Chapter 185 The Powerful Minister Returns to His Youth 39.
"...That's how it happened."
Three days had passed since the mountain, which the locals called Xiaomeishan, was split open by gunpowder.
In the main hall of a separate courtyard in Huai'an Prefecture, Yu Shiqing recounted the major events of the past two days, along with the numerous plans and arrangements, in a concise and slow voice. Beside him sat Ye Zangxing, who no longer showed any signs of illness.
Besides Ye Zangxing, there were also Princess Yong, Princess Afu, Prince Ye Hanzhang, the chief secretaries of the Yong Prince's mansion, the Yong Prince's confidants, the head of the personal guards, and General Zhao, all of whom were seated here, occasionally adding a comment or raising a question.
"What you have done, sir, is already perfect. If it were us, we would really not know what to do."
After hearing this, Chief Secretary Fei hurriedly replied.
No secret can stay hidden forever. The matter of the extraordinary person and the talk of rebirth had become increasingly widely known to Yu Shiqing, and it was no longer possible to conceal it. Rather than hide it, he decided to expose it and devise a plan.
Therefore, both the common people and those in the Prince Yong's mansion were now aware of those legendary tales. Meanwhile, on the day of his return, Ye Zangxing secretly sent a letter to the capital.
After hearing the truth about the Prince Yong's headache from those who rescued him, Chief Secretary Fei was horrified. He rushed to a trusted person to verify it, and after receiving confirmation, he was so frightened in broad daylight that he broke out in a cold sweat.
He once genuinely believed that the strange man was Prince Yong, and even tried to guess the prince's intentions, thinking that the prince had really changed his mind and was planning to secretly plant some people in the Sixth Prince and Yu Shiqing and do some tricks.
Fortunately, he hadn't had time to do anything yet, otherwise he would have had several heads to lose. Now, he probably can't keep his position as Left Chief Secretary, but his life and property are probably still safe.
Fei Changshi was filled with lingering fear, and now that he had the chance, he hurriedly began to flatter Yu Shiqing.
"Chief Secretary Fei is too kind," Yu Shiqing saw through Chief Secretary Fei's thoughts but did not point them out. He simply replied, "Now, in just a few days, we have almost completely rounded up all the officials, big and small, who colluded with the rebels in Jianghuai, as well as the bandits among the people."
"Liu Changshi, those rebels were interrogated by you and the accompanying officials from the Ministry of Justice. Is there any new information?"
Everyone already knew of Yu Shiqing's extraordinary abilities, and with the Sixth Prince and Princess Yong supporting him, no one dared to question how a mere scholar could be in charge of such a large-scale affair.
Liu Yin, the Right Chief Secretary of the Prince's Palace, understood the situation. Upon hearing this, he took out a scroll from his sleeve and handed it over directly: "The interrogation of several leaders of the rebels has been nearly completed."
He said, "According to Gong Danian's confession, most of them were bandits, and there weren't many real members of the Liang family. They were gathered together by Liang Pei for money or profit, and only after a while did they realize that they were plotting a rebellion. By then, it was too late to escape."
"As for Liang and Rong, they only pretended to be at odds. In reality, they were master and servant. When Doctor Rong attacked Xiao Jun, the strange person possessing Liang Pei was unaware of it. It was Liang Pei who gave the order with a secret signal. The assassin who killed Doctor Rong was also sent by Liang Pei."
"Liang Pei had already handed over the power of the rebel party to his son, who was also the biological father of the so-called 'Grand Prince.' After learning of the existence of the supernatural beings, he devised a new plan and was willing to get himself involved..."
According to Liu Changshi, several key confessions circulated among Yu Shiqing, Ye Zangxing, Princess Yong, and others.
"...Liang Pei's son and grandson, the Assistant Prefect of Yannan Prefecture and the Prefect of Fengshui Prefecture, were captured while on the run and confessed to this without hesitation."
"That's what Chief Secretary Liu said in conclusion."
"A bunch of nonsensical lunatics!" Prince Yong's confidant gritted his teeth.
“They’re mad, but they’re also quite clever,” Liu Changshi sighed. “If their plan succeeds, they could harm both the Prince and the Sixth Prince, leaving only Prince Ding. Given His Majesty’s temperament, he would be extremely suspicious. Keeping Prince Ding around would be no different than not keeping him at all. Alternatively, they would have several opportunities to use the supernatural being within the Prince’s body and various other means to stir up trouble and instigate a tragic struggle for the throne…”
"Nothing in this world can please these thieves!" said the head of the guards. "Thanks to the blessings of Heaven, with Mr. Yu and the Sixth Prince, the thieves' schemes have been foiled time and time again. It's truly exhilarating!"
"They harmed the Prince and the Sixth Prince, attempting to sever the imperial family's lineage and disrupt its bloodline. Letting them die is too good for them!" Chief Secretary Fei sneered.
Yu Shiqing listened to these indignant words without saying much. He simply looked up from the notes and asked, "Regarding the treasure of the previous dynasty, they seem to have conflicting opinions?"
“Yes,” said Chief Secretary Liu. “People like Gong Danian suspected that the rebels had obtained all that money, set up camps and built strongholds in the mountains, bought soldiers and horses, and stole iron ore and ironware. They believed that the rebels must have possessed the so-called treasures of the previous dynasty.”
"However, Liang Pei's son, Liang Xun, said that this was absolutely not true. All their wealth came from the legacy of the Liang family and from business dealings. The Liang family never fully trusted the court and always kept a legacy and money in secret. When the emperor investigated and confiscated the Liang family's property, he was unaware of this and did not take these things away."
"Liang Pei and his associates used this as a foundation to cultivate connections in officialdom, engage in trade in Fujian, Zhejiang, and Vietnam, and overseas. Over the years, they amassed considerable wealth..."
The people in the hall looked at each other, none of them daring to make a judgment.
Ye Zangxing glanced at it, then suddenly smiled and said, "What's so difficult about that? Just send another letter to the capital. The Liang Party's affairs are no small matter; they are major affairs of the court. How can a few of us make decisions about such important matters?"
Everyone was immediately delighted and exclaimed, "What the Princess says is absolutely right!"
To put it bluntly, this is the legacy of the palace intrigue during the reign of Emperor Tianxi. They've done enough; anything more would be disastrous. Each party should be responsible for their own affairs.
The group exchanged glances, not daring to say much, but they all conveyed the same meaning.
"Oh right, the origin of the gunpowder from Xiaomei Mountain has also been investigated..."
"Public opinion is also being guided by people, so there won't be any major uproar for the time being..."
"The Rong family case..."
Numerous important and trivial matters converged in this hall and were discussed one by one. Aside from the previous statement, Ye Zangxing didn't say much, and Princess Yong also rarely spoke. They had entrusted their affairs to Yu Shiqing and naturally trusted him.
Afu sat in Princess Yong's lap and listened for a short while before falling into a deep sleep. Ye Hanzhang, being older, tried his best to stay awake, but he was still recovering from a serious illness and had no energy.
If it weren't for this situation, where they needed to show their faces to reassure everyone, Princess Yong would really be reluctant to let them out in the wind.
"Speaking of which," the head of the guards suddenly said halfway through the meeting, "Does His Highness still refuse to see us? Your Highness, it's not that we suspect anything, it's just..."
"Just what?" Princess Yong's brows suddenly turned cold. "I'm just worried that the prince's facial injury won't heal properly, and that he won't be able to seize the throne so you can enjoy the credit for his role in supporting the emperor?"
"How dare we, Your Highness, please calm your anger!"
Chaos erupted in the hall, and everyone was shocked, rising to their feet and protesting their innocence.
Princess Yong dared to utter such treasonous words, yet they dared not acknowledge them.
Yu Shiqing and Ye Cangxing exchanged a glance, then Yu Shiqing stood up and bowed.
"Don't make me angry, I certainly won't be angry," said Princess Yong. "You are all loyal ministers of the Great Qi, and I know you are worried about the Prince's safety. But as I said before, the Prince even spoke to you through the screen, saying that his face was injured and he did not want to see anyone for the time being. Yet some people still keep asking questions. Do they think this Prince's mansion is not chaotic enough?"
"I'll make my word here today on behalf of the Prince: the Prince is the Prince, always has been. Whatever your intentions are, the Prince and I can't control them, but if anyone dares to cause trouble, we'll cut them down one by one!"
Princess Consort Yong is a daughter of a military family. A few days ago, when Prince Yong and the Sixth Prince were in trouble, she personally donned her armor and took charge of the situation. Her imposing presence was so great that no one dared to defy her. The entire hall was filled with people sweating profusely.
"This humble servant has misspoke, please punish me, Your Highness!" The head of the guards knelt down, his face full of remorse.
Fifteen minutes later.
After the meeting, everyone dispersed. Ye Hanzhang and Afu were also carried away by the maids. The hall was quiet, with only Yu Shiqing, Ye Zangxing, Princess Yong, and the head of the guards remaining.
After the servants changed the tea and left, Princess Yong immediately said apologetically, "General Meng, you've worked hard."
The head of the guards hurriedly rose and bowed: "Your Highness is too kind! This humble servant is incompetent and failed to protect His Highness. Now... it is all this humble servant's fault!"
It turns out that the argument just now was nothing more than a play put on by Princess Yong and the head of the guards.
Prince Yong has not shown his face for three or four days since his return, and no one has said anything. But how could their thoughts not be a little unsettled? Only by choosing someone to expose their thoughts and then forcefully suppressing them can we calm people's hearts.
“However, Your Highness, the Sixth Prince, and Mr. Yu,” the head of the guards frowned, “although we have temporarily calmed the people’s hearts today, as long as the Prince remains unconscious, disaster will befall us…”
"General Meng, please rest assured," Yu Shiqing said. "I have followed my memories from my previous life and ordered people to find those real famous doctors and sorcerers. They will arrive in less than three days. There are many capable people among them. Even if they cannot wake the prince with a wave of their hand, they will be close at least."
Because Afu was young, Princess Yong concealed her rebirth to ensure her safety, and attributed many of the strange events to Yu Shiqing. Now that Yu Shiqing was speaking in the voice of a reborn supernatural being, it immediately captured the heart of the Anqin Guard leader.
And this is not a lie.
Prince Yong was rescued that day but suddenly fell into a coma and has not woken up since. Yu Shiqing and Ye Cangxing only found out after they returned.
Based on what he saw and heard that day, Yu Shiqing guessed that what Mr. Liang had said to Long Ran in his previous life might actually be true by accident. Mr. Liang's physical body was killed by a stone, and Long Ran's soul rushed into the body of Prince Yong.
Prince Yong was merely a mortal; how could he possibly bear the weight of three souls at the same time? It was perfectly normal for him to be unconscious.
As for how to wake Prince Yong, the only solution is to seek out renowned doctors and extraordinary individuals.
However, Princess Yong and Ye Zangxing were both uneasy about this and felt pessimistic, but they could not show these feelings to outsiders.
Seeing Yu Shiqing's unwavering confidence and lack of apprehension, and with Princess Yong and the Sixth Prince also smiling faintly, the head of the guards felt slightly relieved. After pretending to accept the punishment, he withdrew.
The hall doors opened and closed, leaving only family members behind.
At midday, the winter sun was at its zenith, yet the hall was quiet and cold.
Princess Yong closed her eyes, her brow furrowed with worry and anxiety, and her fingers trembled slightly as she held the teacup.
Ye Zangxing lowered his eyes, his face pale. Yu Shiqing used his robe sleeve to cover his face and silently squeezed Ye Zangxing's fingertips. Ye Zangxing curled his hand in Yu Shiqing's palm, seeking support and comfort.
Princess Yong opened her eyes and looked at Yu Shiqing and Ye Cangxing. "If Boyang still doesn't wake up in three to five days, then you should stop interfering..." Her gaze paused, then casually swept over the two men's lowered sleeves. "I will personally go and give them an explanation, then lead the guards to take the prince back to the capital."
A prince falls into a coma after encountering a strange event. If the truth is to be uncovered, it will be no small matter, and there are many dangers involved.
Upon hearing this, Ye Zangxing raised his eyes and said directly, "Fourth Sister-in-law, I absolutely cannot ignore this matter!"
Yu Shiqing also spoke up: "Your Highness, things haven't gotten that bad yet. The arrival of those renowned doctors and experts will surely bring about a turning point..."
Princess Yong sighed, "I know your good intentions, but this matter..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Cangxing's bodyguards suddenly whistled outside the door.
"Your Highness, the people you sent to find Abbot Shouxin's disciple, Master Dingyi, have returned! They say that Master Dingyi entered Huai'an this morning!"
Ye Zangxing and Princess Yong were both taken aback.
This really was a "turnaround," and Yu Shiqing felt a slight sense of relief.
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