1844 Special Envoy, We Will Hold You Accountable

While Feng Qingchen was negotiating with the Emperor of Xiling, the Dongling envoy rode at full speed to the gate of Xiling Imperial City. Unfortunately, the gate was closed at this time. Unless the Ninth Prince came in person and obtained the Emperor's permission, the gate would never be opened.

"We can only wait until tomorrow. I hope I won't ruin His Majesty's plans." The Dongling envoy was the number one scholar in the last special examination. He came from a declining aristocratic family. He was extremely talented and proficient in both civil and military affairs. His family would not hold him back either. He was a rare talent.

The envoy turned his horse around and headed for a post station not far away. After introducing his identity to the officials at the post station, the officials at the post station arranged for the envoy to rest and sent someone into the palace to pass the news back.

Dongling sent a special envoy, how come they didn’t receive any news before? Wasn’t it stated in the customs clearance documents?

The officials at the post station were extremely puzzled, but did not dare to take responsibility, so they had to report the news overnight.

Emperor Xiling couldn't find any fault with Feng Qingchen, and was just about to keep Feng Qingchen and Feng Jin in the palace and keep them under his watch. However, before he could say anything, his personal eunuch hurried in.

The chief eunuch had a solemn expression on his face, and whispered something into the emperor's ear. Others could not hear what the eunuch said, but after the emperor finished listening, he immediately looked at Feng Qingchen. His eyes showed relief, admiration, and vigilance, which were so complicated that it was impossible to interpret.

Feng Qingchen didn't know what happened, but she wasn't worried. Even if the sky fell, she still had the Ninth Prince to hold it up. The Ninth Prince's ceremonial formation was about to reach the border. Even if her mother hadn't happened, the Emperor of Xiling wouldn't dare to take her life. At most, she would be restricted in her freedom like the Eighteen Riders.

Feng Qingchen was afraid that they would attack Feng Jin. Feng Jin was the eldest princess's son, so the emperor could take him away with justification.

"Miss Feng, Dongling has sent a special envoy." The emperor looked at Feng Qingchen and said meaningfully.

"Special envoy?" Feng Qingchen was extremely puzzled. The Ninth Prince had come in person, so why did he send a special envoy?

"Why? Miss Feng doesn't know?" The emperor's tone clearly showed that he didn't believe it.

Feng Qingchen shook his head honestly: "Your Majesty, since entering the city, I have been living in the Princess Mansion and Prince Duan's Mansion. I just moved to a small courtyard last night. If Your Majesty hadn't invited me today, I really wouldn't have stepped out of the mansion."

Feng Qingchen really didn't know about this matter, but unfortunately the emperor didn't believe it, because: "Dongling sent a special envoy to investigate the assassination of you, Miss Feng, at the entrance of the city. The special envoy brought a letter from Dongling. Dongling will investigate this matter to the end."

The emperor deliberately emphasized the word "assassinated" because after this incident, apart from the Jinyiwei capturing the eighteen riders, there was no follow-up, and Feng Qingchen did not go to the government to report the case.

I thought that both parties had a tacit understanding on this matter. Feng Qingchen would not pursue the assassination, and Xiling would not pursue the Eighteen Riders for killing civilians at the city gate. When Feng Qingchen left, Xiling would naturally release the Eighteen Riders.

But no one expected that before the Ninth Prince came to discuss border trade with Xiling, a special envoy suddenly appeared. Does this indicate Dongling's attitude: the border market will not be opened until the assassination of Feng Qingchen is resolved?

"Your Majesty, I really didn't know about this." Feng Qingchen said that she was innocent. She had no intention of pursuing the matter. Because she was in Xiling, she had no ability to compete with the princess, the emperor and others. The result of pursuing the matter would at most be that the emperor would push out a scapegoat. However...

We can investigate it now. Dongling has sent a special envoy. Even if Xiling wants to trick people, it will have to be done in a way that is acceptable.

The Dongling envoy is an official, unless Xiling wants to go to war, Xiling will not hurt the envoy no matter how dissatisfied it is. This matter has been upgraded to a diplomatic issue between the two countries. Whether the emperor of Xiling is willing or not, Xiling will start investigating this matter.

From the moment Dongling sent out the special envoy, the matter was a foregone conclusion, and there was no point in saying more. The Emperor of Xiling had a dark face and once again proposed that Feng Qingchen stay in the palace to assist in the investigation.

If it was before, Feng Qingchen would definitely have endured it, but now?

Feng Qingchen smiled and said calmly, "The emperor has determined that I am a suspect based on the princess's verbal guess. Can I also say that the people who assassinated me at the city gate that day were sent by the princess? The princess doesn't even take the crown princess's brother seriously. She kills whenever she wants. How could she take a woman from another country seriously?"

"I did not kill Mr. Cui San." The eldest princess squeezed out these words from between her teeth.

Ever since Feng Qingchen came to Xiling, she has been unlucky and nothing has gone her way. The Princess's Mansion was not repaired after being destroyed by Prince Duan, and then she encountered the Cui family incident.

"I understand... the princess is so noble and kind, how could she kill someone. It was the third master Cui. He ran into the eldest princess's knife and felt he had lived too long." Feng Qingchen said seriously. If it wasn't related to the Cui family, Cui Haoting would have laughed.

Cui Haoting, who had been silent, stood up at the right time, saluted to the emperor, and said with a sad face: "Your Majesty, my Cui family has always been law-abiding, and my third brother is both loyal and filial. This time he went out to accumulate blessings for our grandmother, but he didn't expect that he would encounter an accident just after leaving the house..."

Cui Haoting's eyes were red and swollen, and he was in unbearable grief. He choked with sobs before continuing, "My third brother would never be the kind of person who would commit suicide. I ask the emperor to give my Cui family justice."

"I don't believe that the Third Master Cui would be so depressed." Xiling Tianyu also stood up. On the surface, he supported the Cui family, but in reality, he was helping Feng Qingchen.

Mr. Yinli glanced at Feng Qingchen and Feng Jin obscurely, then stood up slowly and said, "I have personally checked Mr. Cui San's wound, and it does not look like he bumped into it himself."

The palace is the eldest princess's territory. It is too dangerous to keep Feng Jin in the palace. Even if Mr. Yinli does not have much feelings for Feng Jin, she is still his own flesh and blood.

Feng Qingchen's teasing remark attracted the agreement of everyone except the emperor, which shows that the eldest princess has failed as a person.

The emperor was also very dissatisfied. These three people had been silent just now, and it turned out that they were doing this to betray him.

The emperor's face was solemn, and the palace was quiet. Feng Jin seemed to have sensed the tense atmosphere outside, and frowned uncomfortably. Feng Qingchen felt that it was almost time, so he stood up as well: "Your Majesty, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave first. Your Majesty and the Princess can rest assured that with Prince Duan's heavy troops guarding me, I can't escape even if I have wings."

Feng Qingchen not only refused to stay in the palace, but also wanted to steal the soldiers of Prince Duan to serve as her bodyguards. Anyway, she had already done what she needed to do in Xiling, and the rest would be done by the Dongling envoy and the Ninth Prince. She only needed to wait quietly for the Ninth Prince to come.

Feng Qingchen was definitely the first person to use the soldiers under surveillance as bodyguards. The Emperor of Xiling knew Feng Qingchen's little thoughts, but he really couldn't let Feng Qingchen die in Xiling. With the soldiers of Prince Duan "protecting" Feng Qingchen outside, the Emperor of Xiling felt at ease.

The interrogation, which had deviated from the topic as soon as the emperor entered the room, naturally could not end as the emperor and the eldest princess had expected. Feng Qingchen looked fine and was escorted back by Prince Duan in the same way she came.

The princess was so angry that she vomited blood, but she could only watch Feng Qingchen leave. Feng Qingchen didn't know that not long after she left, the state teacher, whom she had always been afraid of, came out from the corner...