Deep within the palace, the candlelight flickered dimly.
Inside the Qiankun Hall, a tall and upright man was reviewing memorials at his desk.
His eyebrows were as handsome as mountain peaks, his lips as bright as candlelight, and his dark eyes, like the night itself, were filled with a dark magic. His chiseled profile exuded a mature allure, untouched by the passage of time.
The Grand Eunuch Quan De hurriedly entered the hall, carrying a black box in both hands. "Your Majesty! An urgent message from Jiangnan, eight hundred li away!"
As he spoke, he touched the black box with both hands.
Lan Shanyang placed the pen steadily on the pen holder, turned her head, glanced at the box, then looked up at Quan De and sighed softly, "That little brat must have caused trouble again!"
He wanted to laugh, but when he tried to suppress it, his face became terribly stiff.
Lan Shanyang didn't wait for Quan De's reply. He picked up the box, took out letters with painted chicken feathers, and quickly glanced through them.
"Hmph, what did I tell you! That bastard Lan Linxue causes trouble the moment she leaves my sight!"
Lan Shanyang snorted coldly, threw the letter on the desk, and lazily leaned back in her soft seat, looking annoyed. "Take a look!"
Quan quickly picked up the letter with both hands and skimmed through it. Then, his face turned pale.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has severed the Third Prince's arm. This is no small matter! If Xu Ming finds out, it will cause an uproar!"
Lan Shanyang rubbed his forehead wearily. "Severing an arm is nothing! He even killed Gao He! Clearly, he's challenging me! I put Gao He in charge of watching him, and he tried to shift the blame onto the Third Prince, using Gao He as a pawn to kill me so I'd be blind! Hmph, plotting to assassinate the Crown Prince? How could he even think of that? That treasure basin is the Third Prince's mole; even if the Third Prince wanted to kill him, he wouldn't do it in his own territory."
The third brother is a complete idiot, he deserves to have his hand broken! A little devil like Lan Linxue should be avoided like the plague, and he actually dared to gamble with him! Hmph, now look what's happened, I've lost someone, he's lost his hand, and he's even being accused of assassination! Keep an eye on Xu Ming, if he makes any unusual moves, you need to know immediately.”
"Yes!" Quan De bowed his head in agreement. "I suppose Xu Ming wouldn't dare to make any big moves. It's just that His Majesty will have to suffer the inconvenience of having to listen to his tearful complaints tomorrow!"
Lan Shanyang smiled slightly, "He might as well want to cry, but I'll have to give him the chance first! Tomorrow morning, give him a heads-up beforehand and tell him that I know the Third Prince plotted to assassinate the Crown Prince and I'm furious. I've already surrounded the Third Prince's residence. Be generous with this, don't be afraid of making a big fuss!"
Quan De immediately smiled, "Yes! This servant will take care of it right away! His Majesty's granting of the Crown Prince's wish is truly moving!"
Lan Shanyang glanced at Quan De, then shifted her body in annoyance. "What's the use of me granting his wish? He's utterly heartless! Just watch, this is only the beginning. Who knows how many messes he'll leave me with later. I was wondering why he was so quiet this time; I guess I overestimated him!"
Quan shook his head. "His Highness the Crown Prince is still young, he..."
"He's a little brat!" With that, Lan Shanyang took a letter from another drawer and threw it out. "He already knows how to get entangled with women, and he's still a little brat?"
Quan De knew without even looking who Lan Shanyang was talking about; the news of Lan Linxue and Qin Kou'er being together had come back a day ago.
Quan De walked over with a smile, folded both letters, and carefully placed them in front of Lan Shanyang again. "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is not young anymore. In principle, he should have married a Crown Princess long ago. If it weren't for the complicated situation in the court right now, and your indulgence of the Crown Prince's temperament, you might already be holding this grandson. It's not necessarily a bad thing that the Crown Prince can find a woman he likes this time he goes out!"
Lan Shanyang frowned slightly, raised her hand slightly, and quickly handed over the teacup.
"Have you found out anything about Qin Kou'er?" Lan Shanyang asked, his face expressionless as he gently stirred his teacup.
"Reporting to Your Majesty. The news came back recently, and it's from the south, so we haven't been able to find out the exact details yet!"
"Tell me what you already have!"
"This Qin Kou'er is quite a prodigy. But no one knew anything about her background before she was thirteen. She founded Qin Tian Pavilion at the age of thirteen, and after five years of operation, she is now the richest woman in Yangzhou. More importantly, Qin Tian Pavilion is not just a simple business; she has many talented people under her command and is very influential in the underworld. Once she enters the Qinhuai River area, no one dares to disrespect her. Therefore, this old servant suspects that this woman must have a powerful background and a remarkable origin! Otherwise, how could a young girl have built such a large empire at such a young age!"
"Since you know, investigate! Investigate to the end!" A fierce glint flashed across Lan Shanyang's face. "We absolutely cannot allow a woman with no background to stay by Lin Xue's side! And we need to know how they met, and why the Crown Prince moved into Qin Tian Pavilion as soon as he entered Yangzhou. We can't overlook any of these details!"
"Yes! This old servant knows what to do!"
Lan Shanyang nodded, then looked up at the sky outside. "Fifth Brother has been gone for four days. If things go quickly, he'll probably be in Yangzhou by now."
"Yes, the Fifth Prince has been gone for a while. However, Your Majesty, Shi Mengjian's case is far-reaching. Sending the Fifth Prince might implicate the Crown Prince, since the Crown Prince is aware of Shi Mengjian's background!"
Lan Shanyang laughed, a cunning smile on his face mirroring Lan Linxue's: "That wicked Lan Linxue is probably just waiting for the Fifth Prince! He's afraid of getting involved, but who knows what kind of wicked scheme he's plotting! He used my Imperial Guards and found Shi Mengjian's head; he can't escape this! Just watch, this mess in Yangzhou is bound to spill over into the capital. But it's fine, isn't he looking for experience? Let him go. I want to see what other tricks he has up his sleeve!"
"His Majesty is farsighted and understands the Crown Prince's intentions!" Quan De said with a bow and a smile.
Lan Shanyang gave Quan De a sly look. "He dared to kill my men, so I dare to make trouble for him! Draft an edict ordering the Fifth Prince, Lan Xiuyuan, to thoroughly investigate the Third Prince's plot to assassinate the Crown Prince, and to detain all those involved. Especially that Qin Kou'er, question her thoroughly. I want to see just how much thought Lan Linxue has put into this woman."
After saying that, Lan Shanyang suddenly wanted to see if Lan Linxue's face, when she was furious, still looked exactly like his own.
This little bastard seems to have forgotten that his father has always been one to seek revenge.
---Aside---
It seems today is Youth Day, everyone! Happy holiday!
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