Chapter 311 The Crown Prince Arrives
Everyone's attention shifted to Xue Quan. Yang Zhen, the deputy commander of the palace guards, and Prince Fu's eyes met seemingly by accident, but quickly looked away.
Prince Fu subtly raised his lips in a smile.
Yang Zhen did a good job by involving the Prince of Kang's heir; the Prince of Kang will surely stand up for his son. As for Ling Yun getting away, the easiest thing to do is to point out someone who has made an even bigger mistake.
Without a doubt, it was the Immortal Miaoqing who was introduced to Xue Quan, the current emperor.
If things went smoothly with the Crown Prince, he should have already been tricked and killed. Once the Fifth Prince is installed on the throne, there will be ready-made charges to send Xue Quan and his son Xue Han to their deaths.
As for what happened next—Prince Fu raised an eyebrow.
Even a little child emperor can be molded and manipulated at will.
While everyone was focused on Xue Quan, Princess Rongning, in an inconspicuous corner, was paying attention to Prince Fu.
Princess Rongning felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the subtle change in Prince Fu's expression.
She didn't understand politics or the struggle for power; the chaotic situation made it impossible to see where it was headed, who was on the same side, and who was at odds. But she could understand the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness that her father's expressions conveyed.
The king was pleased with the death of his uncle.
My father always talked about how much he respected and loved my uncle, and how he wanted to share my uncle's burdens. But when my uncle passed away, my father was actually happy!
This discovery sent chills down Princess Rongning's spine.
What does Father want to do?
Since the King's previous expressions of affection for his uncle were fake, and he is now a prince, what is he planning to do?
To seize the throne...
Upon hearing this speculation, Princess Rongning felt a tremor in her heart, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
Despite being the only girl in the Prince of Fu's mansion and the apple of her parents' eye, her father took the initiative to suggest that she marry in place of the princess, thus winning the gratitude and good reputation of her imperial uncle.
Those questions and doubts that accompanied the excruciating pain finally found their answers at this moment.
He needed the favor and trust of his imperial uncle to have the opportunity to become one of the four regents, and he needed a reputation for benevolence to win over the civil and military officials who served him.
Princess Rongning, who had glimpsed Prince Fu's thoughts, trembled with anger and almost couldn't contain the rage surging in her heart.
Greedy and hypocritical, that's what her father was like.
What should she do?
Princess Rongning subconsciously looked at Qiuheng, only to meet a pair of clear eyes.
Princess Rongning hurriedly looked away, her heart pounding: Ah Heng knows, Ah Heng knows her father's true colors!
At that moment, Princess Rongning felt utterly ashamed.
"Eunuch Xue, you are the most trusted eunuch of the Emperor, yet you introduced the sorcerer to him and tricked him into taking those dangerous drugs. What else do you have to say?" Lü Zhongcheng asked coldly.
Xue Quan, with tears streaming down his face, said: "Since the Lantern Festival, His Majesty has fallen ill and has become increasingly fond of listening to high-ranking Taoist priests preach. During that period, many Taoist masters from various regions came to the palace to preach to His Majesty. His Majesty had heard of the Taoist Master Miaoqing and mentioned her in person, so I introduced her to the palace. Heaven and earth can bear witness that this action was absolutely not out of personal motives."
Xue Quan's statement is somewhat exaggerated.
It's true that he had no selfish motives, but it's false that Emperor Jingping brought it up on his own initiative.
Xue Quan was saddened by the death of Emperor Jingping, but he was also reluctant to give up his own life and wanted to struggle a little longer.
Lu Zhongcheng looked at Xue Quan with disgust: "Even if Eunuch Xue had no selfish motives, you didn't carefully examine the so-called elixir offered by the sorcerer before feeding it to the Emperor? This is a dereliction of duty on your part, Eunuch Xue!"
“Who says there isn’t one!” Xue Quan wiped away his tears. “I secretly asked Physician Wang to examine me, and he said there was no problem, so I presented the elixir to His Majesty…”
Prince Fu frowned: "Isn't Physician Wang deceased?"
Xue Quan choked, his face turning ashen.
Yes, it's a pity that Physician Wang died. Otherwise, if Han'er had interrogated him thoroughly, he might have been able to find out who instructed him.
Han'er is right, it must be Prince Fu!
With the Emperor's passing, Prince Fu's true colors will soon be exposed.
Prince Fu shook his head: "Doctor Wang is dead. Eunuch Xue said that he had Doctor Wang examine the elixir, so there is no way to verify it."
"That's the truth! I was deceived too!" Xue Quan glared at Prince Fu. "I've been wondering the same thing. The elixir clearly has a problem, so why did Imperial Physician Wang say it was fine? Although Master Miaoqing is famous, she's only been in the capital for a few years and lives in a mountain temple. How could she have the ability to bribe the imperial physicians? Could there be someone else behind this?"
Forced into this situation, Xue Quan was not prepared to suffer in silence.
With almost all the high-ranking officials present, it's impossible for Prince Fu to win everyone over. Even without evidence, his words today will sow seeds of doubt in everyone's hearts. If Prince Fu takes any action to secure the throne in the future, those seeds will sprout and grow.
"Doctor Wang is dead. Whether Eunuch Xue had him examine the elixir is only known to Eunuch Xue himself, and there is no way to prove that Doctor Wang was bribed by True Person Miaoqing," Zhu Xiang said calmly.
Xue Quan was so choked up that his face turned ashen.
Suddenly a voice rang out: "I would like to ask, are you gentlemen investigating a case?"
The first reaction of everyone was confusion.
In this situation, how could we hear a woman's voice?
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and recognized the speaker: Princess Qiu Heng of Suiyun County.
Zhu Xiang's face darkened: "Princess Suiyun, this is not the place for you to make a scene."
Qiu Heng walked out confidently, stopped not far from Zhu Xiang, and asked calmly, "What nonsense have I spouted?"
Zhu Xiang was so shocked that he was speechless for a moment.
The court officials are investigating those involved in the Emperor's death. How dare a woman come to him and spout such nonsense?
“Princess Suiyun, don’t think that just because you have the title of Princess, you can act recklessly. You have no right to interrupt here!”
"Why is Prime Minister Zhu so angry? I was just asking if you gentlemen are investigating a case. Is that a difficult question for you to answer?" Qiu Heng's tone was even more indifferent.
Her calmness contrasted sharply with Zhu Xiang's anger, making the dignified prime minister appear somewhat exasperated.
Zhu Xiang realized this and, suppressing his dissatisfaction, retorted, "So what if it is?"
Qiu Heng's gaze swept over Prince Fu and the others, and she curled her lips slightly: "If that's the case, I'm a little puzzled. You gentlemen have discovered that the elixir is problematic and are investigating those who are connected with True Person Miaoqing. But what happens after that? Who will ultimately determine the charges? A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Shouldn't we first support the new ruler to ensure a smooth succession before dealing with other matters?"
The ministers were taken aback.
Yes, because of the fear of the current emperor's death, and with the advice of Zhu Xiang and a few others, their minds are focused on investigating those related to the current emperor's demise, and they seem to have lost sight of what is important.
"As I said before, we should investigate before dark; it won't take too much time. We have been blessed by the Emperor for many years; can't we even wait a little longer?"
"Hasn't it already been discovered that the elixir is problematic, and a preliminary explanation has been given to the Emperor? Does Prime Minister Zhu intend to convict and execute Eunuch Xue in this country without a new ruler?"
Zhu Xiang was so angry that his vision blurred. He pointed at Qiu Heng and said, "When did it become a woman's place to interfere in matters of state? Get out!"
"This isn't the imperial court. The Emperor invited me to this banquet; what right does Chancellor Zhu have to expel me on behalf of the Emperor?"
"you!"
Suddenly, a messenger announced: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"
(End of this chapter)
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