Chapter 67 Please be careful.
Chapter Sixty-Four
When the matter was brought up, Lin Xiao's expression turned serious: "Your Highness, something big may happen in the capital soon. Lu Yunqi has found the hiding place of the private army, but there is currently no evidence to prove that it is the Crown Prince's private army."
"The Crown Prince achieved a great victory in suppressing the rebels. However, on his way back to the capital, rumors suddenly spread that the rebel leader he killed was actually a death row inmate, not the real rebel leader. The real rebel leader had already been secretly released by the Crown Prince. Now, the whole court and the public are criticizing the Crown Prince, and the argument is extremely heated. Some people even called for the Crown Prince to be deposed, which is why the Crown Prince hurriedly returned to the capital."
Shen Panyan frowned, puzzled: "Did the Crown Prince really let the rebel leader go?"
Lin Xiao shook his head: "I don't know. The secret guards reported that the rebel leader is indeed dead, but he is not a death row inmate."
As he spoke, he paused, his expression suddenly becoming extremely serious.
"Your Highness, I survived his pursuit, which led to His Majesty discovering his years of scheming. Everything has been exposed to His Majesty, and he must hate me to the core. However, he doesn't know who I am, so he will inevitably take his anger out on you. You must be careful during your time in the capital."
"Besides the Crown Prince, Your Highness, you must also be careful of the Empress and the Jiang family."
"The Empress and the Jiang family?" Shen Panyan asked, her heart skipping a beat, filled with doubt and anxiety. "Why?"
Lin Xiao: "Your Highness, do you remember Duan Mo, whom I mentioned to you at Qusheng Tower that day?"
"Duan Mo?" How could Shen Panyan not remember him? She hurriedly asked, "Is he related to the Empress Jiang family?"
"Yes." Lin Xiao nodded and explained slowly. However, he did not mention anything else, only that Duan Mo's dissemination of remarks that belittled the current dynasty and praised the previous dynasty was actually at the behest of the Jiang family.
"I have been secretly investigating the Jiang family these past few days. I have discovered that the Jiang family not only secretly maintains secret guards, but also..." Suddenly, Lin Xiao lowered his voice to a very low level, "Your Highness, the Jiang family patriarch's study contains the personal sword of the former emperor. The Jiang family is very likely a remnant of the former dynasty."
"What?!" Shen Panyan's eyelashes trembled, and she almost cried out in surprise.
She stammered, "If the Jiang family is a remnant of the previous dynasty, then wouldn't the Crown Prince be... wouldn't he be... a member of the previous dynasty?"
Could he not be the Emperor's child? What is the Jiang family planning to do? Restore the previous dynasty?
Shen Panyan looked both surprised and bewildered, completely unable to imagine what kind of turmoil would ensue in the capital if her father found out about this matter; it would likely result in rivers of blood.
Lin Xiao immediately knew she had misunderstood and shook his head: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is His Majesty's biological son, there's no doubt about that. However, the Empress's maternal family are remnants of the previous dynasty. If His Majesty finds out about this, the Crown Prince will definitely be deposed and will never be able to ascend the throne. The Crown Prince most likely knows about this, which is why he colluded with rebels, raised a private army, and is desperate to ascend the throne. The capital will definitely be in turmoil. If Your Highness has nothing to do, please don't go out."
Shen Panyan nodded, knowing the seriousness of the matter: "I understand."
"Besides this matter, Your Highness, I also discovered the truth about Consort Shu's death back then in the Jiang family."
"Back then, Consort Shu was poisoned with Thousand Days' Intoxication, which is why she died of postpartum hemorrhage on the day of childbirth."
Shen Panyan paused, her breath catching in her throat: "A Thousand Days of Intoxication..."
It's Thousand Days of Intoxication again. Back then at the Royal Villa, if it weren't for Lin Xiao, the Thousand Days of Intoxication she was hiding would probably have remained hidden for who knows how long.
"The Thousand-Day Intoxication was created by a folk doctor from the Jiang family named Master Ruan. He is skilled in Gu poison and recently escaped from the Jiang mansion. My subordinates investigated her escape route and found that she went to the Nanping Dynasty. She is not from Zhaoyan Kingdom, but from the Nanping Dynasty."
"For so many years, she has been hiding by the Empress's side, instigating the Empress to believe in some life-changing technique and to harm His Majesty's many children. Her purpose is probably to shake the foundation of the Zhao Yan Kingdom."
"Although she has escaped, she has been working for the Empress for so many years, and the Empress must still have the poison she left behind. Your Highness, in the future, unless absolutely necessary, it is best not to have any contact with the Empress or anyone from the Jiang family."
Master Ruan, of the Southern Ping Dynasty, is shaking the foundations of the Zhao Yan Kingdom... Every piece of news Lin Xiao told Shen Panyan shocked her beyond measure: "I, I know."
Once Lin Xiao learned of these things, it was as if his father, the Emperor, also knew about them. The Empress and the Crown Prince's good days were numbered.
For so many years, the Empress had been like a mountain weighing on her heart. Now that she knew they were about to die, Shen Panyan's emotions were extremely complicated.
Seeing that she remained silent, Lin Xiao hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Your Highness, Lu Yunqi has already returned to the capital. After investigating the matter at the Jiang residence, I will also return to the Dark Guard Camp. You..."
Lin Xiao suddenly paused, giving her a deep look in his eyes. "You must be careful. The Empress has been believing in some kind of life-changing technique for so many years. After the Crown Prince's accident, she might be desperate and do anything to harm you."
"When I am not by your side, Your Highness, please remember to protect yourself."
After saying that, he lowered his eyelashes and bowed, saying, "I still need to continue investigating the Jiang family and cannot leave for too long."
His voice lowered: "Your Highness, I shall take my leave."
After saying that, he was about to climb out of the window of the side room. When Shen Panyan saw him leave, her breath hitched slightly, and she subconsciously called out, "Lin Xiao."
Lin Xiao stopped and turned around: "Your Highness."
His dark eyes were fixed on her, unblinking, as if expectant, yet also reluctant to let go...
The young man stood tall and elegant, sunlight streaming through the window and slanting across him, bright and dazzling. Shen Panyan, being looked at by him, swallowed her words. She had intended to warn him to be careful, but seeing his straightforward and genuine emotions, she ultimately kept her thoughts to herself: "You... go out through the main gate."
Lin Xiao's eyes dimmed slightly, and he shook his head: "No."
If he were to leave this room with His Highness and be seen by others, it would damage His Highness's reputation.
"Your subordinate takes his leave."
The next moment, he nimbly flipped over and went out of the teahouse window, disappearing from the room.
Shen Panyan looked at the spot where he had disappeared, the sunlight like scattered gold, and suddenly tears fell from her eyes.
He's always like that—appearing suddenly and disappearing just as suddenly.
But every time, it appeared at just the right time.
*
On April 18th, the setting sun was like blood.
The capital city is in a state of constant fear. The crown prince has been deposed, the empress has been banished to the cold palace, the Jiang family has been raided, and nine generations of their relatives have been beheaded at the Meridian Gate. Blood flowed like a river, and the executioners tried to wash the area clean with water for ten days but still couldn't get rid of it. A faint smell of blood permeated the entire capital city.
After this incident, the once bustling capital city became much quieter, and people went out quietly, no one daring to speak loudly.
Shen Panyan stayed in the princess's residence for the entire month and didn't go anywhere. It wasn't that she didn't want to leave, but that she couldn't leave.
Perhaps fearing a counterattack from the Crown Prince and Empress that would be detrimental to her, the Imperial Guards stood guard in front of the Princess's residence for a whole month, allowing entry but not exit, until yesterday when they finally withdrew and returned to the palace.
During that month, Shen Panyan was completely unaware of what was happening outside until the Imperial Guards withdrew, at which point she learned about the situation outside.
The news that the Jiang family was a remnant of the previous dynasty had spread throughout the capital. For many years, they had lived in hiding and disguise in the Zhaoyan Kingdom, all for the sake of restoring the previous dynasty one day. To this end, they were even willing to cooperate with enemy countries.
However, they did not expect that, apart from the founding emperor, the next two emperors were diligent and conscientious, good at maintaining the status quo but not good at expanding the country. Several rebellions were suppressed. The Jiang family had no other choice but to come up with this idea of stealing the sky and changing the sun.
The Empress was spared because she was unaware of the Jiang family's affairs, but the Crown Prince was demoted to a commoner and forbidden from ever leaving the Imperial Clan Court for the rest of his life due to his deep entanglement with the Jiang family.
After learning all this, Shen Panyan went to Cining Temple and told the deceased Consort Shu about it.
When she was young, she was raised by the Empress and often envied others who had such good mothers. She also hoped that her own mother could love her like others. For this reason, she even did not hesitate to harm herself in order to please her.
Looking back now, I realize how incredibly foolish I was.
Her real mother had long since died, and those who loved her had already passed away the day she was born. How could anyone else love her like her mother did?
Bright moon, radiant bright moon, what a beautiful blessing!
"Mother..."
Shen Panyan knelt on the prayer mat, looking at the cleaned memorial tablet. It was as if she was thinking of her childhood, when she was wronged and ran into her mother's arms with tears in her eyes. Her mother gently hugged her, smiled and wiped away her tears, and laughed at her for being a little crybaby... This was actually a mother she saw comforting her child like this when she was leaving the capital and sitting in the carriage, not herself.
She had never even seen what her mother looked like, so how could she imagine how her mother had coaxed her?
For so many years, the Empress had been like a mountain, weighing heavily on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe. She was terrified of her, truly terrified of her... At this moment, in front of her most beloved mother, Shen Panyan could no longer hold back and burst into tears, loudly venting all the bitterness, pain, and longing she had endured over the years.
As the sun set, Cining Temple was quiet and still, especially the offering hall, where only her sobbing could be heard.
As darkness fell outside, the entire ancestral hall became pitch black, with only the orange-yellow ever-burning lamps swaying gently, casting a warm and soft light on the cold memorial tablets, as if offering silent comfort.
Shen Panyan knelt before Consort Shu's memorial tablet until she had cried enough and was exhausted before she stopped crying.
It was already late, and the flickering lamplight cast a long shadow of her. Shen Panyan looked at Consort Shu's memorial tablet, her voice hoarse from crying loudly: "Mother, Mingyue will come to see you again in a few days."
After saying that, Shen Panyan slowly got up. Her legs were a little numb from kneeling for too long. After a while, she went forward to add oil to the eternal lamp of Consort Shu.
It was already dark, and there was no time to return to the princess's residence. Shen Panyan did not insist on returning to the residence, but instead stayed at Cining Temple.
After dinner, Shen Panyan rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the bright moonlight that blanketed the courtyard like frost and snow, her expression serene, showing no signs of drowsiness.
Seeing her in a bad mood, Zhuzhi brought over a lantern: "Princess, the moonlight is exceptionally beautiful tonight. You've been cooped up in your residence for a month. Would you like to go to the back mountain of Cining Temple to admire the moon?"
"The back mountain?" Shen Panyan turned her head.
“Yes, the back mountain. I heard from the monks at the temple that there is a hundred-year-old tree on the back mountain of Cining Temple, and wishes made there are very effective, almost always granted. Your Highness has many worries in your heart, why don’t you make a wish there too? Perhaps your wish will come true?”
Shen Panyan lowered her eyelashes; her wish was not something a tree could fulfill for her.
"Thank you, Bamboo Branch, but I'd rather not go to the back mountain. I don't want to go."
Zhu Zhi advised, "Princess, you're free anyway, why don't you go and take a look? Even if you don't make a wish, it'll help you relax and sleep better tonight."
After several attempts to persuade her, Shen Panyan sighed inwardly.
Well, I'm free anyway, so I might as well go and take a look.
"good."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
