Chapter 139 Chapter 139 The Crown Prince and the Queen will hold him...
Chapter 139
Ye Changning's character and reputation were both excellent. Lin Zhiqi had always admired him. Although they hadn't interacted much during this spring hunt, she had seen his reliability in the few times they had spoken. So, she was willing to take a gamble.
I bet Ye Changning's character remains the same as before.
Ye Changning and Yan Chongshan escorted Cheng Miao and Cheng Lunian towards the capital.
They didn't bring too many soldiers, and most of them were left to Lin Zhiqi. After all, she had to protect the two princes and resist the northern barbarians, so she couldn't do without soldiers.
Cheng Miao held his breath, wishing he could go to the Zhou family to settle the score as soon as he entered the city gate.
But he also knew that he couldn't settle the accounts.
The person who really harmed Lu Nian never came back.
With Ye Changning by his side and the imperial edict in hand, he would investigate and prove all of Lu Nian's crimes...
We must first find a way to remove Ye Changning from the investigation team.
If the prince can really make the decision for the Cheng family, then he will definitely stand on the side of the "prince's party"!
Yan Chongshan was thinking about how to get Zhou Bokai out of the palace without making any noise.
Not to mention Ye Changning - in addition to worrying about his father, the queen and the prince, he was also worried about the Lin family, the Zhou family and the Mu family.
Thinking more about it, the Wei and Qin families also face important choices.
Each of the three of them has a deep mind.
In fact, they were just guessing about the situation in the capital, and they had no idea how far the prince and the queen had gone.
If the prince was convicted because he did not send anyone to lead troops to rescue the people in the hunting ground, then the prince would definitely have a defense.
For example, the prince has no military power and no right to issue orders to generals.
For example, Emperor Longshun was surrounded by generals, and half of Duke Lin's troops were taken over by Jing Zhuoran. How could he be needed to send troops to rescue?
If he was trapped in the capital or in the palace, he would need someone outside to rescue him.
This charge is not so easy to establish.
Ye Changning hoped that they were overthinking it, and also hoped that the matter could be remedied.
Otherwise, there will be a huge change!
As soon as he entered the city, he met Yan Lin, a colleague from the Dali Temple.
When Yan Lin saw Ye Changning, he trotted forward to greet him: "Master Ye!"
Ye Changning nodded slightly, dismounted, and handed the reins to the people from the Dali Temple.
He and Yan Lin walked side by side to a secluded place cleared by the Dali Temple to talk.
Ye Changning: "How is the situation in Beijing?"
Yan Lin: "We've captured over a hundred suspected Northern Barbarians, and we're still digging through them to find the rest."
Ye Changning: "Besides Empress Xian's death, has anything else major happened in the capital?"
Yan Lin: "Princess Rui is claiming illness and unable to leave the house. The Mu family's trade routes are blocked. Marquis Xie of Yongsheng and Lord Ji, the Minister of Rites, are also recuperating at home." He lowered his voice and reported, "The Crown Prince has detained Zhou Bokai in the palace. Young Master Zhou Er and Young Master Zhou San are also unemployed at home."
After hearing this, Ye Changning had some idea in his mind.
He remembered the important task at hand and said to Yan Lin, "Send someone to accompany Master Cheng back to the palace, and bring a coroner to conduct a thorough examination of Master Cheng. Record the results." He handed Yan Lin a small booklet he had kept, "This is the eyewitness testimony I interviewed at the hunting grounds."
Yan Lin sighed deeply: "Is Master Cheng really...dead?"
Ye Changning glanced at him and he immediately shut up.
Yan Lin casually flipped through the booklet and suddenly widened his eyes: "Sir... are you an eyewitness? This..."
"Why, do you still suspect me of perjury?"
"Of course not!" Yan Lin continued to read. There was also the confession of the son-in-law Lin Zhiyi, the confessions of several guards in the princess's mansion, the confession of Zhou Mingyan, and the confession of Xie Junnuo.
Yan Lin's heart skipped a beat. This case was really tricky.
"Leave it to me?"
Ye Changning: "Yes. You are mainly responsible for this case. I want to investigate other things."
Yan Lin heard about it and asked, "The one between the Wei and Qin families?"
Ye Changning nodded.
Yan Lin: "This is more difficult."
It was an old case, and the parties involved were all dead.
How to check?
After all, Yan Lin had been with Ye Changning for a long time and had extensive experience in handling cases. He immediately figured out something was amiss: "Where are the attendants around Master Cheng?"
Ye Changning's eyes darkened: "Dead."
"Dead?! Doesn't that mean there's no clue left at all?"
"Not necessarily. As long as you are careful, you should still be able to find clues."
Ye Changning didn't have time to talk to Yan Lin much. He just gave him a few words of advice and then returned to the team.
He and Yan Chongshan are going to enter the palace.
Cheng Miao and Cheng Lunian were sent back to Cheng Mansion by Yan Lin and people from the Dali Temple.
Cheng Miao naturally wanted to enter the palace to meet the Crown Prince and the Empress, but he had to first settle his son... and comfort his wife. He could only postpone his visit.
Ye Changning and Yan Chongshan encountered two ambushes on their way to the palace. Both groups were wearing northern barbarian clothes and spoke to each other with northern barbarian accents. Both of them were good at martial arts and could fight each other with ease. In the end, they escaped unscathed.
The northern barbarians were all dead, some of them had committed suicide after being wounded, and some were killed by the two of them in self-defense.
Ye Changning frowned. How could there be northern barbarians causing chaos in the capital under such circumstances?
The defense in the capital is too poor!
Or... was this a premeditated assassination?
He ordered his men to bring the bodies of these northern barbarians back to the Dali Temple, and planned to go back to investigate after meeting the prince.
Zhou Bokai was indeed guarding the palace. Seeing Ye Changning and Yan Chongshan, he was delighted: "Shaoqing Ye, Commander Yan, you are back! Are His Majesty and the others back too?!"
"No, we're the only ones back. His Majesty is still in the hunting grounds." Ye Changning said, "Sir Zhou, we encountered two groups of northern barbarians on the way here. Have you sent anyone to investigate the capital?"
Zhou Bokai: "Of course there are! But every report says that everything is fine in the capital. Could it be... that there are spies?!"
Yan Chongshan: "Leave the defense of the palace to me. It would be best for Lord Zhou to return to the South Camp as soon as possible."
Zhou Bokai: "The Crown Prince has given orders, I cannot leave my post without permission."
Ye Changning: "What about His Majesty's order?"
Zhou Bokai: "...The prince asked my mother, mother-in-law, and wife to stay in the palace for a while. I can only obey his orders."
Yan Chongshan: "What happened?"
This is different from the news they knew.
Ye Changning also looked a little serious.
Zhou Bokai said, "After Empress Xian passed away, the Empress summoned the Duke's wife—the Fifth Prince and Miss Lin San were engaged. The Empress wanted to invite my mother-in-law to the palace to make the arrangements. My wife was worried about my mother-in-law, so she came along, and my mother was worried about them, so she came too."
Yan Chongshan: "Then why was this not mentioned in the message?"
Zhou Bokai: "Qin'er probably doesn't want to worry her sisters. Actually, it's nothing. The Crown Prince simply doesn't trust me to do my best to protect the palace, so he asked the Queen to invite my family into the palace. As long as I do my job well, they will be fine."
Ye Changning was not in a position to say much, so he just patted Zhou Bokai on the shoulder, and then went into the palace with Yan Chongshan to pay a visit to the prince.
We can only know what the prince thinks and what he plans to do next by meeting him.
Only Yan Chongshan and Ye Changning were left on the road.
Yan Chongshan asked softly, "Lord Ye, are you worried? What if... the Ye family is also in the palace..."
Ye Changning paused slightly, then continued walking: "When the enemy comes, we will stop them with our troops; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. Lord Yan, please take care of yourself."
Yan Chongshan shrugged and followed calmly.
East Palace.
Jing Zhuowen and the Queen are both here.
And as Yan Chongshan expected, Madam Ye was there too.
There is also Ye Changning’s sister, Ye Shimo.
Ye Changning's pupils shrank, and he became alert in his heart.
The queen was his aunt, and she could summon his mother and sister into the palace by making up any excuse.
My mother and sister will never be on guard.
The Queen smiled and pinned a golden hairpin on Ye Shimo's head. Then, she put her arm around the thin shoulders of the ten-year-old girl, looked left and right, and praised her with satisfaction: "Our Mo'er is really beautiful. Man'er, don't you think so?"
Cheng Manyu smiled and said, "Yes, when my cousin reaches the age of marriage, she will definitely become even more beautiful!"
Madam Ye said modestly: "Your Majesty, she is still young, this is too precious..."
The Queen: "Sister-in-law, we are a family, so let's not be so mean. How can it be expensive for me, your aunt, to give Mo'er one or two pieces of jewelry? I even think the quality of this hairpin is not good and it looks a bit old-fashioned. As long as Mo'er likes it, that's fine!"
Ye Shimo bowed and said with a smile, "Thank you, auntie!"
When they were talking, Ye Changning was outside the palace. He had good hearing, so he could hear them naturally. Moreover, through the curtains, he could vaguely see the figures of his mother and sister.
In the past, he had never regarded himself as the queen's nephew, nor had he ever taken advantage of the power of others.
Others respected and feared him, certainly because of his status, but more importantly because he was the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple and Ye Xiuluo, who was as good as a god in solving cases.
But at this moment, Ye Changning realized that he could not cut off this identity.
Just like outsiders always classify him as a "princeling" and never ask him what he thinks.
This is innate and he can't give it up.
Because if you don’t want it… there are plenty of others who do.
He might even pay a heavy price for it.
Zhang Gui, the chief eunuch beside the crown prince, went to report personally.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Ye Shaoqing and Commander Yan are here to see you."
"Please come in!" the queen said happily. She even stood up and pretended to greet him.
Mrs. Ye also quickly stood up. Ye Shimo missed his brother very much and ran out to greet him: "Big brother!"
Ye Changning's Shura face was reserved for outsiders. Seeing his sister, who was more than ten years younger than him, a gentle smile appeared on his face: "Shimo, why did you enter the palace today?"
Ye Shimo: "Aunt said that my elder brother is returning to Beijing today. Mother and I missed you very much, so we came to the palace to wait for you!"
Ye Changning touched her head and looked up at his mother in the hall.
My younger sister is still young and doesn’t understand many things.
But the mother may not necessarily understand.
Mrs. Ye's expression was indeed solemn, and her smile was not very natural.
Ye Changning's eyes met hers and he immediately returned her gaze. He patted his younger sister's shoulder as if nothing had happened, then followed her in and saluted the Queen, the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess in a dignified manner.
The prince stepped forward and helped him up, saying with a smile, "Changning, there's no need to be like this. You and I are brothers, this is too formal!"
Ye Changning: "Etiquette cannot be abolished."
The prince smiled and turned to ask him, "How is the situation outside the capital? Are there many northern barbarians? Did you encounter any on your way back... You don't know how worried your aunt is..."
Ye Changning answered briefly, "We encountered two groups of troops outside the city, and it was Commander Yan and Captain Lin who fought them off together."
The prince asked again in a hypocritical tone, "By the way, how is Father? Is the hunting ground safe?"
Ye Changning pondered, "I left early because I had to escort Lord Cheng back to the capital. I don't know the current situation at the hunting grounds. But I think with Duke Lin and General Zhou here, it should be safe."
The Crown Prince frowned imperceptibly. Beside him, Cheng Manyu was already in tears. She sobbed twice and asked Ye Changning about what happened that day: "Ye Shaoqing, did Lu Nian really assassinate Princess Liyang? He had no reason to do so! Is there some conspiracy behind this? Please make sure to investigate thoroughly and clear Lu Nian's name!"
Ye Changning: "Please rest assured, Princess Consort, I will definitely investigate this thoroughly!" He did not reveal too much about the inside story, as there were children around, so he only gave this promise.
Cheng Manyu: “…”
She turned to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, I would like to ask for your permission to leave the palace. I hope Your Highness will grant me permission."
The prince wiped her tears and nodded, "Okay, go ahead. I'll let Zhang Gui accompany you."
Ye Changning interrupted them and said bluntly, "Your Highness, it is not appropriate for the Crown Princess to leave the palace and return to the Cheng Mansion now. This matter involves the princess and her three successive princes. In my opinion, it is best for the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess to stay out of it for now."
The Crown Prince glared at him, "Ye Changning! Do you know what you're talking about? Staying out of this? How do you stay out of this? Isn't this disregarding family ties? The Crown Princess just went to see her deceased brother, and this isn't even allowed?"
Ye Changning knelt down and said, "Yes, but the Dali Temple must monitor the entire process."
"you--"
Ye Shimo was frightened by their loud argument, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Madam Ye hugged her, wiped her tears, and then knelt together: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, since you want to discuss official business, then I will take Mo'er and take my leave first."
The Queen interjected at the right moment, "Alas, look at what this has caused... Man'er, please wait a little longer. Changning just returned to the capital, so there's no rush to handle the case. Let him spend some time with his mother and sister. Don't worry, Changning knows how to act." Then, she pulled Ye Shimo over and wiped her tears, "Mo'er, don't cry. Your Crown Prince brother and your eldest brother were just talking in a hurry, not arguing. We're all family, how could we quarrel? Don't cry. Go, help your eldest brother up."
The prince looked down at Ye Changning, his expression changed, and he smiled. He personally helped Ye Changning up: "Yes, yes, we are all family, don't hurt the harmony. Let's not discuss business today."
Ye Changning looked at his mother, then at his sister, and stood up. He also put on a gentle expression: "It was my recklessness. Your Highness, please don't blame me."
The prince patted his shoulder and said, "You guys chat. Commander Yan and I will go to the study."
The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess gestured for Yan Chongshan to go with them to the study.
Yan Chongshan, who witnessed everything: "..."
As expected, he guessed it right.
No one should try to protect themselves.
So what about Ye Changning?
He is the most obvious "princeling", and he has no choice but to choose whether to think so or not.
The prince and the queen will roast him over the fire.
Yan Chongshan gave Ye Changning a subtle look and walked away in a pretentiously casual manner.
He doesn't know what he will face yet.
Even Ye Changning, a member of the prince's faction, would be controlled by the Crown Prince and Empress, using their weaknesses to ensure that nothing could go wrong...
What about yourself?
Yan Chongshan followed the Crown Prince and his wife to the study, where the Crown Princess personally poured him a cup of tea. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Crown Princess...you can't..."
The Crown Prince: "Commander Yan, please take a seat."
The Crown Princess said: "Commander Yan, I have something to ask of you. Please tell me the truth."
Yan Chongshan guessed they wanted to know about Cheng Lunian's situation. Ye Changning had refused to speak in the hall, partly out of concern for the children and partly to keep the case secret. But the matter was a done deal, and no secret. He picked out what he could share, and it didn't matter.
At this time, there was no need for him to confront the prince head-on.
Circuitous warfare is also a military tactic.
Yan Chongshan answered Cheng Manyu's question relatively smoothly.
At the end, he added: "Princess, please accept my condolences."
Cheng Manyu sat dejectedly in the chair, feeling distraught.
It’s true, Lu Nian is really gone...
How can one bear the loss of a young child when their parents are already old?
She once again asked the prince for permission to return home from the palace.
The prince held her hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "Wait a little longer. Now that things have come to this, there is indeed no need to rush."
The prince has his own considerations.
Judging from what Ye Changning and Yan Chongshan said, the emperor is doing well in the hunting ground, and even that wild girl Lin Zhiqi can repel the northern barbarians, let alone the brave and warlike Duke Lin and General Zhenbei?
The premise for him to strike first is that his father will not come back.
But if his father is safe and sound... he has to leave himself a way out.
Not allowing Cheng Manyu to return to the Cheng Mansion was his backup plan.
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