Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Crown Prince.
The carriage stopped, and the accompanying Nanny Du lifted the curtain. Sheng Puzhu leaned over from the carriage, holding an exquisite and gorgeous food box in her hand.
Nanny Du stood in front of the cart, winking at her and smiling eagerly.
Sheng Puzhu was stunned and looked up.
In the twilight, in front of the gate of Duke Jingguo's Mansion, a tall and handsome figure stood with his hands behind his back.
The hazy light golden color and the swaying light of the lamp intertwined with each other, and the soft halo fell on the man's well-defined profile. His nonchalant eyes raised slightly and fell on her without blinking.
If it’s not Xie Zhiyan, who else could it be?
Sheng Puzhu was slightly startled and walked forward holding up the hem of her skirt.
"Why are you leaving duty so early today, my dear?"
"But has it been a long wait?"
Xie Zhiyan looked calm as he took the food box from Sheng Puzhu's hand naturally. He said calmly, "I just got home. I didn't wait long."
Sheng Puzhu tilted her head to look at him, half-smiling, but not pointing a finger at him. "Aunt Duanyang's family has just hired a famous chef from Jiangnan. He's an excellent pastry chef. And since tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, she's had the chef bake a lot of mooncakes. So when we leave, we'll each get a food box."
"It tastes good to me, and my mother will probably like it too."
Xie Zhiyan nodded, holding the food box in one hand and holding Sheng Puzhu's hand with the other: "Is it fun at my aunt's house?"
Sheng Puzhu hummed, "Enjoying the flowers, feeding the fish, and the sheer number of people is fun. There's all sorts of gossip going on in Chang'an. This is the first time I've heard so many interesting stories."
"Really?" Xie Zhiyan smiled. "Then, are the gentlemen in the mansion showing any courtesy to Madam?"
"Especially the man called Zhinu."
"Tsk, the clothes are so thin and the throat is so sticky, it's really immoral."
Sheng Puzhu was shocked. What a guy, he even found out the name.
Naturally, she quickly denied it, blinking her innocent eyes. "Who are you talking about, my dear? Who is Zhinu?"
"Um."
"I have never heard of it."
Xie Zhiyan: "..."
It's late at night.
Sheng Puzhu sat in front of the mirror. She had just bathed, and her body was damp with moisture. She said casually, "Today at Aunt Duanyang's house, I saw something interesting."
"Hmm?" Xie Zhiyan looked up at her, and the next moment his gaze fell back on the book in his hand. He only uttered a low question from his throat.
Sheng Puzhu stood up and walked in front of him, her long black hair cascading down like a waterfall. "Fourth sister Qingshu is here too. Princess An brought her along. Prince An also sent some fresh venison, and Xiao Xu'an saw her off personally. From what I've seen, Prince An and my aunt are surprisingly close."
Xie Zhiyan then put down the book, his dark phoenix eyes as quiet as a deep lake.
"Madam, why are you suddenly so concerned about the affairs of Prince An's Mansion?"
Sheng Puzhu pursed her lips. A terrible thought had been weighing on her mind.
She felt that Xie Zhiyan couldn't have failed to guess it, he just didn't want to scare her, otherwise her grandmother wouldn't have chosen such a decisive approach, preferring to stop taking medicine and die, in order to force the Xie family to split up.
"Don't you care about Prince An?" Sheng Puzhu asked back.
Xie Zhiyan smiled when he heard this, reached out and took her in his arms, holding her in his arms: "Actually, this is not uncommon."
He said indifferently, "Princess Duanyang, Prince An, and Prince Ning are all siblings born of the same mother. Although Prince An has been raised by the Empress Dowager since his birth, he is also the blood of the late Concubine Liu."
Sheng Puzhu was stunned and exclaimed, "Prince An is also the son of Concubine Liu?"
"Um."
"My maternal grandmother was the late emperor's successor. She had no other children besides my mother, Princess Shoukang. Concubine Liu gave birth to Prince Ning two years later, and then Prince An. So Prince An was adopted under my maternal grandmother's name."
"Although Prince An was raised by my grandmother, he gradually faded from the clan due to his feud with the current sage for the throne. The brotherly bond between Aunt Duanyang and the two princes is naturally incomparable to that of ordinary clan members."
Sheng Puzhu's eyes showed a hint of surprise, and he asked in confusion, "I've met Princess Changning's Prince Aye Ning. Although he's only two years older than Prince An, he looks energetic and youthful. How could Prince An, the late emperor's youngest son, look so old?"
Xie Zhiyan smiled, his tone seemingly calm but revealing a profound meaning. "Prince An was originally the healthiest of his brothers who made it to adulthood. However, after the Saint ascended the throne, he fell seriously ill, and over the years, he has become the weakest and sickest. He's been on the verge of death from several colds, and the palace physicians ordered a coffin to be prepared, but he managed to pull through."
"That... is really alive." Sheng Puzhu sighed.
Although Xie Zhiyan didn't say anything, he nodded in agreement.
He paused, his voice taking on a subtle solemnity as he added, "The political situation is currently uncertain, and the tribes of Mobei are restless. Aunt Duanyang's residence... is bustling with people."
"If it is not necessary in the future, Madam, it is better for you to go less often."
Sheng Puzhu looked up. Although he still had doubts in his heart, he still sensed a hint of something unusual in Xie Zhiyan's solemn tone.
"Okay, I'll make a note of that."
In early autumn, the dew is heavy and the chirping of insects has stopped. Only the cold moonlight shines through the diamond-shaped window, casting a cold white color in a corner of the house.
The long and quiet night makes people dare not speak loudly.
"Bozhu."
"Wake up."
While sleeping, Sheng Puzhu suddenly felt his body being gently pushed.
She responded and opened her eyes hazily.
Her long, thick eyelashes trembled, and after she adjusted to the dazzling candlelight in the room, she could vaguely see Xie Zhiyan who had half-lifted her up.
"My dear, what's wrong?" Sheng Puzhu was still in a drowsy state, and her voice, having just woken up, was soft and full of confusion.
"Something happened in the palace. The Holy Lord has ordered you to enter the palace immediately."
Xie Zhiyan leaned over, picked her up and sat her up, then wiped her face with a wet towel himself.
Sheng Puzhu blinked and didn't respond for a long time.
"Is it the Crown Princess?"
"Still under His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Xie Zhiyan stood with his back to the light, his face hidden in the dim light, appearing unusually solemn. "It's His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He's been poisoned."
"Poisoned?"
Sheng Puzhu murmured and repeated.
The next moment, a chill ran up her spine and cold sweat broke out.
Xie Zhiyan took out the dress and helped her put it on with quick movements.
Shadows gathered at the corners of his eyes, and his expression was gloomy. "The problem lies with the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes at Aunt Duanyang's house."
"But the mooncakes sent to the Eastern Palace were brought to the Eastern Palace by Princess Changning herself today as a gift to the Crown Princess."
"The moon cake was too sweet, and the Crown Princess suffered from severe morning sickness, so she didn't eat it."
Xie Zhiyan narrowed his eyes slightly, appearing even more calm and stern. "The prince only ate half a piece, and suddenly he vomited blood that night."
Sheng Puzhu was deeply shocked. He held his hand tightly and said anxiously, "Send someone to ask mother if she is okay."
Xie Zhiyan held her hand and said in a gentle voice, "It's okay, Puzhu. I've already asked. Mother is fine. Don't worry."
Sheng Puzhu seemed to have been drained of all his strength: "As for the moon ball, is it true that except for the one from the East Palace, none of us are poisoned?"
Xie Zhiyan nodded, his eyes terribly gloomy.
Sheng Puzhu only felt a buzzing in his ears and immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.
The moon cake came from Princess Duanyang's residence, and the one sent to the palace was made by Princess Changning. However, for today's gathering, the guests invited were all girls who had some friendship with the Crown Princess.
Not to mention that this matter was directed at her, but all of them today were definitely within the other party's calculations.
Xie Zhiyan gathered the last of her coat, his brows softening as he said slowly, "The carriage is ready. I will accompany you to the palace."
"Don't be afraid."
"Things haven't gotten to the worst yet."
Sheng Puzhu took a deep breath and gradually calmed down. There was no emotion in his eyes except anger. "My dear, I'm not afraid."
"good."
Xie Zhiyan nodded, said no more, put a windproof cloak on Sheng Puju, and the couple walked out of Yunyu Hall quickly.
At the second gate of the Duke's Mansion, the carriage was already waiting.
The moon disappeared into the clouds, and the inky black clouds piled up one after another, as if they could not suppress the raging waves.
There were chaotic footsteps and horses neighing; this was destined to be a long and restless night.
In the carriage, Sheng Puzhu held Xie Zhiyan's hand tightly.
Princess Shoukang sat opposite the two of them, her face solemn, her gaze looking through the slightly swaying curtains at the dark roofs flying past outside.
After a long time, she slowly withdrew her gaze and looked back at Xie Zhiyan's face, which showed no emotion at all.
Princess Shoukang lowered her voice to a very low level, yet with a cold and stern tone that left no room for evasion: "Sanlang, tell me the truth, is Jiulang's current condition not very good?"
"Why do you ask that, mother?"
Princess Shoukang took a deep breath, her eyes full of emotion: "You rarely get angry."
"If there hadn't been any bad news from the palace, with your personality, why would you have let me accompany Puzhu?"
Xie Zhiyan raised his eyes, and their worried and clear-headed gaze met in mid-air.
The light inside the carriage was dim, and the carriage was moving very fast, so it was shaking violently.
The light from the lamp on the low table cast flickering shadows in his deep eyes.
Xie Zhiyan was silent for a moment, and finally nodded very lightly.
It seemed like a light movement, but it was like throwing a huge rock into the calm lake.
Although autumn had just begun, the night wind that blew through the gaps in the carriage curtains brought a chill that penetrated deep into the bone marrow, making Princess Shoukang's thin shoulders tremble with cold.
Sheng Puzhu's complexion also did not look good.
She only felt a deeper chill rising from the soles of her feet and instantly spreading to her limbs and bones.
If anything happens to the crown prince, it will shake the foundation of the country, and there will be a huge uproar in the court.
Then there are the complicated relationships between the Xie family, the Sheng family, and the Princess Duanyang Mansion, the Prince Ning Mansion, and the various mansions in Chang'an.
Sheng Puzhu simply couldn't imagine how the century-old Xie family would take each of the next steps in this invisible contest if the position of crown prince remained vacant.
The carriage stopped in front of the palace gate, and eunuchs were already waiting by the side.
"My Lord, I am blessed with good fortune."
"The Saint is staying in the Purple Palace tonight. Please ask the Crown Prince and his wife to accompany me."
The eunuch, hunched over, was startled when he saw the noble lady who was the last to get off the carriage. Then he exclaimed in surprise, "The Princess is here too."
Princess Shoukang nodded with a sullen face, her expression not looking good.
Xie Zhiyan lowered his eyes and stared at Fushun, his expression extremely profound: "How is the prince?"
Fushun's face turned pale. "In reply to the prince, the imperial physician and Master Yundeng are both in the East Palace. I didn't know."
Xie Zhiyan raised his chin and said coldly, "Lead the way forward."
Fushun did not dare to delay and said respectfully, "Yes."
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