After hearing what Ah Mu said, Linlang had trouble falling asleep. It was so unreasonable for a mother who loved her child so much to suddenly want to kill him.
Even if you think Amu is a liar, after all, he begged all the way back to the capital to hide his identity, and his disheveled appearance and scars were very scary.
Linlang has been a mother for decades and knows how much a child means to a mother. Lady Dingguo missed her son so much that she shouldn't have reacted like that when she met someone who called her mother with affection.
If someone had harmed the Duke's wife and had stayed in the Duke's Mansion in disguise, wouldn't the people who had served her over the years, including Duke Ding, have noticed anything?
The human skin mask will always be exposed.
"Amu, have you ever heard whether your mother has a sister who looks like her?"
"My mother has no cousins, and even only two cousins. I saw them when I was a child, and they didn't look like her at all."
Amu recalled a lot, "No one in Northern Qi or Jing Dynasty had the medical skills to change a person's face, except you."
"A human skin mask can only deceive someone in certain circumstances. It's not something that lasts forever."
"So I've never been able to understand why my mother's personality changed so drastically. What on earth did she go through in those seven years?"
Linlang consoled him with a few words, "Let's wait for the third and fourth brothers to investigate thoroughly."
The next day, Linlang and Amu privately asked Su Jinnian and Su Jinyao for help in the investigation. The two glanced at Amu and were not surprised.
Su Jinnian told them, "Ever since the young master was sent to Northern Qi as a hostage, the Duke's wife, the Duke, and the Empress have fallen out. She rarely attends banquets, especially palace banquets. She hasn't been to the palace in seven years."
"I heard that things are very bad with the Duke. They don't talk when they meet. Wherever the Duke appears, the Duke's wife will definitely leave."
"Oh, the Duke's wife lives in her parents' home most of the time and rarely returns to the Duke's Mansion."
Su Jinyao sighed, "Now that the young master is gone, I guess the Duke's wife hates him and the Queen even more."
This is strange. A mother who loves her child so much would order the killing of Amu. It would be normal for her to secretly keep him and conduct a thorough investigation.
She often stayed at her parents' house, and everyone was familiar to her. If she was pretending to be someone else, it would be easy to be exposed. So, was it because the Duke's wife was upset and her temperament changed drastically?
Everything seems a little weird.
Su Jinnian said, "Don't worry about it, the two of you. Let's take a good look at what the Duke's wife has been through over the years. It won't be too late to make a decision then."
He patted Amu's shoulder and said, "Prepare well for the exam and surprise everyone by getting the top score."
Ah Mu knew what he meant and nodded heavily, "Thank you, Third Brother and Fourth Brother."
The Su family had guessed his identity long ago and sent people to investigate. This face really looked too much like his father's.
Duke Dingguo was the most handsome man in the capital at that time, and the queen was even more beautiful. The emperor fell in love with her at first sight and married her as his principal wife, and later directly appointed her as the queen.
What a pity, the prince doesn’t seem to be very smart.
The emperor has rich emotions and forgets the old ones when he has new ones.
Su Jinyao assured his sister and brother-in-law, "It will take some time, but I will definitely find out everything for you."
Linlang and Amu certainly believed him, as the third and fourth brothers were very good at gathering intelligence.
After the four of them finished talking, Su Jinrui and Su Jinchen came over.
Su Jinrui told them, "I just received a secret letter from my father. That master is coming over. Let us be prepared."
The emperor is coming!
After seeing the thunder bombs they made, the emperor must have been very excited and risked his life to come and see it in person.
Everything is ready, the emperor can come at any time.
The four brothers looked at Amu. This face was a problem. The emperor had been hanging out with Duke Dingguo when he was young, so he could tell at a glance who Amu belonged to.
Linlang told her brothers not to worry, "Send Ah Mu home when the time comes. We also need to go check on the workshop as it needs to deliver the goods."
Amu also agreed, "I'll go home and stay for a few days."
This is the only way. The emperor comes and goes in a hurry, and I won’t ask questions if I can’t see him.
Su Jinrui said, "Father said that the gentleman will arrive tomorrow night. The exact time is unclear, but he may go directly to the back mountain in the late night."
He said to Linlang, "My sister's health is very special, so please rest in the other courtyard."
But Linlang wanted to meet the emperor who would die suddenly the next year, and wanted to see what kind of emperor he was. "Brother, let me go and meet him. I haven't met the emperor yet."
It's normal to be curious about the ruler of a country.
Su Jinyao said, "Sister, if you are curious and want to see it, go ahead. There is a place to rest. You can get up after you arrive."
The four brothers doted on their sister and all agreed.
On the other side, the emperor, accompanied by the fourth prince and accompanying officials, marched out of the capital in a grand procession and began his inspection from east to south.
The Fourth Prince made all the arrangements along the way and occasionally went to the farmland to communicate with the people. He was very approachable.
The emperor saw it all and praised it generously, saying, "Agriculture is the foundation of the country. Autumn planting is related to next year's harvest and the people's livelihood. We cannot be careless at all."
"Father, I have learned a lot this time. It is truly worth the trip."
The emperor sneezed slightly. "Well, you've been doing well these past few days. I've noticed it all. I'll let you take charge from now on. Don't let me down."
The Fourth Prince said happily, "Thank you for your trust, Father. I will do my best."
He then said, "Is your Majesty feeling unwell? I will send for the imperial physician."
The emperor waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, just a cold. I'll be fine after taking some medicine."
"I won't disturb you there, Father. Please have a good rest."
The emperor's cold hadn't fully healed during the journey, and he developed a cough after taking several doses of medicine. Throughout the journey, the Fourth Prince had been responsible for arranging all matters, taking care of every detail.
That day, when they arrived at the neighboring county of Guliang County, the emperor asked the fourth prince to accompany him for dinner at dusk.
He coughed lightly and said, "I have been in poor health recently. I am sorry to have caused you trouble."
"It's what a son should do."
The emperor nodded in satisfaction. "After we go to Guliang County tomorrow, we'll head back. I took my medicine today and will rest early. I'll go out for a walk tomorrow when I feel better."
"Yes, I will take my leave."
As soon as the Fourth Prince left, the Chief of the Imperial Guards came out from the darkness and said, "Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. Marquis Anchang is waiting in Guliang County. We can set off soon."
The emperor changed his clothes and put on his nightgown. His face was full of energy and there was no sign of illness at all.
As soon as it got dark, the emperor, led by a master of the imperial court, quietly emerged under the cover of night. In the grove outside the county town, a thousand-mile horse had long been prepared, and the group galloped to Guliang County at full speed.
Su Nanting was waiting on the pipeline outside Guliang County. To avoid any complications, he only brought two trusted men with him.
Hearing the sound of horse hooves and seeing the signal lantern, Su Nanting quickly rolled forward and said, "Your Majesty."
"Don't talk nonsense, lead the way."
"yes."
Su Nanting led the way and took the mountain road directly to the cave in the back mountain of Luer Town.
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