Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Imperial Concubine Resembles Zhao Ying
at night.
Dr. Chen has been away from home during the day for the past two days, only returning at night.
Therefore, Xu Chumian would take Mumu to the neighbor's courtyard every night.
The candlelight flickered, and Doctor Chen stared at Mu Mu in a daze.
Xu Chumian frowned slightly: "Dr. Chen, have you encountered a difficult situation?"
Dr. Chen sighed and shook his head, saying, "No, don't overthink it."
Xu Chumian: "..."
Each time Xu Chumian came for treatment these past two days, Dr. Chen looked worried, making it hard for her not to think about it.
Mu Mu didn't understand the conversation between the two adults.
Her older sister taught her many words, and she sat by the window quietly reading.
It's just that... she was still carrying the bow that Zhao Yu had given her on her back.
Dr. Chen twitched his lips and started a conversation: "Her bow is quite unique."
They were incredibly wealthy.
The red, green, and blue gems on it are almost blinding.
Xu Chumian's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she said calmly, "It was a gift from Zhao Yu."
Dr. Chen looked embarrassed. "Hehehe, so it was him."
Xu Chumian lowered her eyes and didn't speak again.
...
The Duke's Mansion.
Zhao Yu rested at home for two days. Apart from occasionally going to pay his respects to Old Madam Zhao, he spent the rest of his time at Songchi Courtyard.
Occasionally, I would go to the bamboo forest to supervise the construction.
As the capital city enters early winter, everyone is wearing heavy cotton-padded clothes and overcoats. Zhao Yu, however, seems oblivious to the cold, still dressed in thin clothes, his tall and slender figure standing upright like bamboo.
Early that morning, a message came from the palace, ordering Zhao Yu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to come to the palace, accompanied by the Minister of Justice and Chen Feng, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Inside the carriage, Zhao Yu closed his eyes to rest. When they passed the cotton incense shop, he casually lifted the curtain, but the familiar figure was not there.
Zhao Yu asked, "How did she do on the exam?"
Guan Yan quickly realized, "The girls' school results won't be out until tomorrow."
Guan Yan felt ashamed, but fortunately he had learned about the girls' school quiz beforehand, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to answer it in a short time.
Judging from his master's intentions, he should keep a close eye on Miss Xu.
Zhao Yu coldly curled his lips: "Let Zhao Nai continue to keep an eye on things. Xiao Qingyan can't beat him, so make sure she's safe and sound."
Xiao Qingyan is also a fool. The situation seems calm on the surface, but in reality, it's just a matter of time before the truth is revealed. His Majesty is just waiting for Prince Ding to make the first move. The court forces have been observing the situation several times. His Majesty and Prince Qin's people are all watching Xiao Qingyan. Yet, Xiao Qingyan is still showing off with Xu Chumian everywhere.
He's a sitting duck.
Guan Yan immediately replied, "Yes."
The carriage arrived at the palace gate.
Zhao Yu alighted from the carriage with a calm expression, just as the King of Qin was leaving the palace.
The King of Qin, dressed in brocade robes, had a gentle smile on his face. When he saw Zhao Yu, his gaze paused slightly. "Lord Zhao, what a coincidence."
Zhao Yu: "Your humble servant greets Your Highness, the King of Qin."
The King of Qin walked past Zhao Yu and said, "Lord Zhao, you are too kind. However, I have something I would like to tell you."
Zhao Yu's expression remained unchanged. "Your Highness, please speak freely."
"Lord Zhao, it is certainly a good thing to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, but as for other things... Lord Zhao, please be careful not to overstep your bounds."
Zhao Yu slightly lifted his eyelids. "Everything I have done is for the benefit of the court. Your Highness can rest assured."
The King of Qin was momentarily annoyed, but he quickly put on a smiling tiger mask, smiled, and left the palace.
Zhao Yu's expression was indifferent. He stared ahead at the long palace path after entering the palace gate, a path he had walked countless times over decades.
After years of striving and scheming, countless people were buried in the deep palace, but in the end, he was left all alone and desolate.
Heaven plays the game of chess, and Zhao Yu is but one piece among many.
Your Majesty has reached the age of fifty, and your Crown Prince is frail and sickly, with few heirs and no members of the imperial clan. This is one of the key reasons why Prince Ding decided to rebel.
A tall, slender figure in bright yellow appeared ahead. Upon seeing Zhao Yu, the man paused and said gently, "He An."
Zhao Yu bowed and said, "Your Highness, this humble subject greets Your Highness."
The Crown Prince coughed lightly twice. "Between you and me, there's no need for formalities. Fortunately, your men arrived in time to carry out the assassination attempt that day, otherwise I'm afraid..."
Zhao Yu pursed his lips. "How is Your Highness's health? In the dead of winter, why is no one with Your Highness?"
The Crown Prince waved his hand casually. "It's nothing. I just thought the weather was nice today, so I came out for a stroll. Lingyin is coming to the East Palace this afternoon. If you're free this afternoon, why don't you come over for a casual meal?"
A smile appeared on Zhao Yu's lips, but his eyes were extremely cold.
"I have other official business to attend to this afternoon, so I won't bother Your Highness any longer."
The crown prince hummed in agreement, not particularly concerned, and said, "Go."
The moment Zhao Yu turned around, the smile on his face instantly turned cold.
Previously, Zhao Yu had already reported to Emperor Mingde about the capture of several spies in Red Leaf Valley.
However, His Majesty secretly issued an order to the Ministry of Justice to detain him and instructed the Minister of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation. The matter was not publicized.
In addition, martial law was imposed throughout the capital. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five City Garrison were not allowed to let go of even the slightest clue, otherwise they would be implicated and punished.
"Chen Feng, you'd better keep a close eye on the other unrelated people."
Chen Feng's forehead was beaded with sweat: "Yes, Your Majesty."
Everyone knew perfectly well who Emperor Mingde was referring to.
It's just that Xiao Qingyan is the son of Prince Ding.
The imperial study fell silent. A young eunuch who had been waiting quietly stepped forward and whispered a few words to Emperor Mingde.
"Wait here."
"yes."
Immediately afterwards, Emperor Mingde turned his gaze to Zhao Yu, who had remained silent, and asked, "He'an, what do you think of the matter in Luozhou?"
Zhao Yu stood tall and straight, with a cold and aloof expression.
“Prince Ding has a distinguished military record and is known for his unwavering loyalty and integrity. If he were to rebel, he would seek justice. The fact that the grain supplies were blocked in Luozhou forced the court to take action first, giving Prince Ding a legitimate reason to launch his campaign. Otherwise, he would have to wait.”
Waiting for the day when King Ding could no longer endure it.
Emperor Mingde nodded, "He'an is right."
Xiao Qingyan is still in the capital, and that old codger Prince Ding is unlikely to take action against his own youngest son in the end.
Emperor Mingde: "I heard from the Crown Prince that you were injured a few days ago. How is your injury now?"
Zhao Yu: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am now fine."
Emperor Mingde waved his hand and said, "Consort Yu has sent over some nourishing soup. Have some before you leave the palace."
Zhao Yu raised his eyes, about to speak, when he saw a palace concubine slowly enter from the doorway.
A few days ago, Emperor Mingde got drunk and took a young palace maid as his concubine. He has been favoring her frequently lately, making the other concubines green with envy.
The woman's profile was delicate, her eyebrows like distant mountains. The moment she raised her face, Zhao Yu's expression changed slightly.
Zhao Yu had a very shallow impression of his aunt Zhao Ying.
He still vaguely remembers the faces, which comes from a portrait of the Zhao family that used to hang in Old Mrs. Zhao's room.
However, the portrait was later taken away by Old Mrs. Zhao when she left home.
The Consort Yu before me looks remarkably like Zhao Ying.
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