Luo Lan had just eaten a little meal when Ah Cai came over and told her,
"Princess, the prince and General Liu are back."
Hearing this, she quickly put down her chopsticks and prepared to stand up. Ah Hong quickly persuaded her:
"Princess, you've only taken a few bites. Please eat a little more."
After Luo Lan swallowed the food in his mouth, he raised his handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth.
"I'm full. Dad and husband came back early today. There must be something going on."
"But……"
Ah Hong wanted to persuade her a few more words, but found that she had already run towards the main hall as fast as a gust of wind.
Ah Hong glared at Ah Cai, frowned and accused:
"Can you please be more considerate? The princess has only taken a few bites of her meal. Can't you wait until she finishes eating before reporting back?"
Ah Cai pouted a little aggrievedly and nodded.
"Remember this next time. This time, it was the princess who asked me to report it promptly, so I didn't think too much about it."
"Your brain..."
After giving Acai an unpleasant look, Ah Hong quickly chased in the direction Luo Lan left. Acai stuck out her nose and followed.
Leng Yu and Liu Dechang were sitting in the main hall of the palace, Xiao Lingzi and Xiao Shuangzi were sitting opposite them, and the four of them had serious expressions on their faces.
When Luo Lan came in, he saw what they were talking about and asked apologetically:
"Am I disturbing you?"
Leng Yu shook his head at her solemnly.
"Don't bother me, my lady, just sit down!"
Luo Lan glanced at Liu Dechang, then walked aside and sat down.
Leng Yu continued:
"The Emperor only attends court once every ten days or so, and this has displeased the ministers. They intend to impeach the Emperor and would like me and General Liu to lead the charge. Do you think this is feasible?"
Liu Dechang was the first to shake his head and said solemnly:
"No, although the Emperor only attends court once every ten days or half a month, he informed the ministers of this matter due to illness. He is not absent from court maliciously. Moreover, he has not delayed handling the ministers' memorials, nor has he neglected state affairs. Impeaching you now will cause resentment, especially since your position as Crown Prince has just been abolished. Even more, some people will say that we have ulterior motives. I think this is not the right thing to do."
Xiao Lingzi frowned and shook his head.
"General Liu's words make sense, but we can't keep going like this. Leng Xi has already brought all of Wu Yuanzhang's former subordinates under his command, and the Emperor has also instructed him to take over all the military power in Wu Hong's hands. If this continues, he and we will be on par with each other. This is not a good thing for us. If he launches a mutiny one day, and Concubine Li stirs up trouble in the palace again, we will be caught off guard."
In response to Xiao Lingzi's words, Xiao Gemini nodded in agreement.
"Brother Ling is right. Leng Xi is becoming more and more confident. His Weizhen Gang is recruiting talented people from all over the country, and the salary they offer is three times higher than our Rebirth Hall. As a result, people who come to our Rebirth Hall rely on your prestige, but most people are still rushing for the high salary. When Concubine Li ascends to the throne, won't he make a big fuss? By then, we will definitely become a thorn in his side, and he won't let us live in peace like this."
After Xiao Lingzi and Xiao Shuangzi finished their words, the place became quiet for a while.
Leng Yu's face was gloomy, and there was an ambiguous look in his pupils.
Liu Dechang had a gloomy face the whole time. Although he was dissatisfied with the emperor's current state, he still treated it rationally. After all, the emperor was still the emperor. It was not wise to rashly go to the court to impeach him.
Luo Lan heard clearly what they were discussing, but he didn't know how to express his opinion. This was not a trivial matter, and he couldn't say it casually without careful consideration.
Just when everyone was silent, Zhang Yuan walked in quickly, bowed and clasped his fists, saying:
"Your Highness, General Liu, at noon, someone went to Shuntian Prefecture to report that a dead body was found outside the city. After comparison, it was confirmed to be Shangshu Li Fu."
Hearing this, Liu Dechang stood up from his chair, frowned and waved his hand:
"Li Fu is dead? Can you find out how he died?"
Zhang Yuan shook his head. "The preliminary diagnosis is suicide by hanging."
"impossible."
Liu Dechang angrily swung his sleeves. His face turned ashen because of his anger, and he said hatefully:
"A few days ago, during court, he and I worked together to prevent Concubine Li from being crowned empress. And just a few days later, he committed suicide? This couldn't have been an accident. Someone must have done it on purpose."
Leng Yu's eyes suddenly tightened, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Minister Li is a second-rank official appointed by the imperial court. Shuntian Prefecture is not qualified to hear this case. This matter will be reported to the emperor and then handed over to the Ministry of Justice for investigation. I will go to the Ministry of Justice now. Xiao Lingzi, Xiao Shuangzi, the two of you go to Minister Li's home and ask about his recent situation. Is there any possibility of suicide?"
Seeing him about to leave, Luo Lan hurried forward to stop him.
"Husband, it's getting late. Let's go tomorrow."
Liu Dechang also nodded in agreement. "Yes, if you leave in such a hurry, there will definitely be no results. I guess you haven't reached the Ministry of Justice yet. It won't be too late to go tomorrow morning."
Leng Yu thought for a while, frowned and nodded.
"I was inconsiderate. I heard that Minister Li had passed away and suspected someone had murdered him, so I became anxious. So, I'll go to the Ministry of Justice tomorrow morning. You can go to Minister Li's house as usual and see if there's anything you can help with. Do your best to lend a hand."
After receiving the order, Xiao Lingzi and Xiao Shuangzi quickly retreated. Liu Dechang just stood up to leave when Luo Lan called him back.
"Dad, don't go back tonight. Mom has been missing you these days. Please stay."
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