Chapter 69 I also want to hug His Highness
"You also think I'm pitiful, don't you?"
In the dim candlelight, the man suddenly spoke, his voice devoid of any warmth.
Yun Kui knew he must have heard everything. Hearing him say that, her heart felt like it was being tightly squeezed, and she felt a slight pain.
"I...I dare not..." She shook her head, somewhat flustered and at a loss, "And I dare not think that Your Highness has the same tragic past as me. I just...I just feel that Your Highness is a very good person and deserves to be treated kindly..."
The crown prince stared silently at the top of the tent, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips.
Yun Kui pursed her lips, trying to find his hand, and slowly wrapped her small hand around his fingers.
“Every time I’m sad, upset, or scared, Your Highness comes and takes my hand. Although you always have a cold face, I remember all the kindness you’ve shown me. I didn’t mean anything by it; I was just afraid that Your Highness would be sad if you heard this…”
A hot sensation fell on his chest, and the prince's body stiffened slightly.
Yun Kui sighed and said, "When I was young, I had no relatives or friends, as if I had been abandoned by the whole world. If someone had been willing to hug me back then, I think I would have been grateful to him for the rest of my life... So, I also want to hug Your Highness."
The prince slowly pulled his arms around her, holding her close. He kissed her forehead with his thin lips and said after a long while, "It's still early, go to sleep."
He didn't want to talk about these things, so Yun Kui obediently leaned against his chest, not daring to think about anything else.
At the end of March, the Empress and Prince Chen were released from confinement.
In just three months, the political landscape of the imperial court underwent a dramatic transformation.
Prince Chen never imagined that his maternal uncle's family, which had been able to provide him with the greatest assistance, would go from being at the height of its power to collapsing overnight! His usually shrewd and calculating cousin had actually ruined his own and the entire Xie family's future for the sake of a mere woman!
The Empress only just learned that during her three-month confinement, Consort Yin was so anxious that she even arranged for the Fourth Prince to marry a concubine from the family of a Grand Secretary, practically making her ambitions public.
Although the Xie family is no longer powerful, she is still the Empress, and Prince Chen is still the legitimate son. They cannot tolerate a mere concubine running rampant over them!
"Consort Yin is nothing but a clown," the Empress said to Prince Chen. "Your and your father's greatest enemy is still the Crown Prince. As long as the Crown Prince is alive, all your efforts will be in vain."
A sinister glint flashed in Prince Chen's eyes.
The Empress saw what he was planning to do and immediately said, "You've just been released from confinement. Don't be so hasty. Have you forgotten the lesson of last year's sacrificial ceremony? When the Crown Prince found out the truth, it led to the downfall of Deng Kang, who was by your side. Your father wants to maintain the image of a wise ruler and is afraid of being criticized. He outwardly respects the Crown Prince and will never allow you and your son to confront him directly."
Prince Chen clenched his fist: "Then what should I do?"
After a moment's thought, the Empress said, "In my opinion, you should hold back for now. Rather than shooting the first bird to stick its head out, it would be better to let the two fight and the third party benefit. The Crown Prince's ambition is becoming increasingly obvious, and your father is even more anxious than you. When they have fought to the point of exhaustion, you, as the legitimate son, will have no trouble succeeding to the throne."
Prince Chen's expression softened slightly. "What Mother Empress says is true."
Back then, wasn't it when the late emperor was fighting to the death with various vassal kings that my father was chosen to ascend the throne?
The Empress said, "Fortunately, you are still working in the Ministry of Personnel. You can first make good relations with them and gain the support of Chief Minister Chen. With the support of your wife and concubine's maternal families, our mother and son will not be completely isolated."
Prince Chen nodded, "Thank you for your guidance, Mother."
...
Before noon, the Imperial Street was bustling with people. The Lantern Festival lighthouse at Qiandumen had collapsed and was now being rebuilt under the supervision of newly appointed officials from the Ministry of Works.
Among the passing crowd, a middle-aged man dressed in coarse brown clothes, holding a four- or five-year-old child, suddenly rushed out, knelt in front of the lighthouse that was still under construction, and tearfully pleaded: "The Shangyuan Lighthouse collapsed, and my son's legs were crippled. It's all because of the prince's disregard for human life! I beg the righteous official to give my son justice!"
Upon hearing this, the people gathered around in twos and threes.
Someone in the crowd questioned, "But the lighthouse collapse was due to the Ministry of Works cutting corners. Didn't several officials have their homes raided recently? How is this related to the Crown Prince?"
"It's the Crown Prince!" the man in brown roared. "He appeared under this lighthouse on the night of the Lantern Festival. Who else could it be but him?"
“I saw it too! That night, a group of men in black attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince. Maybe the Crown Prince was behind this lighthouse incident. He dared to massacre a city, what wouldn't he dare to do?”
“But I saw that everyone was watching a play at the Water Mirror Terrace that night. The lighthouse was surrounded by a wall of soldiers. Most people escaped unharmed. Some people said that the prince saved us.”
Do you believe that?
"The Crown Prince is bloodthirsty and treats human life as worthless. How can such a person be a good heir apparent!"
The crowd was abuzz with discussion. Unaware of the truth, the people were misled by the rumors and began to denounce the prince's various misdeeds, causing a great stir among the crowd.
Suddenly, a sharp, high-pitched screech interrupted the discussion: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is on a case! All bystanders, disperse immediately!"
Everyone turned around and saw seven or eight officers riding tall horses, looking travel-worn, galloping towards them. The handsome man at the head of the group immediately attracted everyone's attention.
The man was around forty years old, with slightly graying temples, but he had a face like jade, a handsome appearance, and a stern demeanor with a touch of refinement. His heroic spirit could not be concealed by the passage of time.
However, the newcomer's attire was not the standard flying fish robe of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which raised suspicions among the crowd. A military officer behind the man called out, "This is the newly appointed Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lord Sheng!"
Upon hearing that the official position was quite high, the crowd feared that he was as ruthless as the commander with the blue face and fangs, and they all knelt down in fear.
Sheng Yu stared at the middle-aged man in the crowd who was causing trouble while holding a child, and said in a deep voice: "The collapse of the lighthouse was caused by the dereliction of duty by the Ministry of Works officials. It was only because the Crown Prince dispatched soldiers to evacuate in time that night that heavy casualties were avoided. What are your intentions in spreading rumors in the street?"
The common people looked at each other in bewilderment. Had the crown prince really saved them?
This Magistrate Sheng was exceptionally handsome and upright, and the people inexplicably trusted him.
Seeing that the situation was turning against him, the man in brown stiffened his neck and said, "Would the Crown Prince be so kind? No matter what, it's true that my son's legs are crippled!"
After saying this, he beat his chest and stamped his feet, his heart filled with blood and tears: "My poor son, his legs were broken by that lighthouse post, his life is ruined! Who will seek justice for my son!"
Sheng Yu tightened his grip on the reins, unwilling to waste any more words: "It is still in doubt whether your son's leg was caused by the collapse of the lighthouse. Since you want someone to uphold justice, why don't you come with me to the prison and explain the whole story?"
Upon hearing the words "Imperial Prison," the man's face turned deathly pale: "I only wanted to seek justice for my son, why should I be imprisoned? What kind of Commander-in-Chief is he? I think he's just a lackey of the Crown Prince!"
Sheng Yu turned his head and gestured to the two military officers behind him. The two immediately stepped forward, gagged the man, and escorted him to the imperial prison.
He glanced at the kneeling people again and said, "I have said all I have to say. From now on, anyone who dares to spread rumors and cause trouble will not be spared by the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
The crowd shrank back in fear and quickly agreed.
Chengguang Hall.
Qin Ge reported the incident of people causing trouble on the streets today.
Cao Yuanlu said with satisfaction, "Your Highness was right to have chosen him. Magistrate Sheng is an upright man who is not coerced or tempted, nor is he swayed by rumors. He is also willing to stand up for Your Highness. He will surely become Your Highness's right-hand man in the future."
Although the Crown Prince had never met this man, he knew that he was both a scholar and a warrior, and was highly valued by the late Emperor. If he had been opportunistic and served Emperor Chunming back then, he would probably be a high-ranking official by now. He had experienced the highs and lows and was once only one step away from achieving fame and success, but he was willing to live a lowly life as a commander in Pengcheng, which was thousands of miles away. This shows that he adhered to his original intentions and was upright and incorruptible.
Just as he was pondering how to cooperate with Sheng Yu to expose Lu Qi's crimes, Zhao Yue came to see him outside, saying he had important matters to report.
He was sent out to find Yun Kui's father, which was an important matter, so there must have been new clues.
Upon receiving the order, Zhao Yue immediately entered and reported: "Your subordinate has ascertained that the soldiers who suppressed the bandits in Kaiyang East Mountain in June of that year included not only the soldiers from Yizhou Guard and Tengxian Garrison in Shandong, but also soldiers from Dahe Guard and Pengcheng Guard who had pursued them from the south. At that time, the commander of Pengcheng Guard dispatched a chiliarch under his command to lead troops to suppress the bandits, and that chiliarch was..."
The Crown Prince frowned and guessed, "Is it Sheng Yu?"
“That’s right,” Zhao Yue nodded. “My investigation revealed that Lord Sheng fought against this group of bandits many times back then and was even seriously injured.”
Cao Yuanlu immediately said, "Perhaps Lord Sheng knows some clues. Miss Yun Kui's mother is a female physician, so perhaps she has had dealings with them?"
Zhao Yue: "I share the same thought. If we can have the assistance of someone from Shengda in the investigation, I believe we can quickly identify the suspect."
Cao Yuanlu thought to himself, "The girl's father may not be a bandit; he might even be one of the soldiers sent to suppress the bandits."
The crown prince, however, was no longer in a hurry. Whether the person was alive or dead, it would be found out soon.
Before he could pay homage to Emperor Chunming the next morning, Sheng Yu finished handing over his duties at the Northern Garrison Command in the evening and went to the Eastern Palace to meet the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince, who always treated the important ministers around the late Emperor with courtesy, immediately invited them in.
Originally, he planned to finish discussing official business and then inquire about the bandit suppression in Kaiyang Dongshan back then. However, as soon as the handsome man entered the hall, the Crown Prince's pupils contracted slightly, and a bold guess immediately surfaced in his mind.
Cao Yuanlu also opened his eyes wide.
Unlike Granny Yan, he was just a junior eunuch serving Empress Huigong back then. He had only seen the martial arts champion from afar and could no longer remember Sheng Yu's appearance. Today, after carefully examining the man's face and glancing at the Crown Prince, he saw a slight change in the Crown Prince's expression and knew that His Highness had also noticed something.
In fact, if Zhao Yue hadn't just reported that the girl's biological father might be among the soldiers suppressing the bandits, Cao Yuanlu wouldn't have immediately thought of that possibility.
In that light, it might actually be possible...
Unaware of their thoughts, Sheng Yu stepped into the hall, looked at the man sitting on the grand chair, and knelt down.
"Your humble servant Sheng Yu greets Your Highness."
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