Chapter 105 Chaos
Liu Fu spoke with great relish, while Zhuang Dongqing listened with great unease.
If we hadn't run into each other last night, it wouldn't have been a problem, but now that we have... it feels like we're listening to a made-up story.
Unfortunately, Liu Fu only knows about the basic outline, and he knows nothing about the specific details.
for example,
Zhuang Dongqing: "Why would the Fourth Prince go to find the Third Prince before dawn?"
Liu Fu: "Go kill him?"
"..."
Very good, this is a typical archery target drawing exercise, where the result is used to deduce the cause.
Zhuang Dongqing coughed lightly, "What do you mean, 'The servant pushed open the door to bring tea, and the Third Prince collapsed in a pool of blood'?" Her guilty gaze shifted an inch to the side, then quickly returned, "What about earlier? When the two of them met, wasn't anything unusual?"
As soon as the question was asked, Zhuang Dongqing realized the misunderstanding in the statement.
This is a typical assumption that Li Zhuo was alive when the Fourth Prince Li Ren entered the house.
Of course, theoretically, this should be the procedure for receiving guests: the servants would lead the person in, receive the Third Prince's instructions to go and make tea, and then return to find the Third Prince dead, with the Fourth Prince present.
Zhuang Dongqing suddenly realized that this rumor was quite intriguing.
Not a single piece of information that shouldn't have been revealed was disclosed; only fragments were leaked. After hearing these, people would instinctively fill in the gaps in the story according to common sense. But... knowing who did it, Zhuang Dongqing knew that there must be more to it than what was said on the surface.
But how exactly it was done, only Cen Yan could answer.
Liu Fu also fell into the trap: "Of course. If the servants don't invite the Fourth Prince in and get his orders, how will they know what tea to brew? Let alone the prince's residence, even in a royal mansion, you need your master's instructions to entertain someone. There are so many good teas in each season. Who knows what your master might want to serve when he's in a good mood?"
Liu Fu's perspective is that of a servant, and logically, this is indeed how things should have progressed.
Unfortunately, at that time, there should have been no logic whatsoever...
Zhuang Dongqing lowered his eyes.
"Then... how did Eunuch Feng know that?"
Liu Fu still assumed and said, "It must have caused a commotion, and someone went to report it. In the whole of Hangzhou, if something like this happens, the only person you can turn to is Eunuch Feng."
Knowing that Liu Fu only knew rumors, Zhuang Dongqing didn't ask any further questions.
He yawned.
Yesterday I thought it was a big deal, but today... I touched my empty belly and said, "Liufu, I'm hungry."
Of all things, eating is the most important.
Forget about princes and eunuchs for now.
Zhuang Dongqing licked her lips, finally becoming interested, "Did Uncle Zhu say what to do today?"
After he stopped taking the medication, he no longer had to watch his diet, and the small kitchen started cooking different dishes every day, which were delicious.
The thought made her feel even hungrier, and Zhuang Dongqing could no longer sit on the bed, so she quickly got up to eat.
*
Cen Yan did not return for lunch; instead, Eunuch Feng summoned him to the Third Prince's residence to handle the aftermath.
Zhuang Dongqing found this rather subtle.
Logically speaking, after something like this happened, Eunuch Feng certainly shouldn't have sought help from Li Yang, but instead from the experienced Cen Yan... Even if there were any clues at the scene, wouldn't they have been immediately dealt with by the people from the Prince's Mansion?
Thinking this way, the last trace of worry in my heart was relieved, and with this news, I ate two large bowls of rice at noon.
After eating his fill, he lay back on the recliner, clutching his belly. Beside him was his little one, doing the same thing. The father and son, one big and one small, were enjoying the cool shade under the tree.
"Hiccup~ Daddy, An'an ate too much." The little one said in distress.
Zhuang Dongqing said lazily, "Dad ate too much."
The little brat rolled over and sat up: "Shall we take a walk?"
Zhuang Dongqing politely declined, saying, "No, let my body digest it slowly. It's noon, not evening, so I won't have indigestion."
The little one, who had gotten up wanting to move around, lost his sparkle and obediently lay back down, humming "Okay~".
Zhuang Dongqing has played hide-and-seek with him too many times lately, and the pampered little brat is very self-aware.
Soon, the breathing around me became even.
Cen An'an was sleepy and dozed off.
Kids are like that; they fall asleep whenever they want.
Even in the sweltering heat of midsummer, Zhuang Dongqing wasn't worried about Cen An'an catching a cold. She glanced at him and saw that the little boy's eyebrows were relaxed. Upon closer inspection, one could even discern the contours of his features and those of Cen Yan on his small face. Zhuang Dongqing's lips curved into a smile.
Before long, accompanied by the rustling of leaves and the noisy chirping of cicadas, Zhuang Dongqing closed her eyes.
When I woke up, I saw Cen Yan.
Zhuang Dongqing asked in confusion, "What time is it? Haven't you eaten yet?"
Rubbing her eyes, she remembered, but Cen Yan pressed her back down, saying, "Go to sleep if you want to. You just got back, and you're going to leave again after a meal."
"It's okay, I've had enough sleep. You didn't wake me up."
Having said that, Cen Yan stopped pressuring Zhuang Dongqing. Cen Yan was quick, while Zhuang Dongqing was as slow as ever. When she was fully awake, she turned her head and saw the little brat sleeping soundly with his head spread wide open, not getting any sun. Zhuang Dongqing didn't care. After thinking for a moment, she asked meaningfully, "Eunuch Feng called you over. Can you still handle it?"
Cen Yan replied well, "Whatever the Prince's Mansion needs to handle, it will handle properly, don't worry."
Zhuang Dongqing nodded.
When the hot dishes were served, Zhuang Dongqing ate a couple more bites of the fresh food using Cen Yan's chopsticks. Just as Cen Yan was about to leave, the little one woke up. Zhuang Dongqing only asked Cen An to say goodbye to Cen Yan.
The chubby baby, still half asleep, hugged Cen Yan's neck and gave his dad a big kiss, saying indistinctly, "Daddy, hurry up and get busy. An'an and Daddy will be waiting for you tonight for dinner."
Cen Yan patted the boy's head, not minding the drool on his face, and said gently, "Okay."
"Then An'an should stay home and keep her father company."
Cen An'an shouted, "Okay!"
They said they would come back, but after all, it was a prince who died, and there were too many things to deal with, so in the end they couldn't come back.
Seeing that the little brat was sullen, Zhuang Dongqing asked An'an to choose the dishes and pack them for Cen Yan. After they had eaten their fill, the carriage was secured, and they drove to Li Zhuo's residence, where Zhuang Dongqing asked Cen An'an to deliver the food box to Cen Yan.
Liu Qi left with An An and the food box. After a while, Cen Yan returned as well.
Knowing that Zhuang Dongqing must have come, Cen Yan specially carried the food box back to the carriage to eat.
They certainly look extremely busy.
After watching him finish eating, Zhuang Dongqing only let An'an say a few words before taking the child back to the mansion.
Cen Yan was busy until midnight before he finally returned home.
By the time the two of them were able to have a proper conversation, it was already time for them to wash up in the bathroom.
Zhuang Dongqing: "Did you already have this planned?"
"What?"
"We need to make the Fourth Prince..." take the blame.
Cen Yan smiled. "Want to hear the truth?"
"you say."
"No, that's really not the case."
As Cen Yan had said, the original plan was simply to suppress the matter of the Eighth Prince and then reveal it after Emperor Shengwu had taken the new pill, thus creating a time gap to achieve his goal.
Having lived in the capital for many years, Cen Yan never formed a faction with the princes.
But right now, his wish is the same as theirs: that Emperor Shengwu be given a definitive judgment in the history books as soon as possible.
Cen Yan had had enough of this kind of life.
The salt inspection was about to end, and if they returned to the capital, Emperor Shengwu was still trying to keep Cen An... This was not a situation that Cen Yan could accept.
But it's clear that this is something only an old, senile person could do.
Rather than trying to find a solution later, it's better to nip this possibility in the bud.
Emperor Shengwu is old, and people should accept the fact that they are getting old.
Cen Yan: "At first, I just wanted to make Li Zhuo anxious and let him experience the torment."
If he hadn't used Zhuang Dongqing to threaten him...
"It was he who dismissed all his servants to invite me and threatened me, which led to this situation."
"It was only after I had the intention to kill that I thought of it."
Zhuang Dongqing: "What's the story with that servant who served the tea?"
"That's simple. His secret guards and spies are mostly controlled with drugs. He beats and scolds his servants and concubines at the drop of a hat. When he went to the capital, there were quite a few who were carried out of the mansions horizontally. As long as you pay attention, you can always find those who harbor resentment."
Zhuang Dongqing hesitated, "That person is also...?"
Cen Yan: "Yes, Li Zhuo is unpredictable in private and doesn't know his own strength. This person lost sight in one eye after being hit, but he is clever. Li Zhuo kept him in the outer courtyard."
I learned this from that bodyguard.
Zhuang Dongqing was silent for a moment, then said only: "Those who do many unrighteous deeds will surely perish."
Cen Yan: "That's a good point; it's very fitting to say that about him."
"Why did the Fourth Prince run away?"
Cen Yan got up, and when Zhuang Dongqing got him his clothes, he asked in confusion.
Cen Yan: "Because we have different perspectives on the issue."
He smiled at Zhuang Dongqing: "Do you think that since he didn't do it, running away will make it impossible to explain yourself?"
Zhuang Dongqing nodded and handed the clean clothes to Cen Yan.
As Cen Yan put on his clothes, he said, "Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't have run away."
Unfortunately, this is precisely the crucial moment.
Emperor Shengwu took the new elixir.
Every single one of these princes knew that he was no good. Even if they didn't have the same precise control over Emperor Shengwu's remaining days as the Eighth Prince, they could still sense something was amiss when they saw Emperor Shengwu's long-ailing body suddenly become strong.
"Staying here, surrendering, and being investigated—it would be best if the truth could be uncovered."
"What I fear most is that the investigation will not be completed, or that it will take too long. With time, things can go wrong, and unexpected changes may occur along the way."
Zhuang Dongqing didn't understand: "What change?"
Cen Yan leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "What if—just what if—His Majesty passes away during this time? What will happen to him? Or rather, what should he do then?"
Zhuang Dongqing's pupils contracted.
“If anything happens to His Majesty during the investigation, he will certainly not be the one to succeed to the throne, thus eliminating any possibility of him ascending to the throne.”
"Secondly, it also has to do with the things he asked me to bring up."
Zhuang Dongqing: "What is that?"
Cen Yan: "Evidence of forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. In recent years, His Majesty's control over the court has declined. In fact, many military officers in the capital have naturally sided with the Fourth Prince. However, their connections are very secretive. His Majesty has investigated several times, but either due to his own health or the incompetence of the investigators, all investigations have come to nothing."
“I have some evidence on hand. I’ll pretend that the third brother discovered it. Coupled with the matter of the private soldiers, they naturally have a common enemy. If I have the secret guards invite him, he will naturally go…”
"With this document, whether the Third Prince was killed by him or not, he will not be well regarded in His Majesty's eyes, so naturally he is afraid."
Not to mention, with this thing, and the third prince dead, how will Emperor Shengwu view him?
"Finally, he could also have thought of this. The ancestral worship ceremony was over, and the Eighth Prince was about to return to the capital. If he were to surrender without resistance at this time, he would be like a fish on a chopping board. The Eighth Prince would find a way to confirm that he had killed his brother."
Cen Yan concluded:
"He wasn't unaware that staying might allow him to find out the truth."
"He just didn't dare to gamble, so he chose another path."
Zhuang Dongqing's heart skipped a beat. "What road?"
Cen Yan didn't answer him directly, only saying, "Most of the military generals in the capital have joined his ranks. His Majesty is also nearing the end of his life. If he is investigated, these generals will definitely be purged. It's better to take a gamble..."
Zhuang Dongqing understood.
"he……"
Cen Yan finished dressing and put his arm around Zhuang Dongqing, saying, "Let's go back to the room first."
"oh."
Once on the bed and lying down, Cen Yancai spoke again, confirming, "Yes, things are going to get messy."
Zhuang Dongqing hesitated, "Then..."
"It's alright, we're in Jiangnan, let them fight it out first."
Cen Yan: "I have gathered all the soldiers at my disposal. Protecting the Prince's mansion is not a problem."
Zhuang Dongqing said in a flustered manner, "I don't understand politics..."
Cen Yan interrupted him, "It's okay, you don't need to know, just leave it to me."
Zhuang Dongqing paused, then said, "You're right."
Whether he understands or not, or how much he understands, is not important; as long as Cen Yan knows it, that's enough.
With a sense of relief, Zhuang Dongqing relaxed again, then asked curiously, "Did you take action only because Li Zhuo threatened you?"
Having been together for nearly three years, Zhuang Dongqing knew Cen Yan well, even though he was unfamiliar with politics.
Cen Yan: "The idea came about because of this, but the reason I actually did it was partly because this matter could be used for other purposes."
"As for the results, I can't say for sure. We'll know in a few days."
Zhuang Dongqing felt it suited Cen Yan's personality and nodded, "Pretty much."
"What?"
Zhuang Dongqing was a little sleepy and murmured, "This is more in line with your style."
They don't act purely on emotion.
Cen Yan chuckled and whispered, "You know me so well, Qingqing?"
"Yes, I know."
Spending time together day and night, Zhuang Dongqing gained more confidence.
Now I am no longer afraid of Cen Yan at all.
Cen Yan went to kiss Zhuang Dongqing, whose eyes were completely closed. Like countless other nights, the two slept in each other's arms.
*
A few days later, news of Eunuch Feng reached the capital, and Emperor Shengwu was furious.
He overturned the table and was raging when he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsed, and fell unconscious.
The imperial physician diagnosed that Emperor Shengwu was old and was overwhelmed by fear upon hearing the bad news.
The news reached Jiangnan that very night.
When Cen Yan learned of this, a relieved smile finally appeared on his face.
A few days later, the fourth prince, with the support of a group of military generals, rebelled.
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