Prime Minister Jian replied tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I do not know."
The emperor turned around and said in a deep voice, "I went to the imperial mausoleum to visit the empress."
Prime Minister Jian immediately squeezed out two tears: "To receive such sincere treatment from the Emperor, the Empress can surely rest in peace in the afterlife."
The emperor shook his head and said, "No, I failed to protect the empress when she was alive, and now I have failed to protect her mausoleum. I feel ashamed!"
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Jian's pupils constricted sharply, and he knew that his plan had been exposed.
But being a seasoned shrew, he immediately composed himself and asked in surprise, "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"
The emperor looked directly into his eyes and said, "The empress's tomb was robbed, and all the burial objects were found, but the empress's remains are nowhere to be found."
Is this really true?
"Absolutely true."
"My daughter!" Prime Minister Jian slumped to the ground and wailed, "Why is your life so miserable!"
Seeing this, Eunuch Zhang twitched his eye.
When he came to deliver the message last time, Prime Minister Jian's behavior was exactly the same as it was now.
The emperor also frowned.
Could his guess be wrong, and the theft of the Empress's remains really had nothing to do with Prime Minister Jian?
He stepped forward and personally helped Prime Minister Jian up, saying sincerely, "My dear minister, do not be sad. I have already issued an order to find the thief and the Empress."
Prime Minister Jian gripped the emperor's hand tightly and said sadly, "Your Majesty, I believe in you."
At this point, Prime Minister Jian was finally certain that the emperor had not truly suspected him, and he could finally relax.
The emperor remained silent until he returned to the palace.
Until the secret guards he sent out returned to report.
"After I left, did Prime Minister Jian show any unusual behavior?"
The guard shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, after you left, Prime Minister Jian went back to his room and slept with his concubine."
The emperor gave a bitter smile: "My beloved minister is quite a heartless person."
His daughter had just died and her remains had been stolen, yet he still had the leisure to sleep with his concubine.
For a moment, the emperor did not know whether to feel sorry for Jian Yang or angry at Prime Minister Jian's cold-bloodedness.
Suddenly, a thought flashed into his mind, and he froze on the spot.
"Yongfu," the emperor said, looking at Eunuch Zhang beside him, his expression somewhat agitated, "do you think the Empress might still be alive?"
Based on his understanding of Prime Minister Jian, he would never be so cold-blooded.
The fact that she could sleep peacefully after learning that her daughter's body had been stolen while it was still warm suggests that Jian Yang is still alive.
Eunuch Zhang glanced at the emperor with pity, a bitter feeling welling up inside him.
The Empress's body was stiff, and her body lay in state in the palace for three days. Even a celestial being might not have been able to revive her.
But the emperor was so saddened that he fell into self-deception.
He couldn't bear to shatter his illusions, so he said softly, "Your Majesty, you've been traveling all night. Please get some sleep."
The emperor, however, was very excited, and a rare radiance appeared on his face.
"Send the order: search the entire country for the Empress. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find her!"
He was unwilling to give up even if there was only the slightest hope.
With this belief, the emperor miraculously regained his spirits.
Jian Yang has gradually recovered her strength during these days of rest, and unless she coughs violently, she will not experience pain from her wound.
In addition, her father and Xiahou Riyue fed her tonics every day as if they were free, and her health improved day by day.
"I'll be going back to Jiangnan at the end of the month."
One day at lunchtime, Xiahou Riyue suddenly spoke out of the blue.
Jian Yang was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was talking to her.
“That’s good,” Jian Yang nodded. “Then I’ll set off with Lord Xiahou.”
Xiahou Riyue's eyes immediately lit up.
"Does A-Yang mean she wants to return to Jiangnan with me?"
"Huh?" Jian Yang shook his head. "No, I just wanted to hitch a ride. Once we're out of the capital, we'll each go our own way."
Xiahou Riyue's eyes dimmed again, and he asked gently, "So what are A-Yang's plans next?"
Jian Yang thought for a moment, then suddenly sighed heavily and said, "What a pity!"
Xiahou Riyue, somewhat confused, asked, "What's a pity?"
Jian Yang said indignantly, "It's a pity that I didn't bring out a single piece of the gold and silver jewelry I accumulated in the harem over the past two years."
Jewelry and ornaments are one thing, but those several thousand taels of silver notes are painful to even think about.
Otherwise, she could buy a farm or land in the future and become a simple and unpretentious landlady.
It seems like there's no hope now.
Xiahou Riyue choked.
Jian Yang waved his hand again and said, "Forget it, even in a famine, a skilled craftsman won't starve. I have all the skills I need, so I won't starve."
“Ah Yang is quite open-minded.”
"Thank you for the compliment."
She had made up her mind. The worst that could happen was that she would go to the Northern Border to find her brother. She believed that Jian Hong would never abandon her.
Before we knew it, it was the end of the month.
The emperor's secret guards and soldiers all returned empty-handed.
Both Eunuch Zhang and Zhao Ziyi wanted to persuade the emperor to give up, but they couldn't bear to.
But as the emperor's closest confidants, they couldn't bear to watch him become so engrossed in his fantasies. After discussing it, they decided that they had to persuade the emperor to face reality no matter what.
Before they could even open their mouths, the emperor ordered, "I must have gone in the wrong direction. The empress must still be in the capital. Ziyi, send men to find her immediately!"
Zhao Ziyi: "..."
Eunuch Zhang stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty..."
Zhao Ziyi interrupted him, saying, "Your subordinate obeys the order!"
Zhang Gonggong looked at him with a puzzled expression.
After the emperor left, Zhao Ziyi sighed and said, "Let's just say that the emperor's wish has been fulfilled. After this, he should have come to his senses."
"Commander Zhao's words make sense."
Just then, Jian Yang had just woken up from her afternoon nap and was stretching when she saw Granny Jin carrying in the medicine she had prepared.
Jian Yang had become numb from taking medicine these days. After thanking him, she picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
Granny Jin quickly put a candied fruit in her mouth.
After suppressing her bitterness, Jian Yang asked as usual, "Granny Jin, was there anything interesting happening outside today?"
Granny Jin goes out to buy things every day, and she will come back and tell her about anything interesting that happens, just to keep her entertained.
Upon hearing Jian Yang's question, Granny Jin smiled and said, "Today, many more guards suddenly appeared in the capital city, searching house to house with portraits to find out who it was. This old servant took a peek from afar, and it seems to be a woman in the portrait."
Jian Yang: "???"
Could they be searching for her?
"Will they find our way here?" she asked anxiously.
Granny Jin shook her head and said, "Madam, please rest assured. This is an official's residence. The guards generally don't dare to enter without permission."
Jian Yang was finally relieved, but at the same time she was extremely curious about who the guards were searching for.
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