Her slender white fingers clenched the handkerchief and ruffled it.
In just one year, the fate of her and Shen Qianchen changed drastically. Shen Qianchen should have fallen to the dust, but he climbed to a position that she couldn't even reach, while she was stuck in the quagmire...
Her father died, and she had to observe mourning for him for three years. After three years, the situation of the Chu family would only get worse. How could she find a good family?! If the Chu family was still a marquisate today, the imperial concubine might agree to let her become the second prince's concubine. But once the Chu family fell into decline, this would no longer be possible! She would no longer have the possibility of holding hands with the young man she had been thinking about...
Chu Qianling felt a piercing pain in her heart. There was a voice in her heart shouting and crying. She wanted others to feel the same way as she did.
"..." The lady looked at Liu in silence, her mouth opening and closing, as if someone was strangling her throat and she could no longer utter a word.
The lady's face looked extremely grim. After thinking about it carefully, she had to admit in her heart that the facts seemed to be exactly as Liu said.
It was Kang Hongda who used his tricks to speak well of the emperor to get Chu Lingxiao back from Youzhou, and they went against Kang Hongda's wishes, so how could Kang let them go! The lady closed her eyes and clenched her teeth tightly. After a while, the ups and downs of her chest gradually subsided.
She opened her eyes and asked Nanny Wang, "Where is Brother Yi?"
There is only Chu Yunyi. As long as Chu Yunyi begs, Kang Hongda will let them go. Otherwise, the Marquis' Mansion will be really finished.
Aunt Jiang didn't come close, just listened quietly, her heart filled with extreme hatred that seemed about to burst out at any moment.
Aunt Jiang's maid also changed her expression and called out in a low voice anxiously, "Aunt..."
The last note disappeared in the breeze in the courtyard. The white clouds floating in the sky above were in various shapes and sizes, and the hearts of people on the earth were even more complicated and changeable than these unpredictable clouds and winds.
Chu Yunyi still knows nothing about what happened in the Chu family.
Early this morning, he and Shen Qianchen, Shen Yunmu and their group came to Cuiwei Mountain in the suburbs for an outing.
At this moment, he was urging them impatiently: "Brother Mu, Qi Niang, stop dawdling and looking around. Since you want to learn how to ride a horse, learn it well!"
Chu Yunyi felt that he had made too great a sacrifice by not training and kindly accompanying the two little kids who couldn't even ride a horse out to play.
Chu Yunyi's loud voice started a group of birds living in the woods, and they flapped their wings and flew away in a panic.
However, in Shen Yunmu's eyes, Chu Yunyi was just a paper tiger. Shen Yunmu rode on his pony and turned to Gu Zhiyan on the other side with a smile and said, "Qiniang... Cousin, did you see those birds? They are round and cute!"
Gu Zhiyan looked up at the sky, trying hard to open his eyes wide to observe the little birds.
The birds were flying too high, and from below one could only vaguely see their round heads, which were brown-red on top and their wings were a darker reddish-brown.
The bird's body is small, chubby and very cute!
Gu Zhiyan's eyes were sparkling, and under the shining sun, a faint golden light covered her little face.
The others at the back couldn't help laughing when they looked at the three of them.
Today's traveling team was very lively. Shen Qianchen, Shen Zhi, Pei Linye, Gu Jin and Shen Wan and his wife were all here. The only one missing was Gu Jue, who had gone to the military camp for something urgent.
Shen Qianchen originally wanted to go hunting, but since Gu Jue was not there, he gave up the idea and just took the two children out for a walk and relax.
Chu Yunyi specially asked for leave from Yunzhan today and volunteered to replace his brother-in-law to be his sister's bodyguard, but Shen Qianchen sent him to take care of the children.
"That's a Brown-headed Parrotbill!" Chu Yunyi taught the two little brats a lesson.
Shen Yunmu blinked her eyes, turned her head and looked at Chu Yunyi, her eyes seemed to be saying, is it true?
"Look over there," Chu Yunyi pointed to the crown of a tree in front of him on the right. "There is a bird's nest the size of a palm on that tree. It's shaped like a bowl. This is the nest of the Brown-headed Parrotbill."
Shen Yunmu and Gu Zhiyan's eyes were very busy, and they followed the direction Chu Yunyi pointed to look at the bird's nest on the treetop.
“I see it! I see it!”
"That bird's nest is so cute!"
"Look, the little bird has returned to its nest..."
Shen Yunmu chattered non-stop.
Chu Yunyi thought: This little brat is just a little brat, he is making a fuss over such a small matter! Everyone rode their horses leisurely in the lush forests, and wherever they looked, there was thick greenery and wild flowers all over the mountains.
Shen Qianchen leaned over and whispered in Shen Zhi's ear: "Mom, look, Brother Yi is still the same, he says one thing and means another." This kid is too arrogant, always acting like he is disgusted, but with a smile on his face.
Shen Zhi was amused and said casually, "Yeah, I don't know who Yi Ge'er's weird personality resembles!"
"Anyway, it's not like me!" Shen Qianchen dismissed it completely.
Shen Zhi became even happier, her laughter sounding like a silver bell.
Pei Linye, who was riding a horse behind Shen Zhi, also heard the conversation between the mother and daughter. With a smile on his face, he couldn't help but think of the girl in fiery red clothes in his memory.
She used to be an innocent and carefree girl. Since he went to the North to join the army seventeen years ago, he had seen her only a few times. He watched her gradually stop smiling after marriage, put on armor, and become omnipotent...
And now, she finally smiled again.
That's great! Pei Linye stared at the bright smile on Shen Zhi's face, his heart softened.
At this time, Shen Yunmu turned his horse and rode towards Shen Zhi and her daughter, waving the bow and arrow in his hand to show his presence.
"Mom, sister, I just said I would hunt a little rabbit for Qinniang, do you want it?" He chuckled, looking very pleased with himself.
Rather than saying that Shen Yunmu came to ask questions, he actually came to show off, to show off that he was going to hunt rabbits for Gu Zhiyan.
Shen Zhi: “…”
Shen Qianchen: "..."
The mother and daughter once again lamented how different the personalities of the brothers Chu Yunyi and Shen Yunmu were.
Shen Yunmu has not yet hunted the rabbit, but he wants to find someone to show off to let everyone know that he is going to hunt rabbits today; while Chu Yunyi will probably go hunt the rabbit first, and after getting the prey, he will casually say, "I hunted rabbits for you."
At this time, Gu Zhiyan also rode his horse to catch up.
She had just learned to ride a horse, so she did not ride alone. A maid who was about twelve years old rode with her.
Gu Zhiyan said seriously: "Cousin, I want to live!"
"What does it matter whether they are dead or alive? As long as we can hunt rabbits, that's enough." Shen Yunmu shrugged and said indifferently.
Gu Zhiyan insisted: "Alive!"
Shen Yunmu pretended not to hear it. He thought about the hundred ways to eat rabbit and swallowed his saliva.
The two children started arguing about the rabbit, which was very funny to others and they laughed again.
Joyful laughter rang out one after another.
Shen Wan looked at Gu Zhiyan who was full of energy in front of her, pulled Gu Jin's sleeve, and smiled at him.
The couple followed Shen Qianchen's advice and found a maid for Gu Zhiyan who knew some martial arts, mainly to accompany Gu Zhiyan out and practice martial arts with her.
Ever since she had this maid named "Qiaofeng", Shen Wan felt more at ease.
Like today, with Qiaofeng and Gu Zhiyan riding together, Shen Wan didn't have to keep an eye on them all the time. She just needed to follow them not too close or too far, and wait for Gu Zhiyan to turn around occasionally and see her presence.
Shen Wan also smiled, her smile was as charming as a delicate flower, she turned to Shen Qianchen on the right and sighed: "Sister Chen, thank you!"
Shen Wan saw all the effort Shen Qianchen put into Gu Zhiyan.
Ever since that day when Gu Zhiyan truly opened her heart to Shen Qianchen and told him what happened when she was abducted, Shen Qianchen would talk to Gu Zhiyan every few days. He never forced her but only induced her to talk about what happened at that time and gradually untied her knot in her heart.
During this period, Gu Zhiyan has made rapid progress. Although she is still a little timid and sensitive, she no longer screams and runs around hysterically when a stranger approaches.
Now Gu Zhiyan looks like an ordinary little girl.
My daughter is really well now! Shen Wan felt warm in her heart and smiled even more deeply.
Shen Wan had expressed similar words of gratitude many times before, but she still couldn't help but say it. No amount of words could express her gratitude.
Shen Qianchen not only saved her daughter, but also saved her and Gu Jin at the same time.
"Qiniang," Gu Jin rode his horse to Gu Zhiyan's side, looked at his daughter with a smile, and said flatteringly, "Ignore your cousin. Dad will catch you a live rabbit, okay?"
Gu Zhiyan nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
She even gave Chu Yunmu a boastful look, meaning, if you don't catch a live rabbit for me, I still have a father! Gu Jin puffed out his chest complacently, feeling that he was supporting his daughter.
When it comes to hunting, several men are eager to try, especially Chu Yunyi. He took off the longbow on his back, casually plucked the bowstring, and said, "Mother, sister, Qi Niang, then you wait here for a while, and we will go hunt rabbits."
The three people who planned to go hunting were Chu Yunyi, Gu Jin and Shen Yunmu. Pei Linye stayed behind. The four men meant that one should always stay behind to protect the female family members just in case.
Soon, Chu Yunyi, Gu Jin and Shen Yunmu rode their horses deep into the forest, while Shen Qianchen, Shen Zhi and other female relatives rested on the spot.
The maids spread oilcloth on the ground for the masters to sit on, and took out the food boxes they carried with them, taking out tea and snacks one by one.
Shen Qianchen, Shen Zhi and Shen Wan leisurely drank tea, ate snacks, and chatted and laughed.
As for Gu Zhiyan and Pei Linye, they were quite busy.
Gu Zhiyan circled around and picked flowers everywhere. With the help of Pei Linye and the maid Qiaofeng, picking flowers became easy. Even those branches growing high up, Pei Linye could easily climb up the tree to pick them, and he also took out a bird few eggs.
At first, Gu Zhiyan was afraid of Pei Linye and didn't dare to get too close to him.
However, when Pei Linye took out a few light blue bird eggs for her, she plucked up her courage, walked towards Pei Linye carefully, and picked up a bird egg from his hand.
"These are the eggs of the Brown-headed Bunting." Pei Linye spoke in a very soft and low voice, as if he was afraid of scaring Gu Zhiyan.
Gu Zhiyan was reluctant to let go of the bird eggs after playing with them. She had only seen quail eggs, chicken eggs and pigeon eggs before. This was the first time she saw light blue bird eggs.
Seeing the big and small talking together, Shen Wan still felt a bit of unbelievable joy. Gu Zhiyan had always been afraid of strange tall adult men, and now after Master Cao, she could get close to Pei Linye again.
Shen Wan said to Shen Zhi with emotion: "Sister, my cousin is quite good at coaxing children!"
There was something meaningful in her tone.
Shen Wan is a smart person. She can see and listen to some things without others telling her.
Shen Zhi smiled slightly and said "hmm" softly.
Gu Zhiyan was full of energy. After picking the flowers, she went to make wreaths. She made several at a time, one for each of Shen Qianchen, Shen Zhi, Shen Wan and Pei Linye. An hour later, Gu Jin returned holding a living white rabbit and also got a wreath for his daughter.
Chu Yunyi, Gu Jin and Shen Yunmu returned with a full load.
Gu Jin praised Chu Yunyi generously: "Brother Yi is a good archer. He shot both pheasants with one arrow. He also found the rabbit nest. The three of us guarded the entrances to the holes and smoked the rabbits out."
They caught four rabbits. Not only did Gu Zhiyan and Shen Yunmu get rabbits, but Chu Yunyi also gave rabbits to Shen Qianchen and Shen Zhi.
Shen Qianchen and Shen Zhi held the rabbit, and the mother and daughter laughed out loud again. Chu Yunyi's temperament was indeed like this, thinking it over silently, doing it silently, and then making a splash.
Chu Yunyi: “…”
Chu Yunyi was confused by their laughter.
Shen Qianchen raised his hand and patted Chu Yunyi on the shoulder, saying meaningfully: "Today, thanks to Brother Yi, we are eating roasted pheasant!"
Her eyes were filled with smiles, and she thought: Chu Yunyi's personality is really different from Chu Lingxiao and Jiang Minshan. He is very careful and considerate. Knowing that Gu Zhiyan doesn't like dead rabbits, he specially hunted pheasants.
Chu Yunyi felt a little embarrassed when Shen Qianchen looked at him, so he simply dodged and said, "There is a stream ahead, I'll go take care of the pheasant."
Shen Qianchen asked Jiang Yuan to help Chu Yunyi and started preparing to make a fire, and they were very busy.
The happiest ones were Gu Zhiyan and Shen Yunmu. They found everything they saw and ate new and they couldn't stop laughing.
That day, they happily ate roasted pheasant in the mountains before setting off on their journey home.
When they arrived at the west gate of the capital, it was already 3 pm
After playing for most of the day, Gu Zhiyan and Shen Yunmu were extremely tired after being extremely excited, and both fell asleep in their carriages.
Shen Qianchen and Shen Zhi were also a little tired, only Chu Yunyi was full of energy. Going out for a play was completely different from his usual training, one was about playing, the other was about fighting.
They had just passed the city gate when their carriages and horses were stopped by a group of imperial guards wearing bronze helmets and iron armor.
One of the middle-aged soldiers with a big beard pointed at Chu Yunyi on his horse and ordered, "Come here, take Chu Yunyi down!"
Seeing the imperial guards going out to arrest people, some passers-by entering and leaving the city couldn't help but stop to see what was going on.
Chu Yunyi frowned and was about to ask why, but Shen Qianchen in the carriage beat him to the punch: "Why?!"
Shen Qianchen stuck his head out of the carriage window. Pei Linye and Jiang Yuan rode their horses forward, one on the left and one on the right, to stand beside Chu Yunyi, forming a protective posture.
Pei Linye recognized the other person and only said two words: "Du Huatang, you dare!"
Du Huatang also knew Pei Linye. His eyebrows twitched slightly, and then returned to normal.
Others are afraid of Pei Linye, but he is not. Everyone knows that Pei Linye is just an honorary title in the Jinyiwei and has always been left out by the Jinyiwei commander Lu Siji.
"Master Pei, the Chu family is suspected of treason," Du Huatang raised his voice, deliberately letting his voice reach the ears of the onlookers around him, "Chu Lingxiao has been arrested, and we are also following orders to arrest him. People who have nothing to do with it should not meddle in other people's business."
Suspected of treason? Shen Qianchen almost laughed. Of course, she didn't believe it. Chu Lingxiao didn't have such courage. He was just a bully in his own home.
Shen Qianchen was too lazy to waste time talking to these people, and said concisely: "If you have anything to say, go to Prince Chen's Mansion and say it!"
"Chu Yunyi, let's go!"
Shen Qianchen made a gesture to Chu Yunyi, telling him not to waste time with these people.
Shen Qianchen, Chu Yunyi and their group wanted to leave, but after their carriage had only moved forward ten feet, they were forcefully stopped by the group of imperial guards.
If Du Huatang had only some suspicions about Shen Qianchen's identity before, he has now confirmed his identity.
This young woman dressed as a young woman must be the legendary Princess Chen.
Du Huatang's eyes flashed, his face expressionless.
If it were normal times, he would naturally give some face to the Prince Chen's Mansion, but today Kang Hongda gave an order that Chu Yunyi must be taken away.
Du Huatang refused to give in and said righteously: "The Chu family is suspected of treason. Lord Kang has ordered the closure of the mansion. Now the entire Chu family is missing only Chu Yunyi. I must bring him back to the Chu family!"
"As for whether the Chu family is innocent, Lord Kang will naturally investigate it thoroughly and will not wrongly accuse the Chu family!"
Du Huatang spoke these words with confidence. As he spoke, he glanced at Shen Qianchen's face from his horse's back.
"The Prince of Chen's Mansion refused to let me take Chu Yunyi back to the Chu family. Could it be that they have something to hide?"
"Could it be that Prince Chen's Mansion has colluded with the Chu family to plot a rebellion?!"
Every word he said was heart-breaking. He tried to drag Prince Chen's Mansion into the trouble on purpose and force Princess Chen to avoid suspicion.
The passers-by who were watching nearby also heard the key word "Prince Chen's Mansion" and couldn't help but gasp.
Shen Qianchen: "..."
Shen Qianchen raised his right eyebrow indifferently. At this time, Chu Yunyi pursed his lips and said, "Sister, I'll go with them."
"No." Shen Qianchen said firmly in a tone that brooked no objection.
Chu Yunyi pursed his thin lips. He knew his sister's temper. She was a man of her word and he did not dare to question her.
"You have no right to interfere in the affairs of Prince Chen's Mansion!" Shen Qianchen said slowly, his voice neither light nor heavy, "I want to take someone away, and you have no right to object. No matter who it is, if they want to take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble, Prince Chen's Mansion will definitely accompany them."
Her eyes were clearly looking up at Du Huatang, but it made Du Huatang feel pressured, as if he was the one being looked down upon.
She sat so casually in the carriage, with only half of her face showing from behind the lake-colored curtains. Her facial features were beautiful and charming, and she exuded an imposing aura.
Du Huatang felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and alarm bells rang in his heart. He felt as if he was being targeted by a powerful superior.
He was already in his forties and had served in the court since the time of the previous emperor. He had also accompanied the previous emperor on hunting trips. Over the past few decades, he had met countless nobles, but he had only felt this intimidating pressure from a very small number of them.
Pei Linye sneered and slightly pulled out the sword at his waist, revealing a section of silver blade that sparkled in the sun.
They in the Prince Chen's Mansion are not the kind of people who are afraid of trouble!
Today, Kang Hongda's people dared to attack Princess Chen here, so today he dared to send out flares to attract the guards of Prince Chen's Mansion, the Five Cities Army and his men in the Jinyiwei. He wanted to see who would have the last laugh! Du Huatang's eyes twitched once, and then twitched again.
He dared to run rampant in the Chu family and take down anyone in the Chu family because the Chu family had almost nothing now. Concubine Chu and the mother and son of the Second Prince also made it clear that they wanted to cut off ties with the Chu family. Chu Lingxiao was nothing but a pool of mud. Who with a brain would want to get mixed up with mud?
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
But he was facing the Princess of Chen. Would the Prince of Chen allow outsiders to slap the Prince of Chen's Mansion in public? ! The imperial guards who came to arrest the man were all secretly observing Du Huatang's expression. Seeing his livid face, they knew what was going on.
None of the imperial guards dared to stop them, so the convoy led by Shen Qianchen and Chu Yunyi slowly moved forward through the crowd.
When those who were watching the excitement saw that it was over, they dispersed one after another.
The carriage was speeding up, leaving the West City Gate far behind.
Shen Yunmu, who had been sleeping in the carriage, had woken up after the commotion just now, and was now staring at Shen Qianchen with burning eyes.
After the carriage turned the corner, Shen Yunmu burst into an excited cheer: "Sister, you were so impressive just now!"
Shen Yunmu's eyes were simply glowing, and his chest was filled with a pride that he couldn't find the words to describe.
The little guy pounced on Shen Qianchen like a puppy, rubbing against him.
Shen Qianchen patted his back in amusement, the dignity on his face was gone, only a smile remained.
Chu Yunyi, who was outside the carriage, also heard Shen Yunmu's praise. He first slightly curled the corners of his lips, and then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he tightened his mouth, looking calm and composed.
After driving through two streets, the group of carriages and horses separated into two groups with the carriages of Shen Wan's family. Then, Shen Qianchen first sent Shen Zhi and Shen Yunmu back to the Shen residence, and then ordered the coachman to return to Prince Chen's Mansion.
The first thing she did after returning to the palace was to ask Jiang Yuan to find out what had happened to the Chu family.
Jiang Yuan came back quickly and brought Cheng Linhua, the chief secretary of the palace, with her.
Today, Kang Hongda sent people to surround the Chu family and then capture Chu Lingxiao. The commotion was so loud that many people in Beijing saw it. Cheng Linhua immediately asked someone to investigate the matter.
"Princess!" Cheng Linhua bowed solemnly, "I have asked someone to investigate. Chu Lingxiao did commit some crimes during his exile."
Cheng Linhua felt that their princess was extremely unlucky to have such a father.
"Youzhou and the area to the north of Youzhou are full of bandits. There are at least a hundred mountain strongholds of varying sizes, three of which are the most powerful. These bandits often appear on the northeastern border of Daqi and cause harm to the area. Chu Lingxiao secretly colluded with one of the bandits, a village called Xiejiazhai."
"He once harbored a bandit from Xiejia Village, who was the third in command of the village."
The Great Qi Dynasty has been established for more than a hundred years, but these past hundred years have not been smooth sailing. It has always been in a state of internal and external troubles and crises.
Not only is there the Hao Kingdom in the south and the Red Di Kingdom in the north, but there are also many small countries in the northwest that are coveting the area. There are also other miscellaneous problems, such as Japanese pirates landing on the coast from time to time, and rampant bandits in the northeast.
The Northeast is full of mountains and forests but little arable land. It often suffers from snowstorms in winter, and is also harassed by small barbarian tribes in the surrounding areas. A large number of bandits have bred there, including people from Qi and foreigners. Some prisoners who were exiled to Youzhou simply joined the bandits, and the population is very complicated.
If Chu Lingxiao really had once harbored the third in command of Xiejiazhai, then he would have been guilty of treason.
But things in this world are never as simple as black and white. After all, Chu Lingxiao did not really become a bandit, so this matter can be let go or dealt with severely.
Cheng Linhua then reported: "Princess, the Chu family has been surrounded by Kang Hongda's men, and the door has been sealed. It seems that the family is going to be searched."
Shen Qianchen pursed his lips thoughtfully, his eyes flickering slightly.
The current development is very obvious. The imperial guards have clearly decided to sentence Chu Lingxiao to treason. In just half a day, they have arrested him, sealed his mansion and confiscated his property. It is obvious that they are deliberately giving him a heavy punishment.
This was an order given by Kang Hongda, and Kang Hongda's selfish motives were obvious.
Thinking about the scenes at the West City Gate, Shen Qianchen's first thought was: Could it be that Kang Hongda did this for Chu Yunyi? !
Cheng Linhua silently glanced at Chu Yunyi who was sitting next to him. It was obvious that he had guessed the same thing.
Shen Qianchen half-lowered his eyes and remained silent, but she felt that something seemed to be wrong.
After a moment, Shen Qianchen looked up at Cheng Linhua again and ordered: "Arrange a few people to guard Shen Zhai's place to prevent anyone from causing trouble there."
Cheng Linhua agreed without hesitation.
After Cheng Linhua left, Chu Yunyi asked hesitantly, "Sister, should I go back?"
Shen Qianchen glanced at Chu Yunyi indifferently, his eyes were as light as clouds and mist, and when he looked again, there was a faint glow of insight into people's hearts.
Shen Qianchen felt that Chu Yunyi had finally grown up a lot. If it were in the past, he would definitely not be able to bear to see Cheng Linhua leave, and he would not ask himself, but would just do stupid things quietly.
Seeing that this brat was still obedient this time, Shen Qianchen patiently said, "No need, it's just a small matter."
Chu Yunyi: “…”
Although Shen Qianchen said calmly that it was just a small matter, Chu Yunyi's mentality was still not so calm. Recalling the scenes at the West City Gate, he felt that the air around him became oppressive, and he could vaguely sense a tense atmosphere.
Chu Yunyi has grown a lot in the past few months. Even with his knowledge, he still cannot see through the current situation. He has an inexplicable intuition in his heart: this matter is not just an interference with the Chu family, it should be a game between Kang Hongda and Prince Chen's Mansion.
Maybe without myself, there would be other reasons.
He understood it, but when he was really in the situation, it was not easy for him to get himself out.
At night, when the night sky was dotted with stars, Gu Jue returned late.
Shen Qianchen immediately told this matter. In fact, someone had already reported the matter to Gu Jue. Gu Jue did not say much, but just said: "Let Brother Yi stay here temporarily."
Anyway, Chu Yunyi has lived in Prince Chen's Mansion for two months, so it's okay for him to continue living there. Prince Chen's Mansion is not afraid of having one more pair of chopsticks.
Seeing that Gu Jue didn't say anything else, Shen Qianchen tacitly stopped asking. She would just listen to the prince anyway.
The candle was blown out, and the room fell into darkness. There was silence and no one spoke.
As the night deepened, rain began to fall from the sky. The spring rain was fine and silent, sneaking into the night with the wind.
That night, the rain was drizzling, and the people in the capital were more restless than the continuous spring rain. The news that the Yongding Marquis's mansion was closed and his property was confiscated spread throughout the court within a day.
Although the Yongding Marquis Mansion had long been a marginal noble mansion, it was still the maiden home of Concubine Chu and Princess Chen, and the second prince's in-laws. The confiscation of the property still attracted many people in the capital to watch.
Not only because of the Chu family's Concubine Chu and Princess Chen's family, the Second Prince's maternal family, but also because of the confrontation between Princess Chen and Kang Hongda's men in front of the west city gate in the afternoon.
This matter involved Prince Chen and Kang Hongda, which forced the court officials and nobles to pay attention. Many people were secretly speculating whether Prince Chen's Mansion and Kang Hongda were going to confront each other.
Some busybodies were waiting for Princess Chen to help the Chu family.
Even the Crown Prince Gu Nanjin learned the news that night and immediately sent someone to find out the truth.
After the young eunuch left, Gu Nanjin, who was left alone in the study, frowned slightly with a serious expression.
He is the crown prince. As the crown prince, he should have received the news immediately, but this time he was so late...
Gu Nanjin looked out through the window, towards the direction of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, his eyes seemed to penetrate the dark night.
The night outside was as dark as ink, with drizzling rain. From where he was, he could not see the Palace of Tranquil Longevity at all.
Gu Nanjin stood there in a daze, unaware of the passage of time.
After an unknown amount of time, the eunuch came back, walked behind Gu Nanjin, and called out, "Your Highness the Crown Prince?"
Gu Nanjin finally came to his senses, turned around and sat down by the window.
The windows were still open, allowing the drizzle to drift into the house with the night wind, and the raindrops wet the coffee table.
The young eunuch sorted out his thoughts and reported: "Lord Kang sent the imperial guards to the Yongding Marquis' Mansion to arrest someone this morning. They took Chu Lingxiao away. Now the mansion is sealed and no one is allowed to enter or leave."
"The Imperial Guards Lieutenant General Du Huatang went to the West City Gate to capture Chu Yunyi, the eldest son of the Chu family. However, Princess Chen did not allow them to take Chu Yunyi away. Chu Yunyi is now staying in the palace with Princess Chen."
"His Royal Highness Prince Chen just returned to the palace half an hour ago. There has been no movement from the palace for the time being."
As the young eunuch reported, Gu Nanjin's expression became more and more ugly.
He only knows these things now.
Gu Nanjin took a deep breath, his cheeks tense, and asked in a cold voice: "Who gave Kang Hongda the power to use the imperial guards to arrest people?!"
Kang Hongda is the governor-general of the Beijing Camp, in charge of the Twelve Guards and the three camps of the Imperial Guards that guard the capital. This is a sign of the emperor's trust and importance in him, but it does not mean that he can mobilize the Imperial Guards at will.
This is the capital city, under the feet of the emperor. Anyone who mobilizes the imperial guards without authorization will be suspected of treason.
Kang Hongda is a smart man. He can reach his current position not only because of his life-saving grace to the emperor. He seems to be unrestrained, but in fact he is cautious.
Therefore, when Gu Nanjin asked this question, he already had an answer in his mind.
really--
"Your Highness, Lord Kang has been to the palace to meet the Emperor." The young eunuch replied respectfully.
In other words, capturing Chu Lingxiao was the emperor's order.
The emperor had been ill for two and a half months, and was bedridden. Due to lack of energy, he was unable to even summon the ministers of the six ministries. Basically, Gu Nanjin brought memorials to him every day or every other day and read them to him.
Under such circumstances, the emperor actually received Kang Hongda, which shows how much he valued him.
Gu Nanjin raised his hand and rubbed his brows. He thought and muttered to himself, "What does Kang Hongda mean? Why did he suddenly take action against the Chu family?"
Gu Nanjin didn't actually ask what the other person meant, he was just asking himself and thinking.
Unexpectedly, the young eunuch said cautiously: "Your Highness, maybe it's because of the eldest son of the Chu family."
Gu Nanjin: “???”
These eunuchs and palace servants had seen all kinds of dirty things in the deep palace, and actually didn't think that this matter was anything to be surprised about. However, the person he was facing now was the prince, so he had to choose his words carefully so as not to pollute the ears of the noble man.
After a pause, the young eunuch said, "Lord Kang has a crush on Long Yang. It seems that he has set his eyes on the eldest son of the Chu family. Even Chu Lingxiao's return to the capital from Youzhou was Lord Kang's doing. It seems that the Chu family and Kang Hongda have reached some agreement in secret."
The young eunuch roughly told the things he had inquired about: "However, after Chu Lingxiao returned to the capital, he never mentioned his original promise. He and his second brother Chu Lingyu had a quarrel over the title, causing unrest in the family. Chu Lingxiao also sent Chu Yunyi to the Prince Chen's Mansion to hide from the limelight, hoping that the Prince Chen's Mansion would protect his eldest son."
The young eunuch really couldn't comment on Chu Lingxiao's actions. Chu Lingxiao dared to make fun of Kang Hongda. Isn't this courting death? ! "Now many people are saying that Kang Hongda was angry and humiliated and was seeking revenge!"
To be honest, the young eunuch also felt that it was very likely. Kang Hongda was a vengeful person. That was why all the civil and military officials in the capital were afraid of him like a tiger.
Gu Nanjin did not comment.
Just as Kang Hongda knew Gu Nanjin, it was impossible for Gu Nanjin to be completely ignorant of Kang Hongda, the emperor's favorite. It should be said that he knew a lot, including the fact that Kang Hongda was a homosexual.
Kang Hongda has always been a playboy and a womanizer. He can be said to have passed through a sea of beauties without getting a single leaf attached to him. He also opened the door for his mistress in the court, but he was careful to keep within limits and was just slow enough to be acceptable to the emperor, making the emperor feel that no one is perfect and that Kang Hongda is a person of true character.
Kang Hongda is actually a very rational person who clearly distinguishes between public and private affairs. Gu Nanjin doesn't quite believe that Kang Hongda would do such an impulsive and irrational thing, especially when the emperor is seriously ill.
Just imagine, if the emperor knew that he was seriously ill, and Kang Hongda still wanted to play these jealous tricks, what would the emperor think? ! Kang Hongda couldn't be that stupid.
Gu Nanjin muttered silently to himself: "I'm afraid he is using public revenge to cover up something."
His lips moved slightly, but his voice was so soft that even though the eunuch pricked up his ears, he couldn't hear what Gu Nanjin was saying.
The young eunuch stood in his original position with his head down and his hands hanging. He naturally did not dare to leave unless the prince let him.
The room fell silent, with only the occasional crackling sound of burning candle wax emanating from the lantern.
Gu Nanjin made a fist with his right hand and tapped it gently on the rain-soaked coffee table, once, twice, three times...
Now that the game between Kang Hongda and Gu Jue has begun, and the emperor is also involved, it means that this matter cannot end silently.
Gu Nanjin knew that since he was the crown prince, he was destined not to be able to stay out of trouble.
Over the past two months, his relationship with Gu Jue has gradually improved. He is determined to use his sincerity to gradually resolve Gu Jue's knot about the royal family. He hopes that after he ascends the throne, he can let Gu Jue return to the court.
Therefore, he didn't want Gu Jue to feel resentful because of Kang Hongda's incident, which would deepen the rift between Gu Jue and the royal family.
Gu Nanjin thought for a moment and asked again, "Prince Chen went to Fengtai Camp during the day and came back at night?"
The young eunuch responded.
Gu Nanjin knocked his right fist on the coffee table a few more times. Since Princess Chen knew about the Chu family in the afternoon, it was impossible for Gu Jue to be completely unaware of it, but he did not show up. So, was Gu Jue trying to avoid suspicion and not protecting the Chu family, or did he simply not care about the Chu family? He thought about it for a while, but he was not sure about this. He was sure of one thing, he did not want this matter to continue.
Gu Nanjin's right hand stopped and he instructed the eunuch, "Pass on my order to withdraw the imperial guards guarding the Chu family."
The emperor was seriously ill, and the crown prince was acting as regent, so now the crown prince could also act on the emperor's behalf. But at this moment, another middle-aged eunuch came in and said, "Your Highness, eunuch Ni is here to convey the emperor's oral order. Your Highness is summoned to the Yangxin Palace."
It was almost the second watch of the night, and his father sent someone to summon him at this time. Gu Nanjin couldn't help but suspect that it might be related to Kang Hongda's incident: Could it be that his father wanted to warn him not to get involved in this matter?
Gu Nanjin stood up after thinking about it.
Faced with the emperor's summons, as a son and a minister, he had no right to refuse.
Gu Nanjin walked out of the house with a heavy heart, and saw Eunuch Ni waiting for him under the eaves with a smile on his face. Outside the eaves, drizzle was floating, and Eunuch Ni's shoes and robe corners were splashed by the rain.
Eunuch Ni politely extended his hand and said, "Your Highness, please follow me."
Gu Nanjin nodded slightly, and the young eunuch held an oil-paper umbrella for him, and someone walked in front of him holding a lantern.
Several people walked down the stone steps that had already been soaked by the rain and headed towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The imperial palace was exceptionally quiet at night. Because of the rain, there were few palace servants on the road. It was like an empty city. Only the lights, near or far, added a bit of liveliness to the place.
When it rained, people walked slowly, and the journey from the East Palace to the Hall of Mental Cultivation took twice as long as usual.
Gu Nanjin followed Eunuch Ni towards the emperor's bedroom with familiarity.
In the bedroom, there was a strong smell of medicine as usual.
Gu Nanjin frowned slightly, and suddenly felt that something seemed to be missing here... Yes, the Jiuhexiang that the emperor usually loved to order was missing.
"..." Gu Nanjin's heart skipped a beat.
The next moment, there was a "creak" sound, and the door at the back was closed. The loud and clear sound of the door closing seemed to hit Gu Nanjin's heart.
Eunuch Ni's polite voice followed, "Your Highness, the Emperor just wants you to calm down here for a few days."
The implication is that the emperor has placed the prince under house arrest.
Gu Nanjin: “!!!”
(End of this chapter)
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