In the afternoon, the princess led everyone back to the palace.
Princess Huyang's mansion was surrounded, and the Chen family was investigated. Concubine Shu also refused to let Princess Huyang stay in the palace, fearing that she would anger the emperor.
Princess Huyang had nowhere to go for a while.
In desperation, Princess Huyang and her two children had to settle down in the palace.
Pei placed them in the guest house separately and asked the servants to take good care of them and not let Princess Huyang leave the house at will.
If you want to leave the house, you need her consent.
Everyone returned, except Prince Ning and Liu Zhao.
Gu Jiu arrived at Chunhe Hall and asked directly, "Where have the prince and the young master gone? Why haven't they returned?"
Princess Pei had a sullen face and said nothing.
Xiao Qin'er looked around and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. The eldest son has been left in the palace. His Majesty has something to ask."
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow, "What about the prince? Does His Majesty have something to ask?"
Xiao Qin'er nodded repeatedly, "Of course."
However, Gu Jiu did not accept this ambiguous statement.
She simply asked Pei, "Excuse me, mother, what exactly happened? At this point, the prince and the young master are both detained in the palace. Please tell me the truth, mother."
Pei's face was stern. "Didn't your fourth sister-in-law just say that His Majesty had something to inquire about, so he kept them in the palace?"
Gu Jiu lowered his head and sneered, "In fact, everyone knows that things are not that simple. Something serious must have happened for the prince and the young master to be kept in the palace. Could it be that the prince consort's tomb robbery is related to the prince's palace?"
"Of course not."
Pei flatly denied it, but she realized everyone was paying attention to her. To be more precise, they were paying attention to her answer.
No one is stupid, and everyone has a clear account in their hearts. Whitewashing the situation will not soothe the panicked hearts of the people.
Pei was furious.
But she couldn't say she knew nothing. That would make her, as a princess, appear incompetent.
She pondered for a moment before saying, "The prince consort's tomb robbery is a serious matter. The prince and the eldest son were kept in the palace to investigate this matter. In short, don't let your imagination run wild. The prince and the eldest son will be able to return home safely soon."
It was only at this moment that Gu Jiu brought up another matter, "Before my mother returned home, the Jinwu Guards came and confiscated the Wenshuyuan."
"What? Such a big thing, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Pei was anxious to death.
Gu Ji looked innocent. "My daughter-in-law didn't know why the Jinwu Guards came to our house, and she thought that mother knew. Could it be that mother didn't know why the Jinwu Guards came to our house either?"
"How would this princess know? The Jinwu Guards are acting under the Emperor's orders. Only His Majesty knows the truth about this matter."
Pei was both angry and anxious. She knew very well that the prince and Liu Zhao must be hiding something from her.
She gritted her teeth and decided that since the prince and Liu Zhao were not in the mansion, she would go and ask Princess Huyang.
That bitch Huyang must know what happened.
Pei immediately sent everyone away, and then ordered her servants to invite Princess Huyang.
When Gu Jiu walked out of Chunhe Hall, she was sure that Pei Shi did not know about Princess Huyang's private minting of coins.
Soon, this sister-in-law and the aunt will fight for three hundred rounds. After Pei knows the truth, she will definitely scratch Princess Huyang's face.
Gu Jiu returned to the East Courtyard and began to think about the case of Prince Consort Chen.
It is certain that Liu Zhao’s life is not in danger.
At most you'll suffer some physical pain.
But when will Liu Zhao be able to leave the palace?
What does it mean that Your Majesty canceled the New Year's Day worship?
Just as he was daydreaming, a servant reported that someone was visiting the Gu Mansion.
When Gu Jiu heard this, he knew that the Gu Mansion must have heard that something happened in the Wang Mansion and was very worried, so they sent someone over to inquire about the situation.
She said to the servants, "Quickly invite the people from the Gu Mansion to the flower hall."
The East Courtyard is extremely large, with courtyards within courtyards. When the doors are closed, it becomes an independent mansion.
The people from the Gu Mansion were invited to the flower hall in the east courtyard.
Gu Jiu cheered up and went to the flower hall.
"Brother, Sixth Brother, Cousin Su, why is it you?"
She thought the person sent by the Gu Mansion was the housekeeper Gu Quan. Unexpectedly, it was her two brothers and cousin Su who came.
Gu Ting rushed to Gu Jiu and said, "Sister, are you okay? I heard this morning that something happened in the palace and it affected the palace. I was so worried.
My father wanted to send someone over to check on him, so I volunteered. He was worried I might act rashly, so he asked my sixth brother to come along. Unexpectedly, I ran into my cousin Su the moment I left the house, and you see, the three of us came together.
Gu Jiu's eyebrows curved and his heart felt warm.
She asked the three of them to sit down and the servants served them fragrant tea.
Then she said, "I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm fine, and the palace is fine too. The situation is more serious with Princess Huyang's palace and the Chen family."
Gu Cheng asked, "Is the palace really alright? When we entered, we heard the servants saying that the prince and Gongzi Zhao were still in the palace."
When Gu Jiu faced his mother's family, he naturally reported good news but not bad news.
Some things she should handle alone.
She followed Pei's instructions and said, "The reason why the prince and the young master haven't returned yet is because His Majesty has kept them here to inquire about something."
Su Zheng was very perceptive. "Could it be that the affair between Princess Huyang's residence and the Chen family has implicated the royal residence?"
Gu Jiu looked towards Su Zheng and asked, "What rumors did cousin Su hear in the market?"
Su Zheng shook his head. "The news hasn't spread to the streets yet, so there are very few rumors. But my second uncle knows several officials, and they all say that the Chen family is finished this time. They also say that the Chen family case is likely to implicate the royal palace. Madam, do you know that the Prince of Zhao, the Prince of Yan, and others have not left the palace and are still staying there?"
Gu Jiu was surprised, "Is this true?"
Why haven’t I heard Princess Pei mention this before?
Gu Jiu looked towards Nanny Fang.
Nanny Fang shook her head slightly. Deng Cunli and Song Zheng had not returned yet and were still outside inquiring about the news.
Su Zheng said, "This is absolutely true. I think the reason why the prince and Gongzi Zhao were kept in the palace was not necessarily because of the case between Princess Huyang's mansion and the Chen family. Perhaps it was because of something else."
Gu Jiu frowned.
Could it be that something happened in the palace after she left last night?
"Thank you, cousin Su, for telling me this. I understand."
Su Zheng was extremely worried, "Will it implicate the palace?"
Gu Jiu shook his head slightly, "Not sure yet."
Princess Pei knew very little, and it would be a waste of effort to expect to get any information from her.
She said to Su Zheng, "I've already sent someone out, and I believe there will be accurate news back soon. But don't worry, the palace will be safe at best."
Gu Ting was anxious, "Sister, you are not here to comfort us, are you?"
Gu Jiu laughed, "Brother, please look, I am fine now, right? If there was something wrong in the palace, you would have seen a large number of Jinwu Guards surrounding the palace when you came."
Gu Cheng was surprised by Su Zheng's sharpness, and then said, "I hope this time it really is a close call without any danger."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, the palace will be fine, and neither will I."
Su Zheng nodded. "Madam is the new bride. Even if something happens to the palace, it shouldn't affect Madam. I'm just worried that she'll be frightened."
Gu Jiu smiled slightly, shook his head slowly and said, "Cousin Su underestimates me. I don't have many advantages, but I'm brave."
Su Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm relieved that Madam won't suffer for the palace."
Gu Ting said, "Cousin Su, please stop being so sour."
Su Zheng smiled and remained silent.
Gu Jiu asked, "Don't just talk about me. Is everything okay in the mansion?"
Gu Cheng hurriedly said, "Tomorrow is the second day of the Lunar New Year. Second sister, are you going back?"
Tomorrow? Gu Jiu wasn't sure if Liu Zhao would be able to leave the palace by then.
But she still said: "If nothing unexpected happens, I will go back."
Gu Cheng was a little worried, "Is Second Sister available?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I know what Sixth Brother is worried about. If something happens in the palace, it will be inconvenient for me to go back. If there is no major accident, I will definitely go back tomorrow."
Gu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. "This is the first New Year after my second sister got married, and my father is looking forward to your return."
Gu Jiu nodded and said, "Sixth brother, please give my regards to father. I'm sorry to have caused him so much worry."
"Second sister is too reserved."
The three of them didn't want to stay in the palace any longer, so after confirming that Gu Jiu was fine, they prepared to leave.
When leaving, Gu Ting winked at Gu Jiu with a mischievous look on his face.
He must have a lot to say, but because the occasion was not right, the brother and sister agreed to talk again when Gu Jiu returned to her parents' home tomorrow.
After sending the three away, Gu Jiu asked Nanny Fang, "Have Deng Cunli and Song Zheng returned?"
Nanny Fang shook her head, "He hasn't come back yet."
Gu Jiu tapped the table lightly. "As soon as they come back, tell them to come see me immediately."
"As you command."
The lack of communication is what bothers Gu Jiu the most.
Now it seems that the so-called serious illness of the emperor must be false. It is probably something else that happened.
Gu Jiu sat upright in the study, took out a book, and wanted to read it to calm down.
But I couldn't see it anyway.
She simply put down her books and picked up a pen to practice calligraphy.
After writing one page, I finally calmed down and gradually entered a state of ecstasy.
After writing for half an hour, Gu Jiu felt a little tired in his wrist, so he stopped writing and rubbed it.
At this time, she changed from her previous impatience and appeared very calm.
Qingmei brought some health-preserving soup and asked Gu Jiu to drink it while it was hot.
Gu Jiu drank half a bowl of health-preserving soup, then asked, "Is Deng Cunli back?"
Qingmei nodded, "Just got back, right outside the door."
"Send him in."
After a while, Deng Cunli walked into the study.
"This old servant greets the Madam."
"No need to be polite. How did the investigation go?"
"I have fulfilled my mission and finally found out the truth."
Gu Jiu was excited, but she restrained herself.
She asked in a deep voice: "What's the specific situation?"
Deng Cunli pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty's cancellation of the New Year's audience was not due to a serious illness, but because the Crown Prince was poisoned."
"What did you say? The Crown Prince was poisoned? Why was the Crown Prince poisoned? Why did Your Majesty cancel the proper court ceremony when the Crown Prince was poisoned?"
Deng Cunli said, "I have heard that someone has planted spies in the Eastern Palace, lurking there for decades.
Because His Majesty had not yet made up his mind to depose the Crown Prince, some people could not wait and poisoned the Crown Prince.
The imperial physician confirmed that the prince had indeed been poisoned, a chronic poison. Fortunately, the case was discovered in time and could still be saved. If it had been any later, the prince would have died.
Gu Jiu was shocked and confused, remembering that on the second day after his wedding he went to the palace to pay homage to the emperor and met the unconscious prince in Xingqing Palace.
At that time, she thought the prince was indeed seriously ill, but she never thought that he might be poisoned.
"So the Crown Prince's frailty and bedridden condition is due to poisoning?"
Deng Cunli nodded, "That's right. His Majesty was reportedly furious when he heard the Crown Prince had been poisoned. He ordered the Minister of Justice to investigate the matter thoroughly and ordered all the princes and nobles to be detained in the palace, not to leave."
Gu Jiu gave a bitter laugh. "On the surface, it seems that His Majesty is investigating the Crown Prince's poisoning. In reality, His Majesty is seeing things from a different perspective. He's worried that if someone dared to poison the Crown Prince, they'd also poison him."
Deng Cunli whispered, "This old servant thinks the same. Your Majesty values his life, and poisoning is a grave offense. Your Majesty will never let this go."
Gu Jiu still had questions, "Why didn't the Crown Prince stand up at the palace banquet yesterday, and why did the Crown Princess remain silent? How did His Majesty know that the Crown Prince was poisoned?"
"It is said that Xingqing Palace's Chamberlain Shen went to the Eastern Palace to deliver the imperial edict and accidentally discovered that the Crown Prince had been poisoned. The Eastern Palace, unable to conceal the truth, finally admitted the poisoning. His Majesty was furious and immediately ordered all the princes and nobles not to leave the palace."
Gu Jiu smiled.
What about accidentally discovering that the prince was poisoned? This can only fool a three-year-old child.
It was obvious that the Eastern Palace had planned this long ago.
She sighed, "The East Palace's counterattack is here."
Years ago, the court impeached the Eastern Palace, causing it to suffer heavy losses.
I didn't expect the Eastern Palace's counterattack to come so soon. And it came with such ferocity that it seemed as if it was going to wipe out everyone in one fell swoop.
"However, I see that the East Palace's actions this time don't seem to be in line with the Crown Prince's usual style. Could it be that there is a master behind the Crown Prince?"
Deng Cunli quietly reminded Gu Jiu, "The Crown Princess is from the Longxi Sun family, who are good at strategy. The Sun ancestor was a counselor beside Emperor Gaozu and later became the Prime Minister.
For several generations thereafter, the Sun family remained active in the imperial court. The succession edicts of the emperors and the edicts appointing the crown princes were all drafted by the Sun family.
No one can match this honor alone.
It’s just that the Sun family adheres to the group training and has a low-key family style. They may not seem prominent to outsiders, but they actually have a deep foundation.
Even if one day the Crown Princess dies in misfortune, the Longxi Sun family will not be harmed.
The Sun family is the most stable family in the court. They never rely on marriage to consolidate their position, but rely entirely on the true ability of their children to gain a foothold in the court."
What an awesome family, what a powerful Crown Princess Sun.
No wonder Queen Choi Yeojin chose Sun as the Crown Princess. It was probably because she was attracted by the family behind Sun.
However, the Sun family would never entrust their family's future and lives to the Eastern Palace.
They have their own capital to stand on.
In this way, even if the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace was deposed, it would not be much of a loss for the Sun family.
The Sun family can still gain a foothold in the court with their real abilities and draft the edict of succession for His Majesty.
This is the style that can truly be passed down from generation to generation in a great family that has lasted for thousands of years.
I didn’t expect that although Crown Princess Sun looked inconspicuous, she actually had such a powerful family behind her.
As for her, just looking at the way she counterattacked this time, you can tell that she is a ruthless person.
Compared to the late Queen Cui Ruizhen, Crown Princess Sun is not inferior at all.
They are all women who are as capable as men.
For a moment, Gu Jiu actually felt admiration for Crown Princess Sun.
A powerful woman always wins Gu Jiu's favor.
A woman like Xie who is domineering at home will only get a cold eye from Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu said, "Do you think that Crown Princess Sun's move is just another case of the thief crying 'stop thief'?"
Deng Cunli frowned. "That's possible. But given the Crown Prince's personality, it's unlikely he would cooperate with such a plan. Unless, the Crown Princess did all this on her own, hiding it from the Crown Prince."
"It's also possible someone truly planted spies in the Eastern Palace, waiting for an opportunity to poison. Anything done leaves traces. Crown Princess Sun is so resourceful, she wouldn't have done it herself. Perhaps she was simply playing along. However, whatever the truth is, the Crown Prince's poisoning is true, and His Majesty's wrath is also real."
Gu Jiu could imagine that the emperor must be very panicked and full of suspicion towards everyone.
Suspect that someone is a spy lurking around you, waiting for an opportunity to poison him.
The emperor at this time was both suspicious and irritable, and no one wanted to provoke him.
Anyone who dares to provoke me should be prepared to be torn into pieces.
No wonder Concubine Shu drove Princess Huyang out of the palace and did not allow her to stay in the palace.
Given Princess Huyang's personality, if she said something wrong, she might end up following in the footsteps of Prince Consort Chen and go to the imperial prison.
Just as I was thinking about Princess Huyang, Nanny Fang came in to ask for instructions.
"Your Highness, Madam, the Second Madam asks you to hurry to Chunhe Hall. Princess Huyang and the Princess are arguing and want to leave the house and go to the palace to seek justice from the Empress Shu. The Princess is also very angry."
Gu Jiu asked, "Is there no one stopping Princess Huyang?"
Nanny Fang said, "They couldn't stop it. Concubine Shen and Concubine Luo were both slapped by Princess Huyang. The princess told Princess Huyang to get out of the palace."
Gu Jiu frowned. Princess Huyang was such a troublemaker. Princess Pei was also too irrational.
"I'll be right there."
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