Chapter 463 Your idea is good
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The Prince of Lingnan and Zhu Junning remained silent once more. This silence only underscored the precariousness of the current situation.
Zhu Junning recalled the thought that had just crossed his mind, and his gaze unconsciously fell on the King of Lingnan opposite him. He sat there, his back still straight, but he had lost his usual composure. Instead, he looked like a fully drawn bow, with even the lines of his shoulders taut.
Seeing her father's expression, Zhu Junning hesitated. Should she voice her thoughts? She was no longer as certain as before. She was unsure whether her guess was true, whether her strategy would work, and even feared that it might backfire and bring about worse results.
She had witnessed Jiang Yu's unconventional methods, ruthlessness, and "madness" firsthand. To be honest, she was now somewhat afraid of Jiang Yu, and even her courage to confront her had diminished.
The Prince of Lingnan noticed her gaze, his brows furrowed even more, and he said in a deep voice, "Speak if you have something to say."
Zhu Junning clenched her hands tightly, her lips pressed into a straight line. After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously spoke, her tone somewhat tentative: "Just now in the palace, Prince Rui rushed to the Imperial Study."
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Lingnan frowned even more. He was well aware of his daughter's feelings for Prince Rui.
Seeing him frown, Zhu Junning quickly added, "Father, as you know, Prince Rui has never paid attention to state affairs and is not impatient. What could be making him rush to the Imperial Study like that?"
Seeing that she wasn't talking about romantic matters, the Prince of Lingnan's brows relaxed slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "The Empress Dowager is seriously ill. I heard that Prince Rui has moved to the palace and is serving her every day. Perhaps... the Empress Dowager's condition has worsened?"
As he finished speaking, the Prince of Lingnan's eyes lit up. If the Empress Dowager were seriously ill, would the Emperor be less vigilant? Even if the Emperor wasn't less vigilant, if the Empress Dowager's illness worsened, they would have more opportunities to strike.
Zhu Junning hadn't expected her father to think of this, and she felt even more uncertain about her own guess. But she still pursed her lips and continued, "Father, did you notice that Prince Rui's gaze towards the Duke of Chu was somewhat different?"
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Lingnan looked at her thoughtfully: "You mean, Prince Rui and Jiang Yu?"
Zhu Junning nodded gently: "I was just guessing, but when we left, I glanced back and saw Prince Rui still standing there, staring in the direction we left. Father, do you think his actions were reasonable?"
The Prince of Lingnan frowned, lost in thought, while Zhu Junning, following her description, felt more confident about her initial guess. She added, "I heard that the Heavenly Crafts Bureau was established by Jiang Yu, and Prince Rui is in charge of it. They must have had many opportunities to spend time together. In that case, it wouldn't be surprising if there really was something between them."
The King of Lingnan narrowed his eyes, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. After a while, he said, "Go on."
"Yes." With the permission of the Prince of Lingnan, Zhu Junning felt more confident, and his face became more radiant. "If the Emperor finds out about their affair, what will happen?"
“Heh… Heh heh…” The Prince of Lingnan suddenly laughed, his tone carrying a hint of understanding: “One is a Duke who holds power, and the other is a Prince who is in charge of the Heavenly Works Bureau. If they were to actually unite, the threat to the throne would be no less than that posed by our Lingnan Prince’s Mansion.”
He looked at Zhu Junning approvingly: "Your idea is good."
Zhu Junning smiled slightly, but still said truthfully, "But this is ultimately just my daughter's guess, and we don't know for sure whether the two of them are really..."
"Whether it's true or not is unimportant." The Prince of Lingnan interrupted her, his eyes sharpening. "As long as we can make the Emperor suspicious of Jiang Yu, we'll have more opportunities."
Zhu Junning suddenly realized that her feelings for Prince Rui had clouded her judgment, which was indeed wrong. Moreover, she knew that there was absolutely no possibility between her and Prince Rui.
"This matter is best left to your great-uncle." The King of Lingnan's voice pulled Zhu Junning back to reality. She suppressed her thoughts, looked up at the King of Lingnan, and softly asked, "Great-uncle...is he truly on our side?"
The Prince of Lingnan curled his fingers and said in a deep voice, "He certainly prioritizes the interests of the Pei family, but he was able to become the prime minister because of the Xie family, and even more so because of our Lingnan Prince's Mansion. He's already on our side, and it'll be hard for him to get off. Only when we are doing well can he do well."
Zhu Junning was relieved, then cautiously asked, "What about Grandmother?"
The King of Lingnan's face darkened instantly, and after a long while, he said, "Your grandmother... I'm afraid she won't be coming back."
Zhu Junning lowered her eyes; she understood this perfectly well. The reason she asked was simply because she was afraid that the Prince of Lingnan might act impulsively and risk everything to save her grandmother. Now, hearing what the Prince of Lingnan said, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still gently comforted him, "We didn't expect that Grandmother would secretly run away and even go to the old Duke of Chu's tomb."
This morning, more than a quarter of an hour after Pei Tinglan left the Lingnan Prince's Mansion, they received the news. The father and daughter hurriedly led men to chase after her, but it was too late. However, upon closer reflection, something seemed amiss. Although Pei Tinglan had become increasingly capricious in her actions over the years, she wasn't without sense; she was well aware of the current situation of the Lingnan Prince's Mansion. How could she dare to secretly go to the tomb of the old Duke of Chu, despite their repeated warnings?
After a moment's thought, Zhu Junning voiced his doubts. The King of Lingnan's eyes instantly flashed with a sinister and ruthless glint: "Someone must have whispered something in her ear."
"Someone come here!" he shouted towards the door, which was immediately pushed open, and his attendant bowed and entered: "Your Highness."
"Bring Granny Hu and Suyun here." The Prince of Lingnan gripped the armrest of his chair tightly, the wooden armrest creaking softly. His attendant quickly replied, "Yes."
After the attendant left, Zhu Junning frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Granny Hu is a servant born into the household; it's unlikely she would instigate Grandmother."
The Prince of Lingnan grunted in response, but the anger in his voice didn't lessen much. Seeing that he was angered again, Zhu Junning shut his mouth and stopped talking.
Not long after, a servant's voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, Granny Hu has arrived."
"Come in."
No sooner had the Prince of Lingnan finished speaking than Granny Hu entered, kneeling down with a thud, head bowed, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. Seeing that she was alone, the Prince of Lingnan asked coldly, "Where is Suyun?"
"Reporting...Reporting to Your Highness, Suyun has not returned." Granny Hu's voice trembled, filled with obvious fear. Such a terrible thing had happened; one wrong move and she would lose her life.
"Bang!" The Prince of Lingnan suddenly kicked Granny Hu in the chest. Granny Hu fell to the ground with a thud, and blood instantly spilled from the corner of her mouth, showing how powerful the kick was.
But Granny Hu didn't dare utter a groan. She struggled to sit up, then knelt back down and said in a trembling voice, "Ever since we came to the capital, the Dowager has been reluctant to speak to me and often leaves Suyun to serve her alone. After Suyun left with the Dowager today, she... she has never come back."
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