Chapter 156 Leaving the Capital (40) This was a gift from my aunt. ...
Just as Yu Qi had predicted, Zhou Yu had long harbored ambitions of rebellion and forcing the emperor to abdicate. His secret alliance with Lu Shao in Nanjing, with Sichuan, was precisely for the purpose of forging weapons and equipment. The Guizhou general was a former subordinate of Zhou Yu's biological father, Prince Ping, and had been fiercely loyal to him, also regarding Zhou Yu as his young master. Once Zhou Yu was released from confinement, he would undoubtedly find a way to travel south to Guizhou, where he would amass power and then march back to the capital, ultimately forcing the emperor to abdicate.
As Zhou Yu's younger sister, Xiang Yuan naturally could not remain in the capital as a hostage. Therefore, she began secretly transferring valuables two months ago. The fact that the items were sent to Hangzhou was probably because she was afraid that someone would suspect something and find out the truth. She deliberately detoured through Hangzhou first and then transferred the items from Hangzhou.
Strangely enough, Chu Minzhong has always been at odds with Xiang Yuan. How could he be willing to side with the princess on such a heinous matter that would implicate nine generations of a family? Yu Qi pondered for a moment, then smiled and glanced between the couple. "I heard that the princess and her husband are not on good terms, but on this important matter, they seem to be of the same mind."
Minzhong stood up, walked to Xiangyuan's side, and smiled at her. "As you know, I studied to realize my ambitions and serve the court. But now, in the Emperor's eyes, there is no place for me in the court. Since Your Highness doesn't look down on me as your brother-in-law and is willing to give me this opportunity, the princess and I can naturally be of one mind as husband and wife. Being husband and wife is nothing more than being inseparable in life and death. Although we are different from ordinary couples, we are of one mind and share the same glory and disgrace."
"Everyone thinks that I forced the top scholar to marry the emperor back then, and that my father couldn't dissuade me, so he granted my wish and ruined his future." Xiang Yuan glanced at Minzhong and smiled sarcastically. "I only found out half a year ago that the emperor agreed to marry the new top scholar to me not because he favored me, but because Minzhong was young and impetuous at the time. His essay in the palace examination even subtly advised the emperor to be a wise ruler and not to tolerate the Chen family. If my father allowed him to enter the court as an official, wouldn't that be adding trouble to himself? So he agreed to my request, made Minzhong the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, and cut off his career."
Minzhong nodded and smiled, "I was wrong to resent the princess in my younger years."
After listening to the couple's coordinated performance, Yu Qi couldn't help but gasp. "So you two reconciled and conspired with Prince Zhao to set up the Shuqiang case. Through Qi Xubai's scheme to lure me and Yu'er to the capital, you wanted us to discover that Prince Zhao was framed by the Chen family, to tell the world that the emperor was incompetent and tyrannical, and that treacherous officials were persecuting loyal ministers, thus leaving Prince Zhao with no other choice but a legitimate reason to act. Once the coup succeeded, you could gain the respect of the court and the support of the people. What a clever scheme! You want profit, and you can't bear to give up fame—"
Minzhong smiled and sat back down in his chair. "As expected, Your Highness was right. You are truly exceptionally intelligent. Throughout history, regardless of whether one is a ruler or a subject, who doesn't want to be remembered in history? A monarch who disregards his reputation, even with great achievements, will not be remembered well in history books, and his subjects will not genuinely follow a monarch who only seeks profit and not fame. Isn't the current emperor also afraid of being criticized by the world? Therefore, what Your Highness did was not wrong. Your Highness merely gave the Chen family an opportunity to frame him."
"Was killing Shuqiang not wrong?"
Xiang Yuan's gaze was sharp. "Whether it was my elder brother, myself, or the prince consort, none of us killed Shu Qiang, nor did we ever instruct anyone to kill her."
Yu Qi squinted and asked, "How did Shu Qiang die? You were the one who brought that dagger into the palace."
“I did bring that dagger into the palace, but not to kill Shuqiang. Mr. Yu is so clever, why don’t you guess why I brought that dagger into the palace? If you guess correctly, I will explain everything to you.” After saying this, Xiangyuan turned around and sat down on the chair, looking at Yu Qi with an arrogant smile.
"If you want me to guess—okay, I'll try to guess." Yu Qi buried his head in his hands and slowly circled around in the hall, pondering for a while before glancing sideways at the couple.
"Since Prince Zhao had planned to make his move justifiable, it must have been premeditated. Two months ago, Consort Chen had a dream in which a female assassin transformed into a rabbit and entered the palace to assassinate her. Consort Chen was so frightened by the dream that she fell ill for several days. So, Prince Zhao came up with a plan. As long as he put that dagger into Cangwu Pavilion, given Consort Chen's personality, she would definitely seize the opportunity to accuse Prince Zhao of trying to frighten her by making the dream come true. The Emperor has always been dissatisfied with Prince Zhao, and he would also take the opportunity to demote Prince Zhao. Prince Zhao would then be able to show the world how he was forced into this situation."
Xiang Yuan chuckled. "Do you really think Chen Wansheng had such a dream? Do you really think she would be frightened by a nightmare? She just heard that the Emperor has an illegitimate daughter in Nanjing who has offended her Chen family multiple times. She was afraid that the Emperor would bring this illegitimate daughter back to the capital in the future, threatening her power in the palace, so she made up such a dream."
Yu Qi continued, "Whether Consort Chen fabricated the dream or it was real, Prince Zhao seized the opportunity to frame him. However, as a man, it would be inconvenient for Prince Zhao to bring a weapon into the palace, while you, as a woman, could easily evade the guards' search. Therefore, Prince Zhao gave you the dagger. Furthermore, to give the Chen clan a chance to kill him, he deliberately left the banquet midway that night, so that people would think he had time to go to Cangwu Pavilion to put the dagger away."
Xiangyuan chuckled and asked, "How did you deduce these things?"
"The loss of that dagger was quite suspicious. On the day the dagger was lost, the princess went to Prince Zhao's residence, but Prince Zhao insisted on wondering if the princess had taken it. Instead, he made a big fuss by having his servants search for it everywhere. It seemed as if he was intentionally letting us, the later generations, know that the dagger had been lost long ago. As for that dagger, I have always been wondering why the princess insisted on bringing that dagger into the palace. It wasn't until I heard that Consort Chen had a dream of being stabbed to death with a dagger, and then I found out that the consort transferred valuables through Wangfeng Temple, that I thought of this possibility when I connected all these strange things."
Upon hearing this, Minzhongfang replied, "Mr. Yu is truly a meticulous person. Your deductions are all correct, except for one thing: Shuqiang is not part of our plan."
"So, the murder of Shuqiang was just an accident?"
Xiang Yuan jumped to her feet. "What do I have to say for you to believe that we didn't kill Shu Qiang!"
Yu Qi, with his hands tied behind his back, smiled at her and asked, "Isn't the princess jealous of Shuqiang's affair with the prince consort?"
Xiangyuan glanced at Minzhong on the chair. "I used to be jealous, but with the bigger picture at hand, I can tell what's more important. Besides, even if Shuqiang has some connection with the prince consort, she's just a lowly palace maid. Competing with her would be beneath my dignity. You've only heard that I treat two concubines like servants in our household, so you think I'm vicious. But haven't you heard they were sent by the Chen family? How could I treat people sent by the Chen family well?"
"If the princess did not see Shuqiang that night, how come the dagger you brought into the palace was stuck in her chest?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" Xiang Yuan tugged at her skirt and sat back down in her chair. "On the night of the incident, I did see Shu Qiang in the Camellia Garden, but I wasn't there to kill her. I just wanted to put the dagger in Cangwu Pavilion. I happened to run into her outside the Camellia Garden. I was about to avoid her, but she saw me and instead came up to me and showed off."
As she spoke, she glared fiercely at Minzhong, "That shameless wretch dared to tell me about her affair with the prince consort. I was afraid someone would overhear, so I pulled her into the camellia garden to talk."
Yu Qi interjected, "You two had a fight in the camellia garden, and in a fit of anger, you killed her?"
Xiang Yuan wasn't angry when she heard this, and a smile returned to her face. "She was raped and then murdered. May I ask how I raped her? She was kneeling and begging me to take her from the palace to marry the prince consort. I was so angry that I slapped her. I think it was at that moment that the dagger fell out of my pocket. The garden was full of soft mud, and I didn't hear a sound."
"You mean you dropped the dagger in the camellia garden?"
“I didn’t realize it at the time. I stormed out, thinking that since I had run into her on the road, I couldn’t go back to Cangwu Pavilion. So I went back to the back hall of Qingniao Pavilion. It wasn’t until the Prince Consort asked me if things had gone well that I told him about meeting Shuqiang on the road. When I reached for my dagger, I realized it was gone.” After saying that, Xiangyuan smiled contemptuously. “We’ve already told you about the heinous crime of plotting a rebellion and forcing the emperor to abdicate. Why would we lie to you about this trivial case? When we heard that Shuqiang was dead when the banquet ended, we were also very surprised.”
After pondering for a moment, Yu Qi glanced at the two of them and said, "But in your surprise, you decided to play along. Prince Zhao naturally became a suspect, and the Chen faction tried their best to fabricate evidence to prove that Prince Zhao committed the murder. As long as Yu'er and I investigate this case, you can achieve your goals in the same way. But aren't you afraid that I will report you to the Emperor for telling you all this?"
Minzhong's eyes were fixed on his face with a smile. "Even if you don't report it, the Emperor should have noticed. I just received news this morning that the Emperor has confined the Prince to his residence while secretly sending an imperial envoy to Guizhou to summon General Luo of Guizhou to the capital for an award. The imperial envoy should be arriving in Guizhou soon. If the Prince doesn't go to Guizhou soon, General Luo won't be able to delay for long. Even if General Luo raises an army, he will be leaderless."
A gust of wind swept in from somewhere, and Yu Qi suddenly felt a chill run through his body. "Why are you telling me all this?"
"The prince once said that you are wise and resourceful, and if you are in dire straits, you can ask for your help."
Yu Qi hurriedly waved his hand, "I am just a doctor. I have neither the ability nor the inclination to care about the affairs of the world. I promise I will not reveal a single word of your schemes to anyone. Please do not cause trouble for me and Yu'er."
Having finished speaking, he bowed and took his leave, but Xiang Yuan suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "It's not that we want to cause you trouble, but you probably don't know yet. Today, His Majesty specially ordered Miss Jiuli to deliver the annual tribute to the Marquis of Yan'an's residence. Marquis Lu Hechun of Yan'an was originally the General of Sichuan, but two years ago, he was recalled to the capital by His Majesty for impeaching the Chen family and left to recuperate at home. Lu Hechun also has a young master in his twenties who is still unmarried. Now, His Majesty has suddenly sent Miss Jiuli to the Lu residence, treating her with such great importance. Can't you guess His Majesty's intentions? You have no intention of stirring up trouble. It's not that my brother and I disagree, it's that His Majesty disagrees!"
Yu Qi's expression changed, his jawline hardened slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, he still cupped his hands on the shoulder and said, "Farewell!"
As soon as they stepped out of the Prince Consort's residence, a north wind suddenly rose, stinging their faces like knives. Yu Qi, however, felt nothing, his mind preoccupied only with the Emperor's intention to marry Jiu Li to the young master of the Lu family. Judging from the Princess and the Prince Consort's certainty, it was probably true. No wonder he had summoned Jiu Li to the palace for breakfast so early in the morning. At first, he thought the Emperor still had some affection for his child, but it turned out he had this in mind.
This is unlike back in Nanjing, where people could only admire Jiuli and not necessarily approve of her. Since the Emperor intends to win over the local families by marrying off his daughter to quell the rebellion, no amount of opposition will change anything. We should plan carefully and devise a foolproof strategy.
Yu Qi returned to the Qi residence with a heavy heart. It was already dusk. When he asked, Xu Bai still hadn't returned. He walked back to the guest courtyard and heard a commotion coming from the main room. Under the eaves, he heard Jiu Li arguing incessantly with a woman. Their words were completely unreasonable, and they were just eager to get rid of her.
No matter what she said, Qingque calmly sat down at the table, picked up a pair of chopsticks and smiled, "We are all guests of the Qi family, and besides, our Second Master has sent a lot of food today. It's not unreasonable for me to sit down and have a meal, is it, Steward Yang?"
Yang Qingnian hurriedly smiled and said, "Not at all, it's a big favor that the young lady is willing to eat our food."
As they were packing up their baskets and boxes, Yang Qingnian ran into Yu Qi under the eaves. He asked who the woman inside was, and Yang Qingnian quickly said she was from Emerald Garden and her name was Qing Que.
No wonder the voice sounded somewhat familiar. Yu Qi lifted the curtain and went in, seeing Qingque, Jiuli, and Zhang Da eating at the round table in the inner room. As soon as Jiuli saw him come in, she quickly put down her bowl and ran over, grabbing one of his arms with both hands, "Uncle, where have you been all day?"
Yu Qi chuckled and said, "I was just strolling around outside. A guest has arrived. I wonder if Miss Qingque is here to see Second Master Qi, or someone else?"
Seeing that his eyes were only fixed on Qingque, Jiuli got angry, shook off his arm, walked to the dining table and sat down, still holding her bowl, "Miss Qingque came here especially to see you."
Qingque then stood up and gave him a slight bow.
Yu Qi casually cupped his hands in return, "What brings Miss Qingque to me?"
Qingque smiled and said, "What, can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong? Master Chen asked me to come." She took two steps closer to him and leaned to the side, saying, "Master Chen has always been a generous person. If a friend takes a second look at his things, he's willing to give them away."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Da choked on his food and coughed repeatedly. He had never met such a straightforward woman before, and he was so embarrassed that his face turned red. He quickly put some food in his bowl, got up and walked out, saying, "I'll go back to my room to eat."
Hearing this, Jiu Li became even angrier. She slammed the bowl down on the table with a thud and remained silent with a stern face.
Seeing her pale face, Qingque felt even more pleased and pulled Yu Qi to sit down. "Regardless of whether you've eaten outside or not, now that you're home, eat something."
“This isn’t your home,” Jiu Li interjected.
"It's not your house."
One sentence made Jiuli feel suffocated and short of breath. She got up and walked to the corridor, but turned around and went to the window, pressing her ear to listen. There was no one inside. She was frowning when Yu Qi called her name from behind.
She turned around and saw him peering at her from inside the doorway, the curtain drawn. "What do you want to hear?"
Then Qingque leaned out from beside him and said, "If you want to listen, then come in and listen. But aren't unmarried girls ashamed to listen to private conversations between men and women?"
Jiuli glared at the two of them fiercely, then tilted her chin up and went back to the east wing.
Hearing the door slam shut, Yu Qifang threw down the curtain and entered the room, a doting smile still lingering on his face. "You were already at odds with her when she was still too young to remember anything. So many years have passed, and you still love to pick on her. Why is that?"
Qingque walked around to his side and glanced at him. "You really did recognize me."
Yu Qi sat down and glanced at her sideways. "You look somewhat familiar, but I recognize the gold hairpin in your hair. It belongs to Quan Shanheng."
Qingque smiled as she pulled the gold hairpin off her head and placed it on the table. "This was given to me by Aunt Quan. She said it wasn't safe for me to be a maid in her household, and that I might be recognized. So she gave me some silver and told me to find a secluded place to live. She also gave me this hairpin."
She sat down, leaning on the edge of the table, and sighed deeply. "Aunt Quan said that if she were gone, she would leave this hairpin to me as a keepsake. I never imagined that her words would come true."
-----------------------
Author's note: Thank you for reading.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
