Chapter 300 He's been hiding it pretty well.
Pei Chengkun's sister became someone's concubine.
One sentence left Jiang Yu stunned, her face filled with disbelief. Pei Chengkun only had one younger sister, Pei Tinglan, who had a romantic relationship with the old Duke. But Pei Tinglan was already dead.
Seeing the surprised expression on his face, Marquis Anyuan said, "I was also surprised when I heard your maternal grandmother say that. After Pei Tinglan died, Pei Chengkun's wife had a big fight with the Duke of Chu's mansion and spread rumors that your grandfather was heartless and ungrateful. Because of this, we never doubted that Pei Tinglan was not dead."
Hearing these words, Jiang Yu felt a surge of anger. Having spent so much time with the old Duke of Chu, she understood him. He was devoted to his family and sometimes a bit opportunistic, but deep down, he was a very loyal and sentimental person.
When the old Duke of Chu told her about Pei Tinglan, he sighed many times, clearly feeling some guilt about Pei Tinglan's death.
Back then, the Pei family spread rumors that the old Duke of Chu was heartless and ruthless. Given the old Duke of Chu's character and cunning, he would have definitely tripped up Pei Chengkun when he was still insignificant. That would have prevented Pei Chengkun from having a smooth career later on.
But the old Duke of Chu did not do that. Why?
It's all because he feels guilty towards Pei Tinglan!
But if Pei Tinglan hadn't died at the time, what would have been the old Duke of Chu's guilt over the years?
Furthermore, if all the measures taken against the Duke of Chu's mansion were because of Pei Tinglan's words, then what gave them the right? What did they take the Duke of Chu's mansion for? A pushover?
Seeing the anger on Jiang Yu's face, Marquis Anyuan thought of his long-time acquaintance, the Duke of Chu, and was also filled with anger. Moreover, the switching of Jiang Jiarong and Jiang Jiamu, and Jiang Yu's abduction, were very likely orchestrated by the Prince of Lingnan. Jiang Jiamu and Jiang Yu were both his own grandsons.
"I have already sent people to Lingnan to investigate, and the results will be back soon," said Marquis Anyuan. "If Pei Tinglan is not dead and is still causing trouble for you, I will never let it go."
By the end, his hands were clenched into fists, clearly furious. Jiang Yu was equally enraged, and she said, "I won't let them get away with this either."
Just then, the steward's voice came from outside, "My lord, the men who went to Lingnan have returned."
Upon hearing the voice, Marquis Anyuan and Jiang Yu both perked up. Marquis Anyuan quickly invited someone in, and a man in his thirties, with an ordinary appearance but a steady gait, entered. Jiang Yu immediately recognized him as a bodyguard.
"Greetings, Lord Marquis; greetings, Duke of Chu." Hu Qi knelt on one knee to pay his respects.
Marquis Anyuan waved for him to stand up and asked, "How is the investigation going?"
Hu Qi stood up briskly and replied respectfully, "I led men to Lingnan and investigated the Sixth Young Master. His name is Yu Feixiao."
Upon hearing this name, Marquis Anyuan asked, "Is it the Yu family, a prominent clan in Lingnan?"
"Yes," Hu Qi said. "Yu Feixiao is the second son of the Yu family's eldest branch, and Yu Feixiao's grandmother was the legitimate daughter of the former King of Lingnan."
These words made both Jiang Yu and Marquis Anyuan frown. The former Princess Consort of Lingnan had a son and a daughter. It was said that the eldest son died in a fall from his horse at the age of fourteen. Therefore, the current Prince of Lingnan, being a son born out of wedlock, was qualified to inherit the title.
"The eldest daughter of the former King of Lingnan is 78 years old this year. She is said to be in good health and is the current lord of the Yu family." Hu Qi added, "However, the relationship between the Yu family and the Lingnan Prince's Mansion is very bad. Last year, there was even a fight between the Yu family and the Lingnan Prince's Mansion."
Marquis Anyuan nodded upon hearing this, and explained to Jiang Yu, "The Yu family was a prominent clan in Lingnan during the previous dynasty. The first King of Lingnan was able to establish himself in Lingnan because of a marriage alliance with the Yu family."
"I suppose the Yu family's influence in Lingnan has weakened considerably by now?" Jiang Yu asked.
Hu Qi: "Yes, the Yu family's influence in Lingnan is not as great as that of the Lingnan Prince's Mansion, but the Lingnan Prince's Mansion doesn't dare to touch the Yu family. Last year's brawl ended inconclusively. The background of the Lingnan Prince's mother remains a mystery. Some say she was an orphan rescued by the former Lingnan Prince, while others say she came from a brothel. I waited outside the Lingnan Prince's Mansion for more than half a month and finally saw the Lingnan Prince's mother. Her eyes and mouth are somewhat similar to the Prime Minister's."
After Hu Qi finished speaking, Jiang Yu and Marquis An Yuan exchanged a glance, both seeing affirmation in each other's eyes.
"You've done a great job. Go and collect your reward." Marquis Anyuan waved for Hu Qi to leave, then said to Jiang Yu, "We need to continue the investigation until we find concrete evidence."
Jiang Yu nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "How about we tell Prince An about this?"
Marquis Anyuan frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "When it comes to the ability to investigate matters, no one can compare to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. But is Prince An trustworthy?"
Jiang Yu: "First of all, I think Prince An is trustworthy. Secondly, even if Prince An is not trustworthy, revealing this matter to him will not affect us. Regardless of the relationship between Prince An and the Emperor, they share the same goal regarding Lingnan, and our goal is also the same as theirs."
Marquis Anyuan laughed when he heard her words. The more he spent with her, the more he felt that this granddaughter was extraordinary. Her analysis of things was exceptionally objective and clear.
“Okay, we’ll do it your way,” he said.
Jiang Yu nodded again and said, "If the King of Lingnan's mother is Pei Tinglan, then the Prime Minister has been colluding with Lingnan for a long time. He's been hiding it very well."
Marquis An Yuan tapped his fingers on the table, pondered for a moment, and said, "He has always been a cunning man. He colluded with Lingnan because of Pei Tinglan, but it was the Xie family who really made the move. The Xie family fell because of their collusion with Lingnan, but he was completely unscathed, which shows how cunning he is."
Jiang Yu's face was solemn. When Marquis Anyuan saw this, he smiled and said, "You don't need to worry too much. No matter how many schemes he has, as long as Lingnan cannot shake the court, all his schemes will be in vain."
Jiang Yu nodded, but in her heart she thought that even so, they still needed to be extra careful. They held a crucial bargaining chip—the Crown Prince.
Although the Crown Prince was being used as a target by the Emperor, why couldn't the Prince of Lingnan and his faction simply go along with it? If the Emperor were to encounter problems, the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne would be a matter of course. This was also why he wanted to reveal the matter of the Prince of Lingnan's mother, who might be the Prime Minister's sister, to Prince An.
Everything is speculation now, and he has no way to inform the emperor. Moreover, even if there were concrete evidence proving that the King of Lingnan's mother was the Prime Minister's sister, the Prime Minister could still exonerate himself.
Prince An harbors ambitions for the throne, and he will not allow the schemes of the Prince of Lingnan and the Prime Minister to succeed. Even if Prince An is out of favor, he is still the Emperor's own son. There are certain things that the Emperor's son can say, but she, as a subject, cannot.
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