Chapter 157: Palace Banquet, Taking Advantage of the Situation
In the case of Princess Yongfu, the murderer was never found.
But the suspects are nothing more than the prince's party and the eldest princess. The former is hostile, and the latter is too suspicious in her behavior.
The matter was left unresolved.
But Jiang Rong did not let it go easily. She was thinking carefully about one thing, which was...
Why did Princess Anyang want to kill Princess Yongfu?
Fan Ziyi suspected that it was a dispute among generals.
But this matter should be led by the Dong family. Princess Anyang doesn't seem like someone who would rush to the front for her husband's family.
After dealing with her several times, Jiang Rong felt that this person was short-sighted and selfish. She wanted to kill Princess Yongfu, most likely out of personal vengeance.
Yongfu must have done something recently that made her want to kill him.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince Consort, after a secret investigation, Princess Yongfu and Princess Anyang have not had any disputes recently, and they were not familiar with each other in the past." Xiao Nanxing reported:
"Princess Anyang returned to the capital a year ago. She has only met a few princesses in the capital. It is unbelievable that she wants to kill Princess Yongfu."
Jiang Rong groaned, "There must be something we have overlooked. Princess Yongfu is different from before..."
"There's no difference?" Xiao Nanxing scratched his head. He had screened this information over and over again several times.
Xie Lingxi, who had been sitting quietly by the side playing with his gold-sprinkled folding fan, suddenly said, "Be engaged to Cen Tingbai."
Jiang Rong widened her eyes and looked at Xie Lingxi. Their eyes met, and she was filled with disbelief:
"Did she kill Princess Yongfu for Cen Tingbai?"
It's unbelievable.
But after thinking about it, Jiang Rong figured it out!
At that time, Princess Anyang took a fancy to the third place in the imperial examination and poisoned his wife. She was angry with the doctor who saved him and even spared herself.
Twenty years later, she saw a man who looked similar to Tanhua.
Would she want a "substitute"?
For someone with her personality, this is definitely something she can do!
"We have to secretly send a message to Cen Tingbai, telling him to be careful not to fall into Princess Anyang's trap." Jiang Rong was speechless.
He had taken a fancy to the third place in the imperial examination back then, and now he won’t let his son go.
It’s so miserable, Cen Tingbai and his son are so miserable!
"Marquis Yongning will arrive in Beijing soon." Xie Lingxi said lightly.
Jiang Rong's eyes flickered, "So..."
If Princess Anyang wants to do something, can they take advantage of her?
…
Ever since the winter hunt, Princess Anyang has always wanted to take action against Cen Tingbai.
But I didn't find the opportunity.
He stayed indoors on the pretext of recuperating from illness.
Afterwards, Yongning Marquis Dong Zhi returned to Beijing to report on his work. He inherited the title the year before and guarded the border, so he only returned to Beijing to report on his work once every two years.
A few days later, it was winter, and the palace held a plum blossom viewing banquet as usual, inviting royal relatives, nobles, and court officials of the third rank and above.
Cen Tingbai was among those invited.
Except Xie Lingxi who never follows the rules and goes whenever he wants.
Ordinary dukes and marquises must attend and cannot be absent.
Princess Anyang's eyes lit up instantly. If it weren't for the palace banquet, she would have no chance to meet Cen Tingbai.
Ever since Princess Yongfu died last time...
Cen Tingbai seemed to suspect that the Dong family was hostile to him and refused to keep the appointment with the Dong family. Prince Duan also suspected that the Dong family had harmed Yongfu, so he did not bring any members of the Dong family with him when he met with Cen Tingbai.
So she never found the opportunity.
I heard that Cen Tingbai will be returning to southern Xinjiang to garrison after the new year...
Then she will have even less chance!
She had to seize the moment.
She has quite a few people in the palace.
Taking action against Cen Tingbai in the palace is simply the perfect opportunity!
Of course, she was too embarrassed to let Dong Xiqi know about this, so she secretly arranged it...
…
The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Garden, and the Plum Blossom Viewing Banquet.
Jiang Rong was wearing a brand new bright red coat and skirt embroidered with gold peony, and a snow-white fox fur cape.
This is white fox fur, which is more precious than red fox fur.
Xie Lingxi didn't say where he got it, but just a few days after the winter hunt, he had someone send him a white fox cloak.
Jiang Rong had no time to wear her new fire fox cloak, so it was hung in the closet.
"It's the plum blossom viewing season again this year. Several rare Longyou plum trees have been newly planted in the Imperial Garden. Please come and enjoy them with me, my dear ministers." The emperor looked at the ministers in the room and smiled kindly.
The ministers saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
"Your Majesty has brought blessings to the world. We raise our glasses to wish Your Majesty a long life!" Prince Murong Shicheng raised his glass and said.
This is the etiquette of a palace banquet.
The person with the highest status among those present will lead the toast to His Majesty.
Afterwards, everyone can toast.
Everyone raised their glasses and drank together.
Princess Anyang glanced at Cen Tingbai sitting opposite her secretly, and was delighted when she saw him drink the glass of wine.
After everyone toasted, the dancers came on stage one by one.
The wine glasses clinked and the music of stringed instruments delighted the ears.
As a newly promoted marquis, many people toasted to Cen Tingbai. He drank more than ten cups, his cheeks flushed, and he felt dizzy.
"What happened to Marquis Jingnan?" Prince Duan asked with concern.
Cen Tingbai shook his head, "I can't handle the alcohol..."
"Hurry up and help Marquis Jingnan go down to rest and sober up." Prince Duan said.
Cen Tingbai nodded, and with the help of two palace maids, he was sent to Tingyuxuan in the palace, which was a place specially provided for guests to take a rest.
Princess Anyang was secretly delighted when she saw this scene. She also pretended to be drunk and said to the Marquis of Yongning beside her:
"I feel a little dizzy, so I'm going to the garden to get some fresh air."
"Go. But do you want me to accompany you?" Marquis Yongning has always been concerned about her.
Princess Anyang said, "No need for that. You just returned to the capital, you should spend more time with my brother and talk about the relationship between the monarch and his subjects."
Princess Anyang stood up and left the banquet hall.
Jiang Rong glanced at her empty seat and said to Xiao Nanxing:
"Please help me pass a message to Yongning Hou..."
When Xiao Nanxing heard these three words, she couldn't help laughing, "Princess, is this all we're going to say? Do we need to lead him over?"
"If we take him there, he will suspect us of framing him. Let him look for it himself. Don't worry, he will find it."
The palace is not a place where anyone can run around.
Foreign officials were only allowed to walk around the Imperial Garden. Tingyuxuan was an attic in the Imperial Garden.
Xiao Nanxing nodded and walked quickly to the desk of Marquis Yongning.
Marquis Yongning saw that he was a little confused. The Northern Palace had always kept its distance from them.
"My Lord, my Crown Prince's wife asked me to tell you something." Xiao Nanxing looked at him with a smile: "You're cheating."
Yongning Hou's expression suddenly changed, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
The lethality of these three words is enough to make anyone feel like being struck by lightning.
"Hearing is not as good as seeing. My Lord, you should check it yourself." Xiao Nanxing suppressed his laughter and retreated.
Marquis Yongning could no longer sit still.
He couldn't help but look at the empty seat next to him, his heart in turmoil.
He has never had any contact with the Xie family. Would the other party deliberately come out to play a trick on him?
Could it be that...
What did Princess Anyang do behind his back? Many people knew about it.
Even the Xie family was secretly watching the joke.
His face suddenly darkened, and he said calmly to the emperor, "I feel a little dizzy, I will go down to sober up."
"Go." The emperor waved his hand.
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