Chapter 47: Improper Stories
"He and Concubine Mei have an affair? That's what's written in those storybooks." Qing Yi not only has a quick mind, but also speaks eloquently. Ye Qingyu and Qingfeng were speechless after hearing this. What kind of storybooks is this kid reading? They don't sound like serious books! "Why are you all silent? My analysis makes sense, doesn't it?" Qing Yi looked at the master and servant.
Ye Qingyu couldn't help but say, "You should read more serious books in the future."
"Hmm? Xiaoye, what do you mean by that? When did I stop reading serious books?" Qing Yi was dissatisfied. Xiaoye obviously looked down on his knowledge. But then again, his knowledge did not seem to be that good.
"That man in black is very familiar with the placement of the jade artifacts in the treasure house." Ye Qingyu pondered while sorting out the known clues.
"Master, he's not only familiar with the treasure house, he must also know the palace inside and out." Qingfeng took over the conversation. "It was late at night, and the palace had guards on duty, but that man was able to easily evade inspections. This shows that he has a very accurate grasp of the palace's topography and the guards' patrol schedules."
"Well, even if this person is not Chen Yan, he must be related to the palace guards." Ye Qingyu analyzed. He never considered Chen Yan as a suspect in his heart.
"Master, I suddenly remembered that day when I went to find Shen Yan, I saw Zhao Quan drinking tea with Shen Yan." Qingfeng recalled.
"Are they conspiring with each other?" Qing Yi asked.
"It's hard to draw a conclusion. Although they have different duties, they all live in the guardhouse, so it's normal for them to have some interactions. Qingfeng, why did you suddenly think of Zhao Quan?" Ye Qingyu asked.
"Zhao Quan's figure is very similar to the man in black..." Qingfeng said hesitantly. After all, it is impossible to solve the case based on the figure alone.
"Well, let's do it this way..." Ye Qingyu already had a plan in mind and was ready to start casting the net to catch fish.
"Yes, master." Qingfeng replied.
Just as he was saying this, a servant came to report that the Sixth Prince had arrived.
"You're welcome." Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyu stood up to greet him.
"Qingyu, I heard that you stayed in the palace, so I came to see you specially." The Sixth Prince was very warm when they met, with a smile on his face.
"Sixth brother, please take a seat and serve tea." Ye Qingyu ordered.
As soon as the Sixth Prince sat down, his eyes fell on Qing Yi, who was standing next to Qing Feng, and he asked, "Is this your guard? I haven't seen him before?"
"Yes, it was brought from Northwest City." Ye Qingyu did not explain too much. Qing Yi's identity was special, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.
The Sixth Prince looked Qing Yi up and down, commenting, "Well, he's not bad looking, but he's nowhere near your previous Ming Yue."
Qing Yi was instantly enraged after hearing the Sixth Prince's words, and he almost couldn't hold back his anger. This Sixth Prince not only mentioned Mingyue, but also said that he couldn't compare to Mingyue. With his drooping eyebrows, what right did he have to judge him?
Ye Qingyu also felt a hint of anger, and said with an unhappy expression, "Sixth Brother, you need to be careful with your words and actions."
"Hahaha, just a joke. What's your name?" The Sixth Prince seemed not to care. He turned to look at Qing Yi and asked.
Qing Yi glanced at him but did not answer.
"Oh, a mute?" Seeing that Qing Yi did not respond, the Sixth Prince raised his eyes and looked carefully at the young man in the blue shirt. He was a prince, but someone dared not reply to him?
Seeing this, Ye Qingyu said, "Sixth brother, this is someone from my Northwest Palace. I hope you can understand that he doesn't understand the royal rules." The implication was that Qing Yi was a person from the Northwest Palace, and even though he was the sixth prince, he had no right to interfere at will.
"Hahahahahaha, I have no other intention. Anyone who catches your eye must have something extraordinary. I'm just curious." The Sixth Prince laughed to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere.
"Qingfeng, you guys go down first!" Ye Qingyu didn't want Qingyi to be restrained here anymore, so he ordered.
"Yes, master." Qingfeng and Qingyi responded and retreated.
"Qingyu, it's unnecessary for you to plead for the third prince. He is just ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth and has ulterior motives. That's why he refused the marriage arranged by our father. It's not because of his male favorite!" The Sixth Prince complained with disdain on his face.
Ye Qingyu remained silent, not wanting to get involved in the dispute between the brothers. The eldest prince had passed away, and the emperor had yet to officially appoint a crown prince. Currently, from the second to the sixth princes, everyone had a chance to aspire to the supreme throne.
"Last time, I heard from my mother that the Queen seemed to be interested in choosing a husband for Xue Ruoxi. The third brother might have heard about it and is thinking about it!"
In reality, Ye Qingyu and the Sixth Prince weren't close. But for the past few years, whenever he returned to the capital, the Sixth Prince would inevitably visit. Ye Qingyu knew perfectly well that the Sixth Prince's actions were simply an attempt to win him over. After all, the Emperor of Chu's fondness for Ye Qingyu was well known throughout Great Chu. Winning him over would undoubtedly increase their chances of success in the future battle for the Crown Prince position. Ever since the Sixth Prince realized this, he'd been constantly trying to get close to him.
After hearing the Sixth Prince's words, Ye Qingyu secretly felt fortunate that he had declined the Emperor Chu's arranged marriage. Otherwise, he would have been thrust into the spotlight. According to Qingfeng's investigation, it was the Empress who had proposed the arranged marriage. Ye Qingyu could only speculate; whether the Empress truly favored him or had other motives, he didn't know. Regardless, he didn't want to be drawn into the maelstrom of imperial power and become a pawn in someone else's schemes.
"Miss Xue is both talented and beautiful, so it's only natural that she is favored by the Third Emperor." Ye Qingyu pretended to be ignorant and said lightly.
"Oh! You have been away from the capital for a long time, I am afraid you have even forgotten this convention? Most of the girls from the queen's mother's family are to be betrothed to the prince. It is obvious that the third brother wants to compete for the position of the prince!" The sixth prince said indignantly.
"Sixth brother, you need to be careful with your words and actions. These matters are decided by the emperor, and we should not make any comments in private." Ye Qingyu stated that he had no interest in this matter.
"Hey, what are you afraid of! My father dotes on you the most, even us brothers can't compare to him. If you were a prince, he would definitely make you the crown prince without even thinking about it." The Sixth Prince said this very casually, but Ye Qingyu felt a chill on his back after hearing it.
He stood up suddenly and said in a cold voice, "Sixth Brother, you absolutely cannot say that! I am only Chu Qingyu, the Crown Prince of the Northwest King. That's all."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
