Chu Qingluan knew nothing about Xie Yunqi's discovery of the scroll.
At this time, she was already sitting in the carriage heading to the palace, thinking about the evidence she had learned in the past two days.
According to the inspection by the Ministry of Justice, the adhesive on the tail feathers of the arrows used by the assassin is different from the adhesive used in the Northern Border ordnance.
It is made of deep-sea fish maw that is abundant in the southeast region. The mother of the third prince Chu Hong, Concubine Jiang, happened to be born in the southeast region. She was the daughter of a local tribal leader and was presented to the King of Chu as a gift and became a concubine in the harem.
Because Concubine Jiang was very beautiful, gentle and considerate, she was very much loved by the Emperor of Chu, so she was allowed as an exception to keep the third prince by her side, and to study in the Shangshufang with the crown prince and participate in political affairs.
And it seems that the Gu family was also behind the assassination of Xie Yunqi this time.
Chu Qingluan thought, it seems that Pei Yuan's previous analysis was correct. The Gu family had indeed reached a private cooperation with her third brother, choosing to assassinate Xie Yunqi on the day she returned to the palace, and then put the blame on herself. Let the prince and herself fight each other, and he will benefit in the end.
It seems that she has to find some time to meet her third brother.
Soon, the carriage traveled smoothly all the way and arrived at the palace.
Inside the Yangxin Palace, Emperor Chu was reviewing memorials. When he saw Chu Qingluan come in, a warm smile appeared on his face.
"Your son greets you, father. May your father be well." Chu Qingluan knelt down and saluted.
Emperor Chu put down his red brush and waved to her: "Qingluan, you are here, please sit down."
"I've returned to the capital these past few days. Are you used to living here? Your Princess Mansion has been uninhabited for three years. Do you want me to ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to buy some more things for you?"
Chu Qingluan sat down on the embroidered cushion beside the dragon table and said with a faint smile: "Thank you for your concern, father. I am doing fine."
The King of Chu nodded in satisfaction, and then asked casually, "I heard that Qi Che has come to your house and become a horse slave?"
"Replying to Father, yes!"
Chu Qingluan's expression did not change, "Since he dared to betray me, he should pay the price."
Emperor Chu carefully observed her expression and asked, "Do you still have feelings for him?"
Chu Qingluan raised her head and looked at the Emperor of Chu quietly. She found that he seemed to have a few more white hairs on his temples, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had deepened a lot.
Knowing that his father was concerned about him, he said, "Don't worry, father. When I see him now, it's like seeing a dirty rag. I just want to throw it away."
"As for his entering the palace, it was Prime Minister Xie who did it, saying that he wanted to vent his anger on behalf of his son."
Upon hearing this, the King of Chu laughed out loud: "Great! This is the demeanor that a royal princess should have."
He patted Chu Qingluan's hand with relief, but then suddenly sighed, with a hint of worry appearing between his brows.
"I am very pleased that you can look at it in a positive light, but..."
The King of Chu hesitated and turned to look out the window. "My body is becoming increasingly weak lately..."
At this time, Eunuch Yao stepped forward and poured a cup of hot tea for the Emperor of Chu. He interrupted with a worried look on his face, "Your Majesty was reviewing memorials until three o'clock yesterday, and this morning he coughed up blood... Hey, Your Majesty, you must take care of your health."
"Why are you so talkative!" The Emperor of Chu pretended to scold, but he couldn't help coughing a few times, and his pale face looked even more sickly.
Chu Qingluan hurried forward to support him: "Father, please take care of your health."
The King of Chu waved his hands and leaned weakly on the chair. "What I am most worried about is you. Although Pei Yuan is in charge of some military power now, he is still an outsider, and you are still a woman. If you don't have a reliable prince consort to support you..."
"Father!" Chu Qingluan interrupted him, "I just want to focus on government affairs now. There is no rush for marriage."
She had already vaguely felt that her father had summoned her into the palace today most likely for her own marriage.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chu felt his chest becoming increasingly heavy and he suddenly started coughing violently.
Eunuch Yao hurriedly handed over the handkerchief, and after a moment, bright red bloodstains were clearly seen on it.
"His Majesty!"
Chu Qingluan's pupils shrank slightly and her chest swelled.
But the Emperor Chu forced himself to smile, "It's okay... Qingluan, I'm not forcing you, it's just..." He held Chu Qingluan's hand tremblingly, "Just think of it as reassuring me, okay?"
"Qingluan, you should understand that if you want to sit in this position, you have to know how to make some choices. You and Pei Yuan are childhood sweethearts, and he will assist you very well. As for Xie Yunqi..."
Emperor Chu paused, then continued: "If you like him, it's not impossible to marry him, but the family..."
Chu Qingluan could no longer hear the rest of the words.
Her eyes widened and she could hardly believe her ears.
My mind was filled with shock at the words of the Emperor Chu.
Father, do you want to listen to what you are saying?
Pei Yuan and Xie Yunqi, she was asked to marry them both?
What is going on?
But the Emperor of Chu looked serious, and also had a bit of understanding from an experienced person: "Qingluan, father is an open-minded person. If you really can't make a decision, you can follow the old example of Princess Anle of the previous dynasty..."
"Father!" Chu Qingluan stood up suddenly and almost choked on her own saliva. Her fair face turned red.
"I only have a relationship with General Pei as a subject to his sovereign. As for Prime Minister Xie..." She gritted her teeth and said, "I wish I could throw him out of the Princess's mansion!"
"Okay, okay, don't worry." The Emperor of Chu stroked his beard and smiled, but there was a shrewd light in his eyes.
"We should meet the Prince of Zhenbei, right? I heard that he is very handsome and has excellent riding and archery skills..."
Chu Qingluan only felt his temple throbbing.
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