"Be careful mother."
Ming Luo, who was dressed in official uniform, withdrew his hand and gave a reminder.
"Luo'er..." Chang came back to her senses: "You are back today too."
Hearing the sounds of thrashing and dissuading coming from the wedding hall behind her, Chang frowned and said, "The Feng family's behavior is really..."
"I heard about it on the way." Ming Luo interrupted his mother calmly and said, "I heard about it when I came out of the Dali Temple, so I returned home to take a look."
Chang calmed herself down and said, "Your father is very angry right now. If you want to go see him, you'd better wait a while until he calms down."
Ming Luo did not comment: "Thank you for reminding me, mother."
Her stepmother now really takes care of her in every way, and it can be seen that she really wants to please her.
Thinking of her stepmother, she used extremely decisive and ruthless methods to manage the Ming family's backyard in the past, and she never dragged her feet...
But unfortunately, she was dragged to this point by her foolish and useless son, and now she even has to humble herself and curry favor with everyone she can... As a woman, she does feel a little sympathetic.
In addition to sympathy, Mingluo felt more emotional.
I feel that God sometimes opens his eyes and is fair at times.
Today the sky is gloomy, with gusts of cold wind, just like Chang's mood and the chaotic and noisy Ming family at the moment.
"It's cold outside..." Thinking of Ming Luo's words 'coming out of the Dali Temple', Chang suggested: "Why don't we go sit in the warm room?"
"How dare this bitch... to play tricks on me! I will find her and tear her into pieces!"
When Ming Jin was pulled out of Xitang by several followers, he was still cursing.
Chang's face darkened, and she shouted at the servants, "Take the prince back quickly!"
Ming Luo looked at Ming Jin, who had an angry and ferocious expression and a sinister look due to his thinness, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
It seems that her younger brother is very crazy.
That's right, how can a person who is so lustful and arrogant, and who claims to be more noble than the children of the Li family, accept the fact that he is inhumane and destined to fall into despair? Ming Luo retracted his gaze and nodded slightly to Chang: "Okay."
The two of them then went to the warm room together.
"...Luo'er just said that he went to the Dali Temple?" Chang asked and then covered up: "Although official duties are important, you should not overwork yourself. You still have to take care of your health."
"Thank you, mother. However, I was ordered by the Saint to follow up on the murder case of Lady Changsun Qi, so I cannot be careless in the slightest."
Chang sighed softly: "Speaking of this eldest grandson, Miss Qi, it's such a pity... I wonder how the case is going now?"
"The lady of the Risheng family openly claimed outside the Dali Temple that the murderer was someone else, which caused a lot of discussion. The saint also suspected that there was something fishy about the case... and he was secretly investigating it." Ming Luo said: "So the case will not be easily closed for a while."
Chang's already uneasy heart suddenly became high: "But...isn't there physical evidence?"
Ming Luo said calmly, "There is physical evidence, but the witness mentioned by Chang's son, Prince Rong, has not come forward yet. However, I heard that Prince Rong has shown signs of improvement, so I believe he will come forward in the next two days to confirm the truth of Chang's son's words."
Chang nodded as calmly as possible.
Ming Luo added: "Besides, General Chang is currently leading troops outside. If his son is killed unjustly, it will not be beneficial to the war."
Chang silently clenched the teacup in her hand: "...What about the Changsun family? I don't think the Changsun family will allow this case to be delayed again and again."
"The Changsun family did exert pressure," Ming Luo said, "but after the initial trial that day, the young master of the Chang family did not plead guilty, and he claimed that he had the son of Prince Rong to testify. In addition, the Chang family's wife defended her brother with certainty, so people in the court began to vouch for the young master of the Chang family one after another—"
She slowly counted the names, "First, it was the Chief Clerk and the Sima of Xuan Ce Mansion, then Minister Chu, and Qiao Jijiu also wrote to the emperor many times. These are just the public ones. In private, Yu Changshi and Wei Shilang were by the emperor's side, and they often spoke up for the young master of the Chang family."
Chang's heart sank when she heard this.
The Chief Clerk and the Sima of Xuan Ce Mansion...are both bureaucrats under Cui Jing. They both hold important positions and play a vital role in the court.
Let’s forget about Yu Zeng and the others, but why are Minister Chu, who is already old and is about to be buried, and Minister Wei, who has always been impartial, meddling in this trivial matter!
"With these people here, we can't just rely on the Changsun family's words." Ming Luo said, "Besides, whether to kill the Chang family's young master or not, whether to convict him or not, everything still needs to be determined by the truth."
At this moment, Chang's uneasiness reached its peak.
She knew that the longer this matter was delayed, the more trouble it would cause!
The situation is not favorable now. Prince Rong is about to come forward, and Feng Min has also run away. Once Feng Min says something, the situation will get worse and it will be more difficult to deal with it! After many days of stress and tension, and repeated setbacks, Chang's eyes are now exhausted and even her makeup can't cover up, just like her calmness on the verge of breaking.
She was not afraid of the Chang family, nor those who helped the Chang family. What she feared most was that the Saint was determined to investigate thoroughly! This was the biggest difference between this incident and the previous ones...
Should she regret having chosen to let Chang Sui'an take the blame? But it was too late to say that now... and it was meaningless.
Chang could only ask, "Then, has the Saint found any other suspicious people?"
Facing her temptation, Ming Luo, who was sitting there, raised his eyes and looked over -
"That's why I'm sitting here, talking to my mother."
Chang's whole body suddenly tensed up: "What do you mean by that, Luo'er..."
Ming Luo just said, "The Saint mentioned an old story yesterday... My mother had asked for the marriage of Zhangsun Qi Niangzi on behalf of A Shen. After being rejected, A Shen had conflicts with the children of Zhangsun's family many times."
Chang's heart was beating like a drum: "Yes, it is true..."
"Ah Shen has always acted impulsively, and he still holds a grudge against the rejection he received that year. He has never taken the children of the Li family seriously. It is already known to everyone that Lady Zhangsun Qi will be appointed as the Crown Princess. I don't think he will be happy to see this..."
Ming Luo looked at Chang, "The saint has reminded me many times before, and also told my father to restrain A Shen more. I just wonder if A Shen has listened to those reminders and restraints?"
Chang didn't know what expression to make for a moment: "A Shen he..."
"So, the saint asked me to investigate Ah Shen." Ming Luo smiled slightly, "But after thinking about it, since it is a family matter, it is better to speak directly to mother. Mother is knowledgeable, Ah Shen's actions cannot be hidden from mother, I think you must have a clear understanding in your mind."
Looking into those smiling eyes and thinking of the emperor behind them, Chang's fingertips holding the teacup became cold.
She forced her tone to sound calm: "Does the Saint now... suspect that Ah Shen is involved in this matter?"
"Mother is a smart person. You should know that there is no need to test me with words at this time." Ming Luo said, "Since a saint is a saint, how could he allow himself to be deceived by his own family?"
"..." Chang was speechless for a moment, his palms were filled with cold sweat, and he could hardly hold the teacup.
"As a ruler of a country, a saint must not only look at the truth, but also consider the pros and cons." Ming Luo looked at Chang with a gloomy look in his eyes: "If someone is too clever and lets others find a handle on him, catching him off guard and putting the saint and the Ming family in a passive situation..."
"Mother, do you know what a disaster that will lead to? At the end of it, what will be the fate of the smart guy and the people around him?"
Chang tried his best to hold the teacup, but it finally slipped from his sweaty hands and fell to the ground at his feet with a "bang", splashing porcelain pieces and tea.
What will be the outcome...? If this matter really goes to that point, it will bring disaster to the Ming family and trouble to the saint... Then, there is no need to think about the position of the crown prince, and there is no need to dream about the identity of the Duke's wife. Even her mother's family, the Chang family, will suffer because of this!
The fate of her, that rebellious son, and the Chang family would probably be smashed to pieces like this teacup...
But this is clearly the Ming family's fault, that evil creature's surname is Ming, not Chang!
But how could the emperor's wrath be directed at his own family?
The "reminder" in Ming Luo's words was already very clear.
Chang was torn by many emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger, unwillingness, and powerlessness.
Ming Luo took a look at the broken teacup, slowly stood up, and sighed: "Mother is too tired, why not take a rest."
Madam Liao's face turned pale as she stepped forward to pick up the broken porcelain pieces on the ground.
"If Ah Shen is innocent, that would be great." Ming Luo finally said, "If he really did make a mistake... there might still be a chance to redeem himself. Mother needs to carefully consider the importance of this matter."
Seeing the figure in the official uniform of a female official walking out of the warm room, Chang's cold fingertips trembled slightly.
Madam Liao's voice was also trembling: "Madam, the Saint..."
Chang analyzed the pros and cons of the current situation over and over in her mind, but no matter how many times she thought about it, she had already lost the chance of winning.
Now the matter of convicting Chang Sui'an involves too many things, and she can no longer fight alone... Especially after Feng Min disappeared last night! She said she was missing, but the man in black who took Feng Min away must be from the Chang family... There is no second possibility! Even if she doesn't want to admit it, the situation has completely gotten out of control at this point, which is completely different from what she expected at the beginning!
Chang family, the imperial court, the saint...
Her abilities had always been invincible in the harem, but at this moment she suddenly came to her senses... She was just daydreaming to think that she could use the means in the harem to influence matters involving the power of the court.
Chang's lips trembled and a sarcastic smile appeared.
To survive by cutting off an arm, it is necessary to cut it off when necessary.
She was not a fool who would not cry until she saw the coffin.
After a moment, Chang spoke.
"Let the county lord stay."
Madam Liao was shocked: "Madam..."
Chang had to hold on to the chair with one hand to stand up steadily.
"Take the clothes for a lady and change my clothes..."
"I will go to the palace with the princess to see the emperor."
…
"Girl."
In the study outside the Chang family, Chang Ren was reporting to Chang Suining what the spies had learned, including this news: "…half an hour ago, the wife of Duke Ying went into the palace with that Ming lady."
Chang Suining was silent for a moment, then said, "It's only a matter of time."
Chang was in a hurry to enter the palace at this time, and she would never go to see the emperor just to get married and deal with the loss of a concubine.
And since he is with Ming Luo, he will most likely have to cut off his arm and confess.
From the attitudes of all parties and the note from Wei Shuyi in recent days, it is not difficult to see that the emperor was not aware of it in advance.
But sooner or later you will know.
It just came earlier than she thought.
Chang entered the palace at this time because she saw clearly that she had no power to compete with the others in this matter.
The Chang family didn't have it, but the emperor definitely did - and if the emperor intervened, the significance would not only be about confrontation, but also about control.
But Feng Min had not yet woken up. She did not have any solid evidence to bring the real murderer to justice, and she did not have the conditions to disrupt the situation first...
But this doesn't mean she will compromise and give up.
On the contrary, as early as the first moment she began to doubt, she realized that the real difficulty of this matter was not in the process of finding the truth, but that she would eventually stand on the opposite side of the absolutely rational emperor and confront the cold imperial power that was high above.
This task is as difficult as climbing to the sky, but her brother is not wrong.
Chang Suining stood up and told Xier, "Come with me and change your clothes."
The most urgent task is to proactively understand the situation and the approaches of all parties so as to avoid being put in a passive position.
First, she wanted to meet the witness her brother mentioned.
Exactly half an hour ago, a messenger from Prince Rong's Mansion came to deliver a message, saying that Prince Rong had woken up, and upon learning that she had sent someone to visit him with gifts recently, he specifically instructed the servants in the mansion to come to the Chang family to thank her.
For Chang Suining, this was not a thank you, but an invitation.
Now she is going to keep the appointment.
Chang Suining did not change into a new dress for the appointment, but wore a round-necked robe that was convenient for movement. Her hair did not become more exquisite after she undid it and combed it again, and she just tied it into a ponytail.
When I went to Prince Rong's Mansion, I never went through the main gate.
Chang Suining silently jumped into Prince Rong's mansion from the back wall.
She had been to Prince Rong's Mansion in Beijing many times before. Although it had been renovated over the years, the layout had not changed much.
She avoided being seen and walked unhindered all the way, and successfully arrived at the residence of Prince Rong.
"Your Highness, you have just taken the medicine, so please stop reading and tiring yourself out..." the maid whispered.
Prince Rong always listened to advice, so he put down the book in his hand and said weakly, "Okay, I'll take a break, you all go out."
"Yes, if the prince has any instructions, I will call the maids as usual."
Prince Rong particularly likes quietness, but because he suffers from asthma, he cannot call for help when an attack is severe, so there are many golden bells in the house, which are placed in places where they can be easily reached. When the servants hear the bells ring, they will come in immediately.
Li Lu, leaning against the head of the bed, nodded and closed his eyes to rest.
The maids then retreated lightly, closed the door gently, and went to the corridor outside to guard.
The room fell silent until a moment later, when the space separating the inner and outer rooms moved slightly. A hand opened the beaded curtain, and a person walked in.
Li Lu opened his eyes, was slightly startled, and subconsciously sat up straight.
The pearl curtain fell, and the girl in the dark robe and black hair came towards him, asking, "Are you surprised to see a guest?"
Li Lu showed a trace of inquiring smile on his weak face: "What surprised me was not the arrival of the guest, but the fact that I didn't know when the guest would arrive..."
Thank you all for your monthly tickets, thank you hailan5152, book friend 20230414134801399, waiting is also action and other book friends for their rewards, and thank you QQ reading Hongxiu Book and Hongxiu Academy readers for voting, rewarding and leaving messages for support. I have seen them all. It is only the first release on Qidian. The lists of other platforms cannot be sorted out, but the kindness has been received. Thank you all!
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