Chapter 182 Flaw
Suddenly, a girl in a light blue riding outfit strode in from the entrance. Her clear black and white eyes looked around, and when she saw the prince on the tallow tree not far away, she smiled.
"Cousin Crown Prince!"
The young girl came stepping through the yellow dust, like a bright and clear stream of water.
Qi Jun's brows relaxed slightly, and he loosened the reins. As if sensing its master's intention, the black ox slowly moved towards that figure.
"I'm late today."
He did not dismount, but instead bowed slightly, raised the hand that had been hanging by his side, and let his long hair, like fine black satin, fall to the side of his face, making his exquisite and intense face appear even more sharp and frivolous.
"Yes... Princess Consort of Runing came to visit and we talked for a while."
Qi Yuxuan stared at the large hand with its distinct knuckles and calloused palm, her beautiful lips slightly pursed, without making a move.
"Don't worry, Min-young isn't here today, so you won't fall."
She shook her head: "Cousin Crown Prince, the tallow tree is a prized Akhal-Teke horse from the Western Regions. It would be a waste for me to learn how to ride a horse. Why not bring my Xueyun instead?"
Xueyun was a gentle pony, only able to carry Qi Yuxuan alone. Qi Jun, of course, could tell that she didn't want to ride with him.
"...Alright then."
Qi Jun withdrew his hand, his palm slowly closing at his side. With a slight movement of his eyes, the palace servants beside him immediately went to the stable to fetch the horse.
Soon after, Xiao Xueyun was led to Qi Yuxuan's side.
She reached out and touched the foal's warm, soft skin, and sighed, "It seems to have grown a bit. It's been a while since I've been here."
“She eats well and sleeps well, so she will naturally grow up, unlike you who have been working hard these days, and I don’t think you have grown much taller.”
"..."
Qi Yuxuan paused, realizing that she hadn't grown taller in a while and was now shorter than the Crown Prince's shoulder.
However, she was considered tall among her peers in her past life, so there's no reason why she wouldn't grow taller in this life, just at a slower pace.
"Yes, with internal and external troubles not eliminated, how can my cousin, the Crown Prince, and I rest easy?"
Affairs of the imperial court, affairs of the Xiao family, and the ever-watchful Southern Yue... If they pause for even a moment, they could be devoured.
She once thought that she only had to deal with the Fourth Prince and Xiao Yuyao, but now it seems that enemies hiding in the shadows have emerged one by one, making it impossible to guard against them.
Qi was her home, and also the home of countless people in Qi. She could not bear to watch the collapse of the state and do nothing about it.
"Get on the horse and try it; I'll protect you."
"good."
She recalled the movements she had learned before, placed her left foot firmly on the stirrup, then grabbed the saddle with both hands, twisted her waist, and straddled it with her right leg.
Xueyun twitched her ears at the sudden weight and her ponytail swayed nervously.
Qi Yuxuan's heart pounded wildly, but soon she was drawn to the view from the high horse.
The majestic palaces stretching into the distance became increasingly clear, and she could easily see the edge of the royal horse ranch. The stable staff were diligently sweeping and cleaning, and a few horses were leisurely grazing in the corner.
As if sensing that Xueyun beside it was a little nervous, Wujiu tilted its head and leaned closer, rubbing its face against Xueyun's.
As if startled by this friendly gesture, Xueyun took a big step back, and Qi Yuxuan on her back immediately grabbed the reins in a panic.
"The ink you sent the other day, Prime Minister Zheng has already used it, and the effect is quite good."
The Crown Prince patted the neck of the somewhat dejected tallow tree, who had been rejected, and said in a deep voice.
"That's good. But even without that ink, with my cousin the Crown Prince protecting him, Prime Minister Zheng will be safe and sound."
The two did not keep their conversation hidden from the palace servants, and even if it were to be heard, it is unlikely that anyone would understand it.
A few days ago, His Majesty was furious because the draft laws in charge of Prime Minister Zheng were full of errors and omissions. Many of the articles contained mistakes in sentencing and year, as well as that satirical note.
However, all of this was because, after the draft was inspected and stored away, Todd secretly sent someone to alter the text on the original draft using a type of ink that could delay its appearance by five hours.
Therefore, the emperor received an incorrect set of laws.
The flower-patterned stationery was a drastic measure taken by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Zheng to completely bring down Tao Duo.
Yesterday evening, a minor official in charge of sweeping the government office accidentally knocked over a brocade box in front of Tao Duo's desk, spilling two ink sticks. However, he found that no ink seeped out from the puddle of water where the ink sticks broke on the ground, which puzzled him.
The minor official intended to confess honestly to Minister Tao the next day, but unfortunately, Minister Dai heard the commotion and came in to investigate, only then discovering the "uniqueness" of the ink stick.
Minister Dai, accompanied by ink sticks and a minor official, rushed to Mingguang Palace. After explaining the situation, he retrieved the draft laws that had been confiscated.
This morning, five hours have passed since the start of the court session. The words written on Tao Duo's desk in front of the Emperor have become clear. The case of Prime Minister Zheng has been reopened for investigation, and Tao Duo has been imprisoned to await further judgment.
Tao Duo repeatedly protested his innocence, insisting that even if he had done it, he wouldn't be so foolish as to leave the ink stick with him.
Minister Dai argued righteously that he was just being overconfident and that no one would notice, which was why he was trying to hide the evidence from the light of day.
Unbeknownst to anyone, outside the center of the argument, Xiao Jue, his face deathly pale, stared at the tall, composed Crown Prince Qi Jun standing before a group of court officials. He suddenly recalled his chance encounter with Sun Miao delivering ink sticks to Prime Minister Zheng's office that day—
That ink stick was the very one that Qi Yuxuan had given to the Crown Prince.
Was this a conspiracy between Qi Yuxuan and the Crown Prince to bring down Minister Tao, who had openly impeached the Crown Prince's Qilin Guard a while ago?
In this way, even if Prime Minister Zheng were to retire and return to his hometown, the other members of the Zheng family who held official positions would still steadfastly support the Crown Prince and follow his lead...
Xiao Jue thought he had discovered the truth, and was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.
When did Qi Yuxuan start plotting against ministers with the Crown Prince? Today, Minister Tao is a threat to the Crown Prince, so will the next one be his father, or even himself?
Startled by this idea, Xiao Jue's body trembled uncontrollably, his mind went blank, and he eventually fainted.
Xiao Jue behaved improperly before the emperor and was demoted and expelled from the capital after the morning court session.
"It's all thanks to you, otherwise Prime Minister Zheng, at his advanced age, would have met a tragic end."
Wu Jiu calmed down, but her gaze remained fixed on Xue Yun. Qi Jun slowly withdrew his hand.
"Aren't you curious, cousin, how did I know in advance?"
The same goes for the epidemic. Qi Yuxuan later thought about it carefully and realized that she had actually revealed her flaws in front of the Crown Prince many times, but the Crown Prince never suspected her.
Her ability to foresee the future was too strange. If it were someone else, they would have questioned her long ago, or thought she was possessed by a demon and kept their distance.
Based on her few interactions with the Crown Prince, Qi Yuxuan didn't think she was particularly trustworthy in his eyes.
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