Chapter 43: The Mastermind
When she heard the word "Crown Prince", Qu Ji obviously paused.
Sun Wei continued, "If that really happens, I'm afraid it will be a disaster. The Crown Prince actually planted someone in the Yuzhang Palace. If the Crown Prince knew about this, it would probably ruin the harmony between the monarch and his subjects. Qu Ji, think about it, who will the Crown Prince blame?"
Qu Ji stopped crying and said coldly, "What prince? I don't know what the princess is talking about."
Sun Wei spoke slowly, "The princess was unhappy with the late king's marriage to the Wen family, so she sent you to the Prince of Yuzhang's mansion. You were wholeheartedly working for the princess, urging the late king to take a concubine in order to exclude Concubine Yuan, but ultimately you suffered the consequences. With new brides arriving one after another, the late king gradually neglected you. The princess, realizing you were no longer useful, gradually distanced herself from you. Two years ago during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the late king invited the princess to his mansion to admire the moon. You took the opportunity to sing a song, but discovered the princess no longer remembered you. You were disheartened, but then the crown prince found you, correct?"
Qu Ji opened her eyes wide, but still insisted: "How could the princess know about the Mid-Autumn Festival incident two years ago? Someone must have instigated it in front of the princess!"
Sun Wei ignored him and continued, "Let me guess, what does the Crown Prince want you for? Two years ago, the late king suddenly took in several concubines, all sent by powerful families from various prefectures and counties. The Crown Prince was worried that the late king had some secret dealings with them, so he asked you to start with those concubines to investigate the late king's background, correct?"
This was said lightly, but Qu Ji felt like a thorn in her side.
She looked at Sun Wei with a look of surprise and confusion, unable to speak for a moment.
"I have never harmed the late king." After a while, Qu Ji lowered her voice. "Although I received instructions from the Crown Prince, I have never done anything to offend the late king. If I report the truth of what I have learned, Princess, do you know what kind of disaster will happen?"
As she spoke, she sneered, "The Crown Prince came after me, and I had no choice. The late king had long since given up on me, so I had to find someone to lean on. But I'm not heartless or ungrateful! I did my best to protect the late king and the palace, and I have a clear conscience. But look at the princess, what has she ever done for the late king? After only a few days in the palace, she dared to instigate the Crown Prince to drive us all away!"
Sun Wei listened expressionlessly, but her heart was surging.
She had just used the crown prince to poke a prick at Concubine Qu, letting her know that she knew her true identity. But from what she had said, she actually had evidence of Prince Yuzhang's rebellion in her hands.
The news came suddenly.
In Sun Wei's memory, Prince Yuzhang had a good reputation and there had never been any talk of rebellion. Even when Sima Jun had Qu Ji expelled from the palace, not a single piece of news related to her was heard.
After weighing the pros and cons, Sun Wei thought that Qu Ji was either deceiving her or she really had evidence of her guilt.
But even if there was, what would it matter? The Prince of Yuzhang was dead. As the saying goes, there's no evidence in death, and Qu Ji was still in the Prince of Yuzhang's mansion. Everything was still easy.
"Why do you think I didn't tell the Crown Prince about you and the Crown Prince?" Sun Wei asked. "If I had told him, it would have been the Crown Prince who would have questioned you today. If the Crown Prince had come to question you, would he have believed what you just said?"
What Sun Wei said was true. Qu Ji knew that Sima Jun hated her.
"What do you want to do, Princess?" asked Qu Ji.
Sun Wei said, "I want you to deliver a message to the Crown Prince."
Qu Ji was stunned.
"Delivering a letter?" she asked doubtfully. "Delivering what letter?"
Sun Wei didn't answer, but said, "This palace is now the prince's palace. He will be the Prince of Yuzhang sooner or later. You must be well aware of his resentment towards you. If you stay here, your situation will only become more embarrassing. You are a smart person, so I advise you not to force it."
Qu Ji smiled coldly: "How can the princess understand the situation of a person like me who is insignificant? I have already given everything I have to gain a foothold in this palace. If you want to drive me away, it would be better for me to die here."
"How do you know I don't understand?"
Qu Ji sneered, "What can you understand at the age of a teenager? You are already the Princess of Yuzhang. In your eyes, the likes of us are nothing but ants."
Sun Wei looked at her and seemed to see herself back then. She had also been obsessed with the position of Princess Yuzhang. If she had given up, she would not have seen a future. But now it seemed that if she had let go earlier, perhaps she would not have lived such a painful life later.
This is probably what they call being in the dark.
"If I say you're an ant, would you admit it?" Sun Wei asked calmly. "If you do, then live the life of an ant. But even ants know that in order to survive, if one path is blocked, they'll find another. They won't seek death, hoping to reopen a dead end. In my opinion, if you keep going like this, you'll be worse than an ant. I have every right to look down on you."
Qu Ji did not expect Sun Wei to say this, and her face turned pale with anger.
"Go ahead." Sun Wei said without saying anything, "Don't forget, I need to get the prince's answer tomorrow. Otherwise, you can just wait for the prince to question you."
Qu Ji wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.
"The princess hasn't told me yet. What message do you want me to deliver?" She said coldly after a while.
——
"Qu Ji looks extremely angry. Will she commit suicide?" Aju said after Qu Ji left.
Sun Wei shook her head.
"Only with courage can one survive. Without courage, one's heart will die, and that's when one will commit suicide. Don't worry, she won't die."
Aru breathed a sigh of relief: "I told you that the princess shouldn't get involved in this kind of thing. Looking at Qu Ji's appearance, I know she's not someone who would take it easy. I don't know what tricks she's going to use."
"No problem." Sun Wei said, "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."
Aju was confused.
Qu Ji indeed had a way to pass the message to the prince.
The next day, a carriage arrived at the palace, saying that the queen wanted to summon Sun Wei.
Sima Jun was not at home, so Cao Song reported the matter. He was confused. The empress had never interacted with the concubines, so he didn't know why she would summon them. However, the palace messenger was already outside, so he had no choice but to report to Sun Wei and escort her to her carriage.
The carriage drove off the main street in front of the palace and headed towards the imperial palace, but it turned in front of the palace gate and drove away from the palace.
A'ru couldn't help but hold on to Sun Wei tightly, whispering, "Where are we going? This doesn't look good."
Sun Wei looked normal.
"Aru, you can't tell anyone about what happened today, understand?"
Aju glanced at her and seemed to understand the reason.
"Also," Sun Wei said, "If the prince asks, you must never tell him."
"I know." A'ru said, "It was the princess who promised to avenge me, not the prince. Why should I tell him?"
Sun Wei nodded slightly.
That's why she chose Aju. She lived a simple life, free from distractions. The fewer distractions, the easier it was to get along with her, and the more trustworthy she was.
The carriage followed the palace wall and circled to a Zen temple in the northeast of the palace, called Jingyuan.
This Zen temple is a place where high monks practice seclusion and meditation, and ordinary people are not allowed to enter. The carriage drove straight into the Zen temple and entered the innermost monastery.
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