Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Holding his waist
Three days later, Zhao Yue came to report that Qi Chengye had died.
"Just as Your Highness predicted, this man was dragged to the bustling market, where his former creditors soon came to collect their debts. Seeing that his tongue had been cut out and his arms and legs were crippled, they all assumed that one of the creditors had done it. Knowing that they couldn't get their money back, they simply beat Qi Chengye up to vent their anger. For the past three days, Qi Chengye had only eaten some rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs, and he died this morning."
The Crown Prince was not surprised, and simply said, "Transfer it to the Pingzhou Prefecture government."
Zhao Yue replied, "There's one more thing. You asked me to investigate the events that happened in Kaiyang County before Qi became pregnant, and I've already found some clues."
The crown prince raised his eyes: "Speak."
Zhao Yue said, "Back then, Madam Qi was diagnosed with her pregnancy in July. After investigation, it was found that the clinic where she worked did not treat any suspicious patients that month, and Madam Qi did not go to the government office or temples. She just helped out at the clinic as usual. However, according to a helper at the clinic, she went into the mountains to collect herbs several times. That month, a group of bandits fled from Jiangnan to Shandong and fought a fierce battle with several pursuing forces in Kaiyang East Mountain. This East Mountain was a place that Madam Qi often went to collect herbs."
Cao Yuanlu and Qin Ge stood aside, neither daring to interrupt, but both were making their own guesses.
"Could it be that the girl's father is a bandit, which is why Madam Qi is unwilling to reveal it to the outside world?"
"No wonder there were no tokens left behind. It's already incredibly lucky that Lady Qi was able to escape alive from the bandits."
"But what if they really are bandits..."
The Crown Prince's expression darkened slightly. He twirled the jade thumb ring between his fingers and, after a long while, ordered, "Continue the investigation."
Zhao Yue immediately accepted the order and went to carry it out.
...
After more than half a month of covert investigation, the Crown Prince finally collected all the evidence against Lin Cheng, the Deputy Military Commissioner, for embezzling military funds.
It turns out that Lin Cheng not only embezzled public funds to purchase a large amount of fertile land and shops, but also owned more than a hundred mansions. Each mansion housed a beautiful woman, imitating the emperor's three palaces and six courtyards. He would stay at these women's residences for more than fifteen days each month. The women even had their own green nameplates. On the days he stayed, his subordinates would bring the green nameplates for him to choose from. Lin Cheng would flip over the nameplate and go to that place to stay that night, seeking excitement in this way.
In addition, selling official positions and accepting bribes are also serious crimes.
According to investigations, more than a dozen military officers of the rank of centurion or above in Pingzhou Prefecture had given Lin Cheng a so-called "promotion fee." In addition, there was an "ice tribute" in summer, a "charcoal tribute" in winter, and "festival tributes" during the New Year were also quite generous.
On the day of their return to the capital, the Crown Prince ordered Shen Yanyu to impeach the man in court and present him with the expense ledgers of the hundred beauties.
The expenses were clearly recorded in black and white, amounting to thousands of taels of silver each month just for cosmetics, with other expenditures amounting to tens of thousands, causing a stir throughout the court.
Emperor Chunming was furious and immediately ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort Lin Cheng to the capital for trial.
He never imagined that the military officer he had personally promoted would secretly be embezzling public funds, bullying men and women, and even having a harem! His crimes were too numerous to list.
But it was also possible to guess that Lin Cheng's mishap was definitely partly the Crown Prince's doing; otherwise, could he have been traveling and enjoying himself during those two weeks?
A month ago, Emperor Chunming noticed that he looked unwell and then did not show up for half a month. He assumed that he was recuperating in a palace or that his headache had flared up and he was seeking medical treatment.
Now it seems that he probably went to Pingzhou in person!
In the years since the Crown Prince left the capital, the court has been peaceful. However, in the short period of less than half a year since his return, his trusted officials have been getting into trouble one after another. First Xie Huaichuan, then Minister of Works Xue Jingzhi, and now Lin Cheng. Every single one of these incidents is related to the Crown Prince.
Although Lin Cheng's official rank was not high, he was given an important task and placed in the Pingzhou camp, thinking that if there was a battle with the Crown Prince in the future, Lin Cheng could lead troops to reinforce him in time, increasing his chances of victory.
Unexpectedly, Lin Cheng, blinded by lust, committed such corrupt and illegal acts. This thorough investigation and punishment has implicated countless people, and the entire Pingzhou Prefecture has suffered significant damage.
If the Crown Prince were to suddenly launch a coup, how could the Imperial Guards of the capital under his command possibly be a match for the 200,000 elite soldiers under the Crown Prince's command? The Crown Prince would even have to insert his own men into the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which he trusted.
Sheng Yu had already departed from Pengcheng at the beginning of the month and would arrive in the capital soon. Lu Qi's secret might not be able to be kept hidden any longer. He had sent out several groups of assassins, but Sheng Yu had managed to evade them all...
Thinking of this, Emperor Chunming clenched his fist tightly.
...
Back at the East Palace, Yun Kui delivered the sandalwood comb and the red gold comb with longevity patterns that she had bought for Granny Yan.
Having lived in the deep palace for a long time, Granny Yan was used to seeing imperial treasures. She could tell at a glance that these two items were very valuable and could not be bought casually by a palace maid who was serving the emperor. His Highness the Crown Prince was busy with many affairs of state and would not possibly personally select these jewelry items for an old nanny like her.
Granny Yan teased her, "You've used all the rewards His Highness gave you on this old woman. He may not say it, but he's probably blaming me."
Yun Kui quickly replied, "How could that be? His Highness misses you."
Granny Yan laughed and said, "His Highness now has a beautiful woman by his side, how could he possibly remember this old woman like me?"
Yun Kui blushed and said, "You're teasing me again."
Granny Yan was a little puzzled. "His Highness likes you so much, but has he mentioned anything about your rank?"
Yun Kui herself was also confused and did not know what His Highness was planning.
Although he addressed her as "Madam" in public to support her outside the palace, how could a lowly palace maid truly consider herself the Crown Prince's wife? Especially given her background, even being given the title of a minor beauty would invite gossip.
Leaving the palace was out of the question. His Highness had taken away her house deed and keys in Pingzhou, clearly indicating that he forbade her from leaving the palace. Even if she didn't say it, he would be very unhappy if she even had the slightest thought of leaving the palace.
Moreover, she didn't know before, but now that she knows she can alleviate His Highness's headaches, even if His Highness grants her permission to leave the palace, she wants to wait until his old ailment is fully cured before considering her own future.
However, the black jade ring reassured her. It was his word that he would take care of everything, which meant he could protect her, so she no longer needed to be as afraid as before.
Yun Kui pursed her lips and said, "It hasn't been mentioned yet, but Your Highness is investigating my background. My mother passed away early, and my father... we still don't know who he is."
It wouldn't matter if I told Granny Yan these things. Even if she didn't say anything, Granny Yan, as an old servant of His Highness, would find out sooner or later.
Upon hearing this, without needing to ask any further questions, Granny Yan roughly understood what had happened.
But as she gazed at the beautiful, delicate face before her, the image of that long-lost face suddenly popped into her mind again.
Twenty years have passed, and the memory has long been blurred, but when Granny Yan looked at this face, especially the corners of the eyes and eyebrows, she could vaguely see the resemblance to that person, as if it were a predestined fate.
It just so happens that the girl's biological father is unknown. Could it be that...
"By the way," Granny Yan couldn't help but ask, "where is your hometown?"
Yun Kui truthfully replied, "My mother is from Kaiyang, Shandong. I grew up with my uncle and aunt since I was a child."
Granny Yan sighed; it seemed she had been overthinking things.
That person was demoted from the capital to Jiangnan Province after His Majesty ascended the throne. The time and place were different, so there could not possibly be any connection between them.
In fact, if the two hadn't looked so alike, Granny Yan would never have connected them.
Upon returning to Chengguang Hall, Yun Kui immediately went back to her warm chamber to lie down.
Yesterday, on her way back to the capital, she was resting in her own carriage, just as she had gone there. But halfway there, His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly barged in and took over her carriage, leaving her to sit on his lap.
Unexpectedly, while sitting there, her panties disappeared. The swaying of the carriage alone caused her to ejaculate twice. When she got off the carriage at the East Palace, she had to grit her teeth to stand up. Even today, that area is still slightly swollen.
Cao Yuanlu, holding a stack of paintings, answered from outside the door. Yun Kui immediately perked up, got up, and called him in.
Last time at Zuixianglou, His Highness helped her recognize the faces of several officials, but she had almost forgotten them all. So she thought of having someone draw portraits and send them over so she could familiarize herself with them and deepen her impression. Who knows, she might even dream of useful clues at night.
Although Cao Yuanlu didn't know she could enter dreams, he already considered her his future mistress. She casually mentioned it, and Cao Yuanlu readily complied. Yun Kui flipped through several portraits, finally matching the figures in the paintings with the officials she had seen at Zuixiang Tower that night. She had hoped to at least enter the dreams of one of them that night, but to her surprise, she didn't.
But she dreamed of another unexpected scene.
It was probably a martial arts training ground or something similar. The stands were filled with royal relatives in their finest robes and fine clothes. There were even unfamiliar faces with hair color, facial features, and clothing that were different from those of the people of Da Zhao. They seemed to be envoys from a neighboring country who had come to pay tribute and were exchanging martial arts skills with the soldiers of Da Zhao.
Seated in the center of the platform, the young man wore a bright yellow dragon robe, with a cold and dignified appearance and a tall and imposing figure. The woman beside him wore a dragon and phoenix crown with pearls and jade, and a bright red dress with gold embroidery of peonies. She was dignified and gentle, with a graceful demeanor. The two sat side by side, their appearance and bearing were rare in the world.
Only emperors and empresses could wear dragon robes and phoenix crowns, and only emperors and empresses could possess such a dignified and noble demeanor, but they are not the current emperor and empress.
Yun Kui curiously examined the two men's appearances and vaguely felt that they resembled His Highness the Crown Prince. The man's dignified demeanor and the woman's beautiful features were almost identical to His Highness's.
Could it be that they are the late Emperor and Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince's biological parents?
That was the scene from more than 20 years ago.
At that time, even His Highness the Crown Prince had not yet been born. Yun Kui scanned the entire room and finally spotted a familiar face next to Empress Hui Gong.
Her face was slightly round, and her jet-black sideburns were neatly combed. She was none other than Granny Yan from twenty years ago!
Compared to now, Granny Yan has fewer wrinkles on her face and looks more prosperous, but her facial features haven't changed much.
Could it be that she entered Granny Yan's dream?
Or perhaps, the official they see in the portrait today is actually in the stands—it's their dream?
Suddenly, a cheer rang out, and Yun Kui followed Granny Yan's gaze to the Great Zhao general who had just appeared on the stage.
The man was dressed in a white robe and a close-fitting outfit. His face was somewhat blurred, but it was not difficult to see that he was handsome and had an extraordinary presence. Even the woman in red on the stands, who seemed to be a princess from a neighboring country, stood up excitedly and raised her arms to cheer.
The opponent sent a tall, muscular warrior wielding a broad axe to the stage. After the two exchanged a respectful bow, the warrior swung his heavy axe at them. The white-robed warrior, agile and nimble, flashed forward with his lean waist and thrust his long spear straight at the opponent's vitals. The neighboring warrior immediately raised his axe to defend, attempting to suppress the opponent with overwhelming force, but the white-robed warrior skillfully deflected each attack with his nimble and varied moves.
Yun Kui felt dazzled by the layers of cold light and shadows of spears, and the sound of weapons clashing was incessant. After dozens of rounds of fierce fighting, the axe in the hand of the neighboring warrior was thrown out of the arena, while the spear in the white-robed general's hand moved like lightning, and the tip of the spear finally stopped half an inch in front of the man's throat.
Seeing the approving expressions on His Majesty's and Empress's faces, and hearing the little princess in red from the neighboring country ask a question she couldn't understand, a courtier immediately exclaimed, "This is our Great Zhao's youngest martial arts champion! He's incredibly handsome and has an outstanding presence!"
Before she could even see the martial arts champion's face clearly, the dream ended, and Yun Kui slowly opened her eyes.
The scenes in her dream were from more than twenty years ago. In the entire stands, she had only seen Granny Yan. It was probably because she missed her former master that she dreamed of those old scenes.
But she never expected that she would meet the late emperor and Empress Huigong in this way. They were such a perfect match, with the noble and majestic presence of those in power, yet their every move was as harmonious as that of an ordinary married couple.
She also heard that the late emperor only had Empress Huigong as his wife, and there was no other woman in the harem.
As her thoughts drifted away, Yun Kui suddenly realized something: His Highness... can read minds!
Her heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down her spine.
He was always a light sleeper, and in the past, whenever he woke up, he could usually hear her replaying the events of her dream in her mind.
So did he also hear her dream about the late emperor and empress just now?
Your Highness, are you sad?
She cautiously looked up, but the man didn't open his eyes. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his expression was cold and indifferent, like an ice sculpture without warmth.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally couldn't help but reach out her arms and gently hug his waist.
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