Chapter 98
"Then your mother's death... wasn't suicide either?" Qin Sang was greatly surprised. She had imagined so many possibilities, but she never expected this outcome.
No wonder the emperor didn't pursue the matter, no wonder the case was closed so quickly.
“From the day my mother was given to Xie Zhongxu, your emperor, who is known for his benevolence, may have already thought about this day. Important ministers can be relied upon, but they also need to be guarded against. Once the relationship between the emperor and his ministers sours, he only needs to light the fuse he has planted long ago to detonate the person he wants to detonate.”
Qin Sang quickly analyzed the current situation. It was clear that Xie Zhongxu was dissatisfied with the current crown prince, so he and his advisors had shifted the balance of power towards Prince Ning'an... and perhaps even earlier, Prince Su.
But the emperor favors the current crown prince. He has the right to decide his own throne, so how can he tolerate others scheming against or criticizing him?
So he simply took action in advance, clearing obstacles for his son and catching everyone off guard.
"Decisive and ruthless enough," Qin Sang thought to herself.
Then I thought again, so the monster that caused the crisis of the destruction of the Namo Kingdom was the current king of the Namo Kingdom?
No, no, Qin Sang shook her head, dismissing this absurd line of thought.
With so many people around the emperor, even a whisper from any of them could influence the court. The Kingdom of Namo should not be destroyed; therefore, this emperor must continue to rule.
There must be another huge troublemaker lurking beside the old emperor, hiding behind him, stirring up trouble from time to time, causing loyal ministers to be wronged and treacherous officials to rise to power.
Qin Sang suddenly thought of Prince Ning'an.
If the Emperor favors the Crown Prince, wouldn't Prince Ning'an also be in a precarious situation now? Prince Su's fate was far from good…
Judging from the way the emperor handled the Xie Xiang matter, he still values Prince Ning'an. Perhaps he felt guilty for killing a loyal minister and couldn't bear to let the crown prince take drastic measures to exterminate the clan, so he let Prince Ning'an take the fall.
Tsk, I don't understand.
The small boat drifted down to the foot of the mountain, which was neither particularly high nor low. A huge rock rose from the bottom of the water, resembling an elephant's trunk, and connected to the mountain.
The boat stopped under the elephant's trunk. There was a shallow area with exposed large rocks. There was no dock, so you had to wade through the water after disembarking.
Xie Xiao stepped into the shallow water without a care and turned around to reach out to Qin Sang.
Qin Sang didn't move: "Where to?"
Xie Xiao: "A good place."
Qin Sang was skeptical, but followed them off the boat.
After passing the large rocks, there are stone steps that meander through the mountain crevices, hidden by vines and difficult to spot at a glance.
Xie Xiao told Qin Sang to walk in front. She felt the wind coming from deep in the jungle, carrying a coolness and the smell of earth. For a moment, she even smelled the scent of sandalwood.
She took two steps, then suddenly turned around and asked, "So you really are the owner of this island?"
Xie Xiao tilted his head slightly: "Doesn't look like it?"
"When did you build this island? Was it your mother's idea?"
She actually wanted to ask where exactly the island was in Kyoto, but she figured he wouldn't tell her anyway, so she didn't bother.
"Those who live under someone else's roof always want their own space. In this respect, you and I are in the same boat, aren't we?"
"..."
That's right, she also owns houses and shops outside.
But she runs legitimate shops, why would she need such a large setup?
Xie Xiao walked around her and took two steps forward: "Didn't you want to know how your grandfather was implicated? Come with me, I'll tell you everything."
"!"
Unsolicited kindness is either malicious or thieving; why would he be so kind for no reason?
Qin Sang couldn't figure out what he wanted to do, or what he wanted to use her for, or what she could possibly be useful to him.
Surely she wouldn't be taking advantage of her fragile, ethereal, and unrealistic pre-marital relationship with Prince Ning'an?
I've lost my mind.
The stone steps look like they are rarely used. Except for the middle section where you can step, which is still smooth, the sides are covered with moss.
The further in you go, the colder it gets. Qin Sang glanced back and saw that the small awning boat had already drifted towards the center of the lake.
The beautiful scenery on the opposite bank seemed even farther away, and the sounds could no longer be heard.
If things go wrong later, how should we escape?
I wonder how Xie Sui'an is doing. After all these years as uncle and nephew, I hope he won't do anything drastic to him.
She followed silently.
After traversing the winding stone path, the light was dim, and just when Qin Sang thought they had entered the heart of the mountain, the view suddenly opened up ahead.
This is a valley surrounded by mountains, with strange trees and moss growing on the mountain walls.
The flat land in the valley is like a paradise, carefully cultivated.
However, unlike the small bridges and flowing water commonly seen in the royal residences of Kyoto, the vast valley was just a desolate plain covered with fine yellow sand.
Qin Sang was surprised. Where did all this sand come from?
On one of the stone walls, two tall stone doors were abruptly embedded, with intricate carvings and colorful paintings on them... Upon closer inspection, the paintings resembled a giant eagle spreading its wings, with each red feather clearly defined, its claws curled up, grasping a writhing red snake.
"Where is this place?" Qin Sang couldn't help but ask.
But she felt that these patterns must be related to the country he wanted to restore.
Xie Xiao didn't answer her, but stepped forward and pushed the door. The stone door, which was over ten feet high, was slowly pushed open, gradually revealing the glittering, gilded palace inside.
Qin Sang stumbled and followed, her eyes wide as she looked inside.
It is astonishing that in such a secluded place, someone carved a temple into the mountain, conjuring up a distant, bygone dream.
***
This time, Xie Suian adhered to the principle of keeping a low profile and walking cautiously on the main road.
Things are different now. I no longer have my grandfather as a pillar of support, so I can't act recklessly anymore.
Before long, he encountered a group of maids who seemed to be on their way. He silently lagged behind the group and successfully infiltrated their ranks.
It has to be said, this island is truly a lewd island.
Everywhere you look there's beautiful scenery, and there's two ounces of breast meat.
However, if you like this kind of thing, you will definitely get addicted to it and find it hard to extricate yourself.
The women here are like food that can walk on its own, available whenever needed. They can be taken away wherever they happen to pass by a cabin or even a jungle.
Xie Sui'an lowered his head, anxious, wondering where Qin Sang had been taken this time.
Along the way, people were constantly being pulled away, and others were constantly joining in. Xie Sui'an followed along, looking around, hoping to find some clues.
Suddenly, the group climbed up the hill and stopped at the entrance of a courtyard on a flat area.
This is a rare large house on the island, with black-tiled roofs forming a continuous strip, surrounded by a long, low black wall.
The courtyard gate opened, revealing a blinding white expanse, as the courtyard was paved with fine white pebbles, giving it a clean, pure, and Zen-like tranquility.
It was so quiet, yet people were standing everywhere in the courtyard.
Xie Sui'an glanced around and saw that they were all experts, scattered in the four corners where there might be any oversights, forming an impenetrable surveillance of the entire courtyard.
His heart sank. Where was he? What was going on? Could he escape once he went in?
The thought of retreating arose in their minds, but the courtyard gate was already wide open, and several men in black had silently appeared behind their group.
Let's escape.
There is no way out.
Xie Sui'an then pondered, wondering which important figure had arrived, warranting such a grand reception.
Well, it's worth going in and taking a look, since we're already here.
He lowered his head and walked in with the crowd. Everyone clearly felt the silent pressure, and even their breathing became much lighter. With so many people walking, the only sound could be the soft rustling of the gravel being trampled underfoot.
There wasn't even a bird chirping nearby.
He grew increasingly curious, and as he walked, he glanced at the guards scattered around him out of the corner of his eye.
Almost all of them were tall and well-built, high-ranking guards who had undergone professional training. They all wore plain black clothes, making it impossible to tell their origins.
They searched me before I went in, thankfully no one touched my chest, otherwise I would have been exposed immediately.
However, he discovered a familiar embroidered pattern on the sleeve of the guard who was conducting the body search—an eagle.
The Crown Prince's men?
Just as they were beginning to figure out what was going on, the door opened and the girls filed in.
The leading man whispered a reminder: "After you go in with the veil on, don't speak, don't let your eyes wander, and serve her well."
This confirms it completely: if the person speaking isn't a eunuch from the palace, then rip his head off and use it as a football!
Zhao Bing actually came here to relax? Isn't the huge backyard of the Eastern Palace enough for him to play with?
Before he could finish thinking, he followed the procession into the house and looked up to see two familiar faces: one was the Seventh Prince Zhao Song, and the other was Tan Bi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards.
On either side of the main hall stood many middle-aged men, some of whom Xie Sui'an recognized, others he did not; they were all court officials.
The person seated at the very head of the table was none other than the Crown Prince, Zhao Bing.
***
This is a huge palace.
Looking up, the dome is magnificent and colorful;
Looking ahead, atop several steps stands a white jade throne inlaid with gold and jade, with two wings on its back, poised to take flight.
Looking to the left, there is a bathing pool partially obscured by a draped curtain. The pool water looks like a natural hot spring, and white mist floats quietly in this cold and gloomy cave.
Looking to the right, there is a very large domed tent with the tent door open, and you can see that it contains sleeping quarters.
Near the tent was a stone table with a small red clay stove on it, where wine was still warming. Next to it was an exotic vase with flowers that were about to wither, indicating that someone had been here a few days ago.
"Do people live here?" Qin Sang asked.
Xie Xiao walked to the stone table and sat down. He took a sip of the remaining cold wine from the cup on the table. It seemed a little bitter, and his eyes reddened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure: "My mother's residence."
"Aunt Jiang?...Isn't she living in the Prime Minister's residence?"
"Yes, but I often come here for a short stay."
"...No wonder she's often absent when there are matters to attend to at the manor." Qin Sang wondered what Xie Zhongxu's true feelings were for her.
Is it true love?
Or pity?
"So why did you bring me here?" Qin Sang was losing her patience because she was very uneasy and really couldn't figure out what this person was up to.
People always have a purpose when they do things. Between myself and Xie Xiao, we are either enemies or cooperators... If what he said is true, and he is just an old man who wants to restore his country, then he should have someone to cooperate with in the Nanwu Kingdom.
Logically speaking, Xie Zhongxu provided shelter and tolerance for the mother and son, so it would have been more convenient for him to choose to cooperate with Xie Zhongxu.
Naturally, Xie Zhongxu, a high-ranking official, wouldn't help him enrich the country. So, is he the Crown Prince's man?
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