Chapter 644 The Whereabouts of the Second Prince
To be honest, the emperor didn't know how to describe his current feelings. On one hand, he was overjoyed to learn that his son might still be alive, and on the other hand, he was furious that Consort Yun had kept it from him.
He is clearly the emperor, the ruler of this world, yet Consort Yun dared to send her son out of the palace right under his nose. This is far too disrespectful of him.
By this time, the emperor had probably long forgotten that even if Consort Yun hadn't planned to send the child out of the palace, the child would have died because he abandoned him in the Cold Palace.
The commander of the Imperial Guards looked into the emperor's eyes and said cautiously, "We found him, but he has been dead for many years."
These words were undoubtedly telling the emperor that the hard-won clue had gone cold. Seeing that the emperor was about to get angry, the commander of the Imperial Guards quickly added, "Although the eunuch is dead, I have found the letter he left behind."
Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression softened somewhat, and he asked, "So, have you found out the whereabouts of the Second Prince?"
For the emperor, all he wanted was a result; he didn't care at all about the eunuch's life or death.
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guard Commander hesitated for a moment before replying, "According to my investigation, the Second Prince is currently at the Marquis of Yi'an's residence."
"The Marquis of Yi'an's residence? Isn't that the home of Minister Gu?"
Over the years, the emperor has tried countless times to plant spies in the Marquis of Yi'an's residence, but although Gu Jin is a civil official, the residence is as impregnable as a fortress, making it impossible to place any people there.
Considering the relationship between Marquis Yi'an and that person back then, could Gu Jin also be Consort Yun's accomplice?
As the emperor was lost in thought, the commander of the Imperial Guards continued, "According to the letter left by the eunuch, after he took the Second Prince away from the palace, he planned to flee south. But before they even left the capital, the child started crying loudly. A eunuch with a newborn baby was already conspicuous, and with the child crying incessantly, the eunuch was at a loss for what to do."
"It was at this moment that he saw an old woman rushing out of the back gate of the Marquis of Yi'an's residence. The old woman looked flustered and kept muttering something about the child being born weak and unable to survive when the servants of the Marquis's residence tried to stop her. Out of curiosity, the eunuch chased after her and asked what was going on. After learning that the Marquis of Yi'an's wife had just given birth to a son who was about to die, the eunuch came up with a plan and left the child outside the back gate of the Marquis of Yi'an's residence."
"And everything was just as the eunuch had hoped. Marquis Yi'an had just lost his son, and upon seeing the swaddled baby outside the door, he immediately decided to raise the child."
After the commander of the Imperial Guard finished speaking, he handed a slightly yellowed letter to the emperor.
The emperor was still somewhat incredulous after hearing these words, but when the letter was handed to him, he quickly took it.
The handwriting on the letter looked quite old, and some words were even blurred, but that did not affect the meaning of the letter.
Has anything stated in this letter been verified?
The emperor would not believe these words based on a single letter; the most important thing was to find someone who could prove their truth.
Even if the eunuch knew he was going to die and didn't want to take the secret underground, who can guarantee that this wasn't a deliberate scheme by someone?
The commander of the Imperial Guards seemed to have anticipated the emperor's question and immediately replied, "I had someone find the midwife from back then. According to her, the eldest son of the Marquis of Yi'an was indeed born weak and should not have lived more than three days. Later, she learned that the child had survived healthily, which puzzled her for quite some time."
"So, the current eldest son of the Gu family is indeed not the frail child he used to be!"
The emperor whispered a gesture and waved to the commander of the Imperial Guards, who immediately withdrew.
Returning to his desk, the emperor slowly opened the memorial that Gu Jin had submitted the day before.
In his memorial, Gu Jin clearly stated that Gu Yingjie, the second son of the Marquis of Yi'an, was of marriageable age and requested the emperor to bestow upon Gu Yingjie the title of heir apparent to the Marquis of Yi'an.
At first, the emperor wondered if Gu Jin had made a mistake or if he was showing favoritism towards his youngest son. Now, however, it's understandable why Gu Jin would submit such a memorial.
"Your Majesty, this tea has gone cold. This old servant will go and get you a fresh cup."
The old eunuch beside the emperor saw the emperor staring blankly into space, so he stepped forward and took a teacup from the table. Just as he was about to push it away, the emperor, who had been silent all along, spoke.
"Eunuch Li, do you also feel that I am becoming increasingly hesitant and indecisive these days?"
Eunuch Li had served the emperor for decades and was always one of the emperor's most trusted men.
"Eunuch Li, do you also feel that I am becoming increasingly hesitant and indecisive these days?"
Eunuch Li had served the emperor for decades and was always one of the emperor's most trusted men.
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li paused in his hand as he was about to open the door, then turned to the emperor and smiled slightly, saying, "Your Majesty is merely seeking a foolproof plan; no one else could possibly understand Your Majesty's profound strategies."
Upon hearing Li Gonggong's words, the emperor's slightly furrowed brows immediately relaxed.
"In the end, you understand me best! Now that the fourth and fifth princes have returned, I'm afraid there will be turmoil in the court again."
After the emperor finished speaking, he looked at the memorial in front of him, and finally picked up his pen and quickly wrote down a single word.
Upon seeing Lu Yuanbin at the Fifth Prince's residence, the advisors immediately reported on his situation during his absence.
"I heard that His Majesty recently ordered the commander of the Imperial Guards to investigate the matter of the Second Prince from back then. I wonder what the meaning is."
As trusted confidants of Lu Yuanbin, the advisors naturally knew that the Second Prince's past was a taboo subject with the Emperor. But now, the Emperor himself was secretly investigating the Second Prince's affairs, which was certainly not good news for the advisors.
"Why is Father investigating that short-lived wretch?" The Fifth Prince was equally puzzled. According to his mother, the Second Prince was thrown into the Cold Palace as soon as he was born, and soon after, he died with Consort Yun.
Now that so many years have passed and no one has mentioned it again, why is the emperor suddenly investigating that person? Could it be because that person is still alive?
The more the Fifth Prince thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
"Have our people keep a close eye on things, especially to find out why Father suddenly wants to investigate that short-lived man."
For some reason, Lu Yuanbin felt a strange sense of unease, as if something was about to slip out of his control.
"I've already had someone keeping an eye on things, and if nothing unexpected happens, we'll have news soon," the aide replied.
The same situation was unfolding simultaneously in the Fourth Prince's bedchamber as it was on Lu Yuanbin's side. However, unlike the ambiguous information from Lu Yuanbin's advisors, the secret guards left behind by the Fourth Prince received the news that the Imperial Guards and the Emperor had been holding secret meetings frequently lately.
"But what happened?"
The emperor only sends the Imperial Guards when carrying out secret missions, so Lu Changqing is certain that the emperor is hiding something from everyone.
"I overheard that His Majesty seems to be looking for the Second Prince who went missing years ago."
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