Zhou Shi clasped his fists and replied, "Your Majesty, last night, Concubine Yuande and her personal maid, Nanny Jiang, returned to their residence to rest. Unexpectedly, a scream was heard in the middle of the night, followed by Nanny Jiang's cry for help. I, along with the other guards, immediately went to the Concubine's residence to check. Unexpectedly, she was found lying in a pool of blood, her face pale and dying. Nanny Jiang had also suffered minor injuries in her eagerness to protect her master. I and the others only saw a dark shadow flash past the window. When we chased it out, there was no trace of the suspicious person. Nanny Jiang later explained that the shadow was the assassin who stabbed the Concubine. She was also unaware of the specific reason. The imperial mausoleum's female doctor could only barely stop the bleeding for the Concubine, but the mausoleum was short of medicinal materials. Therefore, I have risked my life to come and ask for Your Majesty's will."
Zhou Shi spoke quickly, briefly but accurately repeating what happened last night, and then fell silent, waiting for Emperor Yu Gan's decree.
After all, although Concubine Yuande was the late emperor's concubine and Prince Chen's biological mother, she was now punished to guard the late emperor's body in the imperial mausoleum, a crime she bore. If Zhou Shi spoke too much on Concubine Yuande's behalf, he was afraid that if His Majesty became furious, he would suffer as well.
Emperor Yugan stared at Zhou Shi who was kneeling below, and pointed his index fingers at the table at the same time. His mind was in a whirlwind of thoughts, and his stern face was cold and ruthless, looking like a frosted leaf in late autumn, covered with frost.
After a while, Emperor Yugan's cold voice slowly echoed in the hall, "Is this matter known only to the tomb guards? Before you came to the palace, did you send anyone to Prince Chen's mansion?"
Hearing the emperor's question, Eunuch Yu on the side dared not say a word. If Prince Chen knew about such a big thing, it would cause a huge uproar. Prince Chen would then take the opportunity to bring Concubine Yuande back to Prince Chen's Mansion, and the emperor's efforts would be in vain.
"Your Majesty, no. The matter is urgent, so I left the rest of the mausoleum guards to strictly guard the imperial mausoleum, and came to the palace alone to report the matter." Although Zhou Shi was not good at dealing with court affairs, he knew in his heart that the relationship between the emperor and Prince Chen was like ice and fire. How could he do such a stupid thing and dig his own grave?
"Very good." Emperor Yu Gan was quite satisfied with Zhou Shi's approach. He praised him and then fell into deep thought again.
The hall was so quiet that even the sound of a pin drop could be heard clearly. Zhou She knelt on the ground waiting for Emperor Yu Gan's decision on the matter. Listening to the sound of heavy rain splashing on the ground outside the hall and smelling the incense burning in the canary copper in the hall, Zhou She felt a chill all over his body, but he didn't dare to speak at this moment. He could only kneel upright in the hall and wait for the imperial edict.
On the other hand, Emperor Yugan's expression was mysterious. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked outside the palace. There was a hint of coldness in his calm and wise expression, and it seemed mixed with a hint of murderous intent. There was a little force on his thin lips, as if he was considering the matter and not letting himself take any wrong steps easily.
Time passed by bit by bit, and the sky outside gradually darkened. Seeing that the light in the hall was too dim, Eunuch Yu winked at the palace servants beside him. The palace servants who had been standing for a long time immediately retreated quietly to the candlesticks around, lit the red candles, and then covered the lampshades. The dim hall instantly became as bright as day, forming a sharp contrast with the sky outside.
Eunuch Yu glanced at Zhou Shi, who was kneeling below, and saw that his clothes were soaked. He knew that Zhou Shi had not taken precautions against rain on the way from the imperial mausoleum to the palace, which was why he ended up in such a miserable state.
At this moment, the sound of bells and drums could be heard outside the palace. Eunuch Yu took the opportunity to whisper to Emperor Yugan, "Your Majesty, the palace gates are locked."
Hearing Eunuch Yu's voice, Emperor Yugan seemed to come back to his senses. He put away all the emotions in his eyes and looked at Zhou Shi indifferently. He said in a deep voice: "In that case, little Yuzi, you take him to the Imperial Hospital and select two imperial physicians to accompany Zhou Shi back to the Imperial Mausoleum to treat Concubine Yuande."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Eunuch Yu accepted the order and led Zhou She out of the hall. The two of them rushed into the rain with umbrellas in hand, heading towards the Imperial Hospital...
"Your Majesty..." At this time, Zhang Lan walked in quickly from outside the hall and knelt in the hall.
"What's the matter?" Emperor Yugan's voice was low, but with a hint of displeasure. It must be because of Concubine Yuande's matter.
"Your Majesty, Prince Chen has entered the palace to request an audience with the Emperor." Zhang Lan had been guarding outside the palace the entire time, so he naturally heard some of the conversation inside. He was a little hesitant, but he still told the truth about Prince Chen.
As expected, upon hearing this, Emperor Yugan's brows furrowed suddenly, a cold gleam and murderous intent flickered in his eyes. He withdrew his fingers that had been tapping the table and clenched them tightly. His tightly pursed lips seemed to be filled with anger. After a long while, he asked in a cold voice, "What is he doing here?"
"Your Majesty, Prince Chen seems to have an urgent matter and has already arrived at the gate of the inner palace." Zhang Lan spoke in a deep voice with a serious expression on his face. If Prince Chen had any ill intentions, the Imperial Guards would definitely do their utmost to protect the Emperor and would never let Prince Chen take advantage of any opportunity.
As soon as Zhang Lan finished speaking, he felt a sharp gaze from the palace. He knew without hesitation that Prince Chen had angered the Emperor. Prince Chen's audacity was enough to cause another dispute between him and the Emperor.
"Go and tell Prince Chen that I have gone to bed. No matter how serious the matter is, we will discuss it at court tomorrow morning." How could Emperor Yugan allow Prince Chen to lead him around by the nose? With just one word, he could stop Prince Chen and suppress all matters. This was the imperial power, which no one could or dared to disobey.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhang Lan immediately agreed, stood up and hurried out of the hall.
But before Zhang Lan even stepped out of the hall's threshold, he saw the tightly closed door being forcefully pushed open. Jiang Muchen, wearing a slightly damp crimson court robe, strode in with a sullen expression...
"Prince Chen, are you planning a rebellion? When did I summon you to the palace? Have you forgotten the palace rules? The palace gates are locked now. How dare you, a prince, barge in? Aren't you afraid of my punishment?" Seeing Prince Chen rushing in with murderous intent, Emperor Yugan slammed the table and stood up from the dragon throne. Pointing with his right hand at Prince Chen, who was trotting below, he shouted in anger, "Zhang Lan, arrest Prince Chen for me! If I don't punish someone who disobeys the law according to the law, I'm afraid you'll become lawless and disregard me."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhang Lan received the order, drew his sword, and walked towards King Chen.
Unexpectedly, Prince Chen suddenly stopped at this moment, knelt on his knees, and bowed to Emperor Yugan. He said in a clear and cold voice: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the emperor."
Who could have thought that King Chen would be so polite today?
Now seeing him kneeling on the ground, Zhang Lan immediately retracted the sword in his hand, stood aside and turned his gaze to Emperor Yugan, waiting for the emperor to speak.
"What are you doing?" Seeing that Prince Chen suddenly gave in today, Emperor Yugan couldn't help but frown, and his eyes flashed with thought. He wondered in his heart the real reason why Prince Chen entered the palace tonight.
Prince Chen knelt upright in the hall, his gaze unwavering. His expression was stern yet tinged with anxiety. His voice, though cold, contained a hint of urgency. "Your Majesty, I heard that Concubine Yuande was injured by an assassin in the imperial mausoleum and is now seriously injured. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to visit Concubine Yuande in the mausoleum."
After he finished speaking, he saw Emperor Yugan of the Chen Dynasty kowtow three times, begging the emperor to let him go.
After hearing Prince Chen's request, Zhang Lan's heart tightened and his eyes immediately fixed on Emperor Yugan's expression. His emotions surged like a tide, and deep worry gradually welled up in his eyes.
Zhou Shi had just left when Prince Chen had already received the news. Furthermore, the palace gates had been locked an hour earlier. Prince Chen was so well-informed; it was obvious that spies had already been planted within the palace to tip him off. It was truly extremely dangerous for these people to remain with the Emperor.
However, Prince Chen had been clashing with the Emperor for years, always exposing his power to the public. Had Concubine Yuande not been injured today, the public would likely remain unaware of Prince Chen's influence, extending far beyond the harem and making it difficult to defend against. But Prince Chen lost his usual composure simply because of Concubine Yuande's injury. How could someone with such a fragile temperament have truly expanded his power to such an extent?
A series of contradictory thoughts suddenly flashed through Zhang Lan's mind. Zhang Lan's gaze suddenly turned to Jiang Muchen beside him, but he found that the other party had a stern face and looked extremely noble. His cold expression made it impossible to see through his heart. He was truly unfathomable.
Emperor Yugan suppressed his anger and glared at Prince Chen below. His hands, dangling at his sides and hidden in his sleeves, had already been clenched into fists. His lips were tightly pursed, as if he would burst into a rage at any moment. After a long while, Emperor Yugan managed to say through his teeth, "It seems that Prince Chen knows everything about the palace."
It was a very light and innocent sentence, but it contained infinite murderous intent, which made the palace people nervous, fearing that they would be implicated by Prince Chen.
In the hall, apart from Emperor Yugan who had spoken these words, Jiang Muchen was the only one who remained calm. His icy face remained indifferent. After hearing Emperor Yugan's words, he simply replied in a cold voice, "The Dowager Concubine Yuande is my biological mother. What's wrong with me caring more about my mother? Filial piety is the most important virtue. My mother entered the imperial mausoleum for me. I am only expressing my filial piety as a son. I hope Your Majesty will fulfill this filial piety of mine."
"Bang!" Little did he know that the more Jiang Muchen said, the rage in Emperor Yugan's heart intensified. He slammed his fist on the dragon table in front of him, then laughed in anger. He pointed his right finger at the kneeling Prince Chen below and nodded again and again, saying with a smile: "Well, well, you've found a good excuse. Filial piety is the first of all virtues! You are indeed a good son! Then, let me ask you, which of 'Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents, and Teacher' or 'loyalty and filial piety' comes first?"
Hearing this, Jiang Muchen's eyebrows slightly twitched together before he replied, "'Jun' and 'Zhong' come first."
After hearing Prince Chen's answer, Emperor Yugan sneered and accused, "Hmph! I think you're confused, and you've become even more confused over the years. Now that the palace gates are locked, you, a prince, actually violate ancestral rules and trespass into the imperial palace. Is this your 'loyalty' to me? What do I, the king, mean in your eyes? You know you're being unfilial, but do you still want to be disloyal now?"
At the end, Emperor Yugan's voice rose slightly, filled with anger and accusation.
Every sentence and every word here represents a serious crime. I am afraid that in Emperor Yugan's heart, he must severely punish Prince Chen today.
But Prince Chen's face remained expressionless, his voice cold and hard, revealing his determination. "Your Majesty, there are priorities. The Concubine Dowager is now seriously injured. As her own son, how can I stand by and watch my mother do nothing? I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to go to the Imperial Mausoleum. When the Concubine Dowager recovers, I will return to answer for my crime."
"The imperial mausoleum is a sacred place, how can we allow others to enter and exit at will? There are soldiers guarding the mausoleum, as well as imperial doctors and female doctors. The dowager concubine will be taken care of. You should not worry about things that you shouldn't worry about." Emperor Yugan shouted angrily. Looking at the stubborn and stubborn look of Prince Chen in front of him, he felt a surge of anger in his heart.
Unexpectedly, after hearing Emperor Yugan's reply, Prince Chen suddenly raised his head, a sneer in his eyes, and his thin lips curled up slightly to create a cold smile. He said sarcastically, "Taking care of my mother is my duty. Why does Your Majesty keep refusing? Could there be another hidden reason for the Concubine Dowager's injury? Please explain it to me, Your Majesty."
"How dare you!" A strong wind blew, and a golden teacup with a dragon pattern was thrown towards King Chen below. The boiling hot tea inside splashed all over King Chen, leaving dark water stains on his crimson court robes, and the gauze dress he was wearing outside was covered with tea leaves. The teacup hit King Chen's chest and fell to the ground, instantly breaking into pieces, with fragments splashing in every direction of the hall.
Emperor Yugan was furious and said, "Prince Chen, you are truly too presumptuous. Do you really think I dare not do anything to you? I haven't even investigated the charge of planting spies in the palace, but you've already turned the tables and accused me of attacking Concubine Yuande. You are truly audacious. It seems I've spoiled you too much, causing you to disrespect your elders, disregard the emperor, and have no law in your heart."
Prince Chen, however, did not dodge or evade, allowing the teacup in Emperor Yugan's hand to hit him, as if he did not feel the pain of the scalding tea splashing on his skin. He sneered and said, "When has Your Majesty ever looked favorably upon this humble minister? Your Majesty's accusation just now is one I do not agree with. But Your Majesty is the ruler and master, and although I feel wronged, I dare not say a single word 'no'. As for Your Majesty's accusation that I have no respect for my elders, no regard for the ruler, and no law in my heart, I feel even more uncomfortable. If I had not been afraid of Your Majesty misunderstanding me, why would I have come to the palace to report this matter at night? I did not expect that my actions would cause Your Majesty to misunderstand me to such an extent. It is truly my fault."
"You..." Emperor Yugan was so angry that his face was faintly green.
Zhang Lan frowned suddenly, staring at Prince Chen with vigilance. He never expected that Prince Chen, who was usually cold and silent, could be so eloquent. Every word he said seemed to be clarifying the misunderstanding, but secretly it was adding fuel to the fire, undoubtedly provoking the emperor's anger.
Especially when he saw the emperor's angry face and fierce eyes, Zhang Lan's heart tightened. He knew that the emperor was so angry with Prince Chen that he couldn't say a word to refute.
"Your humble servant has no requests. He only hopes to be able to accompany the Concubine Dowager. I hope Your Majesty will grant his permission." Prince Chen's cold and hard voice sounded again in the depressing hall.
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