Chapter 172 Murder of the Prince
On the way to the imperial mausoleum, the eldest prince encountered bandits and was defeated by more than a hundred guards.
The bandits not only stole all the money in the carriage, but also cruelly cut off the heads of the eldest prince and all the guards.
After receiving the report, the government sent runners to the scene, only to see headless corpses scattered all over the ground.
The bailiff found a seal engraved with the eldest prince's name in the carriage. He was so frightened that he rushed back to the government office without stopping.
When Zhu Fuyin learned about this, he crawled into the palace and reported the matter to Emperor Qingyuan.
Emperor Qingyuan was so angry and grief-stricken that he fainted on the spot.
There was a commotion in the imperial study, and half an hour later, Emperor Qingyuan slowly woke up.
Despite his illness, Emperor Qingyuan summoned Yang Zhen, commander of the Tiger Guards, into the palace. His round, elegant face was devoid of any color, only a mixture of anger and pain. "I command you to lead five thousand Tiger Guards and set out immediately to wipe out the bandit den and avenge my son!"
Commander Yang took the order and left. Not long after, the news of the eldest prince's murder spread like wildfire, shocking the court and the public.
"The eldest prince was so unlucky! As a member of a royal family, he ended up with his body mutilated."
"Your Majesty may not show much affection for the eldest prince, but he does have some fatherly feelings. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so grief-stricken."
"Could it be that the imperial edict appointing the crown prince behind the "Zhengda Guangming" plaque contains the eldest prince's name?"
"It's not impossible. If we consider the advantages of both advantages and disadvantages, the eldest prince can be considered a king who can maintain the status quo if that day comes."
"To be frank, your majesty is a wise ruler, diligent in governing the country, and a man of great wisdom and power. However, your sons have shown no trace of their father's character."
"Your Majesty was in a dire situation in his early years, barely able to protect himself, so how could he have the energy to teach the prince?"
Everyone remained silent, sighing that the eldest prince was unlucky, and then they all scattered.
Anyway, they had never defected to the eldest prince's camp, so whether the eldest prince was alive or dead had nothing to do with them.
On the contrary, those officials who belonged to the prince's party were heartbroken after hearing the news, as if the sky had fallen.
Just yesterday, they were ecstatic because His Majesty sent the eldest prince to the imperial mausoleum, thinking that the eldest prince was one step closer to the throne and that the achievement of following the emperor was within his grasp.
Unexpectedly, just one day later, the tragic news of the eldest prince's tragic death came.
They placed their entire fortunes and even the fate of their entire clan on the eldest prince, betting that if he ascended to the throne, they, too, would rise to prominence.
In the end, he not only failed to gain the credit for following the dragon, but also had a bleak future and was caught in a dilemma.
The saying "extreme joy leads to sorrow" is probably just like this.
Compared to the despair of the eldest prince's party, the supporters of the fifth, sixth, seventh and third princes ran around to tell each other and celebrated.
"It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. The bandits killed the eldest prince at this critical moment, just in time to clear the obstacles ahead for the sixth prince."
"The eldest prince is nothing to be feared. The fifth and sixth princes are the real threats. Why didn't His Majesty send them to the imperial mausoleum?"
In the cabinet, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion sighed deeply, "What a pity! The eldest prince was in his prime, but he passed away in such a tragic way. This really makes me heartbroken!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
The other four Grand Secretaries: "..."
Could you please put that smile off your face before you say that?
The Grand Secretary of the Dongke was immersed in the joy that the Fifth Prince had one less rival, and he did not notice the strange looks of his colleagues, or perhaps he did not care at all. He put his hands behind his back and walked away leisurely.
The Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall kept shaking his head: "The villain has succeeded."
The Grand Secretary of Zhongji Hall had a leisurely demeanor, his white hair and beard giving him the air of a hermit, aloof and indifferent. "These are troubled times, so please be careful with your words and actions and avoid bringing disaster upon yourselves."
This old man has been in the cabinet for more than 20 years. Although he is not a member of the emperor's party, he is dedicated to serving the people and is respected by all officials and loved by the people.
During this cabinet change, the position of Yuan You, the Grand Secretary of Zhongji Palace, remained unchanged. Many people were dissatisfied with Shi Zishan being promoted to the chief minister and Yan Tiande being promoted to the second minister, and they came to him to stir up trouble and say all sorts of nonsense.
Yuan Daxueshi just smiled and said nothing.
At his age, he has already become indifferent to everything.
Being able to enter the cabinet and hold the highest position in the country in this life is already the highest honor. How dare I ask for more?
Du Qingtang had heard about this matter and admired the mentality of this Yuan University Scholar very much. He usually respected him a lot.
Here, Grand Secretary Yuan gave a warning, and Du Qingtang naturally responded without hesitation. He bowed slightly and went back to the duty room with Grand Secretary Qi.
Walking around the corridor, Grand Secretary Qi suddenly hissed, "No! No!"
Du Qingtang tilted his head: "What's wrong?"
Grand Secretary Qi looked around to make sure no one was around, then whispered, "Master Du, you may not know that last March, a scholar went to the capital to report on his work, but was robbed by bandits. His entire family was killed by the bandits. Upon hearing the news, His Majesty was furious and sent the Tiger Guard Battalion to suppress the bandits."
"Back then, all the bandit camps within a radius of hundreds of miles were wiped out, and the bandit problem was completely eliminated. How come it's only been a short time now, and bandits are causing trouble again?"
"Not to mention, the guards of the Prince's Palace were very skilled. How could they be defeated by a group of bandits who came from humble beginnings? They were beaten without any chance to fight back, and their heads were cut off and their bodies abandoned in the wilderness."
Qi Daxueshi twirled his beard, his eyes gleaming with wisdom: "Master Du, do you think it is possible..."
His voice dropped even lower, almost to a whisper: "The eldest prince's death was not an accident, but was intentional?"
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows imperceptibly, a mixture of surprise and helplessness, and whispered in the same low voice: "Master Qi, you can't say such things carelessly."
Qi Daxueshi touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "Master Du is not just anyone else."
In recent years, Academician Qi has accumulated a lot of merits thanks to Ningxiang Tower and Liulifang.
He privately believed that his successful entry into the cabinet was inseparable from the assistance given by Lady Du in the past, so he inevitably treated Lady Du closer and opened his heart to her.
"I, Du, thank you for your trust, Lord Qi." Du Qingtang changed the subject, "But Lord Yuan's words are true. Now is a time of great uncertainty, and we should prioritize self-preservation."
Academician Qi nodded repeatedly and said, "Thank you, Lord Du, for reminding me. I have indeed become a little too proud of myself."
Entering the cabinet is the pinnacle of a civil official's career. In recent days, he has been flattered by his colleagues and has inevitably become a little arrogant, and dares to say anything.
Little did they know that walls have ears, and murderous intentions were hidden beneath the calm.
If you are not careful, your life may be in danger.
"Master Qi, you are too kind." Du Qingtang nodded slightly and stopped in front of the duty room. "I have important matters to attend to and have to go to the research institute this afternoon. I'm sorry I can't accompany you."
Academician Qi agreed with a smile, and when Du Qingtang pushed the door open, he also went into the duty room next door.
After sitting down, he sighed deeply, feeling extremely ashamed: "I am over fifty years old, but I am not as patient as a young man who is two wheels younger."
Thinking about the answer he had not been able to say just now, Qi Daxueshi's expression changed and he felt a chill rushing to the top of his head.
If so, who did it?
Does Your Majesty know?
If you knew, how would Your Majesty react?
Academician Qi's mind was in a mess. He gulped down two glasses of cold water and felt cold from head to toe before he calmed down.
Perhaps because of the cold or fear, Mr. Qi shivered and his face turned pale.
......
In the duty room next door, Du Qingtang tidied up the documents covering the table and placed them in the upper right corner of the desk. Someone would take them away later.
Compared to Qi Daxueshi's uncertainty, Du Qingtang can be said to be very calm.
Ever since the day Emperor Qingyuan secretly appointed a crown prince, she knew this day would come sooner or later.
The Fifth Prince himself was a mad dog who regarded human life as worthless. In the backyard of the Fifth Prince's mansion, countless innocent people were eaten by the gorgeous tiger he raised.
Cao Yuan was forced into a desperate situation by Emperor Qingyuan, and had only two options.
Rather than waiting to die, it is better to fight to the death and survive.
Did Emperor Qingyuan know Cao Yuan’s plan?
Of course he knew.
He even welcomed it.
This way, we can both frame Cao and clear obstacles for Princess Zhaoyang. Why not do it?
It is true that the royal family is the most ruthless.
Du Qingtang put down the ink stick and started writing documents.
The eldest prince has been eliminated, who will be the next?
The tip of the wolf-hair brush left a black dot on the document, and a gentle face, yet revealing a sense of stupidity, appeared in front of Du Qingtang's eyes.
There was a knock on the door, and Du Qingtang said without even looking up: "Come in."
The clerk entered, bowed, and took the document in the upper right corner.
Du Qingtang let out a sigh of relief. The water in Xiajing was becoming more and more muddy.
But it suited her just fine.
The bigger the commotion, the easier it would be for her to kill that bastard Xia Qixuan and burn him to ashes.
-
In the afternoon, Du Qingtang finished his official business for the day, told the clerk to put any more documents on the table and left.
When we arrived at Huangzhuang, several researchers were standing by the tracks, testing a public bus.
So far, the institute has produced 17 trains and 38 buses.
Fifteen of them were sent to various provinces for cargo transportation, and the remaining two were used as passenger trains. They are now officially in use in Xiajing and surrounding provinces.
People traveling far away only needed to pay one or two taels of silver as fare and they could reach their destination within a day.
Compared with the time spent on the journey and the money needed for accommodation and meals, one or two taels of silver is not much, at least the people are willing to pay for it.
Last month, Academician Qi mentioned to Du Qingtang that the passenger train alone could make a profit of more than 100,000 taels of silver every month, which was undoubtedly a very impressive figure.
As for public buses, they now only operate in Xiajing and surrounding provinces, prefectures and counties, and the profit amount is also very gratifying.
Of course, there are also cases where train and bus ticket sellers deduct fares and pocket the money.
Considering that clear water has no fish, as long as the ticket sellers are not too greedy, the court will turn a blind eye and allow them to make some money for themselves.
When the researchers saw Du Qingtang, they all stopped and saluted: "Sir."
Du Qingtang nodded and went straight to the laboratory.
There was no progress with the extraction device yesterday, so maybe we need to change our approach today.
After all this busyness, when I looked up again it was already evening.
Another day of no progress.
Du Qingtang looked at the mess on the ground: "......"
Du Qingtang habitually rubbed his eyebrows to relieve the irritability in his heart.
When my fingertips touched my skin, a strange smell suddenly came into my nose.
Du Qingtang's eyes flickered, and he slowly raised his head, only to see his hands covered in oil.
Du Qingtang: “…”
When a person is unlucky, even drinking cold water will make his teeth ache.
Du Qingtang took a deep breath, dismantled the scrapped equipment, and decided to wait for Du Qi and Du Ba to come back with the tungsten ore.
If she still fails, she can only try to find a substitute for tungsten filament.
It doesn’t matter if the service life is short, because the ones who are being cheated are the princes, officials and wealthy merchants of Xiajing.
Collectively referred to as rich people.
If the filament is scrapped, just replace it with a new one. You have money anyway.
Du Qingtang rubbed his brow with his wrist, wiping off the oil stains on his fair skin. He took out his notebook, sat on the ground, and recalculated the data.
This is when the benefits of computers and assistants come into play. She has to do everything herself, big or small, which greatly delays the research progress.
When the imperial examination for women is opened next year, Du Qingtang will have to find a capable assistant for himself.
Du Qingtang was calculating aimlessly while holding the charcoal pencil, and soon entered a state of trance, leaving behind strings of data on the notebook.
Until Vice Dean Feng came and knocked on the door: "Sir, it's already the hour of Xu, the institute should be closed."
Du Qingtang suddenly came to his senses and was shocked to find that the laboratory was dark, with only moonlight coming in through the window, illuminating the paper in front of him.
"Understood. I will go back now."
"I respectfully send you off, my lord."
......
Two days later, Du Qi and Du Ba returned to Xiajing exhausted.
Du Qingtang received a truckload of tungsten ore. After urgently finishing his official duties, he rushed to the research institute without stopping.
On the other side, Commander Yang led 5,000 Tiger Guards on a carpet search, searching the area within a radius of 100 miles, but could not find even a trace of the bandits.
Commander Yang was a stubborn man, so he expanded the search area, but still returned empty-handed.
There was really no other way, so Commander Yang had to return to Beijing to report.
Upon learning of this, Emperor Qingyuan was furious and raged in the Golden Palace: "My son was beheaded by a criminal in broad daylight, but I cannot find the murderer and cannot avenge him. He cannot rest in peace in his grave. I am unworthy of being a father! I am unworthy of being a father!"
All the officials' faces changed drastically, and they knelt on the ground in a huge crowd: "Your Majesty, please calm down."
"Calm down? How can I calm down when the murderer is at large?" Emperor Qingyuan always smiled, but when he was furious, everyone was terrified. "If they dared to assassinate the prince today, they will dare to assassinate me tomorrow, or even massacre the entire royal family!"
There was a dead silence in the Golden Palace, with only Emperor Qingyuan's heavy breathing revealing his extreme inner restlessness.
After a long while, Shi Zishan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, perhaps those bandits disguised themselves as good citizens and blended into the streets, so the Tiger Guards couldn't find them."
Emperor Qingyuan pondered for a moment, then sat back on the dragon throne, his breathing gradually calming. "Minister Shi, your words make sense. Yang Zhen, I order you to lead the Tiger Guards to search every household. Anyone found suspicious will be imprisoned and severely interrogated."
"It is better to kill the innocent than to let him go!"
All the officials were shocked and held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Commander Yang knelt and kowtowed: "This general will obey your majesty's command."
Emperor Qingyuan paused, then continued, "Posthumously confer the title of Prince Shen on the eldest prince. After Prince Shen is buried, the throne will be inherited by Prince Shen's eldest son. He will be demoted one rank to Prince Shen, and will be granted the right to remain in the capital, enjoying the treatment of a prince, and the throne will be hereditary."
All officials had no objection.
The eldest prince... no, Prince Shen died tragically, the eldest legitimate son has not yet reached adulthood, and there are many weak women and children in the palace. When the new king ascends the throne one day, the title of Prince can protect one or two of them.
After the morning court session ended, Emperor Qingyuan rode away in a dragon carriage with a gloomy face.
All the officials walked down the stairs and watched the bright yellow carriage go away along the track, talking among themselves.
"I have never seen Your Majesty so angry."
"It's really... too much."
“If you do something knowing it’s impossible, you will suffer greatly.”
Everyone was keeping it a secret and searching for the three princes in the crowd.
The fifth prince wore a cloak and gently waved a folding fan, looking like a handsome and elegant gentleman. However, there was no trace of grief on his face for his brother's sudden death, which was really disheartening.
The Sixth Prince was sighing with the officials of the Sixth Prince's party about the impermanence of life, and said that he would go to Lingyan Temple to ask for an eternal lamp for Prince Shen.
The seventh prince was saddened by his brother's untimely death and said he wanted to go to Prince Shen's mansion to keep vigil for the eldest prince.
Everyone: “…”
The eldest prince has many legitimate and illegitimate children. Is it your turn as a half-brother?
Du Qingtang glanced at the three people loading goods, made no comment, and left alone.
The crown prince has been decided, so why should she get involved in this mess? She can just sit back and watch that bastard dig his own grave.
At that time, she wouldn't mind lighting a few firecrackers to celebrate and have fun.
......
After another five days, Du Qingtang finally built an extraction device.
Although the effect is not ideal, it is still a small improvement.
Du Qingtang put the tungsten powder of low purity into a special box, planning to continue his efforts tomorrow.
But if this happens, the original plan to use electric lights at the New Year's Eve palace banquet may be ruined.
When riding back to the city, the Tiger Guards were still marching through the streets, searching house by house, and there were complaints wherever they passed.
"What does the death of the prince have to do with us? It has caused panic among the people. Even in my dreams I see the ferocious face of the military master. I am so scared that I dare not sleep."
"I get weak at the sight of swords and knives, so how could I be the bandit who killed the prince?"
"When will this end? Will we be able to survive?"
When Du Qingtang returned to the Wen'an Marquis Mansion, it was already dark and pitch dark. Only the big red lantern at the door emitted a faint light.
Meng Fang stood beside the stone lion with a lantern. As soon as Zhuifeng stopped, he went to greet him: "Master."
Du Qingtang threw the reins to the doorman: "Is the Eighth Miss back?"
Meng Fang shook his head: "No."
Du Qingtang frowned and strode into the room.
Meng Fang walked in front of her right, lighting the way with a lantern. "Master, are you going to have your meal in the dining room, or back in the main courtyard?"
Du Qingtang said without hesitation: "Dining room."
By the way, wait for Du Qingju to come back.
Meng Fang responded softly and asked the maid to go to the kitchen to pass on the message.
Du Qingtang went to the dining room and was sitting by the fire when Du Qingju came back.
Just then the maid brought the food, and the two of them sat down next to each other, talking while eating.
Du Qingtang took a bite of the braised lion's head and asked, "Did you go to the Fifth Prince's Mansion?"
Du Qingju shook her head: "It's Prince Shen's Mansion."
Du Qingtang looked at her while holding his chopsticks: "I'm glad it's not the Fifth Prince's Mansion."
Du Qingju laughed and poured a bowl of hot soup for the youngest, letting it cool for a while before drinking. "Prince Shen passed away, and many of the women in the mansion were so sad that they couldn't help crying and fainted one after another. Princess Shen sent someone to the Female Medical Bureau to invite us to come to the mansion to take care of the legitimate daughters, concubines, and concubines."
"After being busy for most of the day, Princess Shen invited us to dinner in the evening. I thought you, Xianyu, must be waiting for me at home, so I declined and hurried back."
Du Qingtang warned, "Your Majesty has sent the Tiger Guards to thoroughly investigate the attack on Prince Shen. The city will be in turmoil for the next few days. Finish your business and return early, and go to a crowded area."
The youngest rarely talks too much, but Du Qingju doesn't find it annoying at all. Instead, she enjoys it very much and responds with a smile: "Don't worry, I'm safe with Jiaoyue here."
Thinking of the joke Jiaoyue made last night, Du Qingtang curled his lips.
Du Qingju saw her smile and immediately understood. Her face flushed a little. She coughed lightly and said, "That girl is straightforward and quite cute."
Du Qingtang didn't comment. He still had baby fat on his face and looked almost a generation younger than her.
The two chatted casually and then went their separate ways after dinner.
There has been new progress in the extraction of tungsten powder. Du Qingtang is in a good mood. After taking a bath, he sits under the lamp and reads a few pages of a book. He turns off the lights and goes to sleep at 11:00 p.m.
Emperor Qingyuan will surely be furious again at tomorrow's morning court session, so he must be fully alert to deal with it.
——Although Emperor Qingyuan’s grief was most likely pretended.
-
The next day, there will be a meeting.
As expected, Emperor Qingyuan punished several officials, stripped them of their official hats, and sent them back home to farm.
But this matter has nothing to do with Du Qingtang.
Those unlucky guys were from the Sixth Prince's party and the Seventh Prince's party. Seeing that Prince Shen had passed away and the Fifth Prince had lost the emperor's favor, they felt that the opportunity to serve the emperor was just around the corner, so they became arrogant and openly dozed off in the Golden Throne Hall.
Emperor Qingyuan lost his beloved son, and they happened to be caught in the crossfire, so they took the opportunity to attack and warn the Sixth and Seventh Princes.
The seven princes were furious when their two supporters were dismissed from their posts.
Unfortunately, the person above him is the emperor of the Xia Dynasty, and his majesty cannot be offended, so he can only swallow his anger.
After the court session, the Seventh Prince handed over all the official duties at hand to his subordinates in the Ministry of Revenue and left the palace directly.
As soon as the Seventh Prince left the palace, the imperial study received the news.
Emperor Qingyuan held the red brush in his hand, which hung in the air for a while before falling down. His voice was hoarse, "I understand."
Fu Rui secretly glanced at the solemn profile of His Majesty, sighed in his heart, and silently poured tea for His Majesty.
There is no such thing as perfection in life.
You have to give up something to gain something.
.......
The seventh prince left the palace and went to a three-story house in the south of the city. He came out around midnight.
The driver had been waiting outside, his voice hoarse and his words trembling: "Your Highness, should we go back home or..."
The Seventh Prince adjusted his waistband and said with a satisfied tone, "Return home."
Although he did not like his first wife, Mrs. Lu, he loved his two legitimate sons and daughters very much, and missed them very much if he did not see them for a day.
The seventh prince stepped onto a horse stool and got into the carriage. Before he could sit down, an arm like an iron clamp grabbed his throat.
“Puff—”
The sharp weapon entered the flesh, making a creepy sticky sound.
The Seventh Prince's eyes opened wide, almost popping out of their sockets.
He struggled and called for help.
"Let me go!"
"Save me!"
"Come...Ugh!"
The dagger slashed across the throat, and blood splattered.
The rumble of the carriage passed through alley after alley.
When they reached the depth of the alley, the curtains of the carriage moved without wind, and a black shadow rolled out of the carriage and fell to the ground with a "bang".
The driver cracked his whip and headed north of the city.
......
The next day, the morning light was dim.
The city of Xiajing seemed like a giant beast awakening from its slumber, slowly stretching its muscles and bones, opening its sharp eyes, and looking down at the world.
Zhang Dazhi, who lived at the end of Ruifu Hutong, got up in a daze, washed and ate in a daze, opened the gate in a daze, and prepared to go to work. However, the moment he stepped over the threshold, his eyes widened.
"Huh? Why is there someone lying at the door?"
Zhang Dazhi's wife, Liu Xuemei, was picking vegetables in the yard and didn't hear clearly: "What did you say?"
"ah!"
In response to Liu Xuemei, Zhang Dazhi's scream was filled with terror.
"Bang!"
Liu Xuemei's eyelids jumped at the dull thud of a heavy object falling to the ground. She quickly put down the cabbage in her hand and ran out, muttering to herself, "What bad luck this morning..."
He ran to the door and almost stepped on Zhang Dazhi who was lying under the threshold.
Liu Xuemei braked suddenly, held onto the door frame to steady herself, kicked forward, and stuck her head out to see the person Zhang Dazhi mentioned lying at the door.
The next moment, Liu Xuemei screamed in fear, stepped back repeatedly, and fell to the ground: "Dead, dead!"
-
After the eldest prince, Prince Shen, the seventh prince was killed again.
The seventh prince was also beheaded, his head disappeared, and only his body was left lying in the cold alley.
When the news spread, the entire city of Xiajing was in an uproar.
"What hatred or grudge is there? Why did that villain target the prince?"
"My second uncle's third aunt's nephew who works in the Duke's Mansion told me that the princes in the palace are fighting for the throne like black-eyed chickens. What do you think is..."
"It's probably as you guessed. How could an ordinary person dare to cut off the prince's head without fear of implicating his entire clan?"
"He's so cruel to his own brother! I hope Your Majesty will catch him quickly and never let him become the next emperor!"
"That's right, otherwise Daxia would be destroyed in his hands."
Officials in the court were also discussing this matter.
Originally they only had some guesses, but now that the seventh prince has died, their guesses have become even more certain.
Prince Shen and the Seventh Prince died tragically, leaving only the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince.
So the question is, who is the murderer?
"It's most likely the Fifth Prince. Although the Cao clan behind him isn't as strong as before, they shouldn't be underestimated. They have many talented people under their wing. Maybe there's a staff member with superb martial arts skills who can defeat a hundred people alone."
"I actually think it's the Sixth Prince, but everyone else thinks it's the Fifth Prince. Isn't this the best cover?"
"Hiss—that makes sense!"
An official from the Sixth Prince's Party who happened to be passing by: "???"
The official was horrified and went straight to the Ministry of Rites where the Sixth Prince was. He approached stealthily and asked in a veiled manner, "Your Highness, did you really send someone to kill Prince Shen and the Seventh Prince?"
The Sixth Prince: “???”
The Sixth Prince was stunned for a moment, then angrily slammed the table, shaking his teacup three times. "Nonsense! Your Highness has always acted uprightly. If you want the throne, you can fight for it openly. Why take such a risk and do something so foolish that will bring about your own destruction?"
The official breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good."
This matter has become too serious and cannot be easily resolved.
If it was done by the Sixth Prince, Your Majesty will certainly not let him go. At the very least, he will be stripped of his status as a prince, and at the worst, he will be executed.
The fifth prince ascended the throne, and the Cao family once again dominated the government. What good will happen to those who cling to the sixth prince?
On the other side, the Minister of Justice was also asking the Fifth Prince, "Your Highness, was this your fault?"
The Fifth Prince flipped through the documents nonchalantly, not even looking up: "Of course not."
The Minister of Justice observed the Fifth Prince's expression secretly and saw nothing unusual, so he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"It's not the best. Now it's just you and the Sixth Prince. No matter whose name is written on the imperial edict appointing the crown prince, you have the best chance of winning. You must not act rashly. A single misstep could lead to eternal regret."
The Fifth Prince was tired of listening to his rambling and waved his hand: "Your Highness has important matters to attend to. Sir Zhang, please return."
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice thought about the fifth prince's seven-month pregnant daughter, and then looked at the fifth prince's attitude towards him. Not to mention being respectful to him like his father-in-law, it seemed more like he treated him as something that could be summoned and dismissed at will.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice felt distressed, bowed, and turned to leave.
......
The next day, in the Golden Palace.
Emperor Qingyuan sat on a high throne, his scrutinizing gaze moving between the fifth and sixth princes.
All the officials observed secretly and found that Emperor Qingyuan stared at the fifth prince for the longest time, and their minds became active.
On that day, several officials showed goodwill to the Sixth Prince.
The Sixth Prince accepted everyone who came and took them under his command.
Since it has been confirmed that it was done by the fifth prince, he is definitely the next emperor.
In view of their sincere attitude and their servility towards him, he could promote one or two of them and replace all officials above the third rank with his people.
At the same time, Fu Rui left the palace with an imperial edict and came to the Seventh Prince's Mansion.
Inside the Seventh Prince's residence, the Seventh Prince's wife, dressed in plain clothes, knelt before the Seventh Prince's coffin, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably: "Your Highness, Huai'er and Tong'er are less than a year old. How could you bear to abandon us, mother and son?"
Behind her knelt twenty or thirty beautiful women who were also dressed in plain clothes. Each of them was holding a handkerchief and sobbing.
"Your Highness, you died so tragically, wuwuwu..."
"Your Highness, please open your eyes and look at me, wuwuwu..."
"Your Highness, if you leave me, how will I and my two sisters survive? Wuwuwu..."
Fu Rui felt as if a hundred trains were passing by his ears, making so much noise that his head hurt. He flicked his whisk and the eunuchs covered the mouths of the seventh prince's concubine and the second wife and dragged them aside.
The Seventh Prince's wife realized something was amiss and turned around to see someone else in the funeral room. She vaguely thought it was the Imperial Steward. She quickly wiped her tears and stood up to ask, "What's going on, Eunuch?"
Fu Rui glanced at the coffin imperceptibly, his eyes showing a fleeting expression of reluctance. Then he turned cold and held the imperial edict in his hand: "Your Majesty has specially ordered this servant to come and announce the decree."
Everyone's expression changed slightly, and they hurriedly straightened their appearance and knelt down.
Fu Rui opened the imperial edict and read aloud: "By the Will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The seventh prince shall be posthumously named Prince of Ning. After Prince Ning is buried, his legitimate son shall inherit the throne. He shall be demoted one rank to Prince of Ning County. He shall be specially permitted to remain in the capital and enjoy the treatment of a prince. This hereditary title shall be passed down through the generations. I decree this!"
Joy flashed across the eyes of the Seventh Prince's wife, no, Princess Ning, but when she looked up again, her eyes were filled with tears, and she sobbed uncontrollably: "Your Highness... Thank you for your grace, Father."
In the corner, the concubine who gave birth to the eldest son out of wedlock gritted her teeth and stared at Fu Rui, wishing she could snatch the bright yellow imperial edict and change its name to her son's.
Unfortunately, it is just wishful thinking after all.
From now on, all the women who lived during the reign of Prince Ning will rely on Princess Ning for their livelihood. This is just how the tide of fortune turns.
Fu Rui stepped forward and personally helped Princess Ning up, his voice so low that it was inaudible: "Please, Princess, teach the Prince well. Your good days are yet to come."
......
After Du Qingju finished teaching the doctors, she hurried to Prince Ning's Mansion. It was already evening.
Princess Ning knelt in front of the coffin for four hours and is now resting next to the funeral house.
Du Qingju walked in and saw that Princess Ning looked haggard and pale. She stepped forward quickly and said, "Princess, I am deeply saddened."
Princess Ning did not miss the worry in Du Qingju's eyes. Her heart warmed and she subconsciously took hold of her wide sleeves and said softly, "Doctor Du, I'm not sad."
Du Qingju was stunned.
Princess Ning smiled, her eyes curved. Although she was a mother, she still had the charming charm of a young girl. "Do you know why his body was found in the south of the city?"
Du Qingju shook her head.
Princess Ning whispered in her ear, the gentle breeze hitting her skin, making it tingle. "He went to look for the concubine he kept in the south of the city."
Du Qingju: “???”
Du Qingju: “…”
Isn’t it enough that there are women in the Ning Wang Mansion’s courtyard? Does he need to keep women outside?
Du Qingju felt that Prince Ning had a mental problem, but she couldn't say anything. She only said dryly: "In the eyes of many men, a wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret lover, and uneaten shit always tastes better."
Princess Ning had never heard such vulgar remarks before, and her face turned red.
Du Qingju added, "But this is also good. You now have both a son and a daughter. You just need to raise them up. Good fortune is yet to come."
Princess Ning recalled what Fu Rui had said, and the smile in her eyes deepened: "Doctor Du is absolutely right."
Without the dirty man and with her children still young, the huge Ning Wang Mansion was hers to rule.
Her good days have just begun.
-
The successive deaths of two princes caused panic in the court.
All the civil and military officials in the court were trembling with fear. Even the Fifth Prince's party and the Sixth Prince's party did not try to trip each other up. They just fought each other and did their jobs honestly. They did not dare to make any small moves for fear of angering Emperor Qingyuan and bringing disaster upon themselves.
Five days passed in a flash.
The Huben Army turned Xiajing City and the surrounding area within a radius of 100 miles upside down, causing widespread complaints from the people, but they still failed to find any clues.
Emperor Qingyuan scolded Commander Yang for his incompetence in front of all the officials and punished him with ten strokes of the cane.
——The kind where you take off your pants and beat him in public.
After the fight, Commander Yang knelt before His Highness and pounded the ground with his head.
Emperor Qingyuan said coldly, "I'll give you five more days. If you still don't bring the murderer to justice, I'll chop off your head!"
Commander Yang kowtowed and said, "I obey your orders."
After the morning court session, all the officials filed out of the Golden Palace.
"Your Majesty's anger is growing stronger day by day. Who knows, one day he might turn on us."
"If you ask me, it would be better to just arrest those two instead of letting Yang Zhen search aimlessly."
"This is unfounded, it's difficult!"
The sound of discussion came into his ears on the wind as Commander Yang limped out of the palace.
The Tiger Guards waiting outside the palace saw this and rushed forward: "Commander!"
Commander Yang waved his hand and said, "It's okay, we'll talk about it when we get back."
Back at the Huben Camp, Commander Yang summoned his trusted aides and said, "From now on, you are responsible for..."
After saying that, Commander Yang waved his hand and said, "Go."
The confidant clasped his fists and said, "I'll take my leave."
......
For the next four days, the Tiger Guards continued their carpet search.
Anyone who was suspicious was thrown into jail and interrogated overnight.
But without exception, even if they were guilty, they had nothing to do with the assassination of the prince.
After working for more than ten days, he gained nothing and was cursed by people inside and outside the city. His reputation was as bad as a rat crossing the street, and everyone wanted to kill him.
"It seems that Yang Zhen's life is in danger."
"Logically speaking, the group of 'bandits' who assassinated Prince Shen were quite numerous, so they would have left traces anyway. How could there be nothing found?"
"Alas, unless Your Majesty punishes those two...these are destined to be two unsolved cases."
Just at this moment, the fifth prince passed by the duty room door. The two officials immediately fell silent and lowered their heads, pretending to be very busy.
The fifth prince went straight into his duty room without looking around and started to handle official business.
This writing was not finished until the hour of You.
As night fell, the cold wind howled and slammed against the windows.
The fifth prince put on his cloak and walked out of the palace along the palace road.
Outside the palace gate, the coachman had been waiting for a long time. When he saw the fifth prince coming out, he quickly put down the riding stool.
The fifth prince stepped onto a horse stool and got into the carriage, and the heavy curtain fell.
The driver put away the horse stool, jumped onto the shaft, and whipped the cart towards the east of the city.
Halfway through the journey, a loud noise suddenly came from the carriage, breaking the silence of the night.
The Tiger Guards, who were hiding in the dark under the orders of Commander Yang and were responsible for protecting the fifth and sixth princes, suddenly contracted their pupils when they heard the noise. They immediately showed up and forced the carriage to stop without caring about anything else.
The driver sneered and pulled out a scimitar from under the horse stool: "You overestimate your abilities!"
A part of the Huben Army fought with the charioteers, and the clanging sounds of swords and knives were endless.
Another part of the Tiger Guards went straight to the carriage.
Before they got close, the curtain of the carriage suddenly rose, a cold light flashed in the night, and a man in black jumped out of the carriage, swinging his sword at the Huben Army.
What approached before the scimitar was the strong smell of blood.
not good!
Several Tiger Guards looked at each other and attacked the man in black.
The Huben troops are the elite in the army and are very skilled. When they unite to fight the enemy, the outcome will be clear at a glance.
The two sides fought for dozens of rounds, and the man in black was eventually defeated and gradually fell into a disadvantage. He was kicked in the chest by the Tiger Guards and flew backwards, hitting a stone lion on the street.
There was a "crack" sound, a crisp sound of broken bones.
The Tiger Guards rushed forward and quickly cut off the man in black's jaw, hands and feet.
Another Tiger Guard rushed to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and the next moment his expression suddenly changed -
The fifth prince's throat was cut so deep that the bone was visible, and blood gushed out.
He leaned against the seat, motionless, as if he had already died.
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