At this point, Zou Shijie paused, stroking the tea bowl with his fingers. He then said to Zhong Minge in a slow voice: "So now, the deposed prince has fallen, and Xiao An has finally returned to the An family. When Da An became pregnant, the relationship between the An family and the Third Prince's Mansion was finally restored. Could it be that at this critical moment, An Zishang would be willing to let Xiao An go to Ningguta and let the An family have any connection with the deposed prince? He would definitely try his best to prevent Xiao An from going to Ningguta, but such a thing naturally cannot be done under the feet of the emperor, so this is not it. Xiao An encountered assassins on the way, and it was at the junction of Zhili and Shengjing, such a no-man's land. An Zishang really had a good plan. But he sent a coward. He didn't kill anyone, but was killed instead. Tsk tsk tsk. At this time, Xiao An should have arrived in Ningguta. I guess An Zishang must have been worried to the point of having white hair."
"So, can you be sure that the dead person is An Zishang's man?" Zhong Ming'e still seemed a little unconvinced and asked with a frown.
"Your Highness, please understand. The dead man did not have any identity verification, so I cannot confirm his identity. However, someone stabbed his chest with a hairpin. There was also a note nailed to it," Zou Shijie said as he took out a hairpin and a note from his bosom and placed them on the small table. He gently pushed them in front of Zhong Minge and said with a smile, "Please have a look, Your Highness."
Zhong Ming'e looked at the emerald jade hairpin on the table. It was obviously a hair accessory that only noble ladies in the capital could afford. He nodded and looked at the note next to it.
To all the nobles in the capital: Although Ningguta is far away, there is no need for you to worry.
"He is quite an arrogant and ostentatious fellow." Zhong Minge nodded with a smile and pointed at the note.
"This person was sent by the Queen Mother herself, and he went to Ningguta on the orders of His Majesty. Naturally, he has the capital to act arrogantly," Zou Shijie also looked at the note, paused, and then moved his gaze to Zhong Minge's face, saying, "Your Highness, how do you think this matter should be handled? Should we report it directly to the Emperor? Or should we suppress it for the time being?"
"Let's just keep it to ourselves," Zhong Ming'e said in a deep voice, "A hairpin and a piece of paper alone can't prove anything, and the person is dead, so there is no evidence. Even if we report it to the emperor, it will just end in nothing. Who knows, the Third Brother and An Zishang might accuse us of suppressing and slandering them again."
"Your Highness is right. I think so too. This matter is indeed not suitable for the emperor to hear. However, after this kind of incident, the capital has completely calmed down. The young An can arrive in Ningguta safely," Zou Shijie said with a smile. "This is much more interesting than making a scene in front of the emperor. Let's wait and see what kind of trouble the Third Prince and An Zishang can cause."
"Not only us, I'm afraid that the emperor is also waiting to see," Zhong Minge sneered, "As soon as the good news came out from the Third Prince's Mansion, the emperor immediately sent Xiao An to Ningguta. The Third Prince will probably be worried for a while."
"The Zhao family is in great trouble now, so His Majesty cannot sit back and watch. Appropriate suppression is inevitable," Zou Shijie took a sip of tea, and when he spoke again, his voice was filled with deep worry. "But after all, the Third Prince's wife's belly is getting bigger day by day, and by then the eldest grandson will be born. No matter how much His Majesty suppresses them, he cannot ignore his own grandson."
Zhong Ming'e's face suddenly froze, he pursed his lips and did not respond.
"I heard that the princess has not been feeling well recently?" Zou Shijie asked softly again.
"Yes, my mother was not feeling well a while ago, so the prince's wife came to the palace to take care of her. I'm afraid she was overworked, so she has been recuperating over the past two days," Zhong Ming'e said slowly, looking at Zou Shijie, "Brother Zou, since you are here, why don't you go to the backyard to see the prince's wife."
"No need. After all, this is the backyard of the prince's mansion. How can a subordinate like me enter? Let's wait until tomorrow and ask my wife to come visit the prince's wife. Besides, with your highness's care, I, as your elder brother, have nothing to worry about," Zou Shijie said hurriedly, and stood up and bowed deeply to Zhong Minge, "Thank you, your highness."
"Brother Zou, please get up." Zhong Minge endured the pain, stood up and helped Zou Shijie up.
"It's getting late, I won't disturb you anymore. I'm taking my leave." Zou Shijie bowed slightly again, said goodbye to Zhong Minge and left.
Zhong Ming'e stood there, watching Zou Shijie leave the main hall. His body, which had been standing straight, suddenly went limp. He hurriedly held onto a chair, his eyes and eyebrows twisted together in pain.
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