Chapter 42 Are you crazy, or is he crazy?
Aqing watched this scene from the side and curled her lip in disdain.
It's so embarrassing for a grown man to be crying like this while clinging to a woman's leg.
This is supposed to be a prince? How could the emperor have given birth to such a useless son?
Just as he was grumbling to himself, there was another knock on the door.
Qi Jingxuan, who was crying uncontrollably, thought that A Yuan and the others were worried and wanted to come in again, so he yelled at the door, "Are you ever going to stop? Didn't I tell you not to come in unless I called you?"
A Yuan's helpless voice rang out from outside the door: "Your Highness, someone from the palace has come and says they want you to go there."
Qi Jingxuan assumed that someone had discovered his sneaking away from the pleasure boat and reported it to the emperor. He said impatiently, "I'm not going! I just sneaked out for a while. What's the big deal? Is it worth going to complain about? Are they all just bored out of their minds?"
Seeing that he was quite assertive in front of outsiders, even daring to refuse an audience with the emperor, Aqing raised an eyebrow.
He doesn't seem like a coward, so why does he cry and whine in front of women?
The image of those scholars who pretended to be weak and vulnerable in front of women to gain sympathy and swindle money and sex, as described by storytellers, flashed through his mind. Looking at Qi Jingxuan's handsome face, even with his eyes swollen from crying, he felt that he understood something.
Prince Ping just said that he felt only Miss Shen could save his life.
So... he's just pretending to be pitiful because he's terrified of dying.
Ugh, despicable.
As Aqing felt a surge of contempt, Ayuan continued to reply from outside the door.
"It is indeed because of what happened on the ship, but not because you left early. Someone died on the pleasure boat, and some people said... that this matter is related to you. His Majesty summoned you to the palace for questioning."
After he finished speaking, he hesitated for a moment and then said, "If you don't want to go, that's fine. I'll go and report back."
He was an agent sent by the emperor to Qi Jingxuan, both to help him and to keep an eye on him.
There are many people like him following Qi Jingxuan today, and they can all testify for Qi Jingxuan.
It is said that the palace maid named Sulan was still by the Fifth Princess's side until shortly before the dragon boat race began, while Qi Jingxuan had only been on the painted boat for a short time before sneaking off. How could she possibly be related to this murder case?
He had just received a message from someone in the palace, and he couldn't make a decision on his own without informing Qi Jingxuan, so he came to ask.
Since Qi Jingxuan is unwilling to go, he can simply send someone to inform him.
As A Yuan was thinking this, she was about to leave through the door when she heard hurried footsteps coming from inside. The door was then pulled open with a loud bang.
"What murder case has anything to do with me?"
Qi Jingxuan said angrily.
A-Yuan was about to reply when she looked up and saw his eyes were red and swollen, bloodshot. She was startled and immediately forgot what she was about to say, instinctively asking, "Your Highness, what...what happened to you?"
He glanced around the room again, wondering if Miss Shen and that mute man had teamed up to bully him.
But... I didn't see the prince call for anyone.
Qi Jingxuan ignored him and said only, "Explain clearly, what exactly happened!"
A Yuan had left the painted boat with Qi Jingxuan early on, so she had no idea what was going on. She then called over the palace servant who had come to deliver the message.
The palace maid had just heard Qi Jingxuan's roar and, fearing he would take his anger out on her, hurriedly and respectfully stepped forward to recount the story of the Fifth Princess's maid being violated and killed. She concluded by saying, "Someone said...that they saw you come out of that room..."
"fart!"
Before he could finish speaking, Qi Jingxuan shouted sternly.
The palace servant trembled and said repeatedly, "His Majesty also said it couldn't be you, but many officials were on the ship today, and the matter has caused quite a stir. The officials all said they have witnesses, and coincidentally, only you disappeared from the ship. If we don't summon you and question you, we can't rule out your suspicion, so..."
Seeing Qi Jingxuan's increasingly grim expression, he didn't dare to continue and quickly changed the subject: "But His Majesty trusts you. Calling you over is just a formality. Once you explain things to the other ministers, everything will be fine."
A-Yuan listened from the side and understood the whole story from beginning to end, and felt even more that Qi Jingxuan didn't need to go.
He was about to speak when he saw Qi Jingxuan's brows furrowed and his bloodshot eyes seem to be spitting fire.
"Explain yourself, let me explain yourself."
"Fine," he gritted his teeth, "I'll go and explain!"
He was filled with resentment because of his past life, and some people just had to come and provoke him at this time.
Since they're so eager to get closer, he'll go and teach them a lesson!
He was about to leave when he suddenly remembered that Shen Yan was still in the room, so he turned back abruptly.
"Aci, you stay here and rest well. I'm going to the palace for a while and will be back soon."
He said that.
Shen Yan had followed them out, but she hadn't stepped out of the room. However, she had heard their conversation.
Hearing that a murder had occurred on the pleasure boat and that the blame was being placed on Qi Jingxuan, she frowned and said, "I'll go with you; I can testify for you."
Qi Jingxuan had been with her ever since they got off the painted boat, and they had never been apart. Since the palace maid's accident happened after the dragon boat race had started, she could testify for him that the matter had nothing to do with him.
Qi Jingxuan shook his head and said, "No need, I can go by myself."
How could we let Aci get involved in such a thing? She had nothing to do with it, so why should she get involved in this mess?
If witnesses are truly needed, the people on the pleasure boats he passed through, the vendors who had seen him on the banks of the Yanliang River, and the staff of Sibaozhai can all testify for him; Shen Yan is not an exception.
He already owed her so much, and he didn't want her to be questioned by unrelated people because of him.
Seeing his resolute attitude, Shen Yan stopped insisting, but she also did not want to stay in the Prince's mansion any longer.
“I should go home first,” she said. “It was already inappropriate to come to the Prince’s mansion in such a hurry. If you go to the palace and I am left here alone, it would be even more inappropriate.”
The two are not yet married, so what's the meaning of her staying alone in the Prince's mansion waiting for his return?
Qi Jingxuan was taken aback. He was unwilling, but he couldn't find a reason to keep him, so he could only nod reluctantly.
"Alright then, I'll come find you when I get back."
They have already told us about their past lives, and we don't have any clues about the person behind the scenes yet. We can think about it slowly after we calm down.
But... what should we do with this mute girl named Aqing?
Qi Jingxuan's gaze fell on A Qing. He wanted to lock him up, but he knew that was inappropriate and that Shen Yan would probably not agree.
Sure enough, when Shen Yan saw him looking at A Qing, she was afraid that he would hold a grudge because he had been shot eight times by her, so she quickly said, "Since A Qing is not an assassin, let him go."
Qi Jingxuan pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to ask A Qing, "Where are you living now?"
Aqing made a simple gesture, but Shen Yan didn't understand and could only guess: "Inn".
Aqing nodded.
Shen Yan nodded: "Then you should go back to the inn. I... As you can see, there was just a misunderstanding between me and the prince. The things you're worried about won't happen. You don't need to follow me anymore."
"If you find the capital city interesting, then wander around here. But once you're done, head back home to your family as soon as possible..."
Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly remembered that she had rescued Aqing in a simple shack. At that time, he was obviously all alone, without any relatives or friends by his side.
Could it be... that he has no relatives or friends left in Yingzhou?
Shen Yan was speechless for a moment, unsure how to continue.
Qi Jingxuan, standing to the side, thought she was right and chimed in, "Yes, you should hurry up and go back to Yingzhou! The farther away from the capital, the better!"
He couldn't help but tense up whenever he saw this person, as if he were about to be shot by an arrow at any moment.
Since he couldn't lock this person up, he hoped he could go far away and preferably never appear in front of him again!
Aqing scoffed inwardly, thinking to herself, "I didn't come here for you. You think I'll just leave because you tell me to? Dream on!"
He raised his hand to indicate that he did not intend to leave, but the palace servants waiting nearby were getting impatient.
"Your Highness, His Majesty is still waiting for you in the palace."
He mustered his courage and urged him in a low voice.
Qi Jingxuan then remembered that there was still this person there. He said "Oh," and ignored A Qing, turning to Shen Yan and saying, "A Ci, I'll have A Yuan send someone to take you home. You... shouldn't go out again today."
Although the so-called "assassin" incident turned out to be a false alarm, he still felt it was rather unlucky that such a thing had happened during the holiday.
Shen Yan smiled and nodded: "I didn't plan to go anywhere else anyway. Your Highness, please go to the palace with peace of mind. I'll go home now."
After reaching an agreement, the two walked together out of the Prince's mansion, with Aqing naturally following behind Shen Yan.
Watching this scene, A-Yuan frowned. As Shen Yan boarded the carriage, she whispered in Qi Jingxuan's ear, "Your Highness, is this mute... really being left alone?"
Qi Jingxuan glanced at A Qing, still somewhat resentful about A Qing shooting him eight times.
But now that he knew he wasn't an assassin and had come to repay Shen Yan's kindness, he couldn't do anything to him. He could only say to A Yuan, "It's a misunderstanding. Don't worry about it. Just let him leave on his own."
A Yuan gritted her teeth, feeling utterly speechless.
Qi Jingxuan had previously ordered him to search the entire capital for this assassin, but he had turned the city upside down and still couldn't find him.
Now that we've finally met, they say it's all a misunderstanding.
A Yuan frowned deeply. After thinking it over, she decided to have someone secretly follow the mute man and observe him for a while to see if he had any intentions.
After all, this mute was indeed a bit strange. Even if he wasn't an assassin, he certainly wasn't an ordinary person.
Otherwise, how could he know how to shoot arrows, and why would he carry around a telescope and a kitchen knife?
He made up his mind, but his expression remained unchanged. His tense brows relaxed, and he put on a smile, becoming once again the ordinary, round-headed, and endearing attendant.
As the group left the palace, Qi Jingxuan noticed that A Qing was still following Shen Yan's carriage and chuckled.
"Haven't we already made things clear? Why are you still following us?"
Aqing pointed at him with a disdainful expression, waved her hand, then pointed at Shen Yan and nodded solemnly.
These few simple gestures couldn't really express anything, but paired with the expression on his face, Qi Jingxuan inexplicably understood.
—I'm following Miss Shen, not you. Don't flatter yourself.
Qi Jingxuan was so angry he jumped up and down, wishing he could order the mute man to be arrested right now.
Fearing that the two of them might cause trouble, Shen Yan kept her ears open to the sounds outside the carriage. Hearing the noise, she lifted the curtain and asked A Qing, "Where is the inn you're staying at?"
Aqing pointed in a direction, and Shen Yan looked and thought to herself, "Just as I suspected."
Since he came to the capital for her, once he finds out where she lives, he will most likely choose to stay nearby.
So even if Aqing wants to go back to the inn now, she's actually going in the same direction as Shen Yan.
You could say he was following Shen Yan, or you could say he was going back to the inn.
Shen Yan couldn't very well stop him from taking the same route as her, so she could only advise Qi Jingxuan: "Aqing is probably going the same way as me, so he'll leave once we get there. Your Highness, you should go to the palace first, don't keep His Majesty waiting."
Qi Jingxuan was very annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. He could only instruct the people around Shen Yan to take good care of her and not to let A Qing get too close.
With everyone agreeing, Qi Jingxuan boarded another carriage and headed towards the palace.
………………
Inside the palace, the emperor's face was very gloomy.
Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, which should be an auspicious day. However, out of consideration for the festival, Consort Shu did not send the Emperor away after having lunch with him, allowing the Emperor to take a short rest in Zhaohua Palace.
He had barely lain down when he was suddenly woken up, told that there had been trouble at the dragon boat race and that Qi Jingxuan was involved.
Consort Shu was resting in the inner room and had not gotten up. When she heard people outside mentioning her son, she dressed and hurriedly came out.
The visitor recounted the events on the pleasure boat in detail, and Consort Shu immediately rebuked him, saying, "Nonsense! This could never have been done by Prince Ping!"
Doesn't she know her son?
Ah Xuan was nearly poisoned by a palace maid who tried to seduce him back then. Ever since then, he has avoided women like the plague. Apart from Miss Shen, he has never been seen to have any romantic feelings for any other woman.
Right now, his heart is entirely devoted to Miss Shen; how could he possibly lay a hand on a palace maid, let alone torture her to death?
The palace servants naturally followed her lead and hurriedly said, "His Highness the Crown Prince said the same thing. However, everyone was present when they disembarked, except for Prince Ping, who was nowhere to be found. No one could testify for him, so... that's why some bad rumors have arisen."
"The Crown Prince was anxious, fearing that the rumors would spread too far and become unsightly, so he sent me to inform His Majesty, so as not to cause His Majesty any worry."
This happened in broad daylight with so many people present; it's impossible to suppress the incident.
If a minister were to come to the palace to pay his respects later, and the emperor were still unaware of the matter, wouldn't it make the crown prince appear to be completely unloving towards his brothers, failing to even send someone to inform them of such a serious incident?
The emperor was furious, unable to understand how the dragon boat race had turned into this.
He believed in Qi Jingxuan and thought he couldn't possibly do such a thing, but the boy was supposed to be on the pleasure boat, yet he had secretly slipped away somewhere, which annoyed him quite a bit.
He cursed inwardly, but dared not utter aloud, fearing that Consort Shu would harm her health. So he could only suppress his anger and soothe her gently. Only after calming Consort Shu down did he return to the Imperial Study.
Sure enough, not long after he returned, several ministers came to the palace together to discuss the murder case on the pleasure boat.
When Qi Jingxuan entered the palace, a number of people had already gathered in the Imperial Study. In addition to several ministers who had come to the palace on their own initiative, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice were also summoned. Even the elderly Minister of Rites, Yang Hongshu, was summoned to the palace because the incident occurred at the Dragon Boat Festival banquet.
Prince An was also a suspect because he was wearing the same clothes as the eyewitness described, and was naturally summoned as well.
In addition, several trembling eunuchs and palace maids were kneeling in the hall; they were all people related to today's case.
The Fifth Princess was originally summoned for questioning, but she was timid by nature and was terrified today. After asking a few questions, the Emperor sent her back first.
When Qi Jingxuan stepped into the imperial study, everyone's eyes turned to him. The two censors from the Censorate straightened their backs, ready to question him as soon as he bowed to the emperor.
Unexpectedly, Qi Jingxuan did not stop after entering and strode directly to Prince An, punching him in the face.
Prince An never expected that he would dare to openly attack him at such a time. Caught off guard, he didn't even have time to dodge and took the punch to the face, falling backward to the ground.
Qi Jingxuan wasn't satisfied with just one punch; he pounced on him, straddling him and striking him with both hands while cursing, "You bastard, you tried to frame me! You tried to frame me!"
His actions were so sudden that no one could react in time. It was Lin Chengfeng, the Left Censor-in-Chief, who was the first to come to his senses and called the guards outside the hall to separate the two.
Qi Jingxuan was still not satisfied after throwing several punches. When he was pulled away, he kicked Prince An again, making Prince An cry out in pain.
Lin Chengfeng rebuked, "What kind of behavior is this in front of His Majesty!"
Yang Hongshu also said, "What is the Prince doing? Prince An is your elder brother, let's talk this out!"
"elder brother"
Qi Jingxuan spat and said, "What kind of brother is he!"
Prince An was still lying on the ground, and was half-supported up by the palace servants. He raised his hand to touch his face, and his hand was covered in blood. His mouth was especially painful, which showed that he had been hit and ripped open.
He gritted his teeth in anger, wishing he could punch Qi Jingxuan a few times too.
But the guards were still standing by, so it was impossible for him to fight back. He wasn't as reckless as Qi Jingxuan, who dared to make a move in front of the emperor and a group of ministers. So he could only cover his face and sit on the ground, not getting up. He looked up at Qi Jingxuan, pretending to be both surprised and angry.
"Seventh brother, what do you mean by this? I have never framed you in any way."
She was about to turn to the emperor and cry out her grievances.
Qi Jingxuan couldn't stand his behavior and spat out a "Pah!" before he could even speak: "Stop pretending!"
“I already know what happened on the ship. I heard that someone saw a person of similar height to me, wearing the same clothes as me, walking out of the room where the murdered palace maid was.”
“I only boarded the ship a short time ago and then disembarked, so it couldn’t have been me who was seen. In that case, it must be you!”
"You're out of your mind. You wouldn't choose a time like this to do something like this, leaving yourself vulnerable to being seen. So it must be that you wanted to frame me, had someone dress up in the same clothes as me and do this, and then deliberately let someone see it so you could pin the blame on me!"
"Since you've been in the public eye the whole time and haven't left, while I've always preferred to be alone, everyone will naturally assume that the one being seen is me!"
"If I hadn't happened to sneak off the ship today, wouldn't you have pinned this mess on me and I'd never be able to clear my name!"
He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and wanted to go up and kick Prince An a few more times, but he was stopped and failed to do so.
Prince An had been hoping that Qi Jingxuan would disembark shortly before the dragon boat race began, but upon hearing that he had already left the pleasure boat long ago, his heart skipped a beat.
From the moment he learned that Qi Jingxuan was not on the ship, he was afraid that things would go wrong, so he dared not let anyone openly point out Qi Jingxuan's name.
But the deed was already done, and his servants had already appeared in public wearing those clothes.
To make everything seem more real, the eyewitness was not someone he had arranged, but rather a servant he had sent to do the work, who was deliberately seen when someone passed by.
Since they weren't people he had arranged, he naturally couldn't control them, so the two quickly told him what they had seen when questioned.
Prince An thought that as long as Qi Jingxuan disembarked late and his people refused to budge, there would still be room for maneuver.
But to everyone's surprise, the worst thing still happened.
Seeing how certain Qi Jingxuan was, he knew he wasn't lying; he really had left shortly after boarding the ship, and many people could testify to that.
In this way, Prince An could not easily shift the blame onto him, so he could only cry to the emperor, "Father, I didn't do it!"
"Shortly after I boarded the ship today, a servant of mine, who was not careful, spilled a cup of tea on me. I immediately changed the clothes and put them away without ever touching them again."
He then turned to look at Qi Jingxuan: "Seventh Brother, I know you've never liked me. You were unhappy when you saw me wearing the same clothes as you by the Yanliang River today. But I didn't know which outfit you would choose today. How can you blame me for everything just because we had a few disagreements?"
Seeing that he was still rambling on about nothing, Qi Jingxuan raised his eyebrows and was about to speak again when Lin Chengfeng interrupted him.
"The matter is still under investigation and no conclusion has been reached. The two princes only need to state their whereabouts today and refrain from making a scene before the Emperor!"
They had already heard Prince An's testimony, so he turned his gaze to Qi Jingxuan.
"Your Highness, you say you disembarked early, but is there any witness to prove it?"
"There are plenty of witnesses."
Qi Jingxuan said with a forced smile.
Upon hearing this, Lin Chengfeng said to the emperor on the throne, "Your Majesty, since Prince Ping says there are witnesses, please summon his witnesses for questioning."
The emperor initially did not want Qi Jingxuan to enter the palace, feeling it was unnecessary.
Ever since that incident at the Marquis of Cheng'an's residence, he's had someone follow this kid. If he really did something like that, the news would have spread long ago; there would have been plenty of noise.
But he knew in his heart that the court officials did not know, and insisted on having Qi Jingxuan found and brought to the palace for questioning.
He couldn't refuse, so he had to send someone to look for him, thinking he could explain things clearly as soon as possible and then it would be over.
To his surprise, the brat came in and started fighting without saying a word, which shocked him so much that he almost couldn't help but come down and break up the fight himself.
Now that we've finally gotten back to the main topic and are looking for witnesses to question, the emperor immediately said with a stern face, "Summon them."
Before long, A Yuan came in and explained Qi Jingxuan's whereabouts that day, proving that he had indeed left shortly after arriving at the painting studio and had no time to harm the palace maid Su Lan.
The censor who came with Lin Chengfeng did not recognize A Yuan and thought he was Qi Jingxuan's attendant. He was about to question him when Lin Chengfeng stopped him.
“He Yuan, the deputy commander of the Guard Commandery, is a member of the He clan of Qingzhou. His Majesty promoted him exceptionally.”
Lin Chengfeng said in a low voice.
In the capital, it doesn't specifically refer to a particular garrison; it refers to the Jingwei (京卫).
Although the current Imperial Guard Command has appointed many deputy commanders, leading to ridicule that "deputy commanders are everywhere," it is undeniable that this position is still quite prestigious, and those selected by the emperor are certainly not ordinary people.
He Yuangang had only recently been promoted to deputy commander. He had an honest appearance and a low-key personality, so apart from the people who were always by his side in the garrison, many people did not recognize him.
The He family of Qingzhou is full of loyal martyrs, and Lin Chengfeng believes that He Yuan would not lie for Qi Jingxuan on such a matter.
Besides, he just gave such detailed account that it's easy to verify, so there's really no need for him to lie.
In this way, everyone's attention returned to Prince An.
Qi Jingxuan is still wearing his clothes. Since he wasn't on the ship when Su Lan had her accident, the only person who could have seen him at the time was Prince An.
At least that outfit must be his.
Prince An's heart tightened, but he really didn't know how to explain himself, so he could only say, "Father, I really don't know."
As he spoke, his eyes darted around, pointing to the two eunuchs kneeling on the ground: "Perhaps...perhaps they've mistaken me for someone else!"
"Although only my seventh brother and I were wearing the same clothes on the ship today, there were others with similar colors. Since they didn't see the murderer in person and only saw his back, they might have been mistaken."
The two eunuchs, after being interrogated and repeatedly confirmed by everyone, firmly stated that it was indeed the green robe embroidered with bamboo. Now that Qi Jingxuan's suspicion has been cleared, their change of heart seems suspicious, wouldn't it?
Everyone knows that Prince Ping is His Majesty's most favored son. If this crime were to fall on their heads, how could they possibly survive?
The two immediately bowed down and kowtowed, touching their foreheads to the ground, repeatedly assuring each other that they had not seen wrong.
But if I'm not mistaken, who exactly was it that appeared at the door of that house wearing those clothes?
Seeing that he couldn't refuse no matter what, Prince An could only say, "Perhaps...perhaps someone secretly took my clothes and deliberately framed me!"
Yes, since it's possible that he framed Qi Jingxuan, it's also possible that someone else used this outfit to frame him, or even kill two birds with one stone, framing both him and Qi Jingxuan at the same time, causing discord between the brothers.
The more Prince An thought about it, the more convinced he became that this explanation could smooth things over, and his tone became increasingly certain, hoping that the emperor and his ministers would believe him.
But the crowd wasn't so easily fooled. Lin Chengfeng said coldly, "The servant who was in charge of keeping the prince's clothes is kneeling right here. Does Your Highness want to ask again?"
"He just said that he had been watching over that garment carefully from beginning to end, and hadn't let it out of his sight for a moment."
"Does the prince want him to go back on his word now?"
He said that Prince An made him change his mind, not that the man wanted to change his mind on his own. This shows that even if the servant changed his mind, he would not be believed.
Upon hearing this, Prince An felt a pang of regret, secretly remorseful that he had repeatedly instructed those around him to deny everything in order to clear himself of any wrongdoing before entering the palace.
Now he's ruined his own escape route and has no way to defend himself.
He had already been helped to his feet, but now he could only kneel back down and say to the emperor, "Father, this matter truly has nothing to do with me. I am innocent! You must give me justice!"
"You're blaming me for nothing!"
Despite the censor's reprimanding gaze, Qi Jingxuan continued to do as he pleased and started cursing.
"On an occasion like today, which palace servant wouldn't be extremely careful, afraid of making a mistake? Your clothes, once changed, will naturally be carefully guarded. If it weren't for your permission, who would dare to easily hand them over to someone else?"
The censor, seeing that he had repeatedly failed to correct his ways, could no longer tolerate it and reprimanded him for his inappropriate behavior before the emperor.
Qi Jingxuan didn't care about any of that and launched into a tirade against Prince An, showing no restraint whatsoever.
Prince An, unwilling to appear guilty, braced himself and retorted to Qi Jingxuan.
For a time, the Imperial Study was filled with constant arguments, causing headaches for everyone.
Yang Hongshu was getting old and couldn't take it anymore, so he had to interrupt: "The matter hasn't been investigated yet, so the two princes shouldn't argue. Maybe the servant in charge of the clothes stole the clothes and didn't dare to admit it after it was discovered."
His words couldn't even be called speculation; they were purely a way to smooth things over.
By shifting the blame onto servants, making excuses and getting away with it, everyone can save face.
Otherwise, after all the investigation, it will inevitably turn into a power struggle among brothers, and what will become of the royal family's reputation?
Rather than doing that, it would be better to send a servant out and let the matter drop.
In any case, it was just a palace maid who died. The matter was minimized and everyone's face was saved.
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingxuan turned his head sharply, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.
"You mean, this servant took a fancy to the Fifth Princess's maid, and of all times, he had to choose this time and place to make his move on her. Not only that, he even insisted on wearing the Sixth Prince's clothes. Are you crazy, or is he crazy? Do you even think this makes sense?"
As he spoke, he looked Yang Hongshu up and down, and asked sincerely, "Although you're not from the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review, you can't be this brainless, can you? How did you get to this position? Just because you're old?"
Yang Hongshu was so choked by his words that his face turned pale, and his white beard trembled as he almost passed out.
How could he not know that this claim was unreliable? Wasn't he... wasn't he considering the royal family's reputation?
Seeing that the white-haired Minister of Rites was about to faint from anger at Qi Jingxuan, the emperor could only cough twice to signal Qi Jingxuan to shut up.
Qi Jingxuan snorted indignantly, but at least he kept his mouth shut and didn't provoke the old man any further.
The matter is quite clear at this point, and no further investigation is needed. Unless someone deliberately stole Prince An's clothes, this matter is definitely related to Prince An.
The emperor understood, gave Prince An a deep look, and said to the worried-looking Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, "Quickly investigate the matter and report back to me."
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was unwilling to get involved in these struggles within the royal family, but since the matter had already occurred and the emperor's orders had been given, he could only reluctantly comply. After everyone had finished reporting their cases, he and the others took their leave.
Qi Jingxuan was kept behind. Once the imperial study was empty, the emperor scolded him impatiently, "When are you going to stop causing me trouble all day long?"
Qi Jingxuan cried out that he was innocent: "This matter has nothing to do with me. It was clearly that scoundrel Sixth Prince who framed me!"
"What a piece of trash!"
The emperor raised his eyebrows.
"He was born of me, he's a dog, what have I become and what have you become?"
Qi Jingxuan pursed his lips: "That's not what I meant, you know that."
The emperor, of course, knew what he meant; he was just angry at his impulsive actions.
By attacking Prince An in front of everyone, he lost all sense of justice, and even if the matter was eventually investigated, he would not come out unscathed.
Qi Jingxuan, however, didn't care at all: "We've already fought, so at worst they'll deduct some of my salary, it doesn't matter."
He knew in his heart that even if the matter was investigated and cleared up, the sixth prince would at most be demoted to a county prince like him, which would be insignificant, and he might be promoted back at any time in the future.
Rather than that, he'd rather punch him a few times right now, at least he could vent his anger.
The emperor was at a loss with him. Knowing that he had been upset today, he didn't say anything more, but simply asked him to go to Zhaohua Palace to comfort Consort Shu and prevent her from getting anxious.
Qi Jingxuan agreed, bowed, and took his leave before heading to Zhaohua Palace.
After he left the imperial study, the emperor spoke with A Yuan, who was left alone.
Although today's assassination incident was a misunderstanding, just to be on the safe side, A-Yuan still needs to report it.
The emperor frowned upon hearing this and said, "So everyone on the street saw you today?"
A Yuan lowered her eyes: "Yes."
After the incident at the Marquis of Cheng'an's residence, it was obvious that the emperor would send someone to protect Qi Jingxuan.
However, in order to lower the guard of those behind the scenes, the emperor did not send too many people to follow Qi Jingxuan. Most of them remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to act, including even a team of archers.
He originally intended to use this to mislead the person behind the scenes and see if he could lure him into a trap, but after today's commotion, the other party knows that Qi Jingxuan has many guards around him, and he probably won't make a move in the short term.
The emperor sighed and said helplessly, "Fine, since that's the case, let's replace all the people in the Prince's Palace as well."
A Yuan agreed, and seeing that he had no further instructions, she bowed and withdrew, waiting for Qi Jingxuan outside the palace gate.
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