Chapter 25: Whose blood is flowing in Jiang Cichen's body...
In the study of the East Palace, a jade palace lantern smashed to the ground with a "bang" and shattered into countless pieces.
"Brilliant Jiang Cichen! Bravo, Imperial City Administrator!" Beiye Ji swept the memorials off the table, his chest heaving violently. "Who gives him the guts to touch my people?"
The secret guard knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles: "Reporting to Your Highness, Jiang Cichen, holding the Princess's token, has mobilized the Imperial City Bureau, saying that he is ordered to rectify the discipline of the capital..."
"Bullshit!" Beiye Ji kicked over the rosewood desk, and the pens, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk scattered all over the floor.
Anger was flaming in his eyes. "Why didn't you fix it sooner or later, but waited until Jiang Cichen came back? My aunt is truly well-intentioned for this 'adopted son'."
The sound of the bell ringing outside the window indicated that it was already three quarters past midnight.
Beiye Ji suddenly calmed down his anger and said, "Prepare the horses."
Several staff members hurriedly tried to dissuade him, "Your Highness, think again! It's already late at night. If you rashly go to the Princess's residence... it would be against etiquette."
"Rules?" Bei Yeji raised his lips in a mocking tone. "Today, I will teach that woman a lesson. What are the true rules of the Northern Kingdom? Who is the orthodoxy of the Northern Kingdom?"
Outside the Princess's residence, the guards at the gate saw the Crown Prince in person and knelt hurriedly to pay their respects.
Beiye Ji didn't even look at him and walked straight into the inner courtyard.
The inner court guard tried to stop him symbolically, but was unexpectedly kicked away by Bei Yeji: "How many heads do you have? How dare you stop me?"
"Why is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince causing such a commotion in the Princess's residence?" The Princess's personal attendant appeared and glanced at the kneeling guards. "Why didn't you go down and accept your punishment for angering His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
The guards retreated in response.
The female official said, "The Princess is already waiting in the backyard. Your Highness, please follow me."
The two walked through the corridor and came to a courtyard in the middle of the lake.
The moonlight was like water, pouring onto the shimmering lake. Kunyi was leaning on a sandalwood chair admiring the moon. The moonlight sprinkled on her elegant robe, reflecting a faint silver glow.
She was playing with a white jade token in her hand. She didn't turn around when she heard footsteps, but simply said, "The Crown Prince is visiting late at night. This humble residence of mine is honored."
Bei Yeji strode forward and said, "Aunt, you're enjoying the moon late at night, yet you still have the leisure to meddle in the affairs of the Imperial City Division. How could I not know that the Imperial City Division is under the command of the Princess?"
Kunyi slowly raised her eyes, a smile on her lips, but a cold look in her eyes: "Ji'er, you have trespassed into the Princess's residence, and the first thing you say when you get here is to question me. Is this the etiquette of the Eastern Palace?"
Beiye Ji sneered: "When aunt touched my nephew's people, did you ever think about etiquette?"
Kunyi said, "Ji'er, do you know why they were arrested? Selling public property, even if you know about it, is a capital crime. If you don't know about it, I'm afraid your entire family will be implicated. Now, only the brothel has been seized, and you haven't been implicated yet. I advise you to cut your losses in time and don't get yourself involved."
"I didn't come here late at night to listen to your polite words." Beiye Ji gritted his teeth and said, "I want you to release him immediately."
"Don't even think about it. Forming a clique for personal gain is a serious crime!"
"Forming a clique for personal gain? I am the crown prince of the Northern Kingdom. The entire future of the Northern Kingdom belongs to me! My position is the position of the Northern Kingdom!" Bei Yeji's eyes darkened. "Don't think that you can rest easy just because you have the cooperation order from the Emperor and the support of the Empress Dowager."
Kunyi's eyes were full of meaning. "You are the crown prince, but only the crown prince. Your father is still alive, and it is not your turn to decide the fate of the Northern Kingdom."
She slowly stood up, walked in front of Bei Yeji, and lowered her voice: "Besides, do you think that no one knows about your secret activities? I heard that the ministers, represented by Grand Tutor Liu, strongly advised the emperor to appoint the ninth prince as the crown prince."
It's him again!
Ninth Prince——
Beiye Si.
This name was like a sharp blade, piercing Beiye Ji's chest.
He clenched his fists in his sleeves, and the veins on his forehead throbbed fiercely in the candlelight.
Once upon a time, as the legitimate son of the Empress, he was the most beloved prince by his father.
Until the Miao woman appeared and took away all the favors of the queen mother. She gave birth to a prince and took away all his father's love.
That mother and son took away everything that should have belonged to them!
Even so, Beiye Si was still unwilling to give up, and he wanted to surpass himself in every aspect of the study. Even the teacher appointed by his father, Liu Taifu, liked Beiye Si more.
Three years ago, Beiye Si left Beijing to recuperate. Everyone thought that this annoying person would finally disappear in the mist and rain of Jiangnan, but who knew that the broken body would struggle to return to the capital.
It is simply a pipe dream for a sickly man to dream of seizing the throne.
The gauze curtains on all four sides of the pavilion in the center of the lake rustled in the night wind.
Beiye Ji paused, gritted his teeth and said, "Beiye Si and his Miao mother consort both make me sick. I am the only legitimate prince of the Northern Kingdom."
Kunyi raised an eyebrow: "Si'er, like you, is the blood of the emperor. The throne of the Northern Kingdom has always been occupied by the wise."
"Just relying on that sickly fellow who coughs up blood and can't even draw a bow?" Beiye Ji said with disdain, smiling slightly: "But whether it's me or Beiye Si, it's not Jiang Cichen's turn."
Kun Yi said calmly, "This palace and Ci Chen will not participate in the battle for the crown prince."
Bei Yeji said, "Then why do you oppose me at every turn? Your preference for Jiang Cichen has reached such an extent that I, your nephew, have begun to suspect that you are trying to dethrone me and give the crown prince position to Jiang Cichen."
Kunyi shouted, "Prince, be careful with your words!"
"I am cautious with my words, and the eldest princess should be cautious with her actions. Don't forget—" He deliberately dragged out his words: "Jiang Cichen has half of someone's blood flowing in his veins."
Kunyi's face suddenly changed, anger surged in his eyes, he suddenly grabbed the white jade wine glass on the table and smashed it hard at Bei Yeji!
"Shut up!"
The wine glass flew past Bei Yeji's temples and hit the pillar in the courtyard heavily. With a dull "bang", it bounced back and rolled to the ground.
Beiye Ji didn't dodge or avoid it, pretending to suddenly understand and continued: "Oh, how could you forget?"
He stared at Kunyi's face, which was slightly distorted by anger, and said word by word, "Back then, you personally..."
"Get out!" Kun Yi was furious, pointing at Bei Yeji and yelling, "Get out! I order you to get out of the Princess's Mansion right now! Get out! Get out right now!"
Her voice was so sharp that it almost tore through the silence of the courtyard.
The female official in the distance hurried over upon hearing the noise, carefully supported her trembling arms, and whispered soothingly: "Your Highness, calm down..."
Beiye Ji looked at Kunyi's out-of-control appearance with cold eyes, and said slowly: "Auntie 'suddenly fell ill', and your nephew came to visit her. Now it seems that -"
He nodded slightly, his eyes cold and grim: "Your illness is really getting worse."
After saying that, he turned and left.
*
The damp atmosphere of the Ministry of Justice's prison, mixed with the smell of blood, hit me in the face.
"The Taishiyuan raises funds once a year to celebrate the emperor's birthday and invite monks to burn incense during the Lantern Festival. Why did the imperial tribute disappear and end up at the Red Mansion auction?"
The person being interrogated was tied to a wooden frame with iron chains in a cross shape. The blood at the corner of his mouth had dried, but he still managed a sarcastic smile. Apart from that, he did not say a word.
Chen Beizhe lashed the man under investigation with another whip. "During last year's Lantern Festival, the South China Sea pearls and Western Region spices that Taishiyuan 'requested' happened to appear at the Red Mansion auction that month. As far as I know, all the buyers stayed at the Beijing Flower Mansion that night."
The person being interrogated slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of cloudy but sharp eyes.
In the corridor outside the cell, the last oil lamp was about to go out.
He saw clearly that the man was sitting quietly on an elm armchair, his slender fingers lightly resting on the armrest, his knuckles shining like cold jade in the dim light.
The high bridge of the nose casts a long and narrow shadow on the other side, hiding the standard peach blossom eyes in the darkness.
The jailer approached, lantern in hand: "Sir, it's three o'clock."
The halo of light passed through the jade crown that held Jiang Cichen's hair together, and a few strands of scattered hair were illuminated, making her skin look even whiter.
He didn't answer, but just raised his chin slightly.
This action completely exposed his entire face to the candlelight. His sword-like eyebrows reached his temples and his eyes were slightly raised. He should have had a passionate look, but because of the calmness of his eyes like a pool of stagnant water, he looked particularly cold and stern.
The firelight danced in his pupils, but could not illuminate his eyes.
Chen Beizhe handed the whip in his hand to the yamen runner beside him. The sound of the whip breaking through the air rang out again, and the screams of the person being interrogated suddenly echoed in the cell.
Chen Beizhe reported to Jiang Cichen, "They are very clever. The spies they planted are of average appearance and have low ranks in the brothel. The high-ranking officials who come and go often have several prostitutes at once. They move wherever they are needed and don't attract attention. A lot of the news about the brothel probably comes from the brothel."
The sound of shackles dragging on the ground could be heard in the distance; the person being interrogated had fainted.
Jiang Cichen then moved, took out a white handkerchief from his sleeve, and slowly wiped his fingers. The light blue veins on the back of his hand were faintly visible with his movements.
He said calmly, "We'll see you again tomorrow."
Chen Beizhe responded, "Sir, how do we deal with those who are not suspicious?"
"Lock it for two days first."
The night was as dark as ink. Jiang Cichen stepped out of the Ministry of Justice prison and suddenly stopped to ask Chen Beizhe, "Has Chen Nanyuan not returned yet?"
Chen Beizhe said: "Not yet."
Jiang Cichen frowned almost imperceptibly. Chen Nanyuan was sent by him to escort the Chi siblings back home. He should have reported back long ago, but he has not returned yet.
There was a sound of hurried footsteps in the distance, accompanied by heavy breathing.
"Young Master!" Chen Nanyuan ran out from the darkness, his hair on his forehead slightly disheveled and his chest heaving violently, obviously he had been running all the way.
He held Chen Beizhe's shoulders and panted, "I'm back."
Chen Beizhe brushed his hand away calmly.
Chen Nanyuan didn't care and said to Jiang Cichen, "Master, thank you for letting me bring you a message."
"explain."
"Master Xie said Chi Wanwan went to Yanyun Pavilion today to check the list of brothels," Chen Nanyuan tapped his nose, "but I was busy during the day and forgot."
During the day, Yanyun Pavilion received a business request, and the caller asked for a list of prostitutes in the brothel.
Yanyun Pavilion has also been investigating the brothel recently, so the person in charge of the handover was cautious and reported it to his superiors.
Xie Yan took a look and saw that the person coming was actually the eldest daughter of the Chi family.
The fact that a young lady who had never touched the world of housework could actually think of making a deal with Yanyun Pavilion made Xie Yan somewhat believe Jiang Cichen's suspicion.
After further investigation, he found out about an old story in the Chi Mansion.
Jiang Cichen didn't say anything.
Chen Nanyuan immediately sensed danger. Before Jiang Cichen punished him, he decided to finish his story first to mitigate his guilt. "I heard that Chi Wanwan's mother died under strange circumstances. After Chi Wanwan left the Chi Mansion, Feng's family sold off all of Ye's personal maids. She was checking the brothel's list, most likely looking for the sold-out maids."
Meeting Luo Wan in the brothel was indeed beyond Jiang Cichen's expectation. He sent someone to check Zi Wu's background. When he confirmed that she was an ordinary prostitute in the brothel, he breathed a sigh of relief without even realizing it when he confirmed that she had no connection with the princelings.
What was even more unexpected was that she came to the brothel for this kind of thing.
Chen Nanyuan continued to convey, "Master Xie also said that you actually suspected such a brave, tenacious, and intelligent young lady of being the assassin who killed Shen Zhiyan!"
Jiang Cichen got up and walked away.
"Oh, yes, yes, Miss Chi also asked me to deliver a message."
After walking a few more steps, Jiang Cichen stopped and looked back at Chen Nanyuan.
Chen Nanyuan originally thought Jiang Cichen didn't want to listen, but when he saw the figure stop, he immediately followed: "She told you to get the person ready and she would come to pick him up."
Jiang Cichen recalled the scene when Luo Wan left the brothel. The brave, tough, smart and clever young lady that Xie Yan had described was very angry at him.
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Author has something to say: Jiang Cichen: Waiting for my wife to bring someone back
[1] The twin brother Chen Beizhe (career protection officer) is responsible for business matters, and the twin brother Chen Nanyuan (love protection officer) is responsible for idle matters. [狗头][狗头][狗头]
【2】I read the part describing Ah Chen’s divine face several times (it’s really well written) hehe~ (@^_*@) [dog’s head holding a rose][dog’s head holding a rose][dog’s head holding a rose]
【3】This article is expected to have 400,000 words. The next one is "The Little Junior Sister Has Five Elements of Morality". My dear friends, please click and collect it with your lucky hands~ QwQ [Please][Please][Please]
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