It was already summer, and after three days of heavy rain, the capital city had become a swamp.
When Jiang Mingzhi brought the coffin into Beijing, it was the Dragon Boat Festival and the heavy rain had stopped.
The streets and alleys are filled with the fragrance of rice dumplings. Children shouting and selling calamus and mugwort leaves squat on the roadside, their eyes shining, but their hearts are thinking about the fragrant glutinous rice dumplings cooked in their mothers' pots.
In the midst of peace and tranquility, one team seemed a little strange.
The young man in the lead was handsome and cheerful, dressed in white mourning clothes. He was thin but trying hard to hold on. He held the spirit flag against the wind, as if a gust of wind would make him fall down at any time.
Behind him was a pitch-black coffin. In the daytime, such a team was particularly conspicuous.
But no one expected that this team would go straight towards Xuande Gate.
Looking at the increasingly approaching drum in the distance, and the officers and soldiers looking at them warily, Jiang Mingzhi paused for a moment, flicked her hairpin and let her hair down. Facing the officers and soldiers who stepped forward to stop her from approaching, Jiang Mingzhi was not afraid at all.
"Who are you? What's your business? This is the reporting drum. If it's not an important case, don't strike it!"
"How dare you! This is Prince Yong's wife! Who dares to stop her?"
The person who stepped forward to sign up was none other than Lu Yun, who had gone to the border last year to secretly protect Zhou Yihuai and his group.
Lu Yun handed over Jiang Mingzhi's jade token, and the officers and soldiers looked at each other in disbelief.
"Nonsense! Princess Yong is clearly ill and is currently recuperating at home. Where did you come from, you imposter?"
"If you don't believe it, you can take this jade token to the palace to verify its authenticity. But if you come back and find that the jade token is real, then you don't need your head anymore." Jiang Mingzhi was not angry and responded calmly.
The guards were all undecided. Jiang Mingzhi took one look at the coffin, made up his mind, stepped forward, pushed open the coffin lid, and carried the person out.
Even though there was ice provided along the way, Zhou Suijin's body still felt a bit rotten.
But Jiang Mingzhi didn't despise it.
When the deafening sound of the drum resounded through the sky, the entire Kyoto city began to speculate. No one knew who it was, or what grievance he had, that dared to beat the drum.
Those who were more informed began to speculate about who was in the coffin and who this young man they had never seen before was.
Amidst the chaotic speculation, more and more people came to watch after hearing the news.
"Jiang Mingzhi!"
A frightened horse neighed in the distance. Looking back, Chu Muchi rode towards him, staring at Jiang Mingzhi with a solemn expression.
It came faster than she thought.
Everyone came back to their senses in shock, and knelt down, shouting "Long live the prince."
Jiang Mingzhi raised the corners of his lips slightly, but he couldn't even hold back a smile.
"Who is in the coffin? What are you doing here?"
Chu Muchi glanced vigilantly at the mud-stained coffin, and his gaze towards Jiang Mingzhi became sharper.
"It's my sister."
Jiang Mingzhi's eyes were determined. She came here today prepared for a do-or-die battle.
The emperor is now in his twilight years, and loving parents have long-term plans for their children. The same is true for the imperial family. For the sake of the new emperor's ascension to the throne in the future, today's incident will certainly not be covered lightly.
Regardless of whether King Hui has the possibility to succeed to the throne, she must make this trip today.
"Princess." Chu Muchi lowered his voice a bit, trying to ignore the determination in Jiang Mingzhi's eyes, and ordered: "Now that you have recovered from your illness and returned to the capital, you should return to the mansion first. No matter when, don't forget your identity."
Seeing more and more people gathering around him, Chu Muchi's patience with the woman in front of him was getting lower and lower. If he allowed her to continue making trouble here, no one knew how it would end. Instead of letting things get out of his control, it would be better to suppress the matter first.
"No matter what happens, go back home first."
After Chu Muchi finished speaking, he asked someone to put Jiang Mingzhi on the carriage.
"Your Highness!" Jiang Mingzhi was more determined than ever.
"I have been honored by the Zhou family's eldest daughter Zhou Suihuan. Today, I have evidence of the Zhou family's injustice. No matter how the prince persuades me, I will disobey you today!"
Chu Muchi was not surprised to hear this. His secret spies had also sent back a lot of information, so he naturally knew something about this.
Seeing that Jiang Mingzhi refused to listen to his advice, Chu Muchi dismounted gracefully, suddenly stepped forward, and tried to knock Jiang Mingzhi unconscious with a knife.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Mingzhi had been prepared and dodged sideways, then took the opportunity to pinch Chu Muchi's waist hard. Chu Muchi felt pain and then loosened his grip.
"We agreed on this at the beginning. How can you act on your own now?"
Chu Muchi questioned in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.
"Your Highness, you're joking. What I originally agreed to with you was only related to the Wang family, but now this matter involves the unjust deaths of the entire Zhou family. I beg Your Highness to consider our past kindness and show some leniency. Don't hinder me."
"Jiang Mingzhi!" Chu Muchi gritted his teeth and spoke each word clearly. He looked at Jiang Mingzhi with a look that seemed like he wanted to eat her alive.
His current status and position were not something he had easily acquired since birth. "I have already arranged every step in the capital. Don't disrupt my plans!"
"I don't know what the prince's plan is. I only know that I must ask the heavens to judge between loyalty and treachery. This is something every subject has the right and must do!"
The two were at loggerheads, neither willing to give in.
Chu Muchi had never met such an ignorant person before, so he immediately stopped showing any mercy and ordered the guards: "The princess has lost her mind, take her back quickly."
Jiang Mingzhi cursed inwardly, and without caring about any taboos, he spoke out loudly about the injustices concerning the Zhou family.
But before she could say a few words, Chu Muchi's guards had already come forward.
"Princess, I'm sorry!"
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