Chapter 65 This matter is directed at me
In Yi'an Palace, when Jiang Xue and Lu Qiongshuang were about to reach the Queen's Palace, Dong Shupei was already waiting outside the palace gate.
Seeing the two approaching, Dong Shupei immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, Miss Cousin, the palace banquet is approaching. The Queen wants all the ladies to follow the phoenix carriage to the Funing Palace. She is afraid that Miss Cousin will feel uncomfortable, so she asked me to ask your Highness and Miss Cousin what they want. Do you want to follow the carriage together, or send the palace maids to take you there first?"
Before Jiang Xue could speak, Lu Qiongshuang immediately replied, "We'll go by ourselves. We'll go by ourselves."
Dong Shupei looked at Jiang Xue, who smiled knowingly and said, "Then I'll trouble you, aunt, to bring the sedan chair to us."
Dong Shupei nodded in agreement, then called the palace maid beside her and gave her a few instructions.
Jiang Xue and Lu Qiongshuang got on the sedan chair and went to the Funing Palace first.
On the way, Jiang Xue said to Lu Qiongshuang, "When you see someone later, don't rush up to them and claim to be your relatives."
Lu Qiongshuang grumbled unconvincedly, "Who is that guy...that guy's relative? A talented girl like me is too high for him to be with."
Jiang Xue smiled and leaned against the sedan chair, lost in thought.
When the two arrived at the Funing Palace, it was not yet time, and only a group of palace maids and the head eunuch were busy in the palace. When the head eunuch saw Jiang Xue coming, he hurriedly went to greet her and said, "Your Highness, the palace is being decorated, and it is a bit noisy. Let me take your Highness and cousin to the side hall to rest first."
Jiang Xue asked, "Has the Second Brother arrived?"
The eunuch in charge shook his head and said, "Not yet."
Jiang Xue said, "If my brother arrives later, please tell him that we are waiting for him in the side hall."
The eunuch in charge said, "Yes."
Jiang Xue and Lu Qiongshuang waited in the side hall for about a cup of tea, and then a palace servant came through the messenger: "The Second Prince has arrived——"
Jiang Xue poured a cup of tea and handed it to Jiang Yu who came over, saying, "Brother Emperor, you have worked hard. Have a cup of tea to moisten your throat."
"The Xuanzheng Palace just finished its work, and Gu Lintan took them to rest for the banquet. I came here to see how the palace banquet was arranged, and then I heard the eunuch say that you were looking for me. I just happened to have something to ask you."
Jiang Yu took the teacup and sat down. Just as he was about to speak, he glanced at Lu Qiongshuang beside him.
Lu Qiongshuang said obediently: "I'll go out for a walk first, and come back when it starts."
The two nodded.
After Lu Qiongshuang left, Jiang Yu asked, "What's the matter with the letter you asked Chen Jin to hand over?"
Jiang Xue said: "Brother, a Northern Xi war horse appeared in the capital. Do you know about this?"
Jiang Yu was shocked and said, "Warhorse?!"
Jiang Xue nodded and said, "I guess my brother doesn't know. The group of people disguised themselves as ordinary merchants and had dealings with a grain store in the south of the city."
Jiang Yu frowned and asked, "What grain store? How do you know about this?"
Jiang Xue said, "That grain store has business with the Gu Mansion. I asked someone to check the store that Huang Fu usually buys from, and that's when I found out about this."
Jiang Yu's expression became serious, and he said, "We can't jump to conclusions on this matter. When the noble families in Beijing make purchases, they have many considerations for the merchants. Even if they buy from there, it doesn't mean anything."
Jiang Xue said solemnly: "The reason why I was suspicious was because the yard where I lived was spied on that day. The next day after I took advantage of this incident, Huang Fu, who had lost his housekeeper power, still went out to buy things."
"Do you suspect that the Gu family is communicating with the outside world?"
Jiang Xue nodded and continued, "That day Huang Fu went shopping and visited two grain stores. The closest one was on East Street, but after shopping there, he went to the south of the city instead of the nearby one."
"To confuse the public?" Jiang Yu sneered, "Long live the emperor, Beixi has also sent a letter saying that they will send envoys to celebrate the birthday, but they haven't set off yet. Even if they are to arrive in Beijing, it will be the end of next month."
"So I can't understand why there are Northern Xi war horses in Jijing at this time?"
"Are you sure it's a war horse?" Jiang Yu wondered.
"Jiang Qibin saw it," Jiang Xue said. "My brother has been in the northern border for many years. Do you know how the horses are used in Beixi? Do the Beixi merchants use war horses during border trade?"
Jiang Yu shook his head and said, "Da Ji and Bei Xi don't have any open trade. The secret exchange gatherings are called ghost markets, which are held at night. I went there several times when I was in the northern border disguised as a border dweller, but civilian horses can never be related to war horses."
"Jiang Qibin said that he saw the horse's horseshoe clearly that day. It was different from ordinary horseshoes in shape and had a diamond-shaped embossing on it."
Jiang Yu was shocked and asked, "Really?!"
Seeing him like this, Jiang Xue understood roughly 70% of what was going on. It seemed that there was indeed something wrong with that team of merchants.
Jiang Xue said, "The people of Beixi have connections with the merchants in Jijing, so the grain store must be the eyes and ears of Beixi. And Gu Lintan, his old servants often buy things there, and they rushed there as soon as something happened in Gu's house. Was it to buy things or to report the news?"
Jiang Yu said in a deep voice: "After the palace banquet is over, ask Jiang Qibin to come and look for me."
Jiang Xue nodded and said, "This is not difficult."
Jiang Yu asked again: "But you mentioned Ganshi, Wanbaolou, and Gulintan in your letter - what is the connection between these three?"
"I originally suspected that Gan Guoren and Gu Lintan were involved, but now I think I was wrong."
"Brother, do you still remember that Qiong Shuang mentioned many times that her senior brother, King Rui Chong, was very good at Qinggong?"
Jiang Yu nodded.
"The person who was spying on the roof that day also had excellent Qinggong skills. Even Jiang Qibin and his men couldn't track him."
"You suspect that the man is King Ruichong?"
Jiang Xue nodded and said, "I made this guess before because my brother said that the envoy Gan had suddenly advanced his schedule and arrived in the suburbs of Beijing, so I thought that Gan had some connection with Gu Lintan."
"Then the hairpin incident - I knew that Ji Yan from Wanbao Tower was most likely the mastermind. Only people who were very close to Xiao Qi would know about this."
"So you sent someone to remind me that Gu Lintan might have a relationship with Gan State and Wanbao Tower?" Jiang Yu shook his head and said, "But I have had people at the Ministry of Rites keeping an eye on Gu Lintan these past few days, and he doesn't do anything suspicious. Moreover, Prince Ruichong treated Gu Lintan very poorly today, and he simply treated him like nothing. It didn't seem like they knew each other."
Jiang Xue nodded and said, "It was only after I met King Rui Chong today that I realized my guess was wrong."
"You met King Ruichong?!" Jiang Yu asked in surprise.
Jiang Xue nodded with a complicated expression.
"That King Rui Chong knew Xiao Qi. He told me that he was there when Xiao Qi died."
"What?" Jiang Yu asked in astonishment, "Wasn't Xiao Qi at the Ji-Gan border when he died? How could he be here?"
"Anyway, he was definitely there, and from what I heard from him, he seemed to be speaking up for Xiao Qi."
"Therefore, the hairpin in Wanbao Tower and the night spying were probably just caused by Xiao Qi's incident, and should have nothing to do with Gu Lintan."
Jiang Yu hurriedly asked, "Are you complaining about injustice? What are you complaining about? What kind of close relationship can he have with Xiao Qi?"
Jiang Xue smiled bitterly. She also wanted to know, but she didn't dare to touch upon anything related to Xiao Qi.
Jiang Xue lowered her head and said, "Brother, he should be targeting me alone, so I will try my best to find out."
"Then I will give my brother an answer."
The brother and sister were looking at each other in deep thought when they suddenly heard Lu Qiongshuang's voice outside the door.
"Hey! What are you doing? Do you think our Ji Kingdom's palace is your Gan Kingdom's back garden? Just break in if you want to?"
Jiang Xue's heart was filled with alarm, and then she heard a hoarse and low voice.
"If you don't want me to teach you a lesson again, just shut up and stay away."
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