There were a lot of ice cubes placed in the mourning hall. When I walked in from the hot summer, I felt cool all over and couldn't help shivering.
By evening, it was already dark.
The curtains fluttered, the room was all white, and there was a coffin placed in the middle.
Everything looks so creepy.
The prince's family, from wives and concubines to children, knelt in rows beside the casket to keep vigil.
As the eldest legitimate son, the emperor's eldest grandson respectfully welcomes everyone who comes to pay homage.
After all, the prince is not the emperor, so his funeral cannot be held according to the standards of the emperor and empress.
Gu Jiu burned incense and offered sacrifices, performing the etiquette for the younger generation.
Then he said to the emperor's eldest grandson, "Please accept my condolences!"
The emperor's eldest grandson, Liu Cheng, bowed slightly and said, "My sister-in-law is so thoughtful."
Gu Jiu didn't want to stay any longer, so he left after paying his respects. He would come back tomorrow to mourn.
Leaving the mourning hall, the summer heat hit us.
The body, which had just cooled down, became hot again and broke out in a smelly sweat.
However, everyone enjoys it.
It was cool in the mourning hall, but it was gloomy and had an ominous atmosphere.
The way the prince's family looked at people made people feel creepy.
That family finally survived.
Ouyang Fu rubbed her arms, looking a little scared.
She murmured to Gu Jiu, "I never expected the Crown Prince to leave so suddenly. It caught us off guard."
Gu Jiu nodded, "Yes, he left too suddenly."
Perhaps someone had already anticipated this day, and it would be someone in the mourning hall?
The two came to one of the halls in the northeast corner of the palace, where Prince Ning and Pei lived.
They first washed up, changed out of their smelly clothes soaked with sweat, and went to visit the prince and princess in a refreshed state.
"No need to be polite!"
Pei called out, "Have you all gone to the mourning hall to pay your respects?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "We have already paid our respects. We will go to mourn tomorrow."
Pei warned, "For the next few days, you all should be careful and talk less and do less. If anything goes wrong, I may not be able to protect you."
Ouyang Fu was startled. "Mother, is the situation serious?"
Pei's face was stern, and she asked, "What do you think?"
The crown prince died, and he died before the decree to depose him was issued. How could this be a trivial matter?
These days, people in the palace are in a panic, and everyone has their own little plan.
In addition, the Jinwu Guards were searching for the assassin's accomplices, and the entire palace was in a state of panic.
Pei looked towards Prince Ning and said, "Your Highness, please say a few words as well."
These days, Prince Ning has been in a bad mood and has a very bad temper.
He was a little impatient. "What are you talking about? What else is there to say now?"
He was almost angry to death when he thought about the emperor missing the prince every day and talking about the prince every time he met someone.
The prince was so treacherous that even his death was so planned and strategic that it was enough to make a brilliant article about him.
His death was not a big deal; what was important was that the emperor's mentality had changed. He seemed to regret having been too harsh on the crown prince and had only picked on his good points.
What is even more unsettling is that in just a few days, the emperor has summoned the eldest grandson several times in succession, and each time he must have a conversation over a cup of tea.
He also rewarded the Crown Princess Sun and praised her for her diligence and thriftiness.
What does the emperor mean?
Now that the crown prince is dead, will he turn to promoting the Eastern Palace?
The most disturbing thing is that the crown prince is dead, but the Eastern Palace system still exists.
The crown prince is gone, so what's the point of keeping the Eastern Palace?
Why didn’t the prince’s family move out of the Eastern Palace immediately?
The Eastern Palace is still prosperous without the crown prince, which is a dangerous signal.
Because even though the crown prince is gone, there is still the eldest grandson of the emperor.
Because of these things, Prince Ning has not been able to eat or sleep well in the past few days, and the cool Beimang Mountain Palace cannot quench his anger.
He was so anxious and anxious that he got several blisters in his mouth, which made him feel very uncomfortable.
He waved at Gu Jiu and the others, "Everyone, step back. Do what you should do according to the rules and don't cause trouble."
Gu Jiu pondered for a moment, "Excuse me, Father, Mother, have you seen my young master recently?"
Pei frowned: "Are you confused? Zhao'er is imprisoned in the Zongzheng Temple, and I am in the palace. How can I see him?"
Gu Jiu remained calm and looked at Prince Ning.
Even if Pei doesn't know, it's impossible that Prince Ning doesn't know.
Prince Ning said expressionlessly, "When the time comes, you will see him. Go back to your room and rest. Don't let your mind wander."
Pei asked hurriedly, "Your Highness, what's going on? Has Zhao'er been released? How come I didn't know?"
"There are so many things you don't know. It's my honor. Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."
Prince Ning was warning both the Pei family and Gu Jiu, reminding him to stop making such noises.
Gu Jiu understood in his heart that Prince Ning really knew the inside story, but just refused to say it.
She stood up and bowed, "I, your daughter-in-law, will follow your father's instructions."
Back in the room, the maids were all very worried.
Qingmei asked, "Madam, will the young master be okay?"
Gu Jiu shook his head. "It should be fine. I guess His Majesty has assigned him some errand."
She didn't want to say much, but looked out the window, feeling the slightly strange atmosphere of the palace.
Prince Ning returned to his bedroom, still feeling irritable, and paced back and forth in the room.
Chang En was waiting by his side, wanting to persuade him but didn't know where to start.
Prince Ning asked, "Is there any news from Minister Wu?"
Chang En shook his head, "Minister Wu hasn't sent any news for two days."
Prince Ning bared his teeth and said, "Wu wouldn't have given up halfway, would he?"
Chang En didn't dare to answer.
Prince Ning pounded his fist on the table, "Any news from the eldest son?"
Chang En nodded, "The eldest son has already led his men to capture everyone in Xinfeng County and is taking them back to the capital."
Prince Ning kicked over the stool.
"My king painstakingly planned for years, and it seemed like everything was about to be settled, only to be thwarted by an assassin. Although the crown prince died, he turned the tables. My king knew he shouldn't have underestimated the crown prince. They say a biting dog doesn't bark, and that's true."
Chang En reminded Prince Ning, "Your Highness, all officials above the seventh rank in the Eastern Palace must be buried alive with the Crown Prince. What should we do about this?"
Prince Ning snorted coldly, "Those people are dead, so what? They are useless and only cause trouble. Living is a waste of food."
The chaos in Xinfeng County is such a great opportunity.
With the cooperation of Minister Wu, this time they would definitely be able to overthrow the Crown Prince. They had considered everything and planned everything, except for the variable of the Crown Prince.
They thought the prince was a puppet and powerless to resist. But they did not expect that the prince was determined to die and turn the tables.
This is too much.
Damn assassin!
Where did this assassin come from?
If the assassin had not been dead, Prince Ning would have cut him into pieces and ruined his plans.
Prince Ning asked, "Are there any clues in tracking down the assassin?"
"Your Highness, the assassin came to the palace to serve ten years ago. He has always been diligent and conscientious, and no abnormalities have been found. Therefore, he was originally appointed to serve in Ganquan Palace. I never thought that this honest man was actually an assassin."
"That's all, nothing else?" Prince Ning was very dissatisfied.
After so many days of searching, this is all I found. I’m so incompetent.
Chang En lowered his head and said, "The old man who recommended the assassin to work in the palace passed away last year. People who were familiar with the assassin have also passed away one after another in the past ten years. Surprisingly, no one in the palace is familiar with the assassin's affairs."
"That's the problem!" Prince Ning slammed his fist on the table. "They've been prepared for this. Over the past ten years, they've used various means to eliminate everyone familiar with the assassin. In other words, this group of people had been planning this for over a decade. Could it be that there's a force out there that really wants to kill my father?"
Speaking of this, King Ning shuddered.
Is it true that there is a group of traitors lurking in the palace, waiting for an opportunity to murder the emperor?
Who wants to murder the emperor?
Queen Ruizhen Choi?
No no no!
If Queen Cui Ruizhen really arranged all this, why didn't she do it when she was still alive?
Doesn't she know that once the emperor dies, the prince will be able to inherit the throne rightfully?
Prince Ning screened the suspicious people one by one.
For a moment, he found everyone suspicious, but he could always find reasons to refute them.
Prince Ning was suspicious and even suspected that someone wanted to kill him.
He immediately ordered, "The number of guards in the palace should be doubled, and this will be the practice from now on."
Chang En was stunned for a moment, then quickly made arrangements.
Looking at the guards outside who had doubled in number, Prince Ning was still a little uneasy.
"We must quickly find the person behind the assassin, otherwise I will be unable to sleep or eat."
"Is Your Majesty overthinking this?"
"I hope I'm overthinking this, but the assassination incident is too bizarre, with too many coincidences. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if the Crown Prince orchestrated all of this, deliberately using his death to fulfill his selfish desires."
"If it was really the prince who arranged all this, then there was no need for him to die."
"Yes! That's why I think my idea is too absurd. If the Crown Prince really has the guts to arrange an assassination, then he doesn't have to stop the assassin and die. Afterwards, as long as one of the Beijing camps stands on his side, he can ascend the throne smoothly as the Crown Prince."
It was also based on this idea that King Ning denied the speculation that the assassin was related to the Eastern Palace.
After tossing and turning all night, when daybreak approached, thunder roared and heavy rain began to fall.
After so many hot days, it finally rained.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
This rain was like a signal, relaxing everyone's tense nerves.
No matter what, the prince is dead.
After so many years of planning, although the outcome was not perfect, at least the goal was achieved.
Early in the morning, Gu Jiu came to the mourning hall with an umbrella and cried with everyone.
The prince's family members all looked haggard, their eyes bloodshot. It was obvious that they hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in the past few days.
The monks performed a ritual to pray for the prince's soul to be reborn.
The burning incense and candles created a thick cloud of smoke that made it difficult to breathe.
Gu Jiu was calm inside, kneeling on the cushion and listening to the chanting.
The Taoist priests were also performing rituals for the prince.
Monks and Taoists do not interfere with each other and each does his own thing.
Gu Jiu accidentally saw the third son of the Eastern Palace kneeling behind the eldest grandson of the emperor.
The third son of the Eastern Palace was born to a concubine and was the prince's favorite.
The third Miss Wei from the Duke of Zhuguo's Mansion was betrothed to the third son of the Eastern Palace.
However, now that the crown prince has passed away, can the marriage between Miss Wei San and the Third Young Master of the Eastern Palace continue?
In the past, when the crown prince was still alive, the third son of the Eastern Palace could rely on his favor to compete with the second son, the eldest legitimate grandson of the emperor.
Now that the Crown Prince has passed away, even the concubine has to rely on the Crown Princess Sun for support. What can the Third Young Master do?
I'm afraid this marriage won't take place.
However, it is not so easy for the Duke of Zhuguo to cancel the engagement.
Especially now, the emperor's attitude has changed, and he is particularly tolerant towards everyone in the Eastern Palace.
Miss Wei San will continue to suffer.
As for Miss Cui, who was betrothed to the second son of the Eastern Palace, her situation was much better than that of Miss Wei.
The second young master is a legitimate son after all, and has the Crown Princess Sun and the Sun family as his backers. In any case, he is much better than the third young master of the East Palace.
Gu Jiu was lost in thought, wiping the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief from time to time.
I put ginger juice on the handkerchief and when it touched the corners of my eyes, tears started to flow out of them. I looked like I was crying very sadly.
During the lunch break, Gu Jiu was too tired to eat.
Holding a funeral in the middle of summer is hard work for the dead and even harder for the living.
She found an empty room and prepared to rest for an hour to get enough energy to continue in the afternoon.
She felt a little dizzy, probably because of the smoke from the incense and candles.
She rubbed her eyebrows, opened the window halfway, and inadvertently saw an acquaintance.
An acquaintance who almost died together with me, Fang Shaojian.
Fang Shaojian also noticed Gu Jiu.
The two looked at each other, no one spoke, and no extra movements were made.
Fang Shaojian suddenly pulled the corners of his mouth and gave Gu Jiu a smile that was not quite a smile.
Gu Jiu frowned.
She felt that Fang Shaojian had bad intentions.
Fang Shaojian walked straight towards the wing room.
Gu Jiu calmed himself down and ordered someone to guard the door.
Fang Shaojian walked into the wing room and said, "We meet again. Now I should call you Madam Zhao."
"Master Fang, please take a seat, as we are a rare guest."
Fang Shaojian and Gu Jiu sat opposite each other.
"Young Master Fang looks much better. I hope he is in good health." Gu Jiu pretended to be concerned.
Fang Shaojian nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Madam Zhao. My body has recovered."
Gu Jiu poured the tea himself and said, "I heard that you are now serving in the Eastern Palace. Please accept my condolences for the passing of the Crown Prince."
Fang Shaojian took the teacup and said, "Madam Zhao, when you mentioned His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, you didn't show any sadness."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you going to file a complaint?"
Fang Shaojian slowly shook his head. "Many people say that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince died a deserved death. The people of the Eastern Palace shouldn't be sad, but happy. If the Crown Prince hadn't passed away, how could the hundreds of people in the Eastern Palace have survived?"
"Young Master Fang, there's no need to test me. I won't say anything extra." Gu Jiu said directly.
Fang Shaojian shook his head, "We are not testing Madam Zhao."
Gu Jiu looked at Fang Shaojian with a half-smile. "You and I are on opposite sides. Tell me, can I trust you? Or should I ask, do you trust me?"
Fang Shaojian stared at Gu Jiu, "Madam Zhao's suspicion is getting worse."
Gu Jiu chuckled twice, "I'm afraid of you, Fang Shaojie."
"Why are you afraid?"
"Because you are a man of great strategy and ruthlessness. I am afraid that if I fall into your hands, I won't even know how I died."
Fang Shaojian narrowed his eyes, and there was an ambiguous light in his eyes.
But in the blink of an eye, he calmed down and said, "Give my regards to Gongzi Zhao."
Gu Jiu nodded slightly, "I will definitely bring it there."
"Do you have anything else to say?" Fang Shaojian seemed to have something else to say.
Gu Jiu shook his head, "We cannot work together if we don't share the same ideals."
Fang Shaojian shook his head, "It's all just to survive."
Gu Jiu pointed at him and said, "You've lived enough."
Fang Shaojian wanted to laugh, but realized the timing was wrong. A funeral was underway in the palace, so how could he laugh?
He shook his head. "Whether a person has lived enough is not determined by age. Those who are destined to die will die naturally when the time comes. This is true for old men and children alike. Tell Gongzi Zhao that I'm waiting for him."
Gu Jiu frowned.
Fang Shaojian got up and left without any explanation.
Gu Jiu stood by the window and watched him leave.
What's the entanglement between Fang Shaojian and Liu Zhao?
Nanny Fang stood behind Gu Jiu and said, "Madam, you can't underestimate Young Supervisor Fang. He has been fighting with Supervisor Chen for most of his life, and he's still alive and well. This shows how capable he is."
Gu Jiu nodded, "I know, I've experienced how powerful he is."
"Master Fang has no children, no family, and isn't particularly greedy for money. He seems to have no weaknesses."
Gu Jiu shook his head. "How can a person live in this world without any desires or thoughts? Fang Shaojian is no exception. He has his weaknesses, but they are difficult for ordinary people to discover."
Fang Shaojian's weakness is his ambition. He is proud of his talent, but has nowhere to display it.
If he was truly loyal, he should have died to show his loyalty when the prince died.
Yet he did not die.
After the sadness, he rekindled his fighting spirit.
He wanted to assist the emperor's eldest grandson to become the crown prince, and then ascend the throne to become emperor.
With such great ambitions and desires, isn't this a weakness?
If Fang Shaojian was not allowed to display his talents for the rest of his life, he would probably die of depression.
Gu Jiu smiled.
In this round, Fang Shaojian won half the game.
But the outcome of the next round is unknown.
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