Chapter 386: Killing the Queen at the Critical Moment
Old Madam Zhao kept saying that she was afraid that this matter would bring shame to the royal family, but more than half a month had passed and the matter of Lingyun Temple had long been known to everyone. She had never cared about it before, so she would not suddenly remember the royal blood in her for no reason.
She forced the empress dowager to find Emperor An, first crying and begging for justice, then mentioned that Xiao Yan was seriously injured and had no time to take care of the yamen, which led Emperor An to order the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple to intervene, and then she encountered the death of the fourth prince's wife and made a scene in the Privy Council.
The Privy Council's prison was heavily guarded, yet someone was able to sneak in silently and kill the Fourth Prince's wife. He also faked a "silencing" scene with such clumsy hands, and was caught red-handed by people from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple. It seemed that all of this was just to cause a big disturbance in the Privy Council later.
Their target is Xiao Yan!
Yue Jian asked anxiously, "Girl, could it be that someone knows that the governor has left the capital..."
"Probably not."
Although Tang Ning was anxious, he remained calm. "If someone really knew that my brother was not in the capital, he would not have used the Zhao family to cause such trouble. His method was so gentle. He could have directly informed His Majesty to send people to surround Jiyun Lane. As long as he was sure that my brother, who was seriously injured and bedridden, was not in the capital, he would not be able to escape the charge of deceiving the emperor."
He went to so much trouble, it didn't seem like he knew Xiao Yan had left Beijing, but rather that he suspected he was seriously injured.
But whether Xiao Yan was really seriously injured or not, who among ordinary people would care? Even Emperor An believed it. Who would care so much and even try every means to expose it?
Tang Ning's thoughts were racing, and after a moment, he stopped.
"Lu family!"
She stared intently. Apart from Lu Qin, who was exiled after being seriously injured while rescuing the emperor by Xiao Yan, and the Lu family who were blamed by Emperor An, who else would care so much about this matter?
If it is confirmed that Xiao Yan's injury was fake, and the rescue of the emperor that day was premeditated, and even the Lu family was plotted against, then Lu Qin's alleged crime of assassinating the emperor would not be established at all, and Lu Chongyuan's demotion was purely unjust, and the Lu family would be able to fight back.
Emperor An's guilt towards Xiao Yan will turn into thundering rage, and Xiao Yan will lose all the favor of the emperor because of deceiving the emperor.
But why did the Lu family suddenly suspect my brother's injury?
Tang Ning frowned. With Lu Chongyuan's personality, he must not have known that his brother had left the capital, otherwise he would have lost his temper long ago. But since he didn't know that he had left the capital, and nothing had happened in Jiyun Lane during this period, and no suspicious people had come to inquire, and with Doctor Sun helping to cover it up, why would Lu Chongyuan and the others suddenly become suspicious?
What went wrong?
Tang Ning thought carefully about everything that happened before Xiao Yan left Beijing, as well as a series of changes in Beijing after he left, including the events before and after Lingyun Temple. As his mind was spinning rapidly, he suddenly grabbed the bell on his wrist and his face changed.
It's the South.
Jinyun's investigation into Rong Jiang's old case has alarmed the Lu family?!
After figuring out the key, Tang Ning, who was originally panicking, calmed down. She looked up at Tianqing and said in a deep voice, "Tianqing, go to the Lu family immediately and send the people you arranged to Lu Yin. Then lead him to the Jingzhao government office to sue Lu Chongyuan!"
Tian Qing exclaimed in shock, "Is it about Prince Cheng?"
Tang Ning nodded: "Don't involve Queen Lu for now. Just say that there was someone else who colluded with Prince Cheng, and it was related to Your Majesty's harem. The Lu family forced Guan to death to take the blame in order to conceal the truth."
"You must go quickly and tell Wu Huai of Jingzhao Prefecture to come to the palace and ask to see His Majesty immediately after accepting the case."
Tianqing also knew that the matter was urgent, so he turned around and left quickly after hearing this.
Tang Ning looked at Wu Kui and asked, "Has the Zhao family entered the palace?"
Wu Kui nodded.
"Where's Mrs. Zhao?"
Wu Kui was stunned for a moment, then frowned suddenly: "I don't think I saw Madam Zhao today."
Tang Ning made up his mind and turned to Yue Jian and said, "Go to the Zhao family and bring Madam Zhao here. She is either being held captive by the Zhao family or she is unaware of what is happening outside and is being kept in the dark by Madam Zhao and the others."
"Go secretly into the Zhao Mansion and tell her that the Fourth Prince's Consort is dead, killed by the collusion between the Lu and Zhao families. If she wants to know the truth about Lingyun Temple and the death of the Fourth Prince's Consort, come and see me."
Yue Jian nodded sullenly, turned around and left quickly.
Tang Ning stood there, thinking carefully about what to do next. Even if he had made all the plans, since Lu Chongyuan wanted to force Xiao Yan to show up and expose the truth about his "serious injury", he was afraid that these things could only be delayed for a while. As a last resort, he could only throw out the matter of the Queen and Prince Cheng, leaving the Lu family unable to take care of themselves. But once it came to that step, he had to guard against the Queen's desperate move of destroying everything with her.
Empress Lu was kept alive to testify against the Lu family and Emperor An. With her speaking up, the old case from twenty years ago would be more conclusive. However, if forced to do so, she would have to be sacrificed in advance...
"Captain Wu."
"Girl." Wu Kui quickly stood up straight.
Tang Ning's face turned grim: "Send a message to Deshun, and ask him to tell the people in Fengxi Palace that if there is any change in the previous dynasty, the queen will be dealt with immediately."
Wu Kui's expression changed slightly, and he heard the beautiful girl in front of him say coldly, "There's no need to act now. Wait for news from outside. If the matter between Queen Lu and Prince Cheng is exposed, we must not let her implicate my brother. Don't give her a chance to speak."
"And the Golden Branch, let's take care of it together."
Wu Kui listened to her gentle voice, but her eyes were cold and fierce, as if he saw the shadow of his own governor. He quickly lowered his head and said, "I understand."
"etc."
Seeing Wu Kui was about to leave, Tang Ning stopped him and touched the private seal that Xiao Yan had given her and hid on her body.
"Prepare the Black Armor Guards and Owl Guards as well, just in case."
Wu Kui's face was shocked: "But the Governor..."
"Brother, let me do what's best for me." She took out her personal seal and placed it before Wu Kui. "I won't take that step unless it's absolutely necessary. I'll do my best to delay and stabilize the capital, but there are always unexpected things. Brother said that no matter what we do, we must be fully prepared and leave ourselves a way out."
When Wu Kui saw the private seal, his pupils suddenly contracted, and then he bowed his head respectfully: "I understand."
After Wu Kui left, Tang Ning put the private seal away again and looked at the bracelet on her wrist with lowered eyes.
She had always felt that the Lu family was a little unusually quiet, but Jinyun had always acted secretly when investigating in the south, and the letters he sent back during this period also said that he had not alarmed anyone. The Lu family was in the capital, and it was said that they had not been in contact with those officials for a long time in order to hide the incident.
Suddenly noticing something unusual, he attacked in anger...
Did anyone from the Lu family also go to Shezhou?
The first person that came to Tang Ning's mind was the face of Lu Jiuan, the illegitimate son of the Lu family. But why would the Lu family suddenly send him to the Southland at this time? Lu Chongyuan was ill at home, and Lu Jiuan was caring for him. The Lu family was in a slump and everyone was in panic. Going to the Southland at this time must have been for some reason, but what was there there that was worth the Lu family's plan?
Tang Ning couldn't figure it out for a moment, and her head felt messy, so she shook her head violently.
Forget it, I’ll think about this later. For now, I have to get through this difficult time.
"Someone come."
Tang Ning stood in front of the door of Heli Hall and shouted outside.
"Girl."
"Go and ask Madam Rong and Patriarch Gu to come over and tell them that the Governor wants to see them."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
