Chapter 221 It's time for them to appear.
Shen Qingci's eyes lit up instantly after hearing Chu Jichen's words!
Looking at the man before her, who seemed to have mastered every strategy and plan without fail, she couldn't help but admire him: Chu Jichen is truly... amazing!
Sure enough, before long, new messages came in like snowflakes—
"Your Highness! Your Highness! Emperor Yongming indeed discovered quite a few things in that fire!"
Yuanbao's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, "It is said that when the Imperial Guards dragged out box after box of gold and silver jewelry, as well as slightly rusty weapons and armor, from the charred wall crevices, Emperor Yongming's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot!"
"He was furious, his face contorted with rage, and he stormed off!"
Shen Qingci glanced at the brand-new wanted posters being posted layer by layer by the officials on the bulletin board not far from the carriage, and felt extremely ironic.
Emperor Yongming... he really put a lot of thought into this; he was well-prepared.
He had only just ordered the arrest of Liu Wenyuan, and in such a short time, the arrest warrants... had already been posted everywhere.
This only proves that the arrest warrant was prepared long ago.
Shen Qingci withdrew her gaze and asked Chu Jichen, "Given the current situation, the Liu family is besieged, and its members... are all under Emperor Yongming's control. Do you think Liu Wenyuan... will show himself?"
Chu Jichen slowly shook his head.
“No.” His voice was full of certainty. “Liu Wenyuan is suspicious by nature and values his life like gold. He will never show himself easily without absolute certainty.”
“Moreover,” a hint of mockery flashed in Chu Jichen’s eyes, “the things Emperor Yongming has done recently are enough to let Liu Wenyuan know what kind of madman Emperor Yongming is. He is afraid that if he really shows himself, Emperor Yongming will not give him a chance to explain.”
Chu Jichen's lips slowly curled up: "Wait a little longer, wait... a couple more days."
“When Emperor Yongming discovers that Liu Wenyuan’s crimes are more numerous than he imagined, then we… will be able to appear.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci asked with some surprise, "How...how did we get here?"
“Of course…” Chu Jichen looked at her, his eyes flashing with a wicked light, “When Emperor Yongming seizes the properties under Liu Wenyuan’s name, he will ‘discover’ us in one of his residences.”
"A cunning rabbit has three burrows, and Liu Wenyuan has more than one private villa. But that's precisely why it's more convenient... for me to operate and put some... things in his villa."
"At that time, Emperor Yongming will surely discover many good things."
Shen Qingci asked curiously, "What kinds of good things are they?"
Chu Jichen, however, began to keep everyone in suspense, simply shaking his head and smiling without saying a word.
As Chu Jichen had predicted, things unfolded exactly as he had expected.
Emperor Yongming laid out everything he had found in Liu Wenyuan’s residence the day before during the morning court session the following day!
When Yuanbao reported this matter to Shen Qingci, his face was full of excitement as if he were watching a good show: "Your Highness, you didn't see it!"
"When those items were all carried into the Golden Hall by the Imperial Guards, almost filling the entire hall, and then opened in front of everyone, the scene was... truly shocking!"
Emperor Yongming was furious in public, saying that he had no idea that Liu Wenyuan harbored such wolfish ambitions!
He also said that he would thoroughly investigate this matter! All officials who were close to Liu Wenyuan would be investigated in detail!
"Let's see... whether it's just normal interaction between colleagues, or... whether they've already been secretly supporting Liu Wenyuan's ascension to the throne!"
"Afterwards, Emperor Yongming ordered a thorough investigation of all assets under Liu Wenyuan's name."
"This investigation revealed something even more remarkable!"
Yuanbao's voice was full of schadenfreude, "We even found two mistresses in Liu Wenyuan's two villas! And... even illegitimate children! Those two illegitimate children are already quite old! The youngest one is already sixteen."
Upon hearing the news, Shen Qingci's eyes lit up. A mistress? An illegitimate child?
The Prime Minister's wife did give birth to two sons for Liu Wenyuan, but those two sons were almost ten years younger than Liu Ruolan.
Although Prime Minister Liu had concubines, he had no other illegitimate sons in his residence.
Prime Minister Liu had previously taken pride in this and had shown it off to others many times.
Unexpectedly, while there were indeed no other illegitimate sons in the Prime Minister's residence, two were being kept outside.
Shen Qingci even felt that there might be more than just two.
Shen Qingci's lips curled up slightly, and she immediately had an idea!
She immediately sent word to the besieged Prime Minister's residence, telling the Prime Minister's wife and Liu Ruolan, who had just woken up from her coma.
Chu Jichen, on the other hand, had already gathered all the information beforehand.
He timed his move perfectly, waiting until Emperor Yongming's men were about to search the villa he had already chosen, then he took Shen Qingci and hid in the villa's secret chamber ahead of time.
Less than two hours after they hid in the secret room, the door was kicked open from the outside with a loud "bang"!
Blinding flames surged in instantly, accompanied by the cacophony of countless weapons clashing!
Almost instinctively, Shen Qingci shielded Chu Jichen with her body, gripping the broken gold hairpin tightly in her hand and pointing it towards the entrance.
"Who?!" Her voice was filled with chilling killing intent, like a frightened trapped beast.
"Quick! Someone come quick! We've found it! We've found it!"
The commander of the Imperial Guards, holding a torch, rushed in. When he saw the scene inside the secret room, he was instantly shocked and gasped!
"Your Highness, we are the Imperial Guards!"
"Quickly protect the Regent and the Queen!"
Upon hearing the words "Imperial Guards," the murderous intent in Shen Qingci's eyes subsided slightly. She turned her head and cast an inquiring glance at Chu Jichen.
Chu Jichen leaned weakly against the wall. He struggled to raise his hand and waved it gently at the person who came. His voice was hoarse and weak, but with a hint of relaxation: "It's...it's His Majesty's man."
Only after receiving his confirmation did Shen Qingci finally lower her guard.
She threw the gold hairpin on the ground, turned around, and immediately supported Chu Jichen's swaying body, her voice filled with anxiety and heartache.
In the corner of the secret room, Chu Jichen's face was as pale as paper, his lips were bloodless, and his black brocade robe, which had been torn to shreds, was covered with dried and shocking bloodstains!
"Your Highness!" Shen Qingci, fighting back tears, said in a hoarse voice to the commander of the Imperial Guards, "Liu Wenyuan... that traitor Liu Wenyuan, it was him! It was him who poisoned Your Highness!"
She raised her head, her bloodshot eyes filled with deep-seated hatred: "After we were kidnapped by him, he immediately... cured the prince of his poison, and then... added another drug to force the prince to wake up!"
“These wounds you see,” Shen Qingci pointed to the horrifying bloodstains on Chu Jichen’s chest and arms, her voice trembling with grief and indignation, “were all inflicted on the Prince by Liu Wenyuan’s men!”
"He...he wants to get the location of the Imperial Seal from the Prince!" Shen Qingci's gaze suddenly sharpened. "He also wants...he wants to force the Prince to...conspire with him in a rebellion!"
"Your Highness... Your Highness resisted to the death, so that traitor... tortured him!"
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