Chapter 47: The Nest is Overturned and the Eggs Are Shattered
Seeing her looking at the information of the five people in her hand, silent and depressed for a long time, Cui Fufeng slowly said, "Actually, I have another idea. Because of the confession of the maid in the princess's mansion, our attention has been focused on the county lady's backyard. But - I personally think there is a problem."
Qian Deng pondered, "But the maid's words have details and facts. They don't seem to be made up in such a hurry."
"Her words should be true. After all, it's impossible for someone from the Princess's Mansion to fabricate such a scandal in front of the Crown Prince. It wouldn't benefit Princess Changyi's already precarious marriage." Cui Fufeng lowered his voice and slowly uttered a few words, "I think that Princess Gao's death has actually brought the Princess's Mansion back to life."
What he said was strange, but it coincided with the doubts that Qiandeng had thought about in his heart and even mentioned by Shang Nanliu.
She nodded in confirmation of his thoughts: "It all seems to have started because Princess Gao dreamed of drowning and was frightened, so she started making a big fuss..."
"Having a nightmare might be accidental, but the reaction after waking up is real. The reason she cares so much about this nightmare and vents her anger on unrelated people is because the things that are happening in reality make her feel that she is indeed about to suffer a catastrophic disaster."
However, at the most difficult moment, death turned the tide and changed the fate of the mother and daughter.
"First, she wasn't doing well in the court. She kept concubines and violated the government order. The emperor and empress had turned a blind eye to her actions. But when she framed the county lord, she exposed her serious crimes of colluding with the crown prince's mansion and the left and right palace guards. Even though she was the eldest princess, the emperor and empress could no longer tolerate her.
"Then, Princess Changyi's marriage was plagued by twists and turns, naturally influenced by her actions. The marriage, originally arranged during the reign of the late Emperor, had already been scheduled for this spring. Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince went to the northwest to visit the troops, and the marriage seemed to be postponed.
"Furthermore, the final straw that broke the camel's back was probably the horse's head that Screech Eagle placed next to her pillow. After all, chopping off her head is much easier than chopping off a horse's head. Her life is now in the hands of others, and she has no say in it."
"Finally, the blueprint Ling Tianshui presented to her was a significant push." Cui Fufeng gently covered the documents in front of her and said, "As far as I know, after the Empress left Jianfu Temple that day, she immediately dispatched a thorough investigation into the Crown Prince's wet nurse. Princess Gao must have noticed this."
"As for other things, Princess Gao might still have a chance to survive, but on this point..." Qian Deng said slowly, looking at Cui Fufeng who looked calm in front of him, and suddenly thought in his heart, could it be that when he helped Ling Tianshui to stuff the paper into her calmly, they had already predicted the death of Princess Gao?
Just like... when he looked at the girls who wanted to marry him, he had already determined the final outcome for their entire family.
"The coups against the heirs of this dynasty have always been brutal. Twenty years ago, the Empress was able to eliminate all threats to the harem for the Crown Prince. Twenty years later, how could she allow her daughter to enter the Eastern Palace and become a constant threat to her?"
The crimes committed at that time were difficult to cover up. When the nest is overturned, all the eggs will be broken. Princess Gao’s Mansion was indeed on the verge of death.
However, this dead end situation, with both internal and external difficulties, was unexpectedly resolved due to the murder of Princess Gao, and the situation was miraculously reversed.
The emperor began to appreciate her old friendship, the queen stopped venting her anger on her death, and the forces lurking in the shadows were at a loss as to where to start..."
Qian Deng said softly, "Perhaps Princess Gao has realized in her nightmare that if she doesn't die, the next development will be more terrifying than death."
The court is in turmoil and things are unpredictable.
If a princess who has lost power in this dynasty is not put to death, her property will be confiscated and she will be exiled. As for her family members, no one can escape the downfall of the nest.
When Emperor Suzong was the crown prince, he divorced because of the accident of Concubine Wei's brother. Xiao Fuyu was a future crown princess who had not yet been married. Her mother was in trouble. How could the late emperor's promise of marriage save her?
"When I visited Shang Nanliu today, I also thought about this. Princess Gao...would she use herself as a pawn in an attempt to change the deadlock?" Qian Deng said, pondering for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "But, if that's the case, the other difficulties can indeed be resolved. However, the marriage between Princess Changyi and the Crown Prince will become a dead end. If the mourning period is added to the already precarious engagement, wouldn't it be a complete loss if one piece is lost?"
"Unless...she has a back-up plan that can completely turn this situation around."
In front of Qiandeng, the eyes of Princess Gao, which opened after her death, appeared.
The person who had originally closed his eyes, however, appeared to be unable to close his eyes after the prince was invited to the palace...
"Perhaps they've already planned this move." She let out a sigh and whispered, "But if that's the case, why did Shangluo disappear? What connection does he have to this case?"
"All mysteries should lie in Princess Gao's residence. However, from a public perspective, we are not qualified to enter Princess Gao's residence to investigate; and from a personal perspective, my Changhua Palace is not on good terms with the Princess's residence, so it is impossible for us to obtain permission..."
Cui Fufeng looked at her in deep thought, and finally said slowly: "I think there is someone who can help the county lady."
The only one who can solve the problem of the princess's mansion is naturally Ling Tianshui.
But what she didn't expect was that when she and Cui Fufeng entered the backyard and were about to go to Yuansongju, she saw Ling Tianshui coming towards the gate, and the person with him was actually Ji Linyou.
As soon as he saw them, Ji Linyou came forward cheerfully, "County Lady, my cousin was just saying he was going to look for you, and it's a coincidence that you're here. Did you make an appointment?"
"No, I don't know why Mr. Ling wants to see us." Qian Deng was surprised and looked behind Ling Tianshui again, trying to find Meng Lanxi.
Ling Tianshui remained silent, simply signaling for Cui Fufeng to go to his nearby bamboo hall. He pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve and tossed it on the table. "This is the graffiti I found in the Changhua Wulue."
Ji Linyou looked at the note and was a little confused: "Yeah, what's wrong?"
Qiandeng looked down and saw only a few markings on it, a zigzag line passing between a few squares, and a few helmet shapes on the side.
She immediately remembered the map on the brick floor that Ming Jiu had given him when he sneaked into the princess's mansion.
"Captain Ji, this is... the action diagram you drew while reading?"
Ji Linyou was very excited: "Yes, don't you think that with this drawing, the situation of deploying troops becomes much clearer?"
"Two days before Princess Gao's accident, Mingjiu sneaked into the princess's residence but got lost because he was unfamiliar with the area. Someone drew him a map to show him the way." Ling Tianshui pulled another crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve and placed it beside him. "This is what Mingjiu drew based on his memory."
The two pieces of paper are placed together, with different lines but exactly the same style.
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