. Mingye was worried about the Crown Prince. But since the Emperor has said that, it can be regarded as a reassurance for the Crown Prince and a warning to those princes who have ulterior motives."
Jiang Wenjing was used to being in the army, so he spoke directly. Jiang Kang'an said sternly, "Be careful with your words. If you talk about the royal family's affairs and the news reaches His Majesty, you will suffer."
Jiang Wenjing lowered his head slightly, and Jiang Zhiyu chimed in his heart:
[That’s right.]
Jiang Wenjing: "..."
[However, what Second Brother said was wrong. The Emperor wasn't just reassuring the Crown Prince. The key words were 'if nothing major is wrong'.]
"What is a grave mistake? Isn't that what the Emperor defines? If you please him, he'll protect you even if you're plotting a rebellion like Prince Yu. But if you don't please him, even if you step into the Imperial Study today, he'll accuse you of disrespecting him and remove you as Crown Prince. Who would dare to say he didn't commit a grave mistake then?"
Jiang Kangan: “…”
Jiang Wenjing: "..."
I have to say, it makes a lot of sense.
[Besides, the Empress was originally poisoned by the Emperor, and he had secretly disposed of the body, fearing that someone would discover the clues. Xiao Lingyu insisted that he investigate, which put him right in the crosshairs.]
Jiang Kangan: “!!!”
Jiang Wenjing: "!!!"
Neither of them could hide their surprised expressions, and fortunately Jiang Zhiyu was focused on the storybook and didn't notice.
Her inner voice continued:
Although the Emperor and Empress were childhood sweethearts, their affection had long since worn off over the years. The Emperor frequently added concubines to his harem, and the Empress, disheartened, no longer sought favor. Instead, she focused on having her son fight for the throne so she could rule the country from behind the scenes.
[Furthermore, this queen was also reckless and made no secret of it. The palace was full of spies, and she often beat and scolded Xiao Lingyu in front of the palace maids and eunuchs, and repeatedly mentioned the succession to the throne. It would be strange if this didn't reach the emperor's ears.]
[Originally, the Emperor, mindful of their past friendship and Xiao Lingyu's relatively obedient nature, had not bothered with her. However, the Empress, on her own initiative, seeing Xiao Lingyu's continued silence, developed a sinister plot and sent someone to contact Prince Yu.]
The emperor could no longer bear it and drugged her.
Jiang Wenjing: "..."
Such royal secrets must never be heard by others.
Fortunately, only the young fish can hear its own voice.
He secretly glanced at Jiang Kangan and saw that there was no change on Jiang Kangan's face. He had his eyes closed and looked drowsy. He withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.
Jiang Kangan was feeling lucky that he had spoken up early.
He had talked with his mother before and learned that they both could hear Zhiyu's thoughts. His mother also told him about the first time she and Zhiyu went to the palace to meet the emperor.
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