Chapter 41
"It's been a while since I last saw you, are you feeling better?"
The hand that was swinging the jade pendant never stopped, and he seemed very impatient. Yue Qingning knew that he had no patience, so she lowered her head and whispered a few perfunctory words.
"That's great! Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Hearing this, the person in front of her pursed his lips and stood silently five steps away from her. Yue Qingning never raised her eyes again, but she could see his silk embroidered Pixiu boots under his crimson robe.
They were too close, and all the grudges from the previous life seemed to suddenly surge up from her stomach to her throat. If she looked at him for a second longer, she was afraid that she would vent all her anger.
The pain of broken bones and heartbreaking pain under the horse's hooves still lingers to this day. She often wakes up from dreams, dreaming that she has been seen through by Xiao Yan and tied to the dilapidated Guanyin Temple by those three vicious gangsters. No matter how many times this dream repeats, it always ends with her death.
Xiao Yan, who is right in front of us, has lived a good life in both his lives, and it is as difficult as climbing to the sky to shake his position.
I am just a weak woman living in seclusion, and it is extremely difficult for me to even kill my enemy. So, I have to hide this hatred even deeper.
Yue Qingning bent down and forced herself to suppress every trace of emotion. She bit her lip and her eyes turned cold as ice.
The outcome is still unknown, and the matter is not over until she is dead!
Perhaps because her voice was too shocking, the prince who was not far away suddenly turned around and glanced at her. His eyes were as cold as the cold moon, as if he was dissatisfied with her being here at this time.
A good-for-nothing Xiao Heng and a sickly Yue. I don't know what happened recently, but I haven't had a single happy day since I met them. I didn't have the courage to provoke him, but they just quietly stood by my side and bothered me.
"I heard your mother is ill?"
Yue Qingning bowed beside him and replied, "Yes, I have been working too hard recently. I couldn't get out of bed after a moment of slacking off."
She hadn't really wanted to ask, and her answer had distracted her. Fortunately, Prince Shou came in at that moment, squeezed her out of the way, and allowed her to retreat.
"Royal brother, no one has come to the palace these days. The only people coming and going are the imperial doctors, all of whom are sent by our father. No outsiders have come."
He spoke softly, as if he didn't want to disturb his genuine fear.
But Xiao Yan would not let him go so easily. It was he who was in charge of investigating Luo Feng some time ago, and all the account books of Luo family's stolen money were dug out under his hands.
His younger brother is far from being as obedient as he seems.
"I underestimated you, Xiao Heng! You handled the horse plague case so brilliantly. You're not as clueless as I thought you were!"
As he was speaking, the pendant in his hand hit Prince Shou's face unexpectedly. He subconsciously took half a step back, then suddenly came to his senses and moved forward again, bending his body so low that he almost fell into the ground.
"Brother, calm down! It was my father who ordered me to investigate, and he even sent the third son of the Duke of the Protectorate to keep an eye on me. I had no intention of disturbing Elder Luo's beloved disciple, but things went against my will. My father sent the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple to investigate, and even if I said something, no one would listen..."
The tone of voice became lower and lower, and finally he was mumbling something in his mouth.
Xiao Yan was both angry and anxious. He knew very well that all this was the intention of his father behind the scenes. As a lazy prince, did he really think that there would be people who would obey his orders as soon as he left the palace?
But why did the emperor scold me like this? Could it be that the empress do something to displease the emperor? If it weren't for her, such a confusing attitude would be hard to understand.
"Except asking you to go to the Chalo family, didn't the emperor say anything else?"
"I never said anything else."
Prince Shou paused for a moment at this point, pursed his lips and muttered something.
"But Father once recited two lines of poetry himself."
Xiao Yan's brows tightened, and he quickly asked, "What is it?"
"I can't remember the first part, but I remember the last two lines: As long as the feathers remain, they will flutter everywhere."
This is a good poem, comparing himself to a lone crane that has lost its flock, and it is a masterpiece that relieves the depression and frustration in his heart. But maybe he has something to hide? Why do the last two sentences sound like no praise at all, but rather like a satire on the fact that he is growing stronger and will soon leave the flock and change his master?
When Xiao Yan thought of this, he broke out in a cold sweat and clenched his hands in his sleeves tighter and tighter, almost scratching himself to death.
Why would the Emperor say that? Could it be that he was really starting to be wary of his half-alien identity?
He had never thought about this, because no matter in the former dynasty or the harem, Shu Hu had already been deeply embedded in every inch of flesh and blood of the Dasheng Dynasty. Even among the tens of thousands of people in Kyoto, three out of ten had half of Shu Hu's blood flowing in their veins.
He is indeed the first mixed-blood prince, but many generations before his father, Shu Hu had already become one with Da Sheng. How could there be any distinction between them?
But now, the Emperor had actually begun to plot against him! Was it because of that damned three million taels, or was it because some people with ulterior motives were trying to sow discord between them, or perhaps it was a combination of both? Someone was using the money to create trouble for the Emperor, making him wary of Shu Hu and, by extension, making his life difficult for him.
Xiao Yan thought sinisterly, who else in the world could make his father listen to him?
Apart from my father's elder sister, the eldest princess, I'm afraid no one can say these things in front of the emperor without being tainted.
She was really behind this again! This old woman had been causing trouble for him time and time again, even plotting against him to take over the position of Crown Prince.
He not only contacted allies for Xiao Heng, but also instigated slander in front of the emperor. Even a half-dead man whose time was approaching could still jump around like this!
Shouldn't she be taught a lesson so that she understands that she has no control over the affairs of the palace and the court, and should not get involved in them. Otherwise, anyone who gets involved in this mess will be in danger of their life!
When Xiao Yan thought of this, he suddenly looked up at the long corridor in the distance. The girls sitting there were chatting quietly. The low voices were mixed with the occasional soft words in response, and the low voices made people anxious.
He stared for a long time until a roar came from the hall, breaking the silence.
The inner door of the ancestral hall was pushed open with a bang. The furious emperor walked quickly into the courtyard and called the eunuch over with a glance.
"Su Fu, I asked you to investigate the death of my son-in-law. Are there any suspicious points? Go over and tell me! Is there something I am hiding?"
The eunuch Su Fu, who was called over, rolled and crawled to the door, kneeling and knocking towards the inside.
"Princess, I have investigated thoroughly! The Prince Consort died of heart pain, chest tightness, and palpitations!"
The crying and shouting at the door did not seem to disturb the silence in the room at all. The old woman kneeling on the mat remained silent, only looking up at the shrine, as if resisting the overwhelming imperial power with a silent silence.
The emperor, who was standing outside, was a little breathless when he saw that she was still so obsessed with this matter as usual. He covered his chest and was supported by someone who pointed at her back and shouted loudly.
"Is it me who won't help you investigate? The facts are like this, what else do you want from me? Do I have to invent a criminal for you to chop into pieces before I can let you off the hook?"
"Wasn't Bai Xi my brother since childhood? How could I feel better if he died? But the truth is out there. Ten years have passed, and you still refuse to let go. I have already allowed you to hold grand memorial ceremonies every year. What else do you want? If he dies alone, will no one else in this world live to accompany him?"
The more he spoke, the rage he became harder to control. The emperor's originally fair face turned purple-red, and he shouted angrily at his sister in the ancestral hall who refused to let go of the matter.
However, no matter how angry he was, he could not change the feelings of the person who had been begging for ten years. The princess had experienced everything. It took her ten years from being indignant to convincing herself. Maybe it was God's will that made her get a clue at Shouwei, and everything had to be overturned and started over again. This time, it would take her another ten years, and the pain and resentment would never go away.
Now, no one is more important to her than the truth. She has already considered the emperor and sympathized with outsiders in her life. At the last minute, she can no longer compromise on other things. She must get the truth before she can leave in peace.
The eldest princess walked out of the room and stood on the platform one step above the Emperor Gao, with no intention of following etiquette at all.
"Your Majesty, please reopen the case of the Prince Consort's murder! To inform the Prince Consort's spirit in heaven."
The emperor didn't expect that his sister would dare to press him so hard. He blew his beard and almost fell down in anger. Fortunately, Xiao Yan supported him from behind and helped him stand up crookedly.
"How many times do I have to tell you this! No one is going to harm him!"
However, the eldest princess seemed not to hear anything. She knelt there, holding the door frame, and recited for a long time.
"Your Majesty, please re-investigate the case of the Prince Consort!"
In this way, there was really no room for the emperor. He was already over sixty years old and had not been in good health in recent years. Seeing her bringing up the old things again and again, he held his chest and gasped heavily, and he was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged and throbbed violently.
"Go... Go! Go back to the palace! No one is allowed to stay here, everyone go home!"
After the emperor's furious order, no one dared to stand there. The courtyard was in chaos. Some went back to the palace, some went back to their homes. The bustling courtyard suddenly became quiet after a while of noise.
When Yue Qingning heard the emperor's order, she wanted to go to the ancestral hall to find out more information, but the servants and maids in the mansion drove them all out.
The carriages standing at the entrance of the alley hurried away one after another, for fear of angering the Heavenly Face.
Yue Qingning turned around the mansion door and waited at the back door for a while, and indeed received the message from Her Royal Highness the Princess.
"His Highness said that there's no need for paper money, incense, or candles this time, as they've already prepared everything, so you don't have to worry. Since His Majesty has asked you to stay at home, then it's fine to just stay quiet. However, the Jietai Temple hasn't replaced the lanterns for the Prince Consort this year, so I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to go there on their behalf."
Aunt Mo, who came to deliver the message, finished explaining the eldest princess' instructions in a low voice, and sighed to the little girl with a hint of sadness.
"Your Highness is old and can no longer withstand so much hardship. He doesn't have the energy to go around in circles when things can be dealt with directly. I don't know how long it will take for His Majesty to calm down this time. I hope that young lady, for the sake of being family, will help out a little."
Yue Qingning naturally accepted her aunt's request, as she wanted to help the eldest princess more.
There is only one person in the world who has the final say. Even a noble person like the eldest princess cannot escape being imprisoned in the palace because of a word.
In the final analysis, everyone is just that person's entertainment. When he is unhappy, others are willing to gamble their lives on him.
After bidding farewell to his aunt, Yue Qingning did not dare to delay at all and immediately asked someone to drive to Jietai Temple.
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