Chapter 318 Dream Talk
Yan Changwen's little eyes were filled with an inexplicable smile. "That nursery rhyme has been released. Now all the children in the capital are singing it. The prince should be on his way to the palace by now."
"But isn't it too early to release the nursery rhyme? After all, there is no evidence for what happened back then..."
"It doesn't matter. Someone will naturally look for the evidence. It would be best if they can find it. If not, it will be no loss to us." Yan Changwen filled the scented tea for Concubine Liang and said calmly.
"Will someone investigate? Who?" asked Princess Liang.
Yan Changwen smiled slightly, "Mother, do you still remember the rumor about the cat-changing prince in the palace? What did it say at first?"
Concubine Liang nodded. She naturally remembered it.
The rumor started out as a result of a fire in Concubine Lan’s bedroom twenty years ago, which caused the prince’s identity to become a mystery, but there was no evidence, so it was just a rumor.
Later, it was mentioned that Concubine Lan had hidden some secrets in the Wanjuan Tower of Longchang Academy in Jiangzhou, and among them was the truth about the prince's life experience.
But no one knew what the secret was, and these rumors were just hearsay and eventually came to nothing.
"I have been secretly investigating for so long, and the only connection between Concubine Lan and the Longchang Academy was that she once sent her personal maid Chu Xiuning to deliver something.
If there is really a so-called "secret" hidden in Longchang Academy, it should be that thing."
"After Concubine Lan died, Chu Xiuning became the head of the Shangfu Bureau." Concubine Liang took a sip of her tea and said, "But I heard a few days ago that she had left the palace."
"Mother, do you know why she left the palace?" Yan Changwen smiled mysteriously.
Princess Liang shook her head.
"I have inquired from many sources and found out that before Chu Xiuning left the palace, he talked in his sleep at night and mentioned the thing he had sent to Longchang Academy on behalf of Concubine Lan - it was a book called "Collected Annotations of Various Philosophers".
Not only Chu Xiuning, but also the several palace maids who heard her talking in her sleep were all sent out of the palace."
"Okay." Concubine Liang stretched out her finger and gently poked Yan Changwen's forehead, scolding: "You now know more about the affairs of the harem than your mother. It seems that you have planted a lot of spies?"
Yan Changwen smiled like a simple and honest child and glanced at Murong Lian who was standing beside Concubine Liang.
"I have been working so hard for the sake of our family."
"But..." Concubine Liang put away her smile, thought for a moment and murmured, "Why would Concubine Lan send a book to Jiangzhou for no reason?"
Yan Changwen said that this was why the book must be unusual.
"And - who do you think has the book now?" Yan Changwen raised his eyebrows slightly and kept the question in suspense.
Concubine Liang urged him to speak quickly.
"It is this year's number one scholar, and now the editor of the Imperial Academy, Zhu Lan."
It is not difficult to find out about the past events of Longchang Academy. When Zhu Lan was young, he won the first prize in the poetry competition of Longchang Academy and could choose any book from Wanjuan Tower.
Yan Changwen also found it hard to believe that there could be such a coincidence in the world. What she chose was actually the book "Collected Annotations of Various Philosophers"!
Zhu Lan was able to get this book that year, which means that no one in the entire Longchang Academy knew the origin of this book. Moreover, Zhu Lan was only twelve years old at the time, and the Zhu family had no connection with the capital, so it was even more impossible for Zhu Lan to be related to the secret of the prince's life experience.
So there is really no other explanation for her getting the book except coincidence.
"Didn't mother just ask me who would be sent to find clues about the Crown Prince's background?
Our number one scholar is extremely intelligent. Rather than taking the trouble to retrieve the book from her, it would be easier for me to just sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor."
"Will she listen to you?" asked Concubine Liang.
Yan Changwen chuckled and said calmly: "She will check it out -"
"And now we are not the only ones who are pinning our hopes on her."
…
"Mother, are you talking about... the editor Zhu from the Imperial Academy?"
In the empty Fengyi Palace, Yan Xiuyun looked at Queen Dong in front of him in surprise.
Queen Dong stood by the window, holding a pair of golden-handled scissors, and trimmed the flowers and plants calmly as usual.
"The people that Prince Qi placed in the harem did act cautiously."
Queen Dong's voice was neither fast nor slow, as if she was chatting about the weather.
"But as the head of the harem, I am not blind or deaf. If they can find out, how can I not find out?"
Yan Xiuyun was silent for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice: "Mother, right now...what should I do?"
Queen Dong didn't look at him. She was still concentrating on tending to the flowers and plants, pruning a peony that was half a person's height.
"Look at these new branches. Once they grow into the main branches and become the skeleton, they will not be moved no matter how people prune them."
Yan Xiuyun clenched his fists, bowed his head and said, "Please tell me clearly, mother."
Empress Dong smiled solemnly, her voice full of innate majesty, "I have long said that you are His Majesty's biological son and the legitimate crown prince of Daliang.
You straighten your back for me. Just remember to repay the emperor's kindness, protect the people, and shoulder your responsibilities as the crown prince. Don't let down the people of the world.
I want to see who can take your place."
With a "click", a side branch was cut off from the root and fell to the ground.
…
Zhu Lan asked Qiao Youyou about Chu Xiuning's address after she moved out of the He Mansion. After finishing her duty at the Hanlin Academy, she picked out some gifts and went there.
Chu Xiuning lives in a quiet villa. Now that He Shan's funeral affairs have been almost settled, she will not stay in the capital for long.
Zhu Lan thought that he must ask all the questions he could before Chu Xiuning left the capital.
She knocked gently on the wooden door of the villa. After a while, the door was opened from the inside, revealing Chu Xiuning's face.
"Madam Ning." Zhu Lan greeted with a smile and placed the gifts she brought in the yard. Not hearing any chatter from Chu Xin, she curiously asked where Chu Xin had gone.
"Oh, Xin'er..." Chu Xiuning was a little absent-minded, "She must be going to the teahouse to tell stories again. She usually stays in the teahouse at this time."
Zhu Lan noticed that there was something wrong with Chu Xiuning's expression, and asked her with concern what was wrong and whether she was feeling unwell.
Chu Xiuning forced a smile, shook her head and said that she was fine, just in a bad mood.
After all, it is normal for a loved one to feel depressed after just passing away, and Zhu Lan understands this very well.
Chu Xiuning invited her into the room. It was a little dark inside, so she lit a candle and made tea herself.
The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and Zhu Lan found an opportunity to tactfully express his intention to visit.
When Chu Xiuning heard Zhu Lan actually asking about the prince's background, his expression froze.
After a long time, Chu Xiuning asked Zhu Lan to sit down.
"This matter involves palace secrets, and I shouldn't have told you. But now..."
Chu Xiuning's gaze drifted towards the door, and Zhu Lan clearly saw the worry in her eyes, and there seemed to be a trace of panic that she was trying hard to hide.
Chu Xiuning took a deep breath and asked Zhu Lan:
"Miss Zhu, considering your age, you probably don't know that there was a plague in the palace twenty years ago, right?" Chu Xiuning's gaze seemed to drift far away.
"The rumors about His Royal Highness's background all started with the plague that year."
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