Shou Kang Palace.
The Empress Dowager was wiping the jade pendant that the late Emperor had bestowed upon her with a handkerchief.
An eunuch quickly stepped forward and informed the Empress Dowager that the Emperor had asked Xie Jingyan to investigate the case.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.
After the eunuch finished his report, he withdrew. Granny Zhao asked curiously, "The Emperor has already shown enough importance by ordering Prince Ling to investigate the assassin and having the Three Departments assist him. Why then did he bestow a token upon Prince Ling?"
There's no need to go to such lengths to track down the assassin.
Could it be that the Emperor is using the pretense of having Prince Ling personally investigate the assassin to bestow the token upon him, so that he can facilitate the investigation of Consort Chen's case from years ago?
The Empress Dowager felt a vague unease. She said, "Your Majesty has been acting rather hastily lately, completely lacking your usual composure. Is Your Majesty unwell?"
Granny Zhao also felt that the Emperor's actions these past few months had been too purposeful. The Emperor used to be someone who never showed his emotions, but, "I've never heard that His Majesty is unwell?"
However, no imperial physician dared to spread the news that the emperor was unwell.
The Empress Dowager was still worried. "Summon Chief Physician Zhao. I want to question him personally."
...
Inside the room, Shen Wan ate her food, glancing at Xie Jingyan several times.
Xie Jingyan placed a piece of fish into Chen Wan's bowl and said, "Ask me anything you want to know. I won't hide anything from you as long as I know the answer."
Shen Wan bit her chopsticks and said, "I felt before that the Emperor was handing power over to you, and it's even more obvious today. Don't you think there's a problem?"
Even Shen Wan noticed it, how could Xie Jingyan not notice it?
Xie Jingyan glanced at Shen Wan and said, "Father was indeed frightened by you and had some problems."
Shen Wan, “…???”
Shen Wan was stunned.
Did she scare the emperor?
Even if you gave her all the courage in the world, she still wouldn't dare to frighten the Emperor.
Shen Wan said, "When have I ever frightened the Emperor?"
Shen Wan gave him a look that said, "Don't talk nonsense, I want to live a few more years," which made the man feel powerless. This woman really didn't think about what she had done to cause people to have suspicions.
Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan and said, "Doctor Tao cured my leg ailment, and the Emperor rewarded him for his merits by summoning Doctor Tao. Do you remember when you took the opportunity to have Doctor Tao take Father's pulse?"
Shen Wan nodded.
Of course she remembered that.
Xie Jingyan said, "Father knows you are not a reckless person and would not do such an unruly thing. In addition, Father knows that there is a master in the Yun family who can predict things that have not yet happened. I also asked Eunuch Yuan to pay more attention to Father's food. How could Father not guess what you and I are worried about?"
"My father made these arrangements because he thought he didn't have much time left."
Shen Wan was embarrassed.
She was indeed worried that the emperor would die young, just like in her previous life.
But she didn't expect that just by taking precautions, the Emperor would guess it.
No wonder Xie Jingyan is so smart; he took after the Emperor.
The thought of the Emperor scaring himself made Shen Wan's heart tremble. She looked at Xie Jingyan and said, "These are just your guesses, they may not be true."
Xie Jingyan ate his food and said, "These are what Eunuch Yuan told me."
Shen Wan, "..."
Eunuch Yuan serves the Emperor every day, and he can guess the Emperor's thoughts with great accuracy.
Shen Wan said, "Didn't you try to comfort Father?"
Xie Jingyan shook his head.
Shen Wan's eyes widened.
Xie Jingyan reached out and pinched Shen Wan's nose. "I reassured Father, but he won't believe me."
"You won't offer comfort if you don't believe me?"
Shen Wan's lips twitched.
She seriously doubted whether the emperor had picked up this son.
Xie Jingyan ate his food and said, "I told Father that the expert from the Yun family calculated that the portrait of Mother that I sent him made Father very ill and he passed away in less than a month. You asked Doctor Tao to take Father's pulse because you suspected that Father's health was already poor and wanted Doctor Tao to treat Father as soon as possible. However, Doctor Tao did not find any problems with Father's health. That's why I suspected that Father's illness and eventual death were caused by poisoning. I asked Eunuch Yuan to be more careful."
This explanation makes perfect sense.
Shen Wan asked, "Did Father Emperor believe it?"
“Father not only believed it, but also praised me for being filial,” Xie Jingyan said.
Shen Wan stared at him. "Father would praise you for being filial? Are you sure you're not lying to me?"
Xie Jingyan looked at him with a disapproving expression, saying, "After I said these words, Father was very angry. He said that I knew he might die from anger because of me, yet I still angered him every day..."
...This is indeed a question the Emperor would ask.
Shen Wan asked, "So what was your answer?"
Xie Jingyan said in a serious tone, "The reason I say he's so impatient is because he's not easily angered. If I angered him more often, he would get used to it and such things wouldn't happen."
Shen Wan, "..."
Not to mention the Emperor praising his filial piety, she couldn't help but want to praise him as a dutiful son.
The son is so filial, why didn't the emperor punish him with a few dozen lashes to show his fatherly love?
The Emperor should believe Xie Jingyan's words. Besides, the Emperor is probably only preparing for the worst. After the Meizhou earthquake, the Xizhou dam, and the birthday gift incident, the Emperor knows very well that even things predicted by a master can be changed. Even if Xie Jingyan is angry with the Emperor because of Consort Chen, he doesn't want the eldest prince or Xie Jingyin to sit in that position after the Emperor's death.
Only if the Emperor is alive can Consort Chen have a chance to overturn her case.
With the Crown Prince and Xie Jingyin ascending the throne, it's uncertain whether they'll even allow Xie Jingyan to live, let alone help Xie Jingyan overturn the Emperor's decision.
The two talked and ate, and the meal took an unusually long time. They only put down their chopsticks when the food got cold.
The chopsticks had just been put down when there was a knock on the window.
"Come in."
The window was pushed open, and Chen Feng jumped in, saying, "Master, I have completed the task you assigned."
There was something going on at the military camp, so Xie Jingyan didn't go in person and sent Chen Feng instead.
Chen Feng said, "On the way back, I ran into Young Master Tang. He wanted to borrow Chef Li and the Prince's mansion from Your Highness."
Borrowing Chef Li is one thing, but borrowing the Prince's mansion...
Xie Jingyan asked, "What does he need the Prince's mansion for?"
Chen Feng twitched his lips and said, "Young Master Tang and Young Master Xu are engaged. The Prince of Yanping wants them to host a banquet, but they don't want to eat at Deyuelou and Zuixianlou. So Young Master Tang thought of asking Chef Li to cook. But he felt that if he asked Chef Li to cook at the Duke of Tan's mansion and invited everyone, it would be hard not to disturb his father. He wouldn't even be able to eat in peace. So he thought that Your Highness might as well lend him the mansion to host the banquet."
Shen Wan, "..."
Xie Jingyan, "..."
Black lines slid down their foreheads.
Who was hosting the dinner at the Ling Prince's residence?
It's fortunate that Tang Ze came up with this idea.
But we're all on the same side, so there's no need to be so clear about it.
Tang Ze was able to do such an outrageous thing because he knew Xie Jingyan wouldn't refuse.
After Chen Feng finished his report, he withdrew. Xie Jingyan got up and went to the study. Fearing that Shen Wan would fall asleep after eating, he took Shen Wan to the study to grind ink for him.
Inside the study, Shen Wan picked up the pine soot ink, added some water, and ground it until it was thick. Without disturbing Xie Jingyan's reading, Shen Wan put down the ink stick and prepared to return to her room.
But just as she turned around, Dong'er knocked on the door and came in, grinning as she reported, "Your Highness, Princess Nanyi of Xiliang has been arrested by the city patrol..."
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