When Xue Shu went out to call for help, he ran into Zheng Duobao who was looking for someone everywhere in a hurry with the young eunuch.
Zheng Duobao was a bit fat and was sweating from running. When he saw Xue Shu, he hurried forward and asked, "Officer Xue, have you seen His Highness?"
He was originally serving the prince, but suddenly a maid came to report that two guests were quarreling outside Jiao Garden. He was afraid that it would disrupt the order of the banquet, so he hurried to deal with it. But when he arrived, he found that the two were just arguing because they were drunk. He saw that there was no dispute, so he hurried back.
Who would have known that in just a moment, the prince had disappeared. When the servants around were asked, they all said that they only saw the prince go out, without anyone by his side, and they didn't know where he went.
Zheng Duobao had stayed in this deep palace for decades. He immediately realized that something was fishy and hurriedly brought people to look for it.
"Your Highness is resting in the side hall."
"That's good." Zheng Duobao patted his chest and finally let go of the worry that had been hanging in his stomach.
"Let's go see His Highness." As he said this, he was about to go to the side hall.
Xue Shu saw that he was about to go to the side hall, so he raised his hand to stop him and said, "Your Highness drank too much and vomited several times, and there is dirt on his clothes. Eunuch Zheng came at the right time, please go get a set of clean clothes."
At general banquets, one or two sets of clothes would be prepared for the masters to change into, in case the clothes got dirty during the banquet.
Hearing him say this, Zheng Duobao immediately sent someone to get the spare clothes.
He was about to take the clothes to the side hall, but Xue Shu took them away. He immediately asked in confusion, "Does Supervisor Xue need anything else?"
Xue Shu remained calm and said, "I'm afraid the wine your Highness drank was not clean enough. I'm ordering people to search Chongzhi Hall. I'm new here and I'm not familiar with Chongzhi Hall. I'm afraid I might have missed something. I need Eunuch Zheng to keep an eye on it. Don't make too much noise."
When he heard that the wine was not clean, Zheng Duobao frowned and said angrily: "This is the only despicable method used in this palace! How is Your Highness now?"
"It's all right now." Xue Shu walked towards the side hall holding his clothes, "I'll trouble Eunuch Zheng to search for her."
Zheng Duobao was angry, so he naturally responded to the words. He immediately called in his trusted aides from the East Palace to search the Chongzhi Hall room by room.
Xue Shu took the clothes and returned to the side hall.
Yin Chengyu was sitting in an armchair, with his eyes lowered in deep thought.
He was only wearing a white undershirt, and because of the struggle just now, the collar of his shirt was open, revealing a small piece of his white chest. It was completely different from his usual dignified and self-restrained appearance, and instead showed a bit of the romantic and dissolute demeanor of the famous scholars of the previous dynasty.
"Did you find it?" Seeing Xue Shu come in, he raised his eyelids and looked at him, his voice still lazily and hoarse as if he had not yet woken up.
"I have ordered people to search every room."
Xue Shu stepped forward with his eyes downcast and handed the clothes to him.
Yin Chengyu said "hmm", took the clothes, and went behind the screen to change.
The screen was made of silk, and on the thin silk was embroidered an ancient ink-and-wash landscape painting. The figure behind him was vaguely projected on it, which made people more imaginative.
Xue Shu stared at the figure intently, his mind uncontrollably recalling the previous beauty, when he heard the person behind the screen calling: "Xue Shu, come here."
He quickly stopped thinking, gathered his thoughts and went behind the screen.
Yin Chengyu had already changed into his inner garment, and his complicated outer robe was spread out on the Luohan bed where he had just slept.
He spread his arms and raised his chin slightly: "Change my clothes."
Xue Shu's eyes fell on the Luohan bed, then he abruptly retracted his eyes, not daring to look any further, let alone think any more.
He just quickly picked up his outer robe and dressed him neatly.
As he squatted down to fasten the jade pendant around his waist, Yin Chengyu looked down at him. When he saw the beads of sweat on his forehead, he raised his hand to wipe them and chuckled, "Is it that hot?"
Xue Shu paused and did not answer.
She lowered her head and straightened his ornaments for him before she stood up and took a step back.
Yin Chengyu snorted and laughed, then threw the dirty clothes he had just changed to him and said, "Wash them for me."
Having said that, without paying any attention to his reaction, she walked around the screen and went out.
Behind the screen, Xue Shu stood stiffly for a long time holding the clothes in his hands, before he carefully folded his arms and grasped the white undershirt in his hands.
Just as Yin Chengyu had changed his clothes, Zheng Duobao came to report.
Seeing his strange expression, Yin Chengyu frowned slightly: "The person was found? Who is it?"
Zheng Duobao whispered a name in his ear.
"It turned out to be Concubine Rong..." Yin Chengyu was surprised at first, but then he understood.
It should indeed be Concubine Rong.
Everyone in the palace knew that Concubine Wen and Concubine Rong had an old grudge, and the drugged wine was given to him by Yin Chengzhang. Even if the truth came out, it could only be blamed on Concubine Wen and her son.
The person behind this must be very cunning.
"I'll go and take a look." Yin Chengyu sighed and walked forward first.
If it was Rongpin this time, then when he was framed in his previous life, the concubine in the harem was most likely Rongpin as well.
However, the situation was chaotic at that time, and he had only seen Rongpin a few times, and he had not looked at her face carefully at that time. He only vaguely knew that the matter was suppressed by Emperor Longfeng, his position as crown prince was abolished, and the concubine was also given poisoned wine.
Thinking back now, when he returned to the palace five years later, the names of Rongpin and Yin Ciguang had become taboos in the palace, and the servants were terrified when he mentioned them. Perhaps it was not only because of Yin Ciguang's identity, but also because Rongpin was the one who had "committed adultery" with him.
Calculating the time, Yin Ciguang indeed died of illness not long after Rongpin's death.
Zheng Duobao originally wanted to say something to persuade him, but seeing his sullen expression, he swallowed his words back.
Just whisper to someone to watch the surroundings carefully, to prevent the person behind from being unwilling to give up and throwing dirty water.
Rongpin was locked up in the west chamber of Chongzhi Hall. She was drugged and only woke up recently. A maid had helped her put on her clothes, but her messy hair had not been carefully combed, and her face was full of panic.
Seeing Yin Chengyu coming in, she lowered her head deeply, her voice trembling: "Your Highness the Crown Prince."
When she woke up in a strange place and saw her outer clothes were completely taken off, she already knew that she had fallen into someone else's trap. But she didn't expect that the other person was actually the prince.
Although she tried her best to stay calm, her hands crossed in front of her abdomen couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Yin Chengyu did not miss the panic on her face. Just as he was about to say something to comfort her, he heard someone behind him calling, "Mother."
The people in the room looked back and saw Yin Ciguang walking towards them quickly, supported by a maid. His face was extremely pale, and because of his violent emotional ups and downs, his body was already a little shaky and about to fall, but he still took a few steps forward and blocked Rongpin behind him.
He squatted down deeply, his head lowered very low, and his words became fragmented due to the sudden coughing: "Please... Your Highness the Crown Prince, my mother was just... implicated in this."
In addition to Yin Chengyu, there were several eunuchs and palace maids in the room, but her attitude was still extremely humble, and she did not show any of the dignity of a royal princess.
Yin Chengyu sighed and didn't want to embarrass them. After all, both of their lives were tied to him.
He helped Yin Ciguang up and comforted her, "Don't worry, my sister. Nothing will be revealed today." Then he turned to Zheng Duobao and said, "There is something wrong with the wine at the banquet. I, my sister, and Concubine Rong all showed signs of being poisoned after drinking the wine. My sister and Concubine Rong were frightened today. You should send them back in person and order the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor to investigate the source to see where the problem is."
These words were meant to cover up the fact that someone was trying to drug the Crown Prince and Concubine Rong to frame him for having an affair.
Yin Ciguang looked at him in surprise, and when he saw that his expression was gentle, he quickly lowered his eyes and said softly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your generosity."
From the perspective of the prince, he was framed and he could expose the matter. After all, he was not framed and was the victim, so exposing the matter now would not affect him at all.
The only person who would be implicated was Concubine Rong.
Rongpin was of low status and not favored by Emperor Longfeng. Now she was drugged and almost sent to the prince's bed. Even if the affair failed, she was a woman and her reputation was still damaged. If the prince exposed this matter, Emperor Longfeng would not only not pity her, but might even be more disgusted with her and even give her a white silk to settle the matter.
The prince did this to protect Concubine Rong.
Yin Ci Guang escorted Rongpin away and looked back from a distance.
Yin Chengyu was surrounded by people and walked in the opposite direction of him. He was dressed in purple, with wide sleeves, and his sleeves fluttered as he walked, looking elegant and dignified, like a god.
After Zheng Duobao escorted the two back, he went to report to Yin Chengyu.
Although he understood that His Highness did this to protect Concubine Rong, he still felt somewhat frustrated: "Are you really going to let the person who framed His Highness go just like that?"
Yin Chengyu shook his head: "This is not called letting him go. Since we are playing chess, we naturally cannot follow the opponent's chess path. Otherwise, wouldn't we fall into the opponent's calculations?"
Yin Chengjing dared to take action, so he must have cleared himself completely. He exposed the matter, firstly because he wanted to implicate the innocent Concubine Rong, and secondly because he was sure that no matter how he investigated the matter, it would eventually be linked to Concubine Wen and Yin Chengzhang.
Concubine Wen has been favored by the emperor for many years and is the apple of his eye. She is also very good at playing with people's hearts. Although Yin Chengzhang is stupid, his mother is a scheming woman. She has secretly won the support of many court officials for him over the years.
If he exposed this matter and implicated Yin Chengzhang, Concubine Wen would definitely not take the blame.
In the end, it will most likely turn into mutual attacks between the Prince's Party and the Second Prince's Party.
The real person behind the scenes, on the other hand, reaps the benefits.
How could Yin Chengyu allow Yin Chengjing to hide behind and take advantage?
He tapped the table with his fingers and told Zheng Duobao, "Go and keep an eye on the Shangshenjian and make a big noise. It would be best if everyone knew that the problematic wine was given to me by Yin Chengzhang."
Then he turned his head to Xue Shu and said, "Didn't they say they caught a sneaky eunuch? Send him to Concubine Wen in person."
Since Yin Chengjing wanted to instigate a fight between him and Yin Chengzhang, he would just go with the flow and add fuel to the fire for Yin Chengjing.
Concubine Wen is not a fool who would allow others to plot against her for nothing.
Although she might not be able to do anything to Yin Chengjing, Yin Chengjing's biological mother, Concubine De, still had to live under the control of Concubine Wen Gui.
Xue Shu sent the captured eunuch to Jingren Palace.
Concubine Wen had naturally heard about what happened in Jiao Garden. She was enjoying the show, but she didn't expect that the fire would burn herself.
When she saw the eunuch kneeling below, tied up in heavy clothes, her pretty face twisted for a moment.
"Eunuch Lao Xue is here."
Xue Shu's face was expressionless. "I just happened to run into this. The Crown Prince ordered me to do this. I don't deserve the thanks from the Royal Concubine."
He did not hide the fact that he was sent by the prince.
After a brief thought, Concubine Wen understood why the prince sent Xue Shu.
Xue Shu is now a popular figure around the emperor. Someone attempted to poison the prince. The prince caught the person, but did not make it public. Instead, he asked the emperor's people to send the suspect to her.
Combined with the news released by the Imperial Chef today, it was said that the Crown Prince was poisoned after drinking the wine offered by the Second Prince.
Concubine Wen already understood the prince's intention.
——He was clearly saying, I know it wasn't Yin Chengzhang who poisoned me, I have also sent the suspect to me, who wants to frame Yin Chengzhang, you can investigate it yourself.
Even if Emperor Longfeng asked about this matter in the future, she would not be able to complain.
The prince had blocked her path, forcing her to confront the person who poisoned her. And he could find out the real culprit behind the framing without doing anything.
This is a calculation that she will definitely not be able to swallow this!
Concubine Wen sent Xue Shu away, stared at the eunuch gloomily for a long while, and said, "Take him away for interrogation!"
The author has something to say:
Gougou (spicy dish): Am I not better than Zheng Duobao in serving you?
Zheng Duobao:?