The emperor looked at her and asked, "Then what benefits do you see?"
Jian Yang said earnestly, "The food is delicious."
The emperor couldn't help but laugh.
I must say, he has a really handsome smile.
To avoid letting the emperor notice her infatuation, Jian Yang changed the subject, asking, "Your Majesty, have you found out anything about that group of people?"
The emperor said solemnly, "We have made some progress, but we must continue the investigation."
Jian Yang nodded, then tentatively asked, "Those people should have left. Can we go out now?"
The emperor eventually saw her off, adding, "Let's find another inn; this one's already being watched."
Jian Yang nodded frantically.
After leaving the inn, the emperor went straight to the Second Prince's residence.
Zhou Jing'an was practicing boxing in the courtyard at that moment.
Upon hearing that the emperor had arrived, he quickly had his servants bring him a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his face, and stepped forward to greet him.
"Your Majesty, I was unaware of Your Majesty's presence and have failed to greet you properly. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
The emperor smiled and said, "Second brother, there's no need to blame yourself. It was my uninvited visit that disturbed your enjoyment of practicing your skills."
Zhou Jing'an smiled and said, "Not at all, Your Majesty's presence is a great honor for me. It just so happens that a batch of the newest high mountain cloud and mist tea has arrived at my residence today. I would like to invite Your Majesty to taste it together."
The emperor said, "It seems I am indeed fortunate to have such a delicious meal."
The two brothers exchanged pleasantries as they arrived at the front courtyard's flower hall. After Zhou Jing'an guided the emperor to his seat, he finally asked, "May I ask what brings Your Majesty here today?"
The emperor didn't beat around the bush and reached out to the guards behind him: "Take out the item."
The guard immediately took out a palm-sized wooden box from his robes and respectfully handed it to the emperor with both hands.
The emperor took it and then, smiling, handed it to Zhou Jing'an, who was standing to the side.
"Brother, take a look at the contents of this box. Do you recognize them?"
Zhou Jing'an accepted the wooden box with a look of trepidation and then carefully opened the lock on the box.
Inside the wooden box lay several small bronze plaques, all exactly the same shape and size.
Zhou Jing'an picked up a bronze plaque and examined it closely. Finally, he shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I have never seen these plaques before."
The emperor smiled faintly and said, "These are the military tags of the Xishan Army. I thought that since my brother's fiefdom is in the Xishan area, you would recognize them."
These military tags were found on the bodies of the assassins who killed Jian Yang last time. Each tag was engraved with their name and served as a symbol of their identity.
Zhou Jing'an immediately knelt before the emperor in a panic and said, "Your Majesty, please be wise! I have never seen these plaques before, and I would never dare to collude with the Xishan Army. Even if you gave me a hundred lives, I would never dare to betray Your Majesty!"
The emperor stepped forward to help him up: "Brother, don't be afraid. I've come here today not to interrogate you, but simply to obtain some clues from you."
Zhou Jing'an asked blankly, "What clues does Your Majesty wish to obtain?"
The emperor sighed and said, "Since we are brothers, I will not hide it from you, Your Majesty. The Empress is not actually dead."
Zhou Jing'an's eyes widened in surprise: "Really?"
Those who are unaware of the situation will surely be deceived by his sincere acting skills.
The emperor nodded and said, "It is absolutely true, but this is a long story, so I will just tell you the important parts."
Zhou Jing'an said solemnly, "Your Majesty, please speak."
The emperor said, half-jokingly, "At first I also thought the empress had gone away. Later I learned that she was living among the common people, so I sent people to fetch her. But she couldn't get used to living in the palace, and she secretly slipped out while I was in court."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jing'an feigned seriousness and said, "The Empress is truly inappropriate."
The emperor nodded in agreement and said, "I originally thought that if she really didn't want to return to the palace, so be it. She wanted to live a free life, so I would grant her wish. But I never expected that she would be ambushed by a group of people on the way."
Zhou Jing'an looked terrified: "Who is so audacious?"
The emperor pointed to the military tag in the wooden box and said, "This is what we found on those assassins."
Zhou Jing'an asked, "What does His Majesty mean?"
The emperor calmly said, "The Western Mountain Army was under the command of your maternal grandfather. Surely it wouldn't be difficult for you to investigate it?"
Zhou Jing'an immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subject will certainly not fail in your mission."
After exchanging some more perfunctory pleasantries, the emperor returned to the palace.
Zhou Jing'an smiled as he watched him leave the mansion, but the smile on his face immediately vanished.
He stared at the wooden box on the table for a long time, and finally said in a deep voice, "Call Wei Cong here!"
The following day, news of the empress's faked death spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.
Jian Yang didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky, and by then it was almost lunchtime.
After a quick wash, she went downstairs to the lobby for lunch.
Lunch consisted of a few simple home-style dishes. Although they didn't look as appealing as imperial cuisine, they tasted quite good, and Jian Yang enjoyed her meal very much.
As more and more diners arrived in the lobby, they all chatted about the same topic while waiting for their food.
Jian Yang was so engrossed in eating that she didn't pay attention until the man sitting behind her suddenly shouted, "Do you know the reason why Empress Wende faked her death?"
"Cough cough cough..." Jian Yang choked on a mouthful of rice and nearly died.
The others asked, "What is the reason?"
The man shouted, "Because Empress Wende had a secret affair with Xiahou Riyue, the former Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and their love was deeply rooted, she gave up her position as empress and used a clever trick to escape her fate, so that she and Xiahou Riyue could live happily ever after!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Jian Yang tried to stop the man from spouting nonsense, but she was so badly offended that she couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
These palace secrets are very popular with the gossip-loving public, who all want the man to tell them more.
Overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the crowd, the man smugly recounted his so-called inside stories, including many steamy tales, which drew lewd laughter from the diners.
Jian Yang could no longer bear it and turned to go to the counter to pay.
Then, without looking back, he walked out of the inn intending to clear his head.
As she walked, she discovered that everyone on the streets was talking about her faked death, with various versions circulating, each more outlandish than the last.
Suddenly becoming the center of public attention put Jian Yang under immense pressure, and as she walked, she realized she was lost.
Not only did she get lost, she also tragically realized that someone was following her.
In the past, she would have been terrified.
But today she heard a bellyful of filth and slander about herself, and she was just looking for a place to vent her anger.
Jian Yang touched the overflowing toxic powder in her pocket and revealed a wicked smile.
Very well, today, no matter who is following her, she will poison one if one comes, and poison two if two come!
Of course, you can't do it in such a busy area; you might accidentally hurt innocent people.
So Jian Yang deliberately walked towards the sparsely populated alleyway.
As the number of passersby dwindled until they disappeared from sight, the footsteps behind them grew clearer and clearer.
It sounds like there are at least three or four people.
Jian Yang curled her lips into a smile and reached into her purse.
"Miss, miss, wait for me!" Suddenly, a strange man's voice came.
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