Chapter 160 The Past is Like an Abyss
"Hmph, fifteen years ago, Princess Rui was so domineering, didn't she tear you to pieces on the spot?"
The eldest princess scoffed.
Madam Wan shook her head: "My feelings for him are my own business. Prince Rui didn't know at first, so Princess Rui wouldn't know either."
My family disagreed and, fearing I would cause trouble, locked me in the house.
One day, a woman came to my door and told me that she could grant my wish.
With her help, I learned a great deal about His Highness Prince Rui.
Two months later, I went to Xishan to worship Buddha again, and sure enough, I saw Prince Rui there.
I recalled that the information that person gave me indicated that Prince Rui liked plum blossoms, tea, and Buddhist worship.
I dressed up according to Prince Rui's preferences, and sure enough, I caught his eye.
After that, we often met at Xishan Temple, and he said he wanted to marry me as a concubine.
But before it could even begin, the late emperor passed away.
Consort Ye also died, and the prince was forced to go to the northern border.
I begged him to take me to the North, promising to stay with him forever.
But he said he couldn't bear to see me suffer with him, so he left me in the capital.
Six months later, he wrote to say that life in the North was very difficult.
The climate was bitterly cold, and resources were scarce, making life very difficult.
Even so, His Majesty still refused to let him go, not only killing Consort Ye but also sending assassins to kill him.
I asked him what I could do to help him.
Later, in his next letter, he arranged for me to find a way to enter the Duke of Xing's mansion.
He gave me the medicine, instructing me to poison Princess Lanling, which ultimately led to her death.
Of course, it was also through his arrangement that I was able to be with the Duke of Xing and become his wife.
After that, I helped him relay news from the capital through the Duke of Xing.
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess suddenly asked:
"Are your two children the sons of the Duke of Xing or the Prince of Rui?"
“Naturally, it belongs to the Duke of Xing.”
Du Zhengming nodded and said, "Oh, that must be Prince Rui's."
After hearing this, the eldest princess glanced at Du Zhengming and spoke up as well:
“I told you, those two don’t resemble Yanchi at all.”
"Who was the person who introduced you to Prince Rui, the person who helped you achieve your wish?" Du Zhengming asked.
"It is Consort Shu, Shen Yunmiao," Madam Wan said firmly.
"Consort Shu? She actually has such good intentions?" the Princess asked in surprise.
Du Zhengming frowned as well: "Consort Shu?"
The princess, with a slight smile, continued to ask:
"If you are outside the palace, then is Consort Shu in charge of things inside the palace all along?"
"Did she have people plant the poison?"
Wan nodded.
"Since you two are separate, is there a subordinate relationship between you?"
"You obey Consort Shu's orders?"
Du Zhengming asked.
Lady Wan nodded: "Sometimes Consort Shu needs me to do things for her outside the palace."
"Was it Consort Shu who ordered you to send people to burn down that pharmacy?" Du Zhengming continued to ask.
"yes."
"So how do you communicate?" the princess asked.
"Usually, it's Consort Shu who sends someone to contact me."
"Who? Say the contact person's name?" the princess asked impatiently.
"Zhang Mama, the steward of Consort Shu's palace."
The eldest princess thought for a moment and asked, "Is it the Zhang woman with a small mole at the end of her eyebrow?"
Wan nodded.
The eldest princess, her eyes filled with trepidation, continued to ask:
"When I came here, I heard Du Shaoqing say that you said the Empress Dowager was poisoned?"
Do you know what poison you have been given? Is there an antidote?
"The Empress Dowager's poison cannot be cured; she can only wait to die," Wan sneered.
Upon hearing this, the princess suddenly stood up, her heart pounding and blood rushing to her head, instantly shattering her reason.
Just as she was about to step forward, Du Zhengming's voice suddenly rang in her ears:
"Your Highness, please calm down. Perhaps she is trying to provoke you."
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess stopped in her tracks, standing rooted to the spot without taking any further action.
Du Zhengming continued, "Wan, was the Empress Dowager's poison also administered by Consort Shu?"
"She is in charge of the palace, and I have no right to interfere, so I don't know if she was the one who put it in."
Du Zhengming frowned: "Then how did you know that the Empress Dowager had been poisoned?"
“Naturally, it was Prince Rui who told me.”
The eldest princess took a few deep breaths to suppress her emotions, then frowned and looked at Wan Shi.
Du Zhengming continued, "What poison did the Empress Dowager suffer from?"
“I don’t know,” Wan shook her head.
"You're in charge of gathering intelligence in the capital. Do you have any other helpers?" Du Zhengming continued to ask.
Lady Wan did not answer, but turned to look at the eldest princess.
"Your Highness, are you and His Majesty both puzzled as to why the spies in the capital are never completely eradicated?"
The eldest princess stared at her fiercely without saying a word.
"That's because you're investigating in the wrong direction at all."
Although I don't know who the other spies from the northern border are in the capital, I do know the general idea.
My code name is Plum Blossom, and Consort Shu's code name is Peony.
The peony is the king of all flowers, and all the flowers in the capital must obey its commands.
So, can you understand anything from this?
The eldest princess frowned and pondered deeply after hearing this.
Du Zhengming understood immediately.
"You're saying the spies in the northern border region of the capital are all women? And all of them live in the inner quarters?"
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess suddenly understood.
Damn it, I knew it! There's no reason why we can't catch all these spies.
Wan looked at Du Zhengming with a hint of approval.
"As expected of a young and promising Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, his reaction is quick."
Over the years, I've watched my children grow up day by day, and sometimes I've wanted to break free from this identity.
However, as you know, once these things get on your hands, it's impossible to wash them off.
Therefore, I sometimes hesitate and waver.
I have seriously considered these questions before, and the answers Du Shaoqing gave are just my own explorations and speculations over the years.
We only contacted Mudan through a single channel, so I didn't know her true identity.
You'll need to look that up yourselves.
Du Zhengming nodded in agreement.
The princess has regained her composure and reason.
"How do you and Prince Rui keep in touch?"
"On the fifth day of each month, Chen's Spice Shop in the West Market will send a message at a set time."
However, my whole family was taken to the Dali Temple; with such a commotion, they must have known about it long ago.
Du Zhengming glanced at the temple master behind him, and the temple master turned and left.
The eldest princess then asked, "Has Prince Rui visited the capital in recent years?"
Lady Wan hadn't expected the Princess to ask this question, and after thinking for a moment, she replied:
"I've been here."
The eldest princess murmured, "I knew it, he must have come back. After all, Lady Ye is still buried in the capital."
After saying this, the eldest princess looked at Lady Wan and asked:
"I've come back a few times, but when did I come back each time?"
“In the first few years, I came back less often, and I could only see him once every two or three years.”
In the years that followed, we met almost every year.
When Prince Rui was mentioned, Lady Wan lowered her head, and her expression was not visible.
The eldest princess felt a surge of anger. The spies sent by His Majesty reported back that Prince Rui had never left the northern border.
What's going on?
Could it be that all those informants have betrayed us?
The eldest princess frowned, and Du Zhengming then asked from the side:
When does Prince Rui usually come? In the summer?
After thinking for a moment, Wan nodded almost imperceptibly.
After a long silence from the eldest princess, Lady Wan raised her head and said:
"I have said what I needed to say. I did all of this by myself. It has nothing to do with my two children or the Marquis of Wuwei's mansion."
His Highness promised me he would let them go.
"Of course, I will spare their lives."
But if they make any further moves and continue to court disaster, then I will show no mercy.
The eldest princess answered.
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