Seeing that the three Ye family members were fine, Kang Yueran was relieved. She asked Chai Shijing, "Do you know who did it?"
Chai Shijing was indeed suspicious. "Such a big move doesn't seem like the work of Duke Lu. It seems more like... Yueran, I'm sorry!" He was very ashamed.
Ye advised: "We are all fine, Your Majesty, don't blame yourself."
Chai Shijing said: "During the Chinese New Year, Yuqing visited Four Seasons Garden and told Yuanfeng Yuanhao privately that there was a secret room in Four Seasons Garden. My aunt and Yuanfeng Yuanhao hid in the secret room in time and escaped the disaster." If there was no secret room, the three Ye family members would not be able to hold on until his people came to support them.
Kang Yuanhao wanted to liven up the atmosphere. He turned around and said with a smile, "Sister, look, we are all fine. Don't blame the prince. It was thanks to the prince that he brought people to rescue us. He injured his arm to protect me."
Kang Yueran touched Kang Yuanhao's head and said, "I am angry, but not with the prince. Mother, please take Yuanfeng and Yuanhao back to the yard first. I want to talk to the prince for a while."
Ye advised, "Your Highness is not to blame for this. Don't lose your temper."
"I know, don't worry!"
Kang Yueran and Chai Shijing went to the study. Chai Shijing hugged Kang Yueran and said, "Yueran, you said that it was dangerous to fight for the throne and you didn't want to follow me. I kind of regretted forcing you. Without me, you and your aunt wouldn't have to bear all this."
"What? You want to break up with me?"
Chai Shijing's grip tightened for a moment, and after a while he replied, "I can't bear to do that, but I'm also afraid... I'm useless and always causing you trouble." And this time the trouble was caused by his own father.
"When I agreed to be with you, I knew this day would come. Fortunately, my mother and the others are safe. It's a pity for the guards and servants in Four Seasons Garden."
She patted Chai Shijing's back and said, "Okay, let me see your injury."
Chai Shijing took off his shirt, revealing the knife wound on his arm. "The medicine you left is very effective, and I don't have a fever."
Kang Yueran changed the medicine and bandaged Chai Shijing's wound, and after helping him put on his clothes, the two sat across from each other at the tea table and talked.
"After the New Year, Zhengchu also experienced an assassination attempt on his way back to Anzhou from his hometown. After Zhengchu reminded me, I just realized that these things must have been done by the emperor to force us to deal with Duke Lu as soon as possible.
After I figured it out, I asked my master to send someone disguised as me, go to the capital, kill General Yang, and rob Duke Lu's bank in Shengzhou, leaving behind a palace maid's badge. Duke Lu must have now concluded that the emperor was framing me."
Chai Shijing pondered, "No wonder Duke Lu didn't fight back against us, but instead requested permission to go on an inspection tour to the southwest."
"He's going to the southwest? That's right. This inspection will take at least half a year. If he finds excuses to delay, it might take even longer. It's hard for His Majesty to cause trouble for him, so he can only create obstacles for us and urge us to take action."
Chai Shijing continued, "As long as we take action, Duke Lu can use us to deal with His Majesty. They will enjoy the fight, but we will have to pay a heavy price for it. Humph! My aunt is frightened, and I am injured. We don't have time to stop Duke Lu from going to the southwest. Let His Majesty find a way to get there on his own."
Kang Yueran smiled and said, "I have already arrived in the capital. I will go to Duke Lu's mansion to remind him in the evening."
She was still dressed the same way, with a veil covering her face. She ran to Duke Lu's mansion and set it on fire, deliberately letting the people in Duke Lu's mansion see her.
Xie Zhi came to the study to report to Duke Lu, "The fire was not big and was quickly put out. There were no casualties. Master, according to the servant, they saw Kang Yueran, and Kang Yueran subconsciously adjusted her veil and ran away in a panic."
This is not Kang Yueran's style. "Go down, I understand!"
Duke Lu sat in his study, thinking that the person who came must not be Kang Yueran. It must be that the emperor knew that Kang Yueran had arrived in the capital, so he used Kang Yueran as an excuse to scare him.
Thinking of the assassination in Four Seasons Garden, his heart tightened. The emperor couldn't wait to take action against Kang Yueran's family. If Kang Yueran thought he was the one who did it, he would definitely take action against him; if Kang Yueran didn't take action, then the emperor would also take action against him.
In any case, it was too dangerous for him to stay in the capital. He had to go to the southwest. Only in the southwest would he be safe.
During the morning court session, Duke Lu once again brought up the matter of an inspection tour to the southwest. He led a dozen courtiers in kneeling on the ground, refusing to rise, as if they were poised to die if Emperor Jianning refused. Their unyielding attitude nearly drove Emperor Jianning unconscious again.
Kang Yueran stayed in Prince Ping's mansion. Chai Shijing took leave on the grounds of injury and recuperated at home. He told his confidants that there was no need to insist too much on Duke Lu going to the southwest.
Chai Shijing's action was different from what Emperor Jianning expected, and he vomited blood in anger.
The news of vomiting blood was passed on to Duke Lu by Li Quan, which further strengthened Duke Lu's determination to go to the southwest as soon as possible. He could not stay in the capital like a turtle in a jar.
Emperor Jianning sent Li Xi to visit Prince Ping at his residence. Chai Shijing looked very haggard, with a hint of decadence in his haggardness, and most of what he said was self-deprecating.
Kang Yueran served medicine to Ye and Chai Shijing's bedside every day, and Li Xi was very anxious.
When Kang Yueran saw him off, he waved his hand to dismiss everyone and said to Kang Yueran, "Miss Kang, Duke Lu is very powerful now and will be heading to the southwest soon. His Majesty has also been irritated by him and is sick. Alas!"
Kang Yueran looked like she had given up. "Duke Lu has 300,000 soldiers and horses in Huaizhou, and Ajing can't even gather 200 guards for the prince. I don't want to care about anything now. I just want my mother, my brother and Ajing to be safe. If Duke Lu attacks me again..."
"What are you going to do?" Li Xi's voice sounded a little anxious.
"I will kill Duke Lu!"
This is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause! Li Xi advised: "Miss Kang, don't be impulsive. If you kill Duke Lu, Duke Lu and his party will not let you and Prince Heping go."
"It's okay. Duke Lu has many children. Killing five will make back the investment, and killing one more will also be a profit."
"Miss Kang, you don't know that Duke Lu has considerable influence in the southwest. If anything happens to him, the southwest will definitely be unstable. Alas! The emperor is not in good health right now. Why don't you find a way to control the southwest's military forces first? It won't be too late to kill Duke Lu later."
Li Xi's words were so straightforward. Kang Yueran was puzzled. Could it be that Emperor Jianning's health could not wait any longer? "Thank you for reminding me, Eunuch Li. Let me think about it carefully."
"That's not a reminder. Eliminating Duke Lu is to fulfill His Majesty's wish and for Prince Ping's future."
Kang Yueran looked flattered, "Thank you, Eunuch Li, for your advice!"
Li Xi smiled and nodded, "Then I'll take my leave now!"
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