Chapter 330 The Real Manipulator
After seeing off the eldest princess, Xie Yao and Xiao Ji returned to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, and she took out the note from her hand.
There were only a few words written on the note, exactly the same words the princess had just said.
After Xie Yao read it, she handed the note to Xiao Ji and said after a moment of hesitation: "Your Highness, does your aunt suspect something?"
Xiao Ji nodded. "My aunt has always been smart and has been in power for many years. How could she not have this kind of sensitivity?"
"These past few days, I'm afraid I still had hope in my heart and didn't think about it that way. Otherwise, with my aunt's intelligence, how could she have figured it out only now?"
"Aunt is really sad." Xie Yao said, "The imperial family is the most ruthless. Our father... really has achieved the ultimate in this statement."
"Yaoyao." Upon hearing this, Xiao Ji immediately looked at Xie Yao aggrievedly, "I'm not, I didn't..."
Not including him.
Xie Yao: “…”
She glared at Xiao Ji and said, "Your Highness, I have something serious to tell you!"
Xiao Ji still looked serious and said, "I'm talking about serious matters." It was very important whether Yaoyao would misunderstand him!
Xie Yao was speechless again and could only echo Xiao Ji's words, "Okay, okay, I get it. The people I'm talking about don't include Your Highness."
Only then was Xiao Ji satisfied.
Then he got down to business, "My aunt has already left the palace due to illness. Next... our father should make arrangements for her to wake up."
When mentioning "Father Emperor", Xiao Ji's voice was full of coldness, without a trace of warmth.
"I think so." Xie Yao said, "I have already told my aunt that she won't do anything rash."
That's right.
Xiao Ji guessed last time that the mastermind behind the plot to turn him against Xiao Wu was not someone else, but the "unconscious" emperor.
Li Zhong, although it seems that he obeys the princess in everything, is actually the emperor's confidant and follows the emperor's orders in everything.
The four treasures of the study sent by "Jieyou", plus the origins that were deliberately revealed, were all intended to lure Xiao Ji into using them.
The emperor knows all this.
This point also reveals another thing: the person who instructed Concubine Li to poison the late queen... was the emperor.
The medicinal herbs stained in the pen, ink, paper and inkstone were meant to trigger the witchcraft poison in Xiao Ji's body and take his life.
He is the one who has such a great influence in the palace, who can place so many people in the palace, and who can make so many people prefer to die than to reveal a word.
Only the emperor.
The eldest princess suddenly fell ill, and this matter was also related to the emperor, just as the emperor's action against Xiao Ji was related to the emperor.
However, Xiao Ji had been prepared, but the eldest princess had never been on guard against the emperor, so she fell into the trap.
The eldest princess saw through this and rested for three days but found that her health had not improved at all. She became discouraged and chose to leave the palace.
It was true that the emperor was in a coma at first, but Xie Yao and Xiao Ji guessed that he should have woken up earlier.
It’s not a few days earlier, maybe just these few days.
As for why he didn't choose to wake up directly, but secretly plotted to murder Xiao Ji...
During the month that Xiao Ji had been acting as regent, all the court officials praised him highly. Even the eldest princess was worried about how the emperor would treat Xiao Ji after he woke up.
But now is a time of turmoil. If the emperor makes his actions against Xiao Ji public... Xie Yao and Xiao Ji speculated that the emperor might be afraid that they would rebel directly.
After all, Pei Chen is Xiao Ji's man, and Pei Chen now holds military power, so the emperor is naturally uneasy.
Of course, this is all speculation.
As for why the emperor clearly had high hopes for Xiaowu before he fell into a coma, but suddenly acted cruelly against Xiaowu, Xie Yao and Xiao Ji could never figure it out.
It was just as Xie Yao and Xiao Ji had expected.
After the eldest princess left the palace, the defense of the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation suddenly changed. No one except the concubine and the fifth prince was allowed to enter the main hall.
The people who led this matter were the eunuch in front of the emperor who testified for the imperial edict in Xiao Hong's hand that day and Li Zhong, the commander of the Jinwu Guard.
Li Zhong moved from the palace gate to the outside of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and stayed guarding the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation all day long.
But when Xie Yao learned that both Concubine Shu and the Fifth Prince could enter, she was still stunned and didn't understand what the emperor was thinking.
The only thing she could do was to secretly send a message to Concubine Shu, asking her to stay calm and not act rashly.
What if... the emperor did it on purpose?
Hall of Mental Cultivation, the main hall.
Shufei was also shocked. The situation in the Yangxin Palace had changed drastically.
There are many unfamiliar faces...
Under such circumstances, Concubine Shu quickly walked to the bedside, nervously and anxiously came to the emperor's side, and saw that the emperor was still lying there, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She glanced at these people, the wariness in her eyes was very obvious, and her heart was pounding.
These people... shouldn't be the prince's men? Otherwise, she should have gotten the news.
The eldest princess has left the palace...
If it was the Second Prince Xiao Hong's people, I'm afraid it wouldn't be easy for her and Xiao Wu to meet the emperor...
"Mother."
The Fifth Prince held Concubine Shu's hand. The warmth in his palm brought Concubine Shu back to her senses. "It's time for me to study for my father."
Concubine Shu immediately came back to her senses, stretched out her other hand to hold the emperor's hand, and said in a gentle voice as before, "Okay, your father is worried about you, and hearing your voice, maybe he will wake up soon."
Soon, the clear sound of the Fifth Prince reading aloud could be heard in the Yangxin Palace.
Concubine Shu held the emperor's hand, sat beside the dragon bed, and looked at the fifth prince with a gentle smile.
So she didn't notice that the emperor, who was supposed to be unconscious, narrowed his eyes slightly, watching this scene with the corners of his lips slightly raised.
The Fifth Prince did notice something out of the corner of his eye, but he did not show it, and even his speaking speed did not change.
Half an hour later.
The Fifth Prince had to go to school, and Concubine Shu personally saw him off. After leaving the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, the Fifth Prince held Concubine Shu's hand.
"Mother, I have to go to school, so I will have to trouble you to take care of me."
Concubine Shu's eyes changed slightly. She noticed that the Fifth Prince's fingers were lightly and unnoticeably moving on her palm... as if he was writing.
When she was a child, she taught him calligraphy in this way.
Concubine Shu quickly cooperated and slightly loosened her grip on the Fifth Prince's hand to allow his fingers to move more smoothly.
Soon, Concubine Shu's expression changed slightly.
The emperor...is awake already?
A cold light flashed in her slightly lowered eyes. The palace servants serving around could not see it, but the Fifth Prince could see it clearly from his angle.
Concubine Shu's thoughts raced quickly. If this was the case, then she...
Before she finished this thought, she felt her hand being pulled again, and the Fifth Prince's fingers were still writing on her palm.
Concubine Shu patiently explained: Hand it over to me...
Leave it to him? Leave it to Xiao Wu? !
Concubine Shu suddenly raised her eyes and looked at the Fifth Prince, but she only saw seriousness in his eyes.
Concubine Shu has always known that her son has been extremely intelligent since childhood, but... when did Xiaowu know her thoughts?
Concubine Shu took a deep breath, forced a smile, looked at the Fifth Prince and said, "Little Fifth, you don't have to worry about these. Mother will take care of everything..."
No matter how smart and sensible Xiaowu is, she doesn't want Xiaowu to get involved in such matters.
"Mother." The fifth prince looked at Concubine Shu firmly, "Although I am young, I am willing to share the worries of my father and mother."
"Xiao Wu..."
"Mother." The Fifth Prince interrupted Concubine Shu, looking at her with a mature look despite his young age. "I will come after school. Mother, wait for me."
The Fifth Prince took the initiative to let go of Concubine Shu's hand, bowed to her, and then turned and left.
Concubine Shu looked at the Fifth Prince's back with a complicated expression...
Xiaowu...how could he know?
Even take the initiative to take on such work...
But no matter what, she didn't dare to act rashly now. Not to mention that Xiaowu's words that the emperor had awakened made her alert, just Xiaowu's words just now... made her very worried.
It would be fine for her, but she absolutely did not want to implicate Xiaowu.
Concubine Shu sighed softly and turned back to the Yangxin Palace with a worried look on her face. She had to think about how to tell the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess about the news Xiaowu had just told her...
Concubine Shu returned to the Yangxin Palace with a lot on her mind. She could barely suppress the hatred in her heart.
But whenever she thought of what the fifth prince said, that the emperor had already woken up and was just pretending to be unconscious... the hatred in Concubine Shu's heart could not help but surge up.
She sat beside the dragon bed, unable to calm down, her hands trembling slightly under her sleeves...
She could only try hard to think about the Fifth Prince and try her best to suppress the hatred in her heart so as not to do anything impulsive.
But the more I thought about the Fifth Prince, the more I hated him...
Although her intention to enter the palace was not pure, she wanted to find out the cause of her elder sister's death and avenge her elder sister. But she thought she had done her duty to His Majesty, and although she did not love His Majesty, she respected him.
She taught Xiaowu to be even more so, teaching Xiaowu to respect His Majesty, but in the end...
Just to alienate her from the prince and make her target the prince, the emperor brutally attacked Xiao Wu. If Xuan Yue hadn't happened to see it, she wouldn't have dared to think...
The emperor is so cruel!
Shufei had a lot of thoughts in her mind, but her expression did not change. She had been in the palace for so many years without being discovered, so she still had the ability to control her emotions.
Concubine Shu sat in the Yangxin Palace uncomfortably for the whole morning. Fortunately, since she was taking care of the emperor, she didn't really have to do anything but just sit there.
Otherwise, clues will definitely be revealed.
As it was approaching noon, Concubine Shu calculated that it was time for the Fifth Prince to take a nap. She could no longer sit still, so she got up and walked out.
When he reached the palace gate, he remembered something and looked at the eunuchs serving in the palace. The eunuch who was now taking care of the emperor was the one who testified for the imperial edict of the second prince Xiao Hong last time. His surname was Cui.
"I'm going to pick up the Fifth Prince. Eunuch Cui, I'll trouble you to take care of His Majesty."
Apart from anything else, the surface work still needs to be done properly.
Eunuch Cui was white-faced and beardless. Hearing this, he immediately said respectfully, "Yes, Madam."
Only then did Concubine Shu quickly leave.
When she arrived, the fifth prince Xiao Ze was not surprised to see Concubine Shu. Instead, he quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Mother."
Concubine Shu breathed a sigh of relief and dismissed the servants, "All of you leave."
The servants left one after another. When Concubine Shu was about to speak, Xiao Ze spoke first, "Mother, please be patient."
"I know you are worried about my father's coma, but my father is now in a stable condition, and with you by his side to take care of him, he will be fine. Please rest assured, mother."
When Concubine Shu heard Xiao Ze's words, she paused slightly and an idea flashed through her mind.
Since Xiao Wu knew what she wanted to do, he should have known that her anxiety and anxiety at the moment had nothing to do with the emperor, but he spoke before her...
Walls have ears?!
Concubine Shu couldn't laugh anymore. She pulled the corner of her mouth and said, "Xiaowu has really grown up."
Shufei looked at Xiao Ze with extremely complicated eyes. She clearly remembered that Xiaowu was smart some time ago, but not as mature and sensible as she is now.
But how long has it been?
It seems... since the last time Xiaowu got into trouble, he seemed to have grown up overnight, becoming sensible and smart!
Thinking of this, Concubine Shu's hatred for the emperor became even stronger.
Xiao Ze only heard Concubine Shu's answer and knew that his mother understood what he meant. He felt a little relieved and said to Concubine Shu, "I also want to share the worries of my father and mother."
Concubine Shu reached out and held Xiao Ze's hand, "It's noon, come and have lunch with mother."
Xiao Ze naturally did not refuse.
The mother and son walked forward, and Concubine Shu said, "Xiaowu, you are becoming more and more sensible now, but you are still young, and mother only hopes that you can grow up healthily and happily."
Concubine Shu said this with true feelings.
Although Xiao Ze was also a prince, Concubine Shu never thought that he could go further. First, Xiao Ze was still young, and second, the prince was the child of her elder sister...
Naturally, she would not let her child compete with her sister's child.
She just hoped that Xiao Ze could be a happy and leisurely prince.
Of course, what she said at this moment had a hidden meaning, and it still expressed her wish that she didn't want Xiao Ze to interfere in the emperor's affairs.
Xiao Ze was just six years old, and was so precocious that Concubine Shu was not pleased but only distressed.
And all this is thanks to the emperor!
Xiao Ze's answer was also very simple. He said "Thank you, mother", but his fingers wrote on Concubine Shu's palm: I heard it in the Yangxin Palace that my father wants to get rid of the crown prince.
Shufei subconsciously exerted force and held Xiao Ze's fingers in her palm.
She recalled that Xiao Ze had been coming in and out of Yangxin Palace every day. Sometimes when she was not there, Xiao Wu would come...
Although she had a mediocre relationship with the prince over the years and had no personal relationship with him, she had been privately teaching Xiaowu the stories she had heard about the prince's intelligence when he was a child, which made Xiaowu admire the prince even more.
She didn't dare to imagine how Xiaowu would feel when she was not by his side and he heard that his respected father wanted to harm the prince.
Concubine Shu quickly came to her senses, loosened her grip on Xiao Ze's little hand, and forced a smile on her pale face, "Xiao Wu..."
She didn't quite know what to say.
Xiao Ze raised his eyes and smiled at Concubine Shu, his smile was well-behaved and gentle.
What he didn't say was that he had heard about him falling into the water that day. He only knew that day that his falling into the water was actually planned by his father.
He even deliberately left behind the token of Si Nan, the guard who was beside the Crown Prince, in an attempt to frame the Crown Prince for this matter.
But after he was rescued, the token did not appear.
Miss Xuan, who saved him, was the eldest princess's person, so his father thought that the eldest princess had concealed the matter, and therefore concluded that the eldest princess, like Pei Chen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, stood on the side of the crown prince.
That's why he ordered people to give the eldest princess some things, which made her "sick".
Of course, he clearly heard his father say that he never wanted him to die. Even if Xuan Yue hadn't saved him, his father would have arranged someone to do it.
But Xiao Ze is a smart man.
It's not that he didn't believe the emperor's words, he just felt that it didn't matter whether he arranged people or not.
His father was a man who would do anything to achieve his goal and didn't even care about his life.
Regarding this matter... Xiao Ze didn't tell anyone, because he didn't want his mother to know that he already knew about it and worry about him again.
"Mother." Xiao Ze said, "I am not a child anymore." There is much more he can do than what he has now.
"Master, there is something going on at home today. I can accompany my father and mother in the afternoon."
Concubine Shu wanted to persuade him again, but when she met Xiao Ze's eyes, she was dazed for a moment, as if she saw a replica of herself.
She knew that she couldn't persuade Xiao Ze, so she could only let go of the turbulent thoughts in her heart.
After lunch, the mother and son went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation again.
The emperor was unconscious, while Concubine Shu and Xiao Ze were sitting aside reading. The late autumn afternoon sun was warm, making the scene quiet and beautiful.
Of course, Xiao Ze was reading seriously, while Shufei was trying to hide her emotional ups and downs at the moment.
Not long after, Xiao Ze took the book and said, "Mother, the teacher had something to do at home today and was not in the palace, but he left some homework for me."
"I don't understand this, can I ask my brother the Crown Prince?"
Although Xiao Ze is young, he speaks clearly and logically.
Seeing that he had taken the initiative to find a reason, Concubine Shu felt even more complicated. After a moment of silence, she said, "Go."
"Yes, mother." Xiao Ze retreated with the book in his arms and headed straight for the side hall.
Xiao Ji was handling government affairs. He was stunned when he saw Xiao Ze coming. His usually cold voice became a little softer. "Xiao Wu, why are you here?"
Xiao Ze said sternly, "Brother Crown Prince, I have some questions about my studies, so I came to ask for your advice."
Xiao Ji waved to him and ordered everyone in the hall to leave.
But the young eunuch beside Xiao Ze did not move.
Si Nan frowned and looked at the man. The young eunuch lowered his eyebrows, his posture was humble, and his voice was polite but firm, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I have been ordered to take care of the Fifth Prince and I am not allowed to leave even a step."
Sinan's face darkened.
Xiao Ji waved his hand and looked at the young eunuch deeply, "It's okay."
He looked at Xiao Ze, "Xiao Wu, what's the problem?"
Xiao Ze opened the book, walked to Xiao Ji and pointed it out to him, "Brother Crown Prince, please take a look..."
Xiao Ji looked at Xiao Ze, who was asking a question while pointing his finger at an unrelated word. His eyes were slightly deep and he understood something in an instant.
Of course, Xiao Ze did all this within the little eunuch's blind spot.
After Xiao Ze finished speaking, Xiao Ji nodded slightly at him, and then answered Xiao Ze's question slowly...
Soon, the two finished their communication.
Xiao Ze said: "Thank you, Crown Prince, for clearing up my confusion. I now understand everything."
Xiao Ji also said: "Xiaowu is still young, and what he has learned is far beyond my expectations."
"If you have any questions in the future, feel free to ask me. I will tell you everything I know."
Xiao Ze bowed, "Thank you, my royal brother."
Only then did Xiao Ze take the little eunuch away.
As soon as the person left, Si Nan frowned and approached Xiao Ji and said, "Your Highness, I saw that person just now... I'm afraid there's something wrong."
Xiao Ji nodded, his expression somewhat solemn. After a brief thought, he said to Si Nan: "Leave the palace as soon as possible..."
After hearing Xiao Ji's instructions, Si Nan's expression quickly became serious. After agreeing repeatedly, he quickly turned around and left the Yangxin Palace.
After he left, Xiao Ji looked towards the door and sighed softly.
The storm is coming.
After a pause, he called out again, "Eunuch Li."
Li Dajian came in hurriedly with a smile on his face, but his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was worried about something.
Xiao Ji looked into Li Dajian's eyes and said in a serious voice, "Li Dajian, there is no time."
"What do you think about what I told you last time?"
…
A few days later, something happened again in the capital.
The second prince Xiao Hong was attacked!
That evening, the Second Prince Xiao Hong was still holding a banquet at a restaurant in the capital, but it had been four or five days in a row, and even those court officials who wanted to curry favor with Xiao Hong did not dare to attend the banquet openly.
So some people ordered their nephews and nieces to follow the Second Prince Xiao Hong.
After three rounds of drinking, when Xiao Hong was slightly tipsy, an assassin suddenly appeared and stabbed a sword into Xiao Hong's chest!
The incident happened in the most bustling and prosperous restaurant in Beijing. All the dandies present were terrified. The incident could not be concealed at all and spread at an extremely fast speed.
Xiao Ji was the first to hear the news.
"Has the assassin been found?" he asked.
"To reply to your Highness, the assassin was highly skilled. He sneaked in disguised as a wine pourer. After his successful attack, he quickly fled and has not been found yet."
"The imperial physician has already rushed to the Second Prince's residence. His Highness was seriously injured, but fortunately the sword was deflected by three inches and did not directly injure his heart. His life should be safe."
"It's just that the imperial physician said that the Second Prince needs to rest well for the next two months."
Xiao Ji nodded and gave the order, "Let the Imperial City Department and the Dali Temple take action and search for the murderer."
The assassination of the second prince had a huge impact and caused an uproar in the capital.
After Xie Yao learned about this, she just said, "It's what you deserve."
Anyway, she just didn't like Xiao Hong, and she also had some ideas about the murderer.
After all, she was the one who pushed this matter behind the scenes, so she knew about it as soon as Xiao An made any move.
"Crown Princess." Just then, Zhu Xin came in, "Miss Lin sent me a message..."
Zhu Xin whispered something in Xie Yao's ear.
Xie Yao thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, you go find Shanshan, but you must remind her to pay attention to safety and protect herself."
"Yes." Zhu Xin agreed and stepped back.
Lin Shuang wanted revenge, and Xie Yao had always helped her in the past, and now she would not stop him. Instead, she would only facilitate it, making it easier for Lin Shuang to take revenge.
Just as Xie Yao gave her order, a steward from the Crown Prince's Mansion came outside to announce, "Crown Princess, someone has come from the palace. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince invites you to enter the palace."
Your Highness lets her enter the palace at this time?
Look at the time. Shouldn't Your Highness be returning home by now?
Although Xie Yao was puzzled, she still stood up and prepared to enter the palace. But before leaving, she went to see Zhao Zhao Sui Sui as usual.
The carriage swayed to the palace gate, but as soon as Xie Yao got off the carriage, she felt something was wrong...
As soon as she got off the carriage, the Jinwu Guards immediately surrounded her and acted as protection.
The leader was Li Zhong. Li Zhong looked at Xie Yao with a fake smile, "Crown Princess, please come in."
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