Chapter 899 On the Road to Exile 27
Chu Yu handed over Mao Hui's statement.
Chu Haoxuan was furious after reading it. "Investigate! Go and investigate thoroughly. The Empress is virtuous and kind, and has never done anything wrong. Those who target her are wolves in sheep's clothing and cannot be forgiven!"
Chu Yu bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree!"
After saying what he needed to say, Chu Yu began to complain: "This is the first time in my life that I have been away from Mother for so long. I will go to Mother's palace to pay my respects first."
Chu Haoxuan waved his hand dismissively, "I haven't heard you say you miss me. Go, go, hurry up. I'll go to your mother's palace tonight, and we'll have dinner together as a family."
"Then I shall take my leave."
After leaving the imperial study, Chu Yu's smile vanished. He went straight to the inner palace. After the mother and son dismissed all the palace servants, Chu Yu revealed what he had discovered during his trip to Zhangzi Mountain.
“Mother, Ye Dehai from Zhangzi Mountain was instructed by someone to deliberately intercept the exile procession. That person’s purpose was…”
"That's defaming Mother's reputation!"
"Mother, you know?"
Mu Yuan nodded: "You can't suddenly decide to investigate Zhangzishan. Did someone tell you something?"
Chu Yu said with a stern face: "It was Aunt Ning. She felt that the bandits that day were suspicious, and after thinking about it, she felt that they might have been after you."
I was afraid you'd be taken advantage of, so I had my son investigate.
"Have you found out who it was?"
"Tie Qiongrui, the legitimate daughter of General Tie."
Mao Hui was a very shrewd man. When that man came up the mountain, the chieftain sent everyone away. Mao Hui felt that something was amiss, so he sent people to follow him. In the end, he discovered that the man was the steward of the Tie family, a third-rank general.
Chu Yu agreed to spare his life, as long as he wrote down the confession as instructed. Mao Hui didn't want to die, so naturally he would write down whatever Chu Yu told him to do.
That 100,000 taels of silver was something he deliberately placed in the bandits' warehouse, a subtle and far-reaching clue.
General Tie was Chu Haoxuan's most trusted confidant, and this time he was granted the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Valor.
He didn't think that telling his father the truth would lead to punishment for Tie Qiongrui. At most, General Tie might be demoted one or two ranks and given a reprimand.
Even demotion might not be an option.
After all, the Empress Dowager was not truly harmed.
Like him, if Zheng'er, Lin'er, and Yan'er made a mistake, would he punish them?
No way!
A few words of scolding and a house arrest are enough; it's all for show. It's not like it'll kill Lin'er.
Between a trusted minister and his wife who had shared hardship, he didn't think his father would choose his mother.
Therefore, there's no need to make things public, because if word gets out, it will damage the Empress Dowager's reputation. It's best to do it quietly.
That 100,000 taels of silver was the thread he laid. It didn't matter if he didn't use it, but if he did, it could take the lives of General Tie and his daughter!
Mu Yuan's expression darkened slightly. In her previous life, after her death, this Miss Tie rose to the position of Imperial Concubine, second only to that one.
"Mother knows."
Be careful outside the palace; keep the bodyguards your maternal grandfather gave you with you at all times.
Don't worry, no matter how many women are in the harem, it won't affect the four of us, mother and sons. As long as you don't make any mistakes, your position as crown prince is secure.
Learn the ways of a ruler from your maternal grandfather.
Chu Yu blinked, carefully observing his mother's expression. He saw his mother blink at him, "Your father has few children; he only has you three siblings in this life."
So, Mother gave Father a drug that would prevent him from having children, right?
"Son understands."
Just before 7 p.m., the Emperor arrived. Chu Zheng and Chu Yan usually ate with their mother, but since their elder brother had returned, they also came early, and the family had a reunion dinner together.
After finishing his meal, Chu Yu left the palace and returned to the Crown Prince's residence.
After he left, Chu Haoxuan claimed that he had returned to the Imperial Study because there were still memorials he hadn't finished reviewing. However, at 11:15 PM, he summoned Consort Qiong to serve him in bed.
Mu Yuan showed no expression on her face when she heard the palace servant's report.
Tie Qiongrui, she had always regarded that young lady as an enemy, only thinking that this person was Chu Haoxuan's concubine in the previous life, which was why she was selected to enter the palace. She never expected that everything she suffered in the previous life was because of her.
But there's no rush. Her son hasn't grown up yet, so let the one surnamed Tie run wild for now. Once her son can peacefully take over the throne, crushing Tie Qiongrui will be as easy as crushing an ant!
Chu Yu brought back quite a lot of treasure from the mountain stronghold. Chu Haoxuan selected the best pieces and put them all into his private treasury; otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to afford to reward his own women.
The Minister of Revenue turned a blind eye. What the Crown Prince had found was the Emperor's own. What could they do if the Emperor wanted to put it into his private treasury?
At least they were left with a considerable amount of gold and silver, including the 100,000 taels of silver in the treasury. It's better than having nothing left at all.
...
Chu Yu returned to the Crown Prince's residence and washed up thoroughly. He originally wanted to go next door to see someone, but Aunt Ning's attitude towards him last time was too cold. He was afraid that if he went there, she would completely hate him. So he waited until after court the next day before bringing gifts to visit her.
Seeing him return safely, Ning Yan was very happy. "Was it alright? You weren't hurt, were you?"
A warm feeling washed over Chu Yu.
He has been back in the capital for a day, and neither his father nor mother has asked him whether he was injured.
His father probably didn't care, but his mother probably felt that he was going to sit on that throne in the future and that there were some things he had to go through. Since he was standing properly in front of his mother, she didn't ask him anything.
Aunt Ning was the only one who was genuinely happy to see him and truly concerned about whether he was injured.
"I was stabbed in the lower abdomen and it took me five days to recover before I dared to travel. Otherwise, I would have returned long ago."
Ning Yan's expression changed. "You are the Crown Prince. You can just sit back and command. Why do you have to personally take to the field?"
"A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall; don't you understand this principle?"
"I thought Aunt Ning would feel sorry for me if I got hurt..."
Ning Yan: ……
"Has the injury healed? Has the imperial physician examined you to see if it has had any impact on your health?"
Chu Yu shook his head: "No, the wound has already scabbed over. It wasn't too deep at the time, so there's no need to worry."
Are you stupid?
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. You've done such a great service, so you should let others know you've been hurt. That's how they'll feel sorry for you.
Hong'er, go and take my visiting card to fetch the imperial physician.
Suppressing a bandit den of over a thousand people and bringing back so much gold and silver jewelry—this was undoubtedly a great achievement, yet the Emperor didn't reward him with anything. Ning Yan felt sorry for the child!
Although the reason why Chu Haoxuan didn't give any rewards might be that he had nothing to give, Ning Yan didn't care!
She just felt that Chu Yu had been wronged.
Chu Yu didn't stop her and let her make the arrangements.
About half an hour later, Physician Liang was invited into the mansion. Because the injury was in the abdomen, the two went to a side room for examination before coming out.
"Your Highness's wound has scabbed over, but it has still damaged your vital energy. I will prescribe two doses of medicine to replenish your qi and blood. Your Highness can drink it for a few days and see the effect."
Chu Yu nodded in agreement.
Ning Yan felt that Chu Yu still had many things to do and couldn't claim to be sick and stay home to recuperate. Otherwise, she would definitely make the old doctor change his tune.
After seeing the old doctor off, Ning Yan asked Yu Zhu to get the medicine.
I started working hard as soon as I got back.
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