Ziye shook his head, unable to answer Zhou Gu’s question.
He didn’t know where Lady Su Qi and the Second Young Master Ye were going so late in the night. But he did know one thing, which he quickly shared: "When they left, the city gate had been closed. Lady Su Qi left the city using the Crown Prince’s token."
Zhou Gu’s expression faltered. If they held the Crown Prince’s token, then it was probably not to go back to Nanchu.
He promptly ordered Ziye, "Prepare the carriage, I am going to..."
He wanted to say that he would go to the Eastern Palace to inquire the Crown Prince, but halfway through, he remembered something, stopped speaking, and his face underwent a series of changes. He sighed, "Nevermind."
There was no point considering his injuries were still not fully healed. What’s the point in knowing what they were up to? All it would accomplish would be a fruitless trip to the Eastern Palace.
He put down the case files, not bothering to look at them any more and closed his eyes. "Ziye, you can leave now. Don’t worry about it anymore."
Ziye quietly nodded, extinguished the light for Zhou Gu, and left the room.
As he was about to close the door, Zhou Gu suddenly spoke again, "You take the token of my grandmother, and take some men to the city gate now. Apart from the Emperor’s token, keep everyone else within the city, should there be anyone else leaving after they have left. Regardless of their intentions, if they are leaving the city at this late hour, they surely wouldn’t want to have tails following behind them for investigation."
Ziye acknowledged and left.
The eldest princess, Sheng An, hadn’t retired yet as she was discussing the day’s events in the Palace with the old Duke. After finishing her account, she sighed deeply, "His Majesty’s headache seems to have worsened. At this point, I could only hope he takes proper care. After all, the royals are still in chaos with countless demons and monsters, he needs to handle these messy issues first. Otherwise, this mess would be passed down to the Crown Prince and he could be seen as a callous and ruthless person."
The old Duke interjected, "It’s never easy to rule benevolently. Under the current circumstances in Daliang, it might be a good thing if the Crown Prince could take over earlier. The issues of reputation should be left for future generations to discuss."
The eldest princess, Sheng An, sneered, "Now you’re saying such things. I wonder who wanted your grandson to leave his name in history and become a famous minister."
"What quarrel are you picking? A ruler is a ruler, a minister is a minister. They can’t be compared." The old Duke responded reluctantly, "The ruler controls the world, while the minister assists the country. A benevolent ruler is needed during peaceful and prosperous times, while a decisive hand is needed in times of war. Of course, a good ruler and wise ministers will bring a period of great prosperity. I see no harm in wanting my grandson to become a famous minister."
"Well then, keep dreaming!" Sheng An, the eldest princess, didn’t want to deal with the old Duke anymore, "Anyways, I’m telling you, he’s all grown up now and can make his own choices about his country, family, and personal matters. Stop being so bossy, or I won’t let you off easily."
The old Duke was stubborn, "Fine, fine. He’s your grandson, not mine. You’re looking out for his best interests, while I’m harming him."
He grumbled unhappily, "Without my education since he was a child, this boy could’ve become a spoiled soldier, being pampered by everyone. Given his personality, how could he get by without supervision?"
The eldest princess, Sheng An, didn’t respond to this, turning to wash and sleep.
At this moment, Ziye requested to see her outside the door.
The eldest princess, Sheng An, quickly walked to the door, opened it, and asked Ziye, "Has something happened to Gu again?"
The old Duke thought to himself, "He was safely at the Duke Residence, what could have gone wrong? It must be news of Su Rong and Ye Guixue’s departure that reached him, and he became restless."
Ziye shook his head, relaying Zhou Gu’s instruction to Sheng An, the eldest princess.
After listening, Sheng An, the eldest princess, quickly understood Zhou Gu’s intention. She promptly took out the token and handed it to Ziye, "Go now!".
Ziye thanked her, took the token, rounded up some people, and immediately went to the city gate.
With the door closed, Sheng An, the eldest princess, speculated, "Could it be they found some clue about the case outside the city at this late hour?"
She had understood today that Yan Huisheng and Su Rong were closely connected and also realized that most of the actions Su Rong took after coming to the capital were for the crown prince. They likely made some sort of arrangement in private.
It’s not hard to see that Su Rong, the Nanchu princess, needed the support of the crown prince of Daliang. As for the crown prince, who had been in a difficult situation for a long time, he needed someone to disrupt the court’s situation and break its deadlock, freeing him from his predicament.
"The old Duke said, "You rascally boy, you’ve grown up, and so has your courage."
He dared to ask his grandmother for the token of the eldest princess, except for the Emperor’s people, he dared to stop everyone.
The eldest princess, Sheng An, glared at him, "It’s better than being still timid after reaching this point."
The Duke Residence had been a laughing stock for years, under the radar with the crown prince, it should regain its backbone now.
Ziye held the token of the eldest princess Sheng An, with five hundred guards, they joined the city guards, standing like stone pillars at the city gate.
Jian Ren, the city guard’s officer, was stunned. He asked Ziye, "Ziye, what do you plan... to do?"
Jian Ren was in his twenties, a member of a prestigious family.
"The eldest princess Sheng An is investigating the case. From this moment on, no one is allowed to leave the city unless decreed by the Emperor," Ziye patted Jian Ren on the shoulder. "Officer Jian, you’re aware of the assassination attempt that happened during the day in the palace against the eldest princess Sheng An and the Queen Mother, aren’t you?"
Jian Ren nodded, that news had spread all over.
Ziye whispered, "It was for this matter. The case has a huge impact, even the eldest princess and the Queen Mother were not spared, the audacity is simply too bloody. The people behind this are in the Capital City, we must not let them escape."
Jian Ren was taken aback, "But just a short time ago, Second Young Master Ye left the city with Lady Su Qi, her younger brother, and their guards."
"They are also investigating the case, Today, the eldest princess and the Queen Mother were saved by the same Lady Su Qi." Ziye explained.
Jian Ren finally understood.
Ziye patted him on the shoulder again, "Officer Jian, brace yourself!"
Instantly, Jian Ren was totally alert.
Inside the Imperial Palace, the Emperor took the sedative prescribed by the imperial doctor Xu. His headache alleviated significantly. After the Imperial Doctor left, he felt sleepy. He didn’t even review the memorials and retired early.
The Queen heard about the Emperor summoning the Imperial Doctor Xu. Considering the events of the day, she decided to pay a visit to the Emperor in his sleeping palace.
When she arrived, she saw the Imperial Concubine Zhen being stopped by the palace maid at the entrance of the sleeping palace, saying that the Emperor was already resting. The Imperial Concubine Zhen maintained her composure and didn’t show any displeasure at being stopped. She said something to the palace maid, who looked slightly hesitant.
Just then, the Queen arrived. She smiled and asked, "So, the Imperial Concubine Zhen is here. The Emperor is always concerned for your health, how come you’re not resting in the palace in this cold weather?"
The Imperial Concubine Zhen coughed into a handkerchief and, after paying respect to the Queen, said, "I heard the Emperor summoned the Imperial Doctor. I was worried and came to check. I didn’t expect that the Emperor had already gone to sleep."
The Queen gently replied, "The Emperor must be fine, otherwise the Imperial Doctor would not have left the palace. The Emperor has just been overworked recently. Allowing him to rest for a few days should be fine. Since the Emperor has already gone to sleep, both of us should not disturb him. If you can’t sleep, the Imperial Concubine, why don’t you come to my palace and sit for a while?"
The Imperial Concubine Zhen nodded, "What Queen says is right. I do not have a son and my only pillar of support is the Emperor. Hearing about the Imperial Doctor made me quite worried. Now that you have clarified, I realize that I have been worrying excessively. The Emperor is in his prime and his Dragon Body should be fine."
She graciously responded, "After such a false alarm, since the Queen has invited, I will come and sit in your palace."
The Queen nodded.
And so, the two phoenix sedans left, one after another, from the Emperor’s sleeping palace to the Fengyi Hall of the Queen.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
