Chapter 656: The Princess of the Western Regions Flees Thousands of Miles Away
“Bang!”
In the imperial study, Yunyang slapped Xu Jianwen hard on the cheek. He groaned and turned his head away. His cheek was slightly swollen, but he was still smiling.
Princess Yunyang, however, stared at him like a madman.
After a moment, he suddenly threw away the swaddling clothes in his arms and fell to the ground, crying loudly.
The baby was woken up by the fall. Even before he opened his eyes, he instinctively felt uneasy and started crying.
Zhao Duan and the empress watched this scene with different thoughts, and no one tried to stop it or do anything.
Princess Yunyang cried and cried until she seemed to be exhausted. Her eyelids fluttered and she cried herself to death.
"Come here." Xu Zhenguan's voice rang out, and she said to the several female officials who walked in with their heads bowed:
"Take Yunyang away and send him to the Imperial Medical Bureau."
"yes."
The female officials did not dare to raise their heads. Two of them went to drag Yunyang, and one went to pick up the wailing baby.
After a while, the crying gradually faded away.
It was like a farce that came to an abrupt end. The protagonists of the farce did not say a single line, but it seemed as if they had said everything.
Xu Zhenguan looked at Xu Jianwen with extremely cold eyes:
"Anything else you want to say?"
Xu Jianwen thought for a moment and asked:
"Is that child... Prince Consort Li Shuping's?"
The empress's mood grew worse: "It's Bian Ji's."
"It's him..." Xu Jianwen suddenly realized, then closed his eyes:
"I'm fine now."
The empress did not hesitate, took out a talisman from her sleeve, tore it open and threw it over - although she was just a puppet, she could still use extraordinary items.
"Sizzle..." The talisman paper burned, fluttered and swayed, and fell on Xu Jianwen.
The rebellious prince fell to the ground with a thud, like a piece of wood, and lost all sense of the outside world.
Entered the "sealed" state again.
Only in this state can we prevent them from contacting the outside world and even committing suicide to the greatest extent.
"I'm a little confused..." Zhao Duan raised his hands, rubbed his cheeks vigorously, and said slowly:
"So, Xu Jianwen and Princess Yunyang..."
He didn't say the remaining words.
The empress said "hmm" in a gloomy mood.
Another royal scandal.
Zhao Duan, however, just wanted to shout out "WTF!"... He thought to himself that your circle is so chaotic.
In Xu Jianwen's confession, he was able to know those secrets that only the emperor could know because he learned them through Yunyang's mouth.
As for why the aunt and niece could communicate such secret information, it involves the incestuous relationship between them.
At this moment, Zhao Duan recalled the information he had obtained from his investigation when he first became an enemy of Yunyang.
The reason why Princess Yunyang changed from being a virtuous woman to a prostitute in the capital was after she married her husband Li Shuping.
And this marriage was forcefully arranged by the deceased old emperor.
There are also rumors that this marriage came suddenly, apparently because of a scandal related to Yunyang.
Now that we have pieced together the clues, the truth of that year is about to be revealed:
Xu Jianwen and his aunt Yunyang had an affair, and the news seemed to have been discovered by the old emperor. The late emperor was furious, so he married Yunyang to Li Shuping...
"The Empress Dowager was very close to Yun Yang during her lifetime. Yun Yang was raised by the Empress Dowager. Decades ago, the Empress Dowager once ruled the country from behind the curtain because the late Emperor was young."
Xu Zhenguan seemed to know Zhao Duan's doubts and took the initiative to explain.
The old empress dowager was in charge of government affairs from behind the curtain... This meant that she had once represented the emperor's power, so it was not surprising that she knew some secrets. After that, the late emperor grew up and the empress dowager retreated into the harem. Yunyang, being the empress dowager's youngest daughter, learned some secrets from the empress dowager, either by chance or by some other means, and revealed them to Xu Jianwen... The logical chain was established.
But... Zhao Duan felt a headache and thought to himself:
Judging from the time, how old were these aunt and niece when they started dating?
So it’s still the “white moonlight” of childhood sweethearts?
No... Judging from the thoughts revealed by Xu Jianwen, I'm afraid he had the desire to seek power when he was very young... Then, was his contact with Yunyang also intentional?
Using Yunyang to obtain a lot of information from the old empress dowager who has long passed away?
This also explains why Yunyang is so "unruly" and "self-destructive", like a broken jar that has been thrown into despair after his love is ruined...
Well, Zhao Duan could even imagine the bloody scene where Xu Jianwen promised Yunyang to kill the old emperor and avenge her before launching the Xuanmen coup...
Well, if that's the case, then Yunyang's constant hostility, even hatred towards the Empress... makes sense...
hiss!
Zhao Duan suddenly remembered something:
After he dealt with Yunyang, the Kuangfu Society immediately sent the "Frost Sword" to assassinate him... At that time, he did not connect the two things together. Now that he knows it, he can't help but think about it carefully and feel terrified.
Could it be that Yun Yang had secretly maintained contact with the Kuang Fu Society at that time? Or even that Yun Yang was a member of the Kuang Fu Society?
Who dares to think... the prince and princess get into bed...
I never thought... my aunt and nephew would team up to assassinate me...
Zhao Duan's mind was in turmoil. He took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully, putting this melodramatic story behind him.
Glancing at Zhen Bao, whose expression was extremely grim, he knew that as a princess, she must be feeling very upset at the moment...
"Um...what should we do with this guy?" Zhao Duan pointed at Xu Jianwen lying on the ground.
Xu Zhenguan's chest rose and fell slightly, as if she was calming down. She said a little tiredly:
"Since he was already dead, there's no need to publicly announce his resurrection. A secret execution would be the safest option.
However, I am not sure if he can be resurrected now that he is dead, and Song Zhi is still a threat. To be on the safe side, I will seal him in the palace and hand him over to Eunuch Hai for custody.
Let’s consider it after we resolve the Xuanyin.”
Zhao Duan nodded, agreeing with this approach, and tentatively said:
"Then...I will take my leave first?"
Logically, the two should have a discussion with Tuoba Weizhi about how to obtain the next key, but considering the empress's current mood... he felt that she should be allowed to calm down for a while.
Anyway, I just came back from Southwest Xinjiang, so I have to take a breath and rest for a while before I can set off again.
…
…
"Owner?"
Outside the Yangxin Palace, Tuoba Weizhi saw Zhao Duan coming out and called out softly.
The mysterious witch with black hair, black eyes and black skin stood motionless at the place where Zhao Duan had first asked her to stand, like a nail.
Glancing curiously into the hall~
"I just saw an unconscious woman and a child being dragged away."
Tuoba Weizhi said in a low voice, as if revealing a big secret.
Zhao Duan was at a loss for words, and raised his hand to scalp her, but he held back and turned away.
"Let's go. Stop asking."
The master and servant left the palace. Zhao Duan hesitated at the crossroads and finally chose to take Tuoba Weizhi to Lihua Hall.
It has been a while since I last visited the imperial yamen. It is almost late spring now and the sun is shining brightly today. The long street outside the imperial yamen casts a line of shadows, while the lush green trees inside the wall are vying to poke their heads out.
The trees planted in each hall have also begun to bloom and bear fruit.
"Master Zhao!?"
Near the yamen gate, a captain in embroidered uniforms who was carrying a shoulder pole and bucket to fetch water himself saw who was coming and saluted respectfully, his eyes full of admiration.
The living devil in Beijing is as obedient as a cat.
"Well, get busy."
Zhao Duan nodded and continued walking with his hands behind his back.
After entering the yamen, he saw several groups of imperial guards carrying buckets of water. This made him a little strange. There were wells in every hall of the yamen, so why did they all go out to fetch water?
"Master Zhao is back!"
As he walked into the Pear Blossom Hall with doubts in his heart, a captain shouted in surprise from afar.
Immediately, several familiar figures rushed out of the lobby, all with expressions of surprise on their faces.
Qian Kerou, Hou Renmeng, Chen Juan, and Zheng Laojiu, four of his confidants, smiled brightly:
"grown ups!"
Although in the "cognition" of several people, Zhao Duan had returned to Beijing for some time after killing Prince Jing, Zhao Duan rarely came to the yamen due to his current status.
Therefore, his coming here today was a rare thing for his subordinates.
At the same time, several people also noticed that there was a dark-skinned woman in a cloak following behind their master, and they couldn't help but wonder about her identity.
"Are they all here?" Zhao Duan nodded with a smile, glanced at a few people, and asked:
"Jiyue is not here?"
When Lu Yan'er rushed to the capital, Ji Yue also returned to the capital with Gongshu Tianyuan, Jin Jian and Yu Xiu.
She did not return to Houhu, and Zhao Duan arranged for the homeless female sorceress to stay temporarily in Lihua Hall.
Zhao Duan clearly remembered that Ji Yue was not from the Yu country, but an islander from the Thousand Islands in the East China Sea.
He was accidentally captured and brought to the State of Yu that year, and the next "key" is hidden in the Thousand Islands of the East China Sea.
In other words, Ji Yue is a ready-made guide.
Therefore, he planned to ask Ji Yue about the situation in the East China Sea and make preparations for his subsequent departure.
Hearing the word "Jiyue", several subordinates looked a little strange. The round-faced secretary Qian Kerou hurriedly said:
"Yes, I have been living here well."
"Oh," Zhao Duan nodded and said casually:
"Tell her to come see me. By the way, when I came here, I saw many people from the yamen going out to fetch water. What's going on? Is the well in the yamen not working properly?"
"This..." Several people looked hesitant.
When Zhao Duan was puzzled, he heard the sound of water splashing behind him.
He turned his head and looked back, only to see a "ghost girl in red" who was soaking wet and had disheveled hair in a well under a large pear tree with lush branches and leaves, grabbing the wet edge of the well and pulling her body out of the well.
Ji Yue raised her head, two pale pupils shone through the gaps in her black hair, and she grinned:
"Sir...sir..."
Zhao Duan: "..."
Chen Juan rubbed his dark circles and explained:
“She was not used to the bed, so she lived in the well.
And because the wells throughout the Zhaoya were interconnected, the news gradually spread, and everyone in the yamen knew that there was a ghost living in the well. Pah! It was a person living in it... Therefore, some people were afraid to drink the well water.
Zhao Duan: "..."
Tuoba Weizhi: (*Д*)
Ji Yue lowered her head in shame, the toes of her embroidered shoes aligned, her pale hands intertwined with their index fingers, her face flushed instantly, causing her entire body to steam... like a sauna...
Zhao Duan took a deep breath, forced himself to suppress the anger in his chest, and was about to comfort them, but at this moment, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the Lihua Hall!
A tall figure with a teardrop mole at the corner of his eye and a flying knife scabbard hanging from his waist kicked the door open roughly.
"Bang!"
When Haitang saw Zhao Duan, her eyes suddenly lit up:
"I heard you were coming. It's just in time! Come with me!"
As he said that, he quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.
Zhao Duan took a step back cautiously and drew a clear line between himself and his female colleague:
"What? If you have something to say, just say it."
Haitang said loudly in annoyance:
"Princess Wenzhu, Princess Wenzhu from the Western Regions has fled to the capital!"
What?! Zhao Duan was stunned.
…
…
Zhao Duan didn't dare to delay and followed Haitang hurriedly to the Governor's Hall.
On the way, he asked:
"What's going on? Why is Princess Wenzhu in the capital? Didn't the intelligence say she was already imprisoned? Is she in the government office?"
Haitang pulled his arm and said angrily as they walked:
"I don't know either! She was injured and disguised herself as a commoner to enter the city. She suddenly showed up at the government office this morning and said she was looking for you, then she fainted!
The governor sent people to your house to look for you, but couldn't find you. He then went to the palace, but still couldn't see you.
This matter is of great importance, and it is not convenient to tell the other ministers in the court, so I first treated the patient. I just heard that you had returned, so I came to look for you."
As they were talking, the two men stepped into the Governor's Hall and saw several familiar figures waiting under the eaves outside a side room.
They were the eunuch Ma Yan, Zhang Han and others.
"Governor, what's going on?" Zhao Duan asked with a serious expression.
Ma Yan was relieved when he saw him coming, shook his head, and explained in a deep voice:
"It's not entirely clear. All I know is that Princess Wenzhu fled all the way from the Western Regions to the capital, escorted by her personal entourage.
When she arrived, there was only one female guard left by her side, and she was also seriously injured.
I sent someone to send that female guard to the Imperial Medical Bureau, and she only said that they died on the way to escort the princess, and the others all died. She didn't say anything else."
Zhao Duan's heart sank: "Where is Princess Wenzhu?"
Ma Yan pointed to the closed door:
"Inside, the princess's injuries weren't serious. She was more worried and exhausted from the journey. She had just woken up from a nap.
But no matter how we asked, she didn't say a word, as if she was quite wary of us. She just said she wanted to see you and would only speak when she saw you."
Zhao Duan frowned:
"I understand. I'll go in and take a look. Tuoba, you wait outside."
He gave a worried instruction, then stepped onto the rough steps, raised his hands, pressed on the door and slowly pushed it open.
“Squeak—”
The room was dry and warm, sunlight filtered through the window paper and filled the room, and one could faintly smell the soothing aroma of herbs.
Zhao Duan closed the door, turned through the hallway, stepped into the bedroom, and saw Princess Wenzhu lying on a bed.
The bed was half-draped with curtains drawn. Princess Wenzhu, who was once graceful, charitable, and almost a "saint", now seemed like a different person.
Haggard, weak, with a sallow complexion and dry hair, he lay down in only a white undergarment. He was awakened from his light sleep by the noise and said:
"I've already said that I won't see anyone except Envoy Zhao..."
Zhao Duan strode over, his eyes narrowed slightly:
"Princess Wenzhu?"
Wenzhu was startled, and quickly stood up, looking over in surprise. When she saw that it was him, the woman who had fled thousands of miles seemed to have found her backbone. Her tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed, and her eyes were almost red.
"Envoy Zhao..."
Zhao Duan took a step forward, but due to courtesy, he did not get too close. He just pulled a sandalwood chair over, sat beside the bed, and said in a deep voice:
"What's going on? Princess, aren't you under house arrest in the Golden Horde?"
Princess Wenzhu was about to cry and said:
"It was the Red Sect Master. He managed to rescue me and asked me to find you. He said he wanted to tell you a huge secret!"
(End of this chapter)
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