National Murder Case
The Hong Emperor gladly accepted the gold, jade, and rare treasures presented by Abei Le. As for the dozens of beauties, due to the busy state affairs, the empress had only recently been appointed. Their good character and beauty were limited. "Although the empress is a motherly figure and has a tolerant heart, I and Shuhua are deeply in love. Out of consideration for Shuhua's feelings, I have no intention of appointing her as a concubine for the time being. Moreover, I have already pledged my love to Daqi. I must work diligently and serve the country day and night without slacking off."
Among the twelve beauties, one was Abeile's younger sister, the most beautiful, with fair skin, a graceful figure, deep features, crimson lips, and thick, curly hair. Her eyes were full of charm, and Abeile gave her a Han Chinese name, Yaoxian. Emperor Hong gave her to Yifei, the son of Prince Ping, as a token of kinship. The other eleven beauties were awarded to other princes, their sons, or ministers who had made significant contributions.
Abeile happily brought Anuda back to Qiangrong and proclaimed himself the king. The head of state and the old ministers were all very satisfied with the result. Those who received the beauty as a reward praised him, saying, "The little emperor is growing stronger and stronger, and he really has some of the grace and elegance of Emperor Wen Taizu when he founded the country and ruled the world." The court was peaceful and there was no other dispute about this matter.
After the court session, Prince Ping glanced at Yi Fei from across several rows of ministers. When they reached the corner of the pavilion, Yi Fei saw that no one was around and approached Prince Ping. "Father, from what I've seen today, Shu Hua is very popular with the emperor, and Yi Hong dotes on Shu Hua very much."
"Stop talking nonsense! How dare you call His Majesty's name in such an important place in the imperial palace? Be careful, or someone might hear it. You and I, father and son, will be in big trouble!" King Ping scolded.
Yi Fei smiled awkwardly, then said angrily: "If it weren't for that brat suddenly showing up, this world would have belonged to us two fathers long ago, and he wouldn't have the right to point fingers at us!"
Prince Ping pretended to hit his son, but Yifei dodged him. Prince Ping flicked his sleeves and turned his back, but seeing that there was no one around, he whispered, "Now that he's sitting on the throne, let him enjoy it for a few days. He's young and energetic, so it's okay to lend it to him for a few days. But borrowing must be returned. Whether he can afford the price of returning it depends on his luck." He looked towards the main hall and saw that more ministers were coming out.
"It was destiny that my father sat on the throne, and that brat Yihong was just a nuisance. Let me help my father cut off that disobedient branch," Yi Fei said, slicing with his sword with one hand, "so that he won't have the chance to cause trouble again."
King Ping tilted his head and looked down at his son, a meaningful smile curling up the corners of his mouth, and his towering brows raised even higher. "Will you prepare the dragon throne for your father? Don't you want to sit on it?"
Yi Fei's almond-shaped eyes rolled around, and he smiled flatteringly, "This world originally belongs to my father. I am willing to be the cornerstone of my father's ambition, follow his lead, and will certainly continue the foundation he has created in the future."
"Your father is old, and I don't know when I can see this grand occasion again. But my son is young and strong. What's mine will be yours sooner or later." King Ping looked down at Qi Fei.
Yi Fei knelt before Prince Ping, his voice low, his eyes moving rapidly. "Father's ambition is beyond my reach. I should learn from Cao Pi. Even if I call myself the Great Ancestor, I should respect my father as the Great Ancestor. I should also learn from Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, fighting alongside my father to build a foundation together, without any selfish motives!"
"Get up, or someone will look and become suspicious of my father and I." King Ping helped Yifei up. Yifei stood up with a smile and patted the dust that was not stained on his clothes.
The two continued to walk forward side by side. Prince Ping seemed to be thinking about something and continued, "You should restrain this habit in the future. Today, His Majesty gave you Abele's sister as a reward. It is not only for us father and son to express his gratitude, but also to please you. You are a playboy, and everyone knows that!" He glanced at Yifei disdainfully.
Yifei scratched the back of his head, looking honest.
"You have many wives and concubines at home, why do you still want to go to those brothels to sleep with prostitutes? How can this be consistent with your royal status? It is really a disgrace! How can this be tolerated?" King Ping scolded Yifei.
"Father is teaching me that when I return home I must mend my ways and become a good little prince again."
The father and son walked away along the pavilion.
Inside Ronghua Palace, a palace maid was combing the empress's hair. "Your Highness, would you like to wear this gold-threaded glazed pearl hairpin today, or the Hetian jade phoenix hairpin bestowed upon you by His Majesty?"
The Empress lingered between the two pieces of jewelry before choosing the phoenix hairpin. The young palace maid exclaimed joyfully, "Your Majesty and His Majesty are truly deeply in love. His Majesty publicly rejected the beauty from the Qiang and Rong regions of the Western Regions and favored the Empress alone. Everyone in the court knew about this, and word spread throughout the people. The story is now being recounted in the streets and alleys, and the women are even telling their husbands that they should emulate His Majesty as their role model. Today, Your Majesty chose not her favorite hairpin, but the phoenix hairpin His Majesty had just bestowed upon her. It's clear that Your Majesty is always thinking of His Majesty!"
The Queen blushed shyly, her cheeks flushing. A maid pinned a phoenix hairpin into her Meteoric Moon-Chasing bun. She looked in the mirror and suddenly felt a pity for herself. "It's just that... it would be much better if Your Majesty could come to Ronghua Palace more often."
More than half a year had passed since the wedding, and the Empress remained the sole harem attendant. Although she had been raised as a lady from a prominent family, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and possessed a deep understanding of women's virtues, her family elders had always instilled in her that she would serve the Emperor and avoid the jealousy of younger daughters. She should prioritize the greater good, lead the harem, relieve the Emperor's worries, and expand the royal family. However, no matter how self-disciplined she was, she was still a woman, and her husband's preoccupation with her inevitably stirred ripples in her heart.
If you are so deeply in love with her, why haven't you consummated your marriage with her until today?
"Don't worry, Your Majesty." The little palace maid was a servant brought by the Empress from her natal family, and had been with the Empress since childhood. "Since the two of you love each other and miss each other so much, it doesn't matter if it's just a matter of morning and night. Your Majesty and Your Majesty still have a long time to live together."
The Queen's brows relaxed slightly. "Xiuxiang, go ask His Majesty when he will finish his government affairs today and where he will stay."
"Yes, your majesty." Xiuxiang trotted towards Gantai Palace.
It was the dead of winter, and everything was withered. The sudden heavy snow covered the entire Linjun City, making the already bleak scene even more chilling.
On the first day of the winter month, the day of Li, all things were very bad. A bloody incident in Prince Yao's mansion shattered the peace of Linjun City for a year like thunder. Prince Yao was stabbed to death in his mansion at the hour of Hai.
The servant went to King Yao's study to serve tea. He knocked on the door several times but no one responded. The servant was hesitating and confused when he suddenly felt something sticky under his feet. He looked down in the moonlight and was so shocked that he almost fainted. He fell to the ground with a thud. He saw bright red blood flowing from the crack under the door and dyeing the white snow in the courtyard red. It was particularly shocking in the night. The servant's hand was stuck with the blood on the ground. Even though it was mixed with the cold snow, he could still feel the lingering warmth.
The teacup fell to the ground, and the servant cried out in alarm: "Someone come! Someone come quickly! Something happened!!!"
Princess Yao ordered the servants to break open the door. Facing the door was a desk, where Prince Yao lay, seemingly asleep. Blood was flowing from beneath his feet. The steward had a maid support the princess. He stepped forward, legs trembling, and tremblingly helped Prince Yao to his feet. His face was calm, without a trace of pain. A hole had rotted in his left chest, still bleeding. The steward gasped, trembling as he reached out his hand to Prince Yao's nose and probed. His tears burst forth, and he collapsed to the ground, sobbing, "The prince... is dead!"
The family members and servants of Prince Yao's mansion burst into tears outside, their wails echoing throughout the mansion. Princess Yao was so distraught that she fainted.
It was already midnight the following day when Zhong Yujing entered the palace. Emperor Hong summoned his ministers to the Gantai Hall overnight to discuss matters. King Yao's death was a matter of state, and he immediately ordered Sun Zili, the Minister of Justice, to form a special case investigation team to thoroughly investigate the matter. Prime Minister Jing and the General of the Household were to assist. The three of them obeyed the order.
Zhong Yujing glanced at the General of the Household beside him and heard that he was not in the mansion when the incident happened, but was on duty in the palace. Two hours had passed, and he still had not seen King Yao. At this moment, he had no other words except respectfully waiting for orders.
"If my brother is not feeling well, there is no need for me to check it myself." Emperor Hong asked Yi Chen tentatively.
Yi Chen clenched his fists tightly under his dangling arms. "Your Majesty, there's no need to worry about me. King Yao was assassinated..." His voice choked and trembled, and he paused slightly. "If we don't investigate thoroughly, the people's resentment will be difficult to appease, and I will be even more uneasy. Who dared to commit murder against the prince of our Great Qi Kingdom? Do they want to be our enemy? For both public and private reasons, I must personally investigate, find the real culprit, bring him to justice, and give an explanation to the world. Only then can I comfort my father's spirit in heaven."
Zhong Yujing saw clearly the tears he was holding back and the corners of his lips twitching when he spoke.
Emperor Hong slowly walked up to Yichen and said softly, "While identifying the true culprit is certainly important, my brother should prioritize his health. If the Emperor's uncle is still alive, he would most want to see you safe and sound."
Leaving Gantai Palace, Zhong Yujing trudged forward through the crunching snow, her thoughts lingering on King Yao's murder. King Yao was a loyal and virtuous man, highly respected in the court and deeply admired by the people. It was unlikely that he was harmed out of personal vendetta. While King Yao was a refined scholar, he was also a former military commander. Assassinating him would be difficult. Unless...
Emperor Hong ascended the throne at a young age and won the first battle of Pingbianguan. It is hard to guarantee that there will be people in the court who will not obey him, especially that one person. If he has any second thoughts, King Yao will become a barrier and a ditch, and he will be the first person to be eliminated.
There happened to be a thin layer of snow on a stone slab. Zhong Yujing was lost in thought and stepped on it without paying attention. She almost fell, but a strong hand supported her in time...
"The roads are slippery when it snows, so you should always look down at your feet when walking."
After Yu Jing came back to her senses, she looked up and met the man's starry eyes. They were as dark as the sea at night, mysterious and secretive, yet with a hidden tranquility. She concentrated on exploring them, without any ripples in her heart.
"Is there something wrong with my face?"
Yu Jing regained her composure, pulled her hand away from his, took a step back, and said, "No... Thank you, Your Highness," bowing.
The hands came over again: "No need to be polite!"
Yu Jing withdrew again without a word, and Shangguan Yichen was not surprised.
"I have wanted to talk to Prime Minister Jing several times, but I never had the chance. His Majesty often talked to me about you, saying that you are extremely talented and no less talented than any man. The peaceful ending of the Northern Qiang Rebellion was due to Prime Minister Jing's wisdom." Shangguan Yichen said with great enthusiasm.
"Your Majesty, please praise me. I really don't deserve it. This little trick of mine is just to help Your Majesty relieve your worries and pacify the Qiang and Rong people. Your Highness has made an indelible contribution. Without Your Highness's troops and protection, I would not be able to perform my tricks." Yu Jing said calmly.
A faint smile appeared on Shangguan Yichen's usually stern face: "So, this means that the King and the Prime Minister, one in front and one behind, are both strong and soft, like two swords working together in perfect harmony!"
Yu Jing said calmly, "It's all part of our duty. It's our honor to serve Your Majesty together."
"I will serve in the same court with you in the future. Please give me your guidance, Prime Minister Jing." He lowered his brows and stared at Yu Jing intently.
"Of course. Please give me your instructions, Your Highness." Yu Jing responded calmly.
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