After the meal, having rinsed her mouth with Dongting Junshan Silver Needle tea, Qin Zhaoyue, clutching her stomach, leaned back in her chair without any regard for her image.
Although each dish was small, they finished almost all of the thirty-odd dishes. The main force of the meal consisted of Prince Rui and Qin Zhaoyue.
Prince Rui, Zhu Songxian, met a kindred spirit and, in his joy, ate until he was stuffed, ending up lounging in the same way as Qin Zhaoyue.
"I like Sixth Sister's personality. If there's anything else you'd like to eat, just tell me, and I'll have someone arrange it later."
Qin Zhaoyue waved her hand, "Don't mention food, I'm about to throw up from being so full."
"Hahaha……"
Qin Zhaoyue admitted that there was some element of deliberate pandering in her behavior.
This garden, this lifestyle—it's exactly what she's dreamed of; it's something she envies immensely.
This easygoing and unpretentious old man was implicated in a counterfeit currency case, and was very likely the top corrupt official.
With this understanding, you can feel a sense of dread when you look at the old man in front of you who looks like a wealthy man.
After a few casual words, we finally got down to business.
"Young lady, you've come here for flood control and disaster relief, right? If you need any help, just let me know. I still have some influence in Bailu County."
Qin Zhaoqiong cupped her hands in greeting, "There's nothing particularly special about the flood control matters."
Bailu County is exceptionally well-managed. To be honest, I haven't encountered such a worry-free place in all my travels.
Zhu Songxian smiled and said, "Yan Wenyuan is quite capable. Although I am just a prince with a nominal title, I have heard of his virtuous reputation."
"That's right. I inspected it yesterday, and it was very well organized and thoughtful."
That's why Zhaoqiong has a request...
At this point, she showed a hint of embarrassment, as if she were ashamed to speak.
Qin Zhaoyue then waved her hand and took over the conversation.
"Your Highness, my elder sister is shy and embarrassed to say it, but she actually asked for it for me."
"Oh? What is it? Please speak freely."
Qin Zhaoyue had already prepared her explanation.
He was simply frightened by the assassination attempt and, being lazy, wanted to recuperate in Bailu County for a while.
Originally, they planned to stay in the house arranged by the state government, but Fifth Brother said that the Prince was the kindest person, so they wanted to stay there for a while.
Zhu Songxian frowned upon hearing this. "You were assassinated?"
Qin Zhaoyue patted her chest with lingering fear, "Well, I was lucky; my elder sister was stabbed."
"Are you alright? Should I call the royal physician to take a look?"
Qin Zhaoqiong quickly thanked her, "No need. I've been in the military for a long time, and getting injured is commonplace. It's just that I've troubled Sixth Sister."
As she spoke, she glanced around, and Zhu Songxian understood what she meant, so he immediately dismissed everyone around him.
"Your Highness, the one who orchestrated this was a sorcerer. If it weren't for the Xuanji Guard protecting me, I would probably already be..."
Zhu Songxian narrowed his eyes, a glimpse of wind and thunder in them. "It's that group of people. Have you found their background? Are they related to the Tianyan Sect?"
"It is still unknown. I have never dealt with them before. Although I have sent a message back to the capital, I would like to ask Your Highness."
Zhu Songxian sighed, his face filled with reminiscence, and after a long while he spoke: "It's normal that you don't know."
When the late emperor was in power, he appointed the head of the Tianyan Sect as the national teacher, which was a very prestigious position at the time.
When I was in the capital, I met many sorcerers. Their calculations and deductions were one thing, but they even had the ability to manipulate people's minds!
If it weren't for the strong opposition from some court officials at the time, the late emperor would have even wanted to establish the Tianyan Sect as the state religion.
I support His Majesty's immediate removal of the Imperial Preceptor and expulsion of the Tianyan Sect sorcerers from Fengjing after ascending the throne.
Fourteen years have passed, and not only have they not restrained themselves, they even dared to assassinate a royal heir—they're practically courting death!
The two sisters shared a common hatred for the enemy, but secretly they were both observing Prince Rui's expression.
Influenced by the movies and novels she read in her previous life, Qin Zhaoyue had some understanding of micro-expressions.
Whether it's accurate or not, at least I know a little bit about it.
From her perspective, there was nothing inappropriate about Prince Rui's emotions.
Anger, reminiscence, including body language—all were flawless.
Last night, the five of them analyzed the case together, and one of their most terrifying speculations was that the illegal mining, manufacturing, assassination, and counterfeit currency were all orchestrated by the same group.
With soldiers, strength, and money, they had everything they needed to rebel, except for manpower.
This shows how important it was for the two sisters to survive the assassination attempt. If it had incited a popular uprising and forced people to rebel, Da Gan would have been plunged into a precarious situation in no time.
On the other hand, is it too much for Qin Zhaoyue to ask for 100,000 taels of silver for such an important and dangerous matter?
She even stole this money!
Returning to Prince Rui, even if he had nothing to do with these matters and was merely the mastermind behind the counterfeit currency case, his control over Bailu Prefecture was still terrifying.
The assassination of Qin Zhaoyue and her sister was witnessed by many people, both on the high slope of the river embankment and in front of the county government office.
Did he really not receive any news at all? Qin Zhaoyue didn't believe it.
If that's the case, there's at least a 70-80% chance that Prince Rui is putting on an act.
Sigh... they really aren't easy to deal with.
"Your Highness," Qin Zhaoqiong asked in a deep voice, "based on your understanding of sorcerers, can you guess their reason for assassinating the imperial heir?"
Zhu Songxian did not answer immediately, but pondered for a moment before speaking:
"I have been away from Fengjing for too long and am no longer familiar with politics. It is difficult to guess without any evidence."
However, based on my understanding of sorcerers, they deduce destinies, from the common people to the fate of the nation.
Since they dared to defy public opinion and assassinate the imperial heir, their ambitions extend far beyond just one person and one city.
Qin Zhaoqiong nodded, "Your Highness's concerns coincide with my own."
In short, the threat of assassination has not been eliminated, and I am unable to care for my younger siblings; therefore, I have a humble request.
Zhu Songxian understood the implication. "Don't worry, let them stay at my manor. It's just a matter of adding two more pairs of chopsticks."
"Your Highness, Zhaoqiong must make it clear that this matter is risky..."
“Ah,” Zhu Songxian waved his hand, “I’m most afraid of death, so when I left the capital, I took a lot of capable guards with me.”
Over the past ten years or so, I've trained quite a few guards; people are safe and sound with me.
"Young lady, why don't you stay at the manor for now and wait for news from the capital before we discuss it further?"
Qin Zhaoqiong stood up and bowed, saying, "The matter of flood control is of utmost urgency and is a task entrusted to me by His Majesty. I dare not slacken my efforts for even a moment."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Songxian shook his head slightly, "You do indeed have some of His Majesty's former charisma."
"Very well, since you have this ambition, I won't force you to stay. Just be careful."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
It wasn't even noon yet, but Qin Zhaoqiong was already leaving.
Qin Jingzhan gritted his teeth and stepped forward, "Elder sister, how could you do this, I..."
"Alright," Qin Zhaoyue stopped him, "If we both stay by our elder sister's side, do you think you're more useful, or am I?"
Qin Jingzhan was stunned. He immediately thought that it was him who had led the troops to Bailu Prefecture to distribute grain.
How could he say that outright? He could only awkwardly stammer, "You..."
Qin Zhaoyue waved her hand dismissively, “Wrong, neither of us is useful. Staying by our elder sister’s side would only be a burden.”
Qin Jingzhan: ...
You said you got it, why are you talking about me?
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