Chapter 98: Even if it was the exact same face, she wouldn't...
Duan Zhirui remained silent, and Yu Qing knew something was wrong.
She finally withdrew her hand. It was not appropriate to act impulsively now. She couldn't make a big fuss with Xie Jing and add more trouble.
Yu Qing said, "Forget it. I'll go ask in person tomorrow."
Duan Zhirui watched the nimble figure disappear into the darkness, then he patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: Your Highness the Ninth Prince is usually with this person, isn't he really afraid?
·
It was already late at night, and it was not the right time to go to Prince Rui, although she couldn't wait and wanted to go to his house and ask him by the collar to find out.
Yu Qing suppressed his anxiety for the time being.
During these days, King Rui did not avoid her much, and she knew a lot of his plans. He also often summoned her and several other important ministers for long talks, making her a close confidant.
——So what are you doing now?
Yu Qing might not care about other things, but she couldn't ignore the things related to Xie Jing.
If Yu Qing hadn't still held some trust in Prince Rui, and if she hadn't considered him Xie Jing's biological brother, she would have been almost suspicious of him. Even if he had some plans, he wouldn't have been so secretive as to hide them from her. Could something have happened to Xie Jing?
When Xie Jing returned to Beijing a few days ago, Yu Qing also wanted to escort him personally, but the emperor was still in the hunting ground. Prince Rui was worried that others could not control him, so he finally let Duan Zhirui take her place.
She hadn't seen Xie Jing since then, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.
·
However, before they set off the next morning, a major event broke out unexpectedly.
Last night, Lord Sun from the Censorate was assassinated at home.
In the secret compartment of his study, an unfinished impeachment memorial was found, which listed more than ten charges, all of which pointed directly at Prince Rui Xie Tingzhao.
The murder case should have been investigated first by the patrol team, but this time the Ministry of Justice came very quickly, as if they were rushing to collect the body as soon as the person died, and hurriedly identified the body and searched for evidence.
The family of the deceased cried and said that Mr. Sun had been worried recently and even asked them to pack their bags and go to relatives and friends. Unexpectedly, before they could leave, Mr. Sun was killed.
The sudden death of an official required a report to the Emperor. The Ministry of Justice presented the unfinished indictment before the Emperor. The Emperor, still unsure whether to be shocked or enraged, was already seething with rage among the prominent families.
There were many doubts in this case, and King Rui was not directly held responsible, but he was implicated after all.
In order to avoid suspicion, Prince Rui temporarily suspended his duties, handed over the government affairs at hand to others, and asked the emperor for permission to return to the palace to reflect on himself.
·
When the disturbance first broke out, the situation was tense and the capital was in a state of panic.
Yu Qing also played a role in Prince Rui's crimes. It was said that Prince Rui had formed the Xuanlin Guard with evil intentions, and Yu Qing had been an accomplice, collaborating with him, repeatedly abusing his power for personal gain, and doing many evil things for Prince Rui.
Things were progressing rapidly, and with too many eyes watching, Yu Qing had no choice but to put everything else aside and hurry to proceed according to the original plan.
Prince Rui had recently inflicted considerable suffering on those aristocratic families, both overtly and covertly. Their growing exhaustion had driven them to the point of no return. The hunting ground incident was yet another trigger. Prince Rui seemed content, but he must have had evidence against him long ago. The thought was truly alarming.
Therefore, even though he knew that the time had not come and preparations were hasty, he still took the initiative and used the opportunity to expand his influence. He not only targeted King Rui, but also threw dirty water on the people around him, trying to restrain anyone he could.
Yu Qing could still cope with it, but the noise from Wen Xu's side was even more intense. After King Rui, he was the next one to be attacked by the crowd.
As the Minister of Revenue, he was greedy for profit, accepted countless bribes, and used his family's influence to win over officials and buy and sell official positions.
There were even people who went to the government office to beat drums and roll nail boards to complain, accusing Wen Xu of extorting money from the people, lining his own pockets, and causing people's families to be ruined, and of committing despicable acts.
——The Wen family is a century-old famous family with a strong family background. They have countless properties and no one knows what they are going to do with those tens or hundreds of taels of silver.
However, the last time the Wen family was investigated and Wen Xu was taken away for trial, it was because Prince Rui was spared. Now this matter has been brought up again and exaggerated, insisting that Wen Xu and Prince Rui have been colluding for a long time.
The entire Wen family was dragged into this situation. Two days later, Wen Xu left a suicide note, took all the blame on himself, and committed suicide by taking poison.
·
Yu Qing was questioned for nearly an hour and returned to the Marquis' Mansion near nightfall. He then went to take a look in his own dungeon.
When the dark room inside was opened, the lights were on and the person sitting there was Minister Wen who had committed suicide out of fear of punishment not long ago.
"Brother Wen, are you feeling better today?"
Wen Xu: "Much better, thank you, Prince."
Suicide is impossible. Wen Xu was poisoned, and the so-called suicide note was naturally forged. He just used the prepared fake death drug to take advantage of the situation.
Yu Qing had been keeping an eye on his movements, and rescued him secretly after receiving the secret message. It was too unsafe for a "dead man" to stay outside, and his true appearance could not be seen by others, so Yu Qing simply placed him in the dungeon of his own home.
This place is secretive, and only close associates in the Marquis' Mansion know about it. Wen Xu can be said to be extremely safe here.
However, the strength of the medicine was a little beyond Yu Qing's expectation. Wen Xu was a scholar who could not carry anything with his hands or shoulders. After taking the medicine, Wen Xu did not wake up for a long time. When he was woken up, he was dying and weak all over. Yu Qing almost thought something really happened to him, so he sent someone to take good care of him for two days before he finally recovered to normal.
"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Wen," Yu Qing said, "If you still feel uncomfortable, let Qiying prepare some medicine for you."
"It's not hard," Wen Xu said with a smile, "This place is very nice. Thank you for arranging these things, Your Highness. I didn't expect that your prison cell also has a unique flavor."
The room was spacious and clean, and had everything one needed. Apart from the lack of sunlight and feeling a bit stuffy, there was nothing wrong with it.
Yu Qing paused for a moment and said, "Well, as long as you get used to it."
...In fact, these things were not prepared for Wen Xu at all.
It was prepared when Xie Jing was imprisoned, but it was never used. Now it has been moved here.
In fact, Xie Jing's cell was more spacious and more finely furnished. Even the mattress was made of satin and silk, and was no less luxurious than the one in the palace.
It would have been easier to just take Wen Xu there, but Yu Qing was strangely stubborn, thinking that the place should belong exclusively to Xie Jing and didn't want anyone else to live there, so she only gave Wen Xu some useful items.
·
With the fall of the Wen family, Prince Rui lost his greatest support among the civil servants, and Yu Qing was also overwhelmed with other matters and had no time to take care of other things.
This sudden, all-out offensive was surprisingly effective. Suddenly, even the clans that had been secretly supporting the King began to surge forward, and the main force naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip by, staking as many chips as possible in an effort to pin King Rui down and prevent him from recovering.
The momentum seemed to be very good, but when it reached its peak, it stagnated.
King Rui, who was thought to be powerless to fight back, suddenly began to fight back. All his previous weak arguments were invalidated. Suddenly, there was a lot of solid evidence, and no matter how much pressure was put on him, it was difficult to make any further progress.
Although Yu Qing was caught up in the crisis, the Xuanlin Guard remained operational and maintained its control over the city. Even the Wen family, which should have been scattering like monkeys when the tree fell, seemed to be gathering strength.
For a time, both sides were in a stalemate. The longer the delay lasted, the more anxious they became. They almost thought that victory was in their grasp, but before they could enjoy themselves for a few days, the situation took a sudden turn for the worse. No one could sit still.
That day, Yu Qing returned to the Marquis' Mansion from his shift at the Northern Palace Office and received a secret message: "I would like to discuss a confidential matter tonight. I hope you will come."
·
Late at night, Yu Qing came to the Fifth Prince's Mansion as agreed.
At this point, she was no longer surprised, but she felt a little complicated.
When Xie Tingchen saw her, he felt relieved and invited her directly into the inner room of the palace with a sincere look on his face.
"My current status is sensitive, so I shouldn't have rashly met with Your Highness, so as not to implicate you," Yu Qing said politely, "but Your Highness rarely sends urgent messages. I wonder what this is about?"
Xie Tingchen said, "Right now, I can't find anyone else to discuss this with. After much deliberation, I've concluded that you're the only one who can offer assistance. Do you understand how critical the situation is?"
Yu Qing: "How do you mean?"
Xie Tingchen said in a deep voice: "——Prince Rui Xie Tingzhao intends to force the emperor to abdicate and rebel."
Yu Qing's expression changed. Xie Tingchen said anxiously, "My uncle has already learned the news, but he dares not spread it. He's afraid that it will alert the enemy and force him to take action prematurely. Now the palace is probably under his control, and my father's safety cannot be guaranteed!"
Yu Qing frowned and said, "King Rui is still in the palace, under house arrest, so how could there be such a big change?"
"He'll be released sooner or later," Xie Tingchen said. "The evidence is overwhelming, yet he's managed to pull off a comeback. Who would have thought he had so many tricks up his sleeve? He's already secretly colluded with forces both inside and outside the capital, even using Duan Zhirui, the deputy envoy of the Golden Feathered Guard, to his advantage. He's openly defied orders and is now entrenched within the palace with his troops."
Yu Qing's heart moved - Duan Zhirui is in the palace?
Isn't Duan Zhirui specifically responsible for protecting Xie Jing? Now that he has been transferred away, who will take care of Xie Jing?
Seeing her silent and hesitant, Xie Tingchen thought he had persuaded her, so he said, "I have some troops here that can be mobilized, but the enemy's strength is still unknown. I'm most worried that they will hold my father hostage, and then even if we call for reinforcements, it will be too late. In the capital, only the Imperial Guards under your command are the most powerful. The plan now is to order martial law throughout the city to suppress any dissent. Then, order the Imperial Guards to station outside the palace. If any disturbance occurs, they will immediately enter the palace to protect the emperor."
Yu Qing said slowly, "This matter is of great importance, and we cannot act rashly. Prince Rui's intentions are still unclear. How can we mobilize troops without His Majesty's permission? We might end up being set up against us."
The Fifth Prince said, "For the past two years, my father has been frail and ill, unable to do anything. Prince Rui and his mother and their cronies have taken advantage of this opportunity to deceive His Majesty, leaving Concubine Rong with the final say in the harem! She has been using sweet words to deceive my father all day long, and I'm afraid he still doesn't realize the danger is approaching. Now is not the time to hesitate. Even if my father truly blames me, I will shoulder the responsibility."
Yu Qing looked hesitant, and Xie Tingchen said, "Look, these are the messages intercepted from Prince Rui."
She took it in her hands and flipped through a few pages, her eyes gradually becoming serious. The Fifth Prince said, "You have always acted with integrity, and I have always felt that this disaster was an unprovoked one. I had intended to support you in the past, but Prince Rui's preemptive decision to form the Xuanlin Guard was truly unexpected. Now you appear to be rising smoothly, but in reality, every step is extremely dangerous. Now, so many disturbances have arisen for no reason, and even your own mansion has been implicated! Now, we must identify this person clearly!"
Yu Qing said, "...Let me think about it. I'll give Your Highness a reply within three days at the latest."
The Fifth Prince was not surprised by Yu Qing's answer.
He threw out another trump card.
"...Yu Qing," the Fifth Prince sighed, "Do you still remember the riot by the Northern Barbarians over two years ago, just before the New Year?"
"You weren't in the capital at the time, so you probably don't know what happened. The Northern Barbarians rebelled, the government was in turmoil, the Eastern Palace was deposed, and things got out of control. Then, King Rui returned to the capital and established himself there in just a few months. It was clear he had been prepared. Later, it was my uncle's former subordinates who escorted the Northern Barbarian hostage. From that hostage, we learned that the new Northern Barbarian king's uprising was instigated by someone else... Don't you understand what's going on?"
Yu Qing and his father had both been guarding the border for many years and attached great importance to the northern border. Sure enough, after hearing this, Yu Qing looked at him intently and asked, "Is it true?"
"It's absolutely true. You can go to the Northern Barbarian Hostage and ask for it yourself."
Yu Qing said: "Okay, thank you for telling me, Your Highness."
"...Your Xuanbei Marquisate has been a family of loyal and righteous people for generations, yet now, due to his influence, it has become infamous. I feel so sorry for you. After all, you and I are old friends. At this juncture, there is really no time for delay. Think it over carefully... If we don't act quickly, who knows what kind of trouble Prince Rui will stir up. Your father and mother are old, and if anything goes wrong, it will be..."
Hearing him mention his parents, Yu Qing couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
At this time, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door, and a deputy general came in to report: "Your Highness, the criminal has been captured and is being escorted to the palace."
"Okay. Bring him to me first, and take the others directly to jail."
Yu Qing asked, "What is this...?"
"Wen Xu died for his crimes, and those crimes were certainly not solely his fault," Xie Tingchen said coldly. "He was simply taking the blame for someone else! The Ministry of Justice has revealed the facts today, and Xie Tingye cannot escape responsibility either. Wen Xu acted under his instructions in many matters, and he has been causing constant trouble since he joined the Ministry of Revenue. This prince will bring him to justice."
Yu Qing was stunned.
"...Your Highness is a prince like him," Yu Qing said, "Do you have any official documents from the Ministry of Justice? Do you have any decrees from His Majesty?"
"Since I am in charge of the investigation, I can conduct the interrogation first. Father has been deceived by a villain, and the criminal is arrogant and refuses to face justice, crying until he sees the coffin," the Fifth Prince said. "I will first apprehend this traitor, and after the trial, I will bring him to the court to report to Father."
Yu Qing clenched his fists.
"...He's a nuisance out there anyway. If we don't capture him, he'll definitely collude with the Second Prince and his gang, making it even harder to control him."
Soon, there were sounds of footsteps outside, and Xie Tingchen shouted, "Bring them up!"
Several personal guards escorted a man into the hall.
Yu Qing stood up along with Xie Tingchen.
The man was tall but slightly thin, wearing a stained brocade robe, and looked disheveled. He was forced to kneel on the ground, then raised his head, his handsome face, and looked at Xie Tingchen indifferently.
Xie Tingchen sneered and kicked him hard on the shoulder. The man lost his balance and fell to the ground.
...Yu Qing sat back calmly.
Same face, same body shape.
But from the moment he walked in, she recognized him.
It’s not Xie Jing.
I don’t know what means were used to fake the appearance so accurately, but a person’s charm is very difficult to imitate.
Yu Qing knew Xie Jing too well.
Xie Jing has an indescribable aura, which is vague, sometimes shallow, sometimes deep, as if it is innate. If I have to describe it, it is like a cup of fragrant spring tea.
It feels comfortable when you are close to it, and you want to gaze deeply when you see it. Even the coldest heart will become soft.
It turns out that even if it was the exact same face, she wouldn't make a mistake.
In fact, she recognized Xie Jing from the moment they met again in Jiangnan. She didn't need any evidence, but she didn't even realize it.
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