Of course, the few families close to the Commandery Princess Mansion entered the Prince Mansion to wait for Long Xuanmo and Yang Mengchen.
Upon returning to the Prince Mansion, Long Xuanmo ordered everything to carry on as usual, forbidding any preparation of celebratory events to express joy. However, Yang Mengchen announced a reward of three months’ salary for everyone in both mansions, and all the servants were beaming with happiness.
Meng Jingqi and a few others secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With Jiujiu becoming the Crown Princess Consort, their days would become smoother and happier. They could now return to their country with peace of mind.
Before long, the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress quietly arrived at the Prince Mansion with their trusted servants.
Meng Jingqi and Prince De found an excuse to accompany the Emperor and Long Xuanmo to the outer courtyard study. It was over half an hour before they returned. Except for Yang Mengchen, no one knew what the four had discussed. It was precisely because she knew the content of their conversation that Yang Mengchen was deeply moved.
Everyone gathered in the garden, enjoying a lively meal with laughter and cheerful voices, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
Meanwhile, at the Jing Prince Mansion.
After hearing the soldiers’ conversation outside, Prince Jing was first stunned, then his face darkened before returning to his study. He frantically destroyed objects around him, and the recently replaced items were once again ruined. His trusted followers stood guard outside the door, not daring to breathe a word.
It was a long while before Prince Jing stopped. He ordered a follower to come in and clean up, then whispered a few instructions into the ear of one of them.
That servant nodded solemnly, avoided everyone else, and stealthily made his way to the most secluded corner in the backyard. He pried apart the thick underbrush and crawled out through a hole meant for dogs.
Zongren Mansion.
With the sound of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers outside, those inside could clearly hear it, inevitably causing some restlessness. Curious, some inquired with the guard soldiers and learned that Long Xuanmo had been ennobled as the Crown Prince. Everyone was delighted. The enthronement of the Crown Prince was a joyous occasion and perhaps they could now leave Zongren Mansion to return home.
Only Long Yisi stood by the window, looking up at the vast, limitless sky with a calm and indifferent expression. His eyes were deep and unfathomable like the sea.
On the twenty-second of July, the Crown Prince’s enthronement ceremony was held, and the whole nation celebrated.
The next day, Meng Jingqi and others bid farewell to Yang Mengchen and returned to their country. Yang Mengchen insisted on escorting them twenty li outside the city before stopping.
After sending off Long Xuanmo and the Grand Prince to the early court, Yang Mengchen prepared to visit her nephew and nephew-in-law. Hai Tang walked in: "Crown Princess Consort, Qi Zongyu has sent a secret message." She handed the secret message to Yang Mengchen.
Yang Mengchen opened it and looked, a sharp gleam flashing in her dark eyes. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, a faint smile flitting across her face.
"Qi Qiuxin took abortion pills and bled to death, and Qi Zonghao ’died’ after falling off a cliff on horseback."
The details are as follows:
Originally, Qi Zonghao planned to kidnap Yang Mengchen and catch up with the main group, which would not arouse Dong Chu’s suspicion. Therefore, he secretly ordered Qi Qiuxin and a guard impersonating him to deliberately delay the journey.
When the party reached a small town on the edge of Xiliang, and seeing that Qi Zonghao had not returned, Qi Qiuxin took the medicine and lay in bed without getting up. The guard impersonating Qi Zonghao immediately ordered the party to stop. While arranging for a doctor to treat Qi Qiuxin, messengers were sent back to Jingdu to report.
Unbeknownst to them, this actually bought time for Yang Mengchen and Qi Zongyu.
Upon receiving the secret message from Yang Mengchen, Qi Zongyu found an excuse to leave Jingdu and almost arrived at that small town on the necessary route back to Jingdu simultaneously with the envoys from Xiliang.
During the period when Qi Qiuxin was waiting for Qi Zonghao, Qi Zongyu found a secluded place to stay and wait for Mo Feng, unknown to the envoys.
Due to the hot weather, Mo Feng cremated Qi Zonghao, and the urn handed to Qi Zongyu contained his ashes. Qi Zongyu was contemplating how to carry out the plan without anyone noticing when he received news from his trusted aide staying at the inn that Qi Qiuxin was pregnant.
Qi Qiuxin naturally did not want the child and ordered a palace maid to secretly buy abortion pills, which resulted in heavy bleeding. Qi Zonghao’s trusted doctor was helpless, and Qi Qiuxin died as a result.
Qi Zongyu first spread rumors, saying that Qi Zonghao couldn’t bear the shame of Qi Qiuxin’s pregnancy, so he ruthlessly ordered his subordinates to secretly purchase abortion pills to terminate the child in Qi Qiuxin’s womb. Unknowingly, this led to Qi Qiuxin’s death.
He then killed the guard impersonating Qi Zonghao.
Afterward, Qi Zongyu had a trusted guard disguised as Qi Zonghao announce that due to the accidental killing of his legitimate sister, Qi Zonghao felt guilt-ridden. After getting drunk, he rode out on his horse alone. To his misfortune, the horse suddenly went mad and, with Qi Zonghao on its back, fell off the cliff not far from the town.
Of course, Qi Zongyu had already procured a dead body roughly matching Qi Zonghao’s stature, dressed it in Qi Zonghao’s clothes, and threw it off the cliff. The trusted guard who was skilled in martial arts grabbed onto a rope that had been prepared in advance when he fell off the cliff, climbed back up, and left quietly.
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