Zhao Jia smiled and gently pushed the person away. She then tapped Thirteen's chest and said, "With your physique, who can you possibly trust?"
Thirteen took the opportunity to pull her hand close to his chest, feeling a pang of longing.
"Thirteenth Prince," Zhao Jia's voice trembled with tears, "you must promise me that you will return as soon as the grain supplies are delivered to the Northwest this time."
She raised her head and said, word by word, "I am waiting for you to return, sir, in the capital."
"Okay, I promise you." Thirteen nodded gently and hugged the person in his arms even tighter.
Three days later, the Thirteenth Prince set off for the Northwest as promised. Considering the war situation in the Northwest, he left in haste and without making a fuss. A small team of two thousand men left the city under the cover of night, escorting the grain and supplies all the way to the Northwest.
With the departure of the Thirteenth Prince, Hongzhou felt a sense of emptiness, as there was one less person to make decisions.
On this day, as he was sitting at his desk writing a letter to the south to request grain, someone outside announced, "The Prefect of the Capital has arrived."
"Let him in." Hongzhou rubbed his sore neck and sat up straight.
The Prefect of the Capital is in charge of all affairs in the capital. This time, he is mostly here to handle matters assigned by the Thirteenth Prince.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Prefect of the Capital got straight to the point, saying, "Your Highness, I have been investigating Fucha Argon on the orders of the Thirteenth Prince."
"Did you find anything?" Hongzhou asked, looking up. He was sure the Prefect of the Capital had found something, since he had gone to such lengths to make the trip.
The Prefect of the Capital stepped forward and unconsciously lowered his voice, "Reporting to Your Highness, I have recently discovered that Fucha Argon has connections with the Duke of Ying's mansion."
“The Duke of England’s mansion…” Hongzhou frowned, muttering the name as he quickly sorted out the relationships involved.
The Duke of England's family is the Empress's maternal family, and he has connections with Fucha Argon, which means that the He family's affair is inextricably linked to the Empress.
Having figured it out, Hongzhou relaxed his brow and looked at the Prefect of the Capital in front of him, "Besides this, what else was investigated? Is there any evidence?"
"I only discovered this person's connection to the Duke of Ying's mansion by chance; the rest is still under investigation," the Prefect of the Capital replied truthfully.
Hongzhou nodded and said, "This matter is of utmost importance. Keep a close eye on it and be sure not to alert them. Report any progress to me immediately."
"Your humble servant understands." The Prefect of the Capital bowed and withdrew.
As soon as the Prefect of Jingzhao left, Hongzhou ordered a carriage to be prepared for him to enter the palace. Since this involved Consort Xi, he dared not make a decision on his own. Letting her know as soon as possible would allow him to prepare accordingly.
Upon hearing this, Consort Xi was also taken aback.
"The Empress's family is truly like a centipede that dies but does not fall down." After a long while, Consort Xi stared at the bonsai beside her and slowly spoke angrily.
“Hongzhou can’t figure this out either,” Hongzhou said from the side. “Now that the Consort is deeply favored by the Emperor, the Empress’s position in the palace is already precarious. Why would the Duke of Ying’s mansion go to such lengths to interfere?”
Consort Xi slowly turned around, her eyes filled with an inscrutable expression. "This is exactly what I can't understand. She's trapped in this deep palace, yet she can still collude with the Fucha clan. Could all of this be her idea?"
As the saying goes, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Although the Duke of England's mansion is the Queen's maternal family, the one in charge now is the Queen's nephew. He is a smart man, and it is impossible for him to know that the Queen has no hope in the palace, so why would he go to such lengths to do these things?
Hongzhou shook his head, but he couldn't help but be startled by the smell of conspiracy. However, the Empress's situation was already set in stone, and there was no possibility of turning things around.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
