"Zhaoyang? Why are you here? Didn't you go out of the palace to buy things?" Concubine Xie suppressed the doubts in her heart and greeted Chu Qingluan.
Chu Qingluan was not sure about the role played by Concubine Xie in this conspiracy. Was she an insider or a collaborator?
Or was he being kept in the dark? But no matter what, he couldn't reveal it at this moment.
She tried her best to conceal the emotions in her eyes, recalling the recent arrogance and arrogance of the imposter, nodded slightly, and said:
"I did leave the palace just now, but halfway through, I suddenly remembered that I left a very important gift list with my father, so I returned to read it. Coincidentally, my cousin Jiuge also wanted to visit my father, so she came along."
Upon hearing this, Qin Jiuge performed a standard etiquette towards Concubine Xie in a neutral manner. It was impeccable.
Concubine Xie looked between the two of them, with a smile on her face.
She always felt that all this was too coincidental. Hadn't the princess never had any contact with Qin Jiuge during this period? Why did they suddenly become friends again today?
Concubine Xie always felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
She walked to the dragon bed and checked on the Emperor of Chu with a look of concern. Then, she asked casually, "So that's how it is. I'm just not sure what the important gift list is that would trouble Your Highness to come all the way back? Wouldn't it be better to have a servant bring it to you?"
Chu Qingluan knew she was testing him, but she remained calm. "It's just some tedious old rituals. After all, it concerns the dignity of the royal family. I just want to confirm it myself."
Concubine Xie raised her eyebrows and was about to ask something else when the Emperor of Chu suddenly coughed a few times, his voice sounding weak as if he had been ill.
"Okay, these are just some small things. Is it worth you to keep talking about them here?"
He looked at Concubine Xie with a calm expression, "If Concubine Xie has nothing else to do, please go back. I'm a little tired and want to rest for a while."
Concubine Xie's face turned a little ugly. This old man ordered her to leave as soon as she arrived. She opened her mouth to say something, but heard the King of Chu say again:
"By the way, ask Yao Jinzhong to come and serve me. I'm not used to him being away these days."
Concubine Xie's face froze, and she subconsciously looked up at Chu Qingluan. She winked at her calmly.
Chu Qingluan understood that Concubine Xie was going to come forward and reject her father herself.
I think she often did this before, using that fake person's mouth to reject her father and hurt his heart.
But this time it was her real Chu Qingluan who was here, so how could she make Concubine Xie happy?
"Your Majesty is right. I see that the servants around you are not very attentive and I am afraid they are not considerate enough. I will immediately order Eunuch Yao to come and serve you. He has been by your side for many years and is the most prudent. With him by your side, I can feel more at ease. I will go to the palace and personally bring Eunuch Yao over!"
Concubine Xie was a little annoyed, and the smile on her face was a little hard to maintain.
This damn girl actually dared to disobey her. Didn’t she understand the look in her eyes just now?
But Concubine Xie is now in charge of the six palaces, and she has already instructed the people below to take good care of Yao Jinzhong. If Chu Qingluan sends Qin Jiuge over now, if he sees the old man's miserable condition or makes him say something he shouldn't, the consequences will be disastrous.
Concubine Xie's thoughts raced, and she immediately smiled softly, "Your Highness is truly filial, but how can I, a mere servant, trouble you to come in person? Why not let me find someone to pass on the message? Your Highness, please focus on the important matters of the wedding."
She tried to downplay the matter and once again used the 'big wedding' to remind and pressure her.
But how could Chu Qingluan let her succeed?
"Your Highness, your words are wrong. Although Eunuch Yao is a servant, he has served the Emperor closely for many years. Even if he has no merit, he has worked hard. Now that the Emperor is ill, he needs the care of an old servant. I, your son, personally inquire about this. This will demonstrate the Emperor's grace and let those serving know that as long as they are loyal to their master, the Emperor will not treat them unfairly. You must not let the hearts of loyal servants grow cold and give rise to inappropriate thoughts."
These words were obviously spoken to Concubine Xie, but in fact, every word was a warning.
Concubine Xie placed new people in her place and neglected the old ones, which might even cause the people below her to become disloyal, referring to the palace maids who had served her previously.
Concubine Xie felt so suffocated by these airtight words that her long nails almost dug into her palms.
She laughed dryly twice: "Your Highness is thoughtful, it is I who am short-sighted. In that case, I will do as Your Highness says."
After she finished speaking, she glanced at the trusted palace maid beside her. The trusted palace maid immediately and silently withdrew, intending to clean up the situation before Chu Qingluan went to the palace.
Chu Qingluan watched the whole scene silently, but did not say anything to stop it.
The most important thing right now is to bring Eunuch Yao to my father's side. As for the grievances he has suffered, they will be settled at that time.
——
On the other side, Lin Qi also presented the investigation materials to Chu Hong.
"Your Highness, I have learned that there is a forbidden technique in the Western Regions that can completely transform a person's appearance without revealing any flaws."
"Oh?" There was a cold light in Chu Hong's eyes.
"This technique is called 'Painted Skin, Soul-Snatching.' It's said that a specially prepared medicinal concoction is used to soak the skin, softening the bones and muscles. Then, a human skin mask, pre-carved to the target's appearance, is placed on the recipient's face. The recipient must endure the excruciating pain of having their bones scraped out and their heart ripped out. Furthermore, once the technique is successful, the recipient can only appear in this mask for the rest of their lives. If it is forcibly removed, the patient will suffer disfigurement at best, and death at worst."
"Peel off the skin..." Chu Hong muttered these words, and suddenly thought of something, and his eyes suddenly became sharp.
"Then are you sure that Gu Yanran is dead?"
When Lin Qi heard this, his body stiffened suddenly and his head dropped even lower.
"I failed in my duty. Although I had that evil woman thrown into death row, I didn't anticipate that she had secretly bribed the jailer. She took advantage of the guard's drunkenness, disguised herself as a jailer, and escaped through a secret passage. Later, because Your Highness suddenly received an imperial decree to travel to Daqin, I was busy preparing my luggage and was negligent in sending people in pursuit..."
At this point, Lin Qi's mind suddenly lit up and his pupils suddenly dilated.
"Your Highness, are you saying... that the fake princess in the palace is Gu Yanran?!"
This realization made Lin Qi's heart tremble, and cold sweat instantly seeped out of his back.
The so-called scourge that lasts for thousands of years probably refers to people like Gu Yanran.
Every time he was on the edge of death, but he managed to escape by luck every time.
If she really stayed in the palace as the Crown Princess, the consequences would be unimaginable.
After learning the truth, there was a dead silence between the master and servant.
Chu Hong's brows were twisted into the shape of a "川" character, and his face was full of regret.
If I had known earlier, I should have killed that witch with a knife instead of just peeling off her face.
"Investigate immediately! I want to know the exact information!"
"Yes!" Lin Qi accepted the order and his figure quickly blended into the night.
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