No matter what it was, it was definitely a severe ordeal.
The next day, Shu Chengfeng went to handle his business feeling refreshed, while Yan Nangui was exhausted and slumped over for the entire morning.
The assassination investigation is still ongoing, but unfortunately, it has disappeared without a trace, and no more useful information has been obtained.
Those eight Tuotuo men were indeed daring warriors; no matter how much they were tortured yesterday, there was no result, and this morning they were all dead.
They all took poison when they came. If they go back in time, they can be detoxified. But if they don't go back, they will die.
If I couldn't get a result last night, then there won't be any more results.
The main problem is that although they are assassins, they don't know much, and even if they can't withstand the torture, they can't say anything important.
However, the corpses of the two leaders hold great promise.
He was found dead in a grove of trees outside the city at the crack of dawn.
Next to their bodies, numerous footprints were found, along with a jade pendant.
Although we don't know whose it is right now, it shouldn't be too difficult to find out.
Shu Chengfeng went to deal with this matter.
He didn't need to go to the scene; he only needed to see the two corpses and the jade pendant.
The jade pendant was too easy to find; its owner was identified in just one morning.
The twelfth prince.
Yes, that jade pendant with dragon patterns was the very thing His Majesty bestowed upon the twelfth prince.
Obviously, a seven-year-old child could not have orchestrated an assassination, nor could he have gone out.
However, the jade pendant is indeed his; moreover, it is registered and cannot be faked.
This is quite a delicate matter.
Shu Chengfeng certainly knew what was going on. With so many guards under his command, there were bound to be one or two who were skilled in combat.
The imperial palace is out of the question, but retrieving a jade pendant from a temporary palace wouldn't be too difficult.
At this moment, the jade pendant belonging to the twelfth prince appeared next to the corpse of the Tuotuo people, which is quite intriguing.
The twelfth prince is still young and incapable of doing anything, but there is still Consort Zhen, an adult.
Since the twelfth prince is involved, the crown prince naturally cannot keep it a secret either.
Shu Zhongjing stared at the jade pendant, his face contorting for a moment.
In that instant, countless thoughts raced through his mind; he wanted to kill the person in front of him.
But it's not possible.
“This must be a conspiracy by the Tuotuo people! Your twelfth brother is still young, how could he do such a thing? Besides, the truth about the two Tuotuo people being dead is still unknown. It must be the Tuotuo people trying to frame your twelfth brother.”
"That's what I think too. They tried to assassinate me before, and now that one plan failed, they've come up with another. They really want to harm us. But how did they get their hands on this jade pendant?" Shu Chengfeng frowned and asked, puzzled.
"Xiang Hong, go and ask Consort Zhen how the things I gave to the Twelfth Prince ended up outside!" Shu Zhongjing said angrily.
She went to attend to her father-in-law.
It could be said that I was just asking, but all I really needed was an explanation.
It wasn't Consort Zhen's explanation to His Majesty, but rather to the Crown Prince.
Shu Chengfeng had no way to tell the world about the current situation directly. He simply had to settle for second best.
This is a contest, but also a test.
But whatever the reason, Shu Zhongjing could not possibly abandon the twelfth prince now.
They both knew the other had done something wrong, but neither could bring themselves to say it outright.
Today, the father-son relationship has long since vanished; it's nothing more than a power struggle.
Soon, Xiang Hong brought back Consort Zhen's reply.
“The Consort Zhen said that the Twelfth Prince had casually given this item to his subordinates back in the palace. He was just too young to understand. Afterwards, the Consort Zhen scolded him, saying that anything given by His Majesty should not be given away,” Xiang Hong said.
Shu Zhongjing snorted.
"So that's how it is. It must have been some ignorant servants who leaked it out. This matter still needs to be thoroughly investigated. Although it seems like a small matter, it cannot be taken lightly. Twelfth Brother is still young; it would be terrible if someone with ulterior motives harmed him," Shu Chengfeng said.
"Well, that's enough for now, there's no need to investigate further." Perhaps feeling that he couldn't explain further, Shu Zhongjing added, "You've been wronged, but you are the crown prince of a country. You can't escape it either. Just send orders to the border to pay closer attention to the movements of the Tuotuo people. There's no evidence left in this matter, a few corpses don't prove anything. If war breaks out, it will disregard the people of the world."
The more he talked, the more convinced he became of his point. Shu Zhongjing looked at Shu Chengfeng with a mixture of admonition and threat.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand. In that case, I will return now."
Shu Zhongjing hummed in agreement.
Shu Chengfeng then took his leave.
After he left, Shu Zhongjing suddenly smashed the jade pendant in his hand to pieces and swept everything off the table.
He remained silent, but the gloom in his eyes deepened.
This matter can truly be put to rest now.
The prince was unharmed, yet he won over the hearts of the people, captured the Tuotuo people alive, and remained calm in the face of danger.
All of this reveals a crown prince who is different from others: noble and composed.
Such a crown prince would naturally earn everyone's trust.
Shu Chengfeng won this battle.
The accompanying officials and guards were not fools; even if they couldn't understand everything, they already had their guesses.
Now His Majesty and the Crown Prince have tacitly let this matter drop, and are even acting like a loving father and son.
No one would be so foolish as to bring it up.
For a moment, it seemed as if everything was really alright.
April passed quickly, and in May, the weather got hot, but the climate in Chengzhou was still very comfortable.
The peonies and peonies have gradually faded, but other flowers are still blooming one after another.
Yan Nangui would go out for walks every day when he had nothing to do, but although he was idle, it wasn't as comfortable as staying at the mansion.
Fortunately, the imperial carriage is preparing to return.
I set off in mid-May and was supposed to return to Beijing before the end of the month. Now, all things considered, I only have about ten days left in Chengzhou.
On the same day, Yan Lingyun sent someone to see Yan Nangui.
The one who came was an old servant who served Yan Lingyun, not the one who returned to the Yan family, but he was just as loyal.
"Greetings, young lady." The old servant's form of address clearly indicated the difference in their relationship.
"No need for formalities. Does Father have something to say to me?" Yan Nangui asked.
"Indeed, the general learned that the young lady and her party were returning home, so he specially summoned this old servant." The old servant smiled and said, "After all, he was worried that correspondence would be inconvenient."
"Thank you for your trouble." Yan Nangui smiled, finding Yan Lingyun's meticulousness in handling important matters.
"The general has a few words to tell you." He then recounted the events that had occurred at the Yan family's residence a few days prior.
Then he added, “The General and the Young General should not return to the capital often. Now it is even more inappropriate for them to show their faces. The General asked this old servant to tell the Eldest Miss to control her temper in all things. There is no need to go to the Crown Prince’s residence. If she suffers any grievances, she should endure them for a while. Just send someone to tell the General that he must not act impulsively.”
"I know you're worried about me, Father," Yan Nangui said.
"The general also said that the daughter of the Yan family could not possibly enter the royal family again, and told you to rest assured. The general is upholding orthodoxy," the old servant said.
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