Chapter 31
When they reached the front hall, Prince Shou exchanged a few words with the Duke of Huguo and then told him the purpose of his visit.
"Luo Feng's son has confessed. He said he had a sick horse at home and tested his new whip on it before using it to beat people. I've sent people to search his house, but they probably won't find it. I'm here to ask the Major General to help me find the sick horse so I can bring Luo Feng to justice."
After he finished speaking, Cui Hu and the Duke of Huguo were both surprised. They had not expected that the first thing Prince Shou did after being released from the palace was to offend the crown prince.
He has been hiding for so many years without showing any signs of success. When he first came out, he didn't have a right-hand man to help him in the court. I don't know whether to say that he is extremely confident or that he lacks experience.
However, those who are dormant will inevitably hesitate. So it seems that there is no need to worry that Prince Shou will retreat when faced with difficulties.
The Duke of Huguo had already dismantled Prince Shou into about 70% of his body without making a sound. The more he dismantled it, the more satisfied he felt. He even stroked his beard and nodded continuously.
Cui Hu didn't pay any attention to Prince Shou at all. When he heard that it was about the Yue family, he wanted to agree immediately.
But he couldn't be impulsive anymore since his father was beside him. If something didn't go his way and he asked his father to take back what he had promised, he would have no other way to make the old man change his mind.
"Third Brother! Didn't you hear what His Royal Highness Prince Shou said? Why don't you agree to it quickly!"
Upon hearing this, both of them were delighted. They didn't expect that the Duke of Protectorate would agree so quickly. They looked at each other with smiles in their eyes.
The Duke of Protectorate then said he had something to say and gave them space to talk in private.
Cui Hu was very anxious about this matter and wanted to ask the Luo family to confess their guilt immediately so that he could go to see Qingning.
"Your Highness! Luo Sanzi has confessed, but I don't think Luo Feng will admit it! He's been with Elder Luo for so many years that he's already mastered some tricks. Even if we get the testimony and find the whip, it won't be easy to convict him without the sick horse."
Prince Shou nodded, with some uncertainty in his words.
"Luo Feng knew it was a grave sin to bring back a sick horse from a thousand miles away. He would never willingly admit it. He must have used all sorts of tricks to prevent us from finding the sick horse. So, I came here this time to see if you had any clues. You've been in the military camp for a long time and have much more experience than I do. Where do you think he hid the sick horse?"
Cui Hu had no idea what to ask him, but he had long been wondering why Luo Feng had secretly smuggled a sick horse back from Liangzhou. He was not someone who cared about the people of Liangzhou, nor was he one of the ministers who petitioned His Majesty for disaster relief.
Did he go to such great lengths just to infect the Yue family with an epidemic using sick horses?
It is really hard to understand why he would go to such lengths, unless he had other ideas, and what happened to Luo Sanzi this time was indeed a pure accident.
He told his doubts to His Royal Highness Prince Shou, who pursed his lips for a long time before expressing his guess.
"Maybe it's prepared for our army, who knows."
Cui Hu opened his eyes wide and was stunned for a moment. Luo Feng was the Minister of War. If he really wanted to do this, he might be able to accomplish it.
But why did he do this? Wasn't he one of the Crown Prince's men? If he really wanted to overthrow the army, how could the Crown Prince agree?
Prince Shou saw his puzzled look and shook his head, saying in a gentle voice.
"Ahu, you've been away for too long. You don't know who's in charge in the court. The Crown Prince is indeed their backbone on the surface, but behind the scenes, it's Qingyuan Hou Gong Heyuan who they're truly loyal to. Do you think, given his status, is it possible for him to do such a thing?"
Only then did Cui Hu suddenly realize that the prince might not want to harm the foundation of the Great Sheng Kingdom, but the Marquis of Qingyuan was different. He was a pure-blooded alien. Although he grew up in the capital, his blood was not that of a Da Sheng person. If he really had this intention, it was very likely that he kept the sick horse to plot something!
"I didn't consider that! But if that's the case, I'm afraid we can't shake Qingyuan Hou's power with the plague. He has been in the court for so many years, and most of the court members are his people. I'm afraid that relying on Luo Feng's one-sided statement..."
Prince Shou sighed, stood up and patted his shoulder.
"It won't come to that! Even if they find the sick horse, it will only prove that Luo Feng is up to no good. He will definitely not let Luo Feng get close to him. If something really happens, Luo Feng will probably confess himself rather than denounce him. 'After all, one person dies or the whole family dies?' Faced with this choice, no one can make the wrong choice."
Cui Hu fell silent. He had known for a long time that the situation in the court was difficult. Now that he was standing on the opposite side of that faction, he realized how deeply entrenched it was and how difficult it was to shake.
But would this let him off? Bringing the plague to the capital, a matter so serious that hundreds of people might die from it and the foundation of the country would be brushed aside so lightly?
As he thought about it, his expression became gloomy, and his eyes seemed to be covered by dark clouds without a trace of light.
Prince Shou knew his heart very well.
The country and the people.
The heart of a minister has devoted his entire life to these two things, but now the court that this loyal minister sees is completely different from the grand court he thought he was guarding thousands of miles away.
I clearly know that someone is plotting something bad, and I have clearly caught a glimpse of him, but he does not investigate or report it, so it will be useless even if I come back.
No matter how anxious he was, he couldn't save the people before him. How could he not be discouraged by such a setback?
Prince Shou sighed, pressed his shoulder and asked him to sit down.
Ah Hu is too impatient! He is looking at the present moment, but he is also looking at the future.
If what a gentleman wants to achieve is far away, he must wait for it; if what he wants to achieve is great, he must endure it.
He could tolerate all these things happening now. As long as he stood in a high position and had power in his hands, all these would be a thing of the past and would be gone with a wave of his hand.
He relaxed his brows lightly, casually hiding his impatience, and still had the mind to comfort the people around him.
"Ahu, don't think too much! As long as you and I are here, as long as there are people willing to go against the current, we can defend this great country."
Cui Hu was anxious but had no choice but to bow to Prince Shou and say yes.
The two of them talked for a while before leaving together. Even the Duke of Protectorate didn't know where they were going, he only knew that they were going to look for someone.
Night had quietly fallen as people walked by, gradually enveloping the seemingly peaceful capital city.
——
Inside the Yue Mansion, in the west courtyard.
When Yue Qingning woke up again, he looked at the ceiling of the tent and was stunned for a while before he remembered everything before he fainted.
Thinking of her face covered in blood, she subconsciously raised her hand and touched her face.
Her face was smooth and clean, as if someone had wiped it for her. She wondered who else could do such a thing? It could only be that "evil man" in the same courtyard.
Sure enough, before he could think of him, the door opened and the person on the other side walked in unsteadily with a basin of water.
His steps were so light, as if he was stepping on cotton. She herself was well aware of the dizziness symptom, and seeing him like this made her want to laugh but couldn't.
"Miss...are you awake?"
He finally put down the basin, walked in tremblingly, and squatted beside her like a puppy.
Yue Qingning turned her head to look at him, only to see his pair of eyes sparkling like pool water in the dim room. He didn't look like a patient at all, which made her feel even more unhappy.
They are all infected with the disease, but he is living well!
"You can even get out of bed and move around? That's great!"
Unexpectedly, this person didn't notice her sarcasm at all. He carefully dipped a cloth in water and wiped her forehead.
"I find it strange, too. How come I was the first to get infected, but not the sickest?"
What he said actually brought back the memory of what Sister Teng had mentioned earlier.
Yue Qingning lay flat on her back, quietly letting him serve her, her mind constantly recalling what was similar and different between the two of them.
"The blood on my face..."
He knew what she cared about most and answered quickly.
"I wiped it with a damp cloth and then burned it in the yard."
"Does anyone outside the hospital know that I fainted?"
Que Ming hesitated, "It's impossible not to tell them. Miss Teng came in to see you when you were unconscious."
Even if I had come in to see her, I would have gotten some of her blood on me. I wonder if Sister Teng got any of it from her.
Moreover, she knew that the mother outside must also know about it. There were three children in total, and two of them were infected with a fatal disease. How could she, as a mother, withstand such successive blows?
After a long silence, Que Ming knew that she didn't want to make them worry, but he couldn't possibly not tell the people outside the hospital. What if something happened to her because of his momentary lapse of judgment? How would he deal with it then?
"Queming, I had a very long dream, and I dreamed of you."
This turn of events was so sudden that Que Ming was overjoyed and was about to ask what the dream was about, but the eldest lady's words brought him back to his original form.
"I dreamed that you would leave the Yue family this winter. I dreamed that you went to someone else's house."
“…”
He opened his mouth to say something, but what to say?
Could it be that what she dreamed of was true, and he would indeed leave the Yue family and go to Luoyang this winter? After that, he might never see her again, and would never recognize her.
He had imagined this matter thousands of times, but he didn't expect that this moment would be the most difficult.
It’s hard to put into words and hard to express what’s in my heart.
It's normal for her to hate him for this.
"Queming, aren't you going to say anything?" She asked again with a hint of expectation.
He still didn't answer, or maybe he didn't know how to answer.
After hearing no sound from the people around him for a long time, Yue Qingning lay there not knowing whether to cry or laugh.
He was so straightforward! He didn't even bother to tell her a lie. He had already figured out that she couldn't do anything to him, and now he didn't even want to pretend anymore.
So it can be said that fate is really a joke. God gave her another chance, but also gave him the miracle of recovering from his illness.
He really didn't need to pretend anymore. After all, it seemed that she was the one with no way out. When she died, this man could leave the Yue family in good health and dignity, and then he could enter the officialdom. Wouldn't he be as happy as a god?
Thinking of this, she became more and more unable to control her anger. If she had known that this would be the outcome today, she should have killed him with a knife while he was still lying in bed.
I don’t know when I can change my indecisive and timid nature.
Now the two of them had switched places, and she was the one lying on the bed, unable to move.
My body can't move, but my mind is more active than ever.
Yue Qingning looked around and suddenly saw a scissors under the medicine box on the table. It was left by Sister Teng when she sutured his wound.
She exhaled slowly, as if she saw a dream bubble woven by air in the air. She was so immersed in it that she couldn't even tell which moment was real, but her tone was softer and gentler than ever before.
"Que Ming..."
"Can you do me a favor?"
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