Chapter 54 Thank you, Brother
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the atmosphere was as solemn as the sea before a storm.
Emperor Liu Jin's face was as gloomy as water, and his fingers tapped unconsciously on the imperial desk, making a dull thumping sound, each of which struck the hearts of several people in the hall.
Crown Prince Liu Xiao stood below, brows furrowed, digesting the shocking clues brought by Hu Qing and the ambush he had just experienced.
The second prince Liu Cong stood aside with his eyes lowered. He seemed calm, but the slightly tense lines on his lips revealed his inner unrest.
The brief, uncontrollable contact in the East Palace just now still lingered in his mind.
Hu Qing bowed his head respectfully and clearly stated everything he knew again, emphasizing his master's recollection of the "brow scar".
"Wu De..." The emperor slowly uttered the name, his voice as cold as a poisoned blade.
"A 'dead' slave has left me with a huge mystery!"
He suddenly looked at Fuan, "How's the investigation going?"
Fuan bowed quickly and handed over a secret scroll.
"Your Majesty, the Inner Office has carefully reviewed all records from that year. Wu De, a native of Hejian Prefecture, was twenty-two years old when he entered the palace after undergoing castration. He had previously worked in the Xixinsi (Relief of Firearms) Department. He did have the opportunity to transport miscellaneous items and approach the palace gardens where new mothers and babies were housed.
The archives record that he "fell into a well and died" fifteen years ago, shortly after the Empress Dowager's funeral. His body was hastily disposed of without a thorough examination. Upon investigation, an old scar was found on his left eyebrow, reportedly from a childhood brawl.
"Hurry up?" The emperor sneered. "What a dead man with no evidence! Where are the people who knew him?"
"The several eunuchs who shared a room with him back then, over the past decade or so, have either left the palace due to old age or died for various reasons. Actually... not a single one is still in the palace."
Fu'an's voice was filled with difficulty. "People were also sent to investigate in his hometown, Hejian Prefecture. Wu De's family is long gone, and the old house has collapsed. The neighbors only remember that his family was poor and that they sent him to the palace a long time ago. We haven't had any contact since."
The clue seems to be broken here.
A low-ranking eunuch who had been dead for fifteen years and had no relatives or friends was like a stone thrown into a deep pond, leaving no trace except a few ripples.
The hall fell into a suffocating silence.
Liu Xiao couldn't help but speak
"Father, is there nothing you can do? Since he can do something as big as replacing the prince, there must be someone behind the scenes directing him.
Can we start by investigating those who may have benefited from it or those who have had grudges against our father?"
He subconsciously avoided the word "grudge".
The emperor glanced at his son, his eyes penetrating. "Benefited? Aren't there enough royal family members and nobles I've investigated? There are too many suspects."
He paused, a hint of fatigue flashed in his eyes, but more of it was a cold murderous intent.
"But since I have this characteristic, 'brow bone scar', I will find the clue even if I have to turn the world upside down! Fu An!"
"The old slave is here!"
"Expand the search to a nationwide area! Send arrest warrants to all prefectures and cities, offering a substantial reward for any man who bears a resemblance to Wu De, especially one with a scar on his left eyebrow, and who suddenly appeared or disappeared fifteen years ago! Dead or alive, any leads must be reported to me!"
"Also, carefully check for me all the records of palace personnel movements fifteen years ago, including those who left the palace due to illness or old age!
Don't let anyone go unnoticed! Especially the Xixinsi and all those who were responsible for guarding and doing odd jobs in that palace garden back then! I don't believe that such a major event would leave no clues at all!
"Yes! I obey your order!" Fu'an knew the importance of this matter and immediately took the order and left.
The emperor looked at Hu Qing again, his tone softening. "Hu Qing, you've made great contributions this time, but you've been frightened again. Go down and have a good rest. I've ordered people to clear the palace. You can stay here for now. If you need anything, just let me know."
Hu Qing bowed to express his gratitude and left.
He knew that the coming storm was no longer something a quack like him could participate in.
Only the emperor and two princes were left in the hall.
The emperor's eyes swept between Liu Xiao and Liu Cong, and finally landed on Liu Cong: "Cong'er."
"Your son is here."
"I leave the security of the capital and the imperial city to you. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
I grant you the power to make arbitrary decisions on the spot! Guard the capital and the imperial palace like an iron barrel for me! Especially the East Palace! "
The emperor's voice was filled with unquestionable trust and a heavy entrustment. "I want you to promise that no more accidents will happen to the prince!"
Liu Cong suddenly looked up, met the emperor's gaze, and was shocked.
This is not an ordinary order, it is completely putting his brother's life in his hands!
He suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a decisive and resounding voice.
"Your Highness obeys! I swear on my life that as long as I am still breathing, I will never let anyone hurt Your Highness!"
This sentence is not only a promise from a subject, but also an oath from his heart.
The emperor looked at him deeply and nodded: "Okay, go ahead."
Liu Cong stood up and looked at Liu Xiao next to him with a complicated look.
Then he turned and left with big strides, his back resolute, like a sword about to be unsheathed to guard a treasure.
That night, the East Palace study was brightly lit.
Liu Xiao was a little absent-minded. The dangers of the day, his father's wrath, and... his second brother's unusually fiery and determined eyes were all intertwined and swirling in his mind.
Especially the moment when the second prince knelt on the ground and swore an oath, the determination in his eyes and... some emotions that he could not fully understand made his heart inexplicably hot and a little panicked.
At this time, a notice came from outside the palace that the second prince had arrived.
Liu Xiao collected his thoughts and said, "Come in."
Liu Cong walked in. He had changed into a set of tight clothes that made it easier for him to move around, making his posture look taller and more agile.
He first reported in a routine manner the arrangements for strengthening the guards of the Eastern Palace, the locations of various sentries and covert posts, and the response measures in emergency situations. His report was clear, thorough and rigorous.
After finishing the report, he did not leave immediately.
The two brothers were speechless for a moment, and the atmosphere was filled with a subtle silence.
"Thank you so much today, my royal brother." Liu Xiao broke the silence first, referring to the life-saving grace during the day and the meticulous arrangements now.
"It's my job." Liu Cong's voice was a little hoarse. His eyes fell on Liu Xiao's slightly tired face, and his brows were slightly furrowed.
"Your Highness doesn't look well, but was he frightened today? Or is it because he's too exhausted from government affairs?"
His concern came out naturally, with undisguised worry.
Liu Xiao shook his head: "I'm fine. It's just... thinking about so many people running around and taking risks for me, and even sacrificing their lives, makes me feel a little...uneasy."
He remembered the East Palace guards who died protecting him, and the disciples of Yaowang Valley who died when Hu Qing was attacked.
Liu Cong looked at the tenderness in his eyes, and the ice layer called restraint in his heart seemed to melt quietly again.
He almost wanted to go up and pat his shoulder like he did when he was a child to comfort his brother who fell down.
But he held back and just softened his voice.
"Your Highness's kindness is a blessing to all people. However, extraordinary times call for extraordinary decisions. Your safety is the greatest responsibility we can offer to everyone."
He paused, as if he had made up his mind, and took a small step forward, closing the distance to a level that seemed slightly intimate but not too rude.
Under the light, he could clearly see the shadows cast by Liu Xiao's thick eyelashes under his eyes, as well as his slightly pursed, light-colored lips.
Liu Cong's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a strong impulse surged in his heart.
He wanted to tell the man in front of him that he didn't have to bear all this alone, that he would bear all the hardships for him... But in the end, he just said with extreme restraint and in the calmest tone:
"Ah Xiao," he rarely addressed him like that except in private. The words uttered with a barely perceptible tremor, "Don't be afraid. I'll take care of everything."
After saying this almost inappropriate statement, he quickly took a step back without waiting for Liu Xiao to react.
He bowed and said, "It is late at night. I will not disturb Your Highness's rest. Please be careful."
Then, he turned and left almost hastily, as if he was afraid that if he stayed a moment longer, he would do something irreparable.
Liu Xiao froze in his place, watching his second brother's quickly disappearing figure. His ears seemed to still echo with the low and gentle voice of "Ah Xiao" and the words "Don't be afraid. I'll take care of everything."
The strange throbbing in my heart came again, clearer and stronger than ever before.
A heat surged to his cheeks, and he subconsciously raised his hand to touch his earlobe, only to find it was incredibly hot.
Second Brother...what on earth...
The second master Cui Jun was like a frightened bird.
Although he was strictly confined to the palace, he had his own channels of information.
He heard the news that Hu Qing was attacked, the second prince used thundering means to rectify the defense of the capital, and the emperor was furious and thoroughly investigated the old case.
Especially the feature of "the eunuch with a scar on his brow bone" was like a thunderbolt, which scared him to death!
He suddenly remembered an old thing that he had almost forgotten!
Many years ago, his deceased mother, Madam Zhou, once mentioned inadvertently that in order to bring misfortune to the first wife, she seemed to have spent a large sum of money to bribe an old eunuch with a scar on his brow who was in charge of delivering charcoal in the palace.
He wanted him to do something while Xiao Zhou was giving birth, like causing her to die from a "difficult birth" or something like that...
But then there seemed to be no news of the old eunuch, and the matter was left unresolved...
Could it be... could it be that the eunuch my mother bribed back then was Wu De?!
Not only did he not do as his mother asked, but he was so audacious as to switch the prince?!
This thought was like a poisonous snake, instantly wrapping around Cui Jun's heart!
If this is true, then the Marquis' Mansion is not meritorious for raising the prince, but is one of the main culprits!
Once the emperor finds out... it won't just be a matter of losing favor, it will be a serious crime that will result in the execution of the entire family!
A huge fear instantly overwhelmed Cui Jun.
He collapsed to the ground, covered in cold sweat and his teeth chattering.
He couldn't imagine what the consequences would be if this secret was revealed.
"No... I can't tell you... I can't tell you even if I die..."
He muttered to himself like a madman, his eyes unfocused.
"Mother is dead... there's no evidence... Yes! There's no evidence! As long as I don't tell anyone, no one will know... no one..."
He crawled and rolled to find his elder brother Cui Yan, begging incoherently with a pale face.
I just want to say that the situation is tense now, so I beg you, big brother, to keep a close eye on the door and not let anyone cause trouble. Don't get involved with the palace anymore, especially with old things, otherwise the Marquis's Mansion will be in great trouble!
Cui Yan looked at his frightened brother. Although he was confused, he was also infected by his extreme fear and felt more solemn.
The control over the government office has also reached an unprecedented level of strictness.
All the clues seem to focus on the missing eunuch Wu De.
The emperor's anger and search net spread across the country.
The second prince Liu Cong holds great power and guards the capital and the Eastern Palace like an impregnable fortress, and his obsession with protecting them becomes increasingly intense.
Prince Liu Xiao is confused and throbbing, trying hard to grow up and waiting for the truth.
Cui Jun, the second master of Weiyuan Marquis' Mansion, fell into an endless abyss of fear because of a terrible guess and became a powder keg that could explode at any time.
The opponents in the dark seemed to be dormant for a while after two failures, but everyone knew that they would never accept defeat.
They are like poisonous snakes hiding in the darkness, waiting for the next opportunity to strike a fatal blow.
In the deep eyes of the Second Prince Liu Cong, there was an emotion that was becoming increasingly difficult to suppress, as hot as magma.
What he protected was not only the crown prince of the empire, but also the one he loved in his heart.
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