Chapter 42 The Prince May Not Be Alive
Feng Qingsui returned safely from his second visit to the palace, but Ji Changqing was only half relieved.
It was not until a few days passed and nothing happened in the Eastern Palace that his tense nerves relaxed and he no longer subconsciously looked towards the Eastern Palace when leaving court.
Shangguan Mu, however, seemed to want to stick his eyes to the roof of the East Palace, and he turned his head every few steps.
When the officials following him saw this, they thought that the ridge beasts on the roof of the East Palace had fallen off, and they all turned their heads to look.
One told two, two told four, four told eight, eight told sixteen... Soon, half of the officials were looking at the East Palace.
"What are you looking at?"
"I don't know. I see everyone is watching."
Ji Changqing, the only insider: "..."
He raised his foot and kicked Shangguan Mu.
"Be more restrained."
Shangguan Mu turned around, looking puzzled: "What are you restraining yourself for?"
Ji Changqing pointed to the left: "Look for yourself."
Shangguan Mu: “?”
It’s better not to look at it, but once you do, you’ll be shocked.
"what are they doing?"
"Learn from you."
“!!!”
After a brief moment of panic, Shangguan Mu said seriously, "It looks like the sun will set in the west today."
The officials standing behind him were stunned.
Shangguan Mu quickly pulled Ji Changqing's arm and walked forward to avoid being drowned by the saliva.
"That was a close call!" After shaking off those officials, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and asked about the Crown Princess, "Is she okay? What did your sister-in-law say?"
After he persuaded Ji Changqing, he was sent by his superiors to inspect the horse farm and just returned to Beijing last night.
Ji Changqing said calmly, "The medicine has cured the disease."
"Is she really sick?" Shangguan Mu suddenly looked worried. "What's wrong with her?"
Ji Changqing glanced at him and asked, "How incompetent do you think my sister-in-law is?"
Shangguan Mu hurriedly apologized: "I almost forgot the doctor asked for confidentiality."
Ji Changqing simply couldn't bear to watch it.
"It's been so many years, it's time for you to let it go. Otherwise, if someone with ulterior motives finds out, both you two and your family will face catastrophic disaster."
Shangguan Mu smiled bitterly and said, "If I could let it go, I would have let it go long ago."
Ji Changqing sneered: "There is nothing that cannot be let go. It just depends on whether you want to or not."
Shangguan Mu shook his head.
"People like you who only know how to write the word 'love' but don't know how to pronounce it won't understand."
Ji Changqing: "Oh! No wonder your starting point is higher than mine, but your official position is lower than mine."
Shangguan Mu: “…”
How many officials in this dynasty hold higher positions than him? How derogatory.
He quickly changed the subject: "We agreed last time that if your sister-in-law is willing to help, she can choose anything from the Treasure Pavilion. Talk to her."
Ji Changqing didn't even mention him to Feng Qingsui. He said calmly, "Just give me the banknotes. Who would dare to go to the Treasure Pavilion to pick it up?"
Shangguan Mu thought about it and agreed.
The next day, he prepared the banknotes, got on Ji Changqing's carriage after leaving the court, and gave him the banknotes.
By the way, a piece of gossip was passed on: "I heard that the prince might not be able to make it."
Ji Changqing: “…”
"How dare you spread such a rumor? Are you trying to save your life?"
"Hey, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about..." Shangguan Mu lowered his voice, "Impotence."
Ji Changqing: “…”
"Where did you hear that?"
"I heard it from my good-for-nothing second brother. You know, he spends his days living a life of debauchery with a bunch of playboys, including Han Er."
"He said Han Er asked them to help find a doctor who was good at treating kidney deficiency. They thought Han Er was ill, but Han Er said it wasn't him, it was his eldest brother who was looking for him. Then he said it wasn't his eldest brother, it was his eldest brother who was looking for someone else."
"Everyone knows that the Crown Prince and Prince Han are so close that they can wear the same pants. Who else can make Prince Han so concerned except the Crown Prince?"
Ji Changqing, who was a little allergic to the word "kidney deficiency", said: "..."
Shangguan Mu was still excited: "Do you think the prince will really..."
Ji Changqing interrupted him: "The Crown Prince's wedding has been six years, not six days. If he really had a hidden illness, he wouldn't have waited until now to find someone to see him."
Shangguan Mu's shoulders slumped.
"That's true."
"It's better not to believe anything that has no basis or evidence."
Ji Changqing said lightly.
After returning home, he went to pay his respects to his mother. In the corridor, he met Feng Qingsui who was about to return to the courtyard. He stopped her and handed her the silver note given by Shangguan Mu.
He didn't explain much, just said the word "medical fee".
Feng Qingsui was overjoyed. He counted the money and found that there were exactly three thousand taels. The smile on his face became even wider.
"Thank you, Second Master. If you have such good things in the future, feel free to look for me."
Ji Changqing looked at her eyes narrowed into two crescent moons, and thought that this person's expression might only be real at this moment.
"Did you do anything to the prince's body?"
He asked in a deep voice.
Feng Qingsui looked at him in confusion: "The Crown Prince's health? What does it have to do with me? The two times I went to the palace, I only met the Crown Princess, not the Crown Prince."
Oh.
Ji Changqing sneered in his heart.
Can't you do anything if you haven't seen it?
He had known for a long time that this little liar never spoke a word of truth.
"Don't think you're the only smart person in the world," he warned. "If you find out..."
He didn't finish his words, but Feng Qingsui understood what he meant.
She didn't care.
The incense ashes have all been composted. Even if the prince goes to the suburbs to dig up manure, he won't find anything. Is there any clue to be found?
"Thank you for your warning, Master. Although I don't understand what you said, I will think about it carefully later."
She said with a smile.
"By the way, Second Master, how's the investigation going into the case of the adopted child who disappeared?"
Ji Changqing was helpless seeing that she was unmoved.
"As you said, someone did it on purpose. I've ordered the Jingzhao Yin to combine these over forty missing persons cases into one investigation. However, the person involved never showed up for each transaction, making it difficult to pursue him."
Feng Qingsui asked, "Second Master, who do you think is responsible?"
Ji Changqing had already made a judgment on this.
"It must be someone who knows the Salesian's supervisor very well. Every Salesian's home has corruption. To cover up their crimes, they try to conceal any negative incidents. The person behind the scenes exploits this fact to repeatedly succeed without attracting attention."
"It must be the work of some powerful person."
As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Qingsui started clapping.
"With Second Master supervising, this case will surely be solved soon."
Ji Changqing inexplicably heard a hint of sarcasm and was about to ask her what she thought, but the person changed the subject.
"I heard that the Imperial Concubine is the most favored in the palace now, and the Third Prince, born to the Imperial Concubine, is both talented in civil and military affairs and is the most favored by His Majesty. I wonder if Second Master supports the Crown Prince or the Third Prince?"
Ji Changqing was speechless.
"I am loyal only to Your Majesty."
"What if the prince ascends the throne in the future? Will you still be loyal to the prince?" Feng Qingsui asked.
She wanted to know Ji Changqing's attitude towards the prince.
Ji Changqing didn't answer but asked, "Why are you asking this suddenly?"
Feng Qingsui smiled slightly and said, "I know nothing about the political situation. I am afraid that if I make random friends, I will cause trouble for the Second Master."
Ji Changqing scoffed, "You've been walking with the wife of the Marquis of Rongchang for two months, and you only just remembered this? Thanks to you, I'm now considered a princeling."
Feng Qingsui: “…”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
