"I want to see who is so audacious as to plant spies around me." With that, Zhou Jingzhi went to Fuxi Palace.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived," the nanny whispered a reminder.
The Empress Dowager looked up and saw Zhou Jingzhi walking over with a gloomy expression, and she was a little puzzled.
"Why has Your Majesty come?" the Empress Dowager asked.
Since the last argument between the two over Jian Yang's return to the palace, Zhou Jingzhi had not paid his respects to her for several days, and the Empress Dowager was well aware of the reason.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty." Zhou Jingzhi bowed and sat down.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager dismissed everyone in the hall before asking, "Your Majesty, you've come to see me at this hour, surely not just to pay your respects?"
Zhou Jingzhi smiled knowingly and went straight to the point: "I have a question. Why did Mother Empress come to the Imperial Study in such a rage that day?"
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment and said, "That day, I overheard a young eunuch chatting with someone. He said he saw General Jian take an attendant to the Imperial Study and then leave alone. The attendant looked thin and didn't seem like a man..."
At this point, the Empress Dowager suddenly realized something. How could it be such a coincidence that she overheard these words? You must know that criticizing nobles in the palace is punishable.
The Empress Dowager suddenly raised her eyes: "Could it be that someone close to me...?"
Zhou Jingzhi nodded upon hearing this. It seemed that the Empress Dowager had indeed been used.
"Mother, think back, is there anyone suspicious around you? Have you seen that little eunuch before?" Zhou Jingzhi asked.
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered that the young eunuch was the one who had reminded her that the Emperor had left the palace that night, and she was startled.
"My son, do you still remember that night when I went to your palace to look for you? It was that little eunuch who brought me the message."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingzhi sneered. He was quite curious about who was behind this little eunuch.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence, Jian Yang felt somewhat depressed.
She used to see Zhou Jingzhi every day, but she hasn't seen him since the day she returned from the palace.
At night, Jian Yang would deliberately open the window, but Zhou Jingqian never came. Could it be that he stopped coming because of those rumors? If he wasn't coming, he should at least send someone to deliver a message, Jian Yang thought.
Even after Jian Hong learned about that incident, he no longer agreed to bring her into the palace.
She wasn't someone who could hold back her emotions, and Jian Yang really wanted to know why Zhou Jingzhi was suddenly so cold towards her.
Jian Hong was planning to take Jian Yang out for a stroll today, but she looked sullen.
"What's wrong with A-Yang? Are you still worried about those rumors circulating among the people?" Jian Hong asked.
Jian Yang shook her head, still looking listless.
Jian Hong added, "It seems the Emperor has already taken action. When my brother went out today, no one on the street was discussing this matter anymore. It is said that the government has arrested quite a few people."
"If that's the case, then why doesn't he come looking for me?" Jian Yang felt increasingly uneasy.
According to Jian Hong, Zhou Jingzhi had taken care of everything, but he did not come to see him. Could it be that he was really persuaded by the Empress Dowager to give up on him?
A daughter-in-law really can't win against her mother-in-law!
Upon hearing this, Jian Hong frowned and asked, "Did the Emperor and you exchange any letters?"
Jian Yang shook her head and said through gritted teeth, "No."
Jian Hong was furious. If it were just that Zhou Jingzhi didn't come to the Prime Minister's residence, he would have agreed with Zhou Jingzhi's actions. But now he didn't even write a letter to his own sister, which was going too far.
"What does Your Majesty mean by this?! Ah Yang, don't worry, your brother will go to the palace right away." With that, Jian Hong left in a hurry.
Jian Yang stood there, stunned. She actually wanted to stop Jian Hong from going to find Zhou Jingzhi, but her brother left too quickly and she didn't have time to call him back.
Jian Yang sighed and continued to fiddle with the flower in front of her. She had been ravaging the flower all morning, and now its leaves were almost all gone.
Zhou Jingzhi had just returned from Fuxi Palace. After inquiring, he discovered that the eunuch who had tipped him off was not from the Empress Dowager's palace. He had searched all over the place but couldn't find him.
"Eunuch Zhang, go and check the identity of that little eunuch to see if it matches the information sent to the palace. Also, take a few guards and search the palace to find out where he is. Once you find him, don't alert him."
"Yes, this servant understands," Zhang Gonggong replied, bowing.
After leaving the house, Eunuch Zhang almost bumped into the aggressive Jian Hong. He apologized and quickly left. Jian Hong felt a little strange, as he rarely saw Eunuch Zhang in such a hurry.
Without a second thought, Jian Hong entered the Imperial Study and saw Zhou Jingzhi sitting there nonchalantly, which made him furious.
"What brings General Jian here?" Zhou Jingzhi asked, somewhat puzzled, seeing the anger on his face.
"Your Majesty, what is your true attitude towards A-Yang? Why haven't you seen her these past few days? Are you just toying with her feelings?" Jian Hong forcibly suppressed his dissatisfaction.
If the other party weren't the emperor, he would have already taken action. He simply couldn't tolerate this man repeatedly hurting his precious younger sister's feelings.
Hearing Jian Hong say this, Zhou Jingzhi frowned, narrowed his eyes and looked at Jian Hong, saying, "How could I possibly toy with A Yang's feelings?"
That day outside the door, he heard Jian Yang say whether she shouldn't have come back. Zhou Jingzhi also began to reconsider the matter, wondering if he shouldn't have forced Jian Yang to stay by his side.
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately. If A-Yang can’t adapt to life in the capital, I will send her away,” Zhou Jingzhi said with a touch of melancholy.
Now it was Jian Hong's turn to be puzzled: "Your Majesty has planned for so long, are you going to give up now?"
Zhou Jingzhi shook his head. He didn't want to give up; he just wanted to give Jian Yang the life she wanted. If she was unhappy living in the capital, why force her to stay?
“If A-Yang wishes to leave, I will send her away,” Zhou Jingzhi said.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence, Jian Yang had been waiting for Jian Hong to return.
Jian Hong relayed Zhou Jingzhi's words to Jian Yang without missing a single one, and then asked, "A-Yang, do you want to leave now?"
Jian Yang fell silent. She never imagined that, even after things had come to this point, Zhou Jingzhi would want her to leave.
Last time, because of those rumors, she remembered some unpleasant things and said those things casually.
Heaven is my witness, she really just said it offhand. If she hadn't been determined to be with Zhou Jingzhi, she would have run away long ago.
Seeing her like this, Jian Hong sighed and left without saying anything.
When it comes to matters of the heart, only they can resolve them themselves; as their older brother, he feels powerless to help.
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