Qin Ji left the palace under the cover of night, with Xiao Zhuzi following behind him, spreading some news along the way.
Soon, those with the ability to contend for power received the news, especially Zhao Bi, who hadn't even resolved Yang Zhong's matter yet, when Qin Ji left the palace.
Could he allow Qin Ji to leave the palace? No!
Almost immediately upon receiving the news, he ordered the city gates closed and launched a city-wide manhunt under the pretext of catching the murderer of Yang Zhizhang, determined to capture Qin Ji.
This reason infuriated Yang Zhong, who wished he could tear him to pieces immediately.
Qin Ji left the palace without any hurry. Xiao Zhuzi arranged accommodation for him at the Yongwang Mansion, where he spent his days watching Zhou Hanyan play cards with the servants.
Unable to capture Qin Ji, Zhao Bi became even more anxious. After leaving the palace, the first thing Xiao Zhu Zi did was deal with Zhou San Niang, an intelligence agent he had recruited from the common people, who was a ruthless character.
"Steward, do you mean I should report this to the authorities?" She felt a little guilty because she was originally Zhao Shu's person, and she was afraid that if she went to report the Fourth Prince, she would be exposed.
Xiao Zhu Zi tapped her forehead in exasperation, "Third Sister, when will you ever show some backbone? Even with the Princess backing us up, you still dare not do this or that. If the Princess were gone, what could you possibly accomplish? I told you to report to the authorities, so go ahead and report to the authorities. I refuse to believe that imprisoning the Princess is justified."
Upon hearing this, Zhou San Niang understood; it turned out to be a reference to the following sentence.
She nodded. "Okay, I'll go right away."
The next day, just as dawn broke, Zhou Sanniang struck the grievance drum at the Jingzhao Prefecture, causing widespread panic.
Before everyone had even gathered in the streets and alleys, rumors began to circulate, spreading like wildfire that could shake the entire city.
"You know, Princess Jun went to the palace yesterday to see the Emperor being imprisoned. Tsk tsk, the princess was just speaking up for the common people, and some people couldn't stand it. Alas, it's a pity that several officials have resigned, and the Emperor is surrounded by sycophants. His days ahead will be difficult."
"Really? Could it be that the rumors from that day were true? Is the Fourth Prince really gay? But why did he arrest the princess?" Someone asked, not believing it and unable to understand.
"You don't know this, His Highness the Crown Prince has now relinquished the position of Crown Prince. Princess Jun and the Crown Prince have always been close, so naturally there are people who are unhappy about it and want to kill her. As for the affairs of the royal family, well, alright, alright, let's not talk about it anymore."
Their silence only fuels endless speculation.
Soon, countless versions circulated in the city, such as Zhao Shu being imprisoned for pleading for the people, and the Fourth Prince harboring wolfish ambitions, etc. Zhao Bi could not suppress such rumors.
Unable to suppress the rumors, Zhao Bi wanted to personally visit Zhao Shu to warn her not to be too arrogant. However, before he could see Zhao Shu, he was intercepted by Yang Zhong.
If Yang Zhizhang were still alive, even if he was expelled from his home and carried a criminal charge, Yang Zhong didn't feel anything. After all, he was still alive, and one day he could clear his name.
But when a person dies, they really have nothing left.
In the latter half of his life, besides engaging in battles of wits and courage with Xie Yun and others, he devoted all his efforts to cultivating his eldest grandson to succeed him as the head of the family. Nothing made him hate more than the permanent disappearance of his eldest grandson.
"Your Highness, aren't you going to say anything?" Yang Zhong said resentfully.
Faced with Yang Zhong's aggressive approach and the hatred in his eyes, Zhao Bi trembled inwardly. Yang Zhong had a distinguished life, which Zhao Bi could not compare to, and he was already at a disadvantage in terms of momentum.
He organized his thoughts and argued, "Lord Yang, this is a frame-up! This must be a frame-up!"
However, such an explanation is extremely weak and has no credibility whatsoever.
Yang Zhong sneered, "Does Your Highness think everyone in the world is an idiot? Do you think my Yang family can't even find the murderer?" Yang Zhong's tone was chilling, his face full of murderous intent, "Your Highness, you had better give me an explanation, otherwise!" He gave Zhao Bi a threatening glance, snorted coldly, and turned away.
Before he could disappear from Zhao Bi's sight, Zhao Xiu appeared. He looked travel-worn and immediately bowed to Yang Zhong, saying, "Lord Yang, what brings you here?"
After all, he was the eldest prince, so Yang Zhong had to give him some face. Moreover, upon seeing Zhao Xiu, a plan came to his mind, so he said in a low voice, "Why has Your Highness returned?"
"Ah, it's all because I'm worried about Father. Enough said, Xiu is going to see Father. Lord Yang, are you also going to the palace to see Father? Why don't you come along?" He looked past Yang Zhong and saw Zhao Bi, his face showing surprise. "I didn't expect Fourth Brother to come too. Fourth Brother, are you coming along?"
Zhao Bi dared not go with Yang Zhong any longer and immediately shook his head, "No, elder brother, go ahead. I just checked and now I need to go pay my respects to Mother."
He spoke quickly, but he didn't realize that Emperor Mingde was living in Yide's Weiyang Palace. However, he had only recently recognized Yide as his mother, and in his moments of panic, he often thought of Consort Ning.
"Then I'll go, elder brother. Please go ahead, fourth brother." Zhao Xiu wished Zhao Bi wouldn't come along. To be honest, he was not as capable as Zhao Bi, and he often didn't want to be associated with him, especially when being compared to him.
He, as the eldest brother, usually loses.
Zhao Bi nodded and indeed headed towards Consort Ning's former palace.
Now that Consort Ning has been demoted to a beauty and banished to the Cold Palace, her former palace has become much more desolate. The fallen leaves on the ground have been left unswept, accumulating into a thick layer, and the paint that has fallen off in the autumn wind and drizzling rain has not been touched up by anyone.
The once bustling place was now extremely deserted. He picked a relatively clean step and sat down. Xiao Ruanzi stood in the distance, unsure of how to comfort him.
Perhaps Zhao Bi had too many things on his mind and didn't know who to confide in, so he asked Xiao Ruanzi, "Was I wrong?"
Xiao Ruanzi was taken aback, not understanding why Zhao Bi asked such a question. Zhao Bi was particularly annoyed by his dazed appearance. He stood up and left the palace.
After leaving the palace, she went nowhere but straight back to the Fourth Prince's residence. She didn't look for anyone and went straight into Zhen Qizhong's arms.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com