Elsewhere, in Changchun Palace, Concubine Xiao wore a smile so wide it seemed to overflow, sending a chill down her spine. She thought to herself that she had never been happier than now. The thought of that odious Crown Princess and the little grandson in her belly about to vanish made her laugh.
"Hahahaha... I think today's tea tastes better." Concubine Xiao picked up the teacup, took a sip, and the smile on her face became even more intense.
Just then, footsteps were heard outside, and a young man walked in. He was dressed in gorgeous brocade clothes and had a handsome appearance, but his eyes were gloomy. This man was the Third Prince.
"Mother, what tea do you think tastes better?" The third prince said as he stepped into the inner hall of Changchun Palace and knelt down to pay his respects to Concubine Xiao.
"Pei'er, get up quickly! It's so late, why haven't you left the palace yet?" Concubine Xiao waved her hand quickly, signaling the maids to leave. Soon, only the mother and son were left in the room.
Concubine Xiao looked at her son, her eyes full of love. She said softly, "Pei'er, you did a great job on this matter. It really makes your mother very happy."
"Mother, the Emperor has already known about this matter. He is furious and said he will conduct a thorough investigation. I am worried..." The Third Prince frowned slightly and said with a worried look on his face.
"What are you afraid of? It's not you who did this yourself." Concubine Xiao frowned slightly, with a hint of disdain in her tone. She gently stroked an exquisite jade ruyi in her hand, her eyes cold and firm.
"But if this matter is taken seriously, I cannot escape responsibility." The third prince said anxiously, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.
"Since you knew you couldn't get away with it, why didn't you let the Fifth Prince come forward?" Concubine Xiao looked at the Third Prince coldly, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in her eyes.
"Mother, the Fifth Prince is a cowardly fool, just like that unpresentable Concubine Liu. All these years, they and their son have lived well thanks to you, mother. But when I asked the Fifth Prince to do something, he said he was not in good health." The Third Prince said indignantly, his voice full of resentment.
"Hmph, what a pair of ungrateful bastards!" Imperial Concubine Xiao snorted coldly, anger flashing across her face. "Pei'er, be ruthless when dealing with this mother and son in the future. But you don't have to worry right now. I've received a letter from your grandfather, and they're already quietly on their way back to the capital."
Upon hearing this news, the Third Prince felt relieved, but still a little worried: "But what if someone finds out?"
"Don't worry, they are all experienced old foxes and will not easily reveal their whereabouts. As long as we wait patiently, everything will be resolved smoothly." Concubine Xiao comforted.
The Third Prince nodded, feeling a sense of relief. However, he knew the ruthlessness of this palace struggle; any detail could lead to total ruin. Therefore, he must remain vigilant to prepare for any crisis. At the same time, he secretly vowed to eliminate those who stood in his way of ascending the throne, no matter the cost.
At the gate of the Marquis of Jianing's mansion, the Marquis of Jianing stood there, his face gloomy and his eyes serious. Su Hong, standing beside him, looked at him nervously, a hint of worry and helplessness in her eyes.
Marquis Jianing turned to look at Zhaohua and said in a low but firm voice, "I'm afraid my daughter won't be able to enter the palace tonight. She's not feeling well."
At this time, Zhaohua stepped forward and responded seriously, "My Lord, the Crown Prince has instructed that the Second Young Miss must enter the palace no matter what the reason. Please don't make things difficult for Zhaohua."
When Marquis Jianing heard this, a trace of anger flashed across his face. He widened his eyes and shouted at Su Hong, "Hurry up and call that rebellious girl. Didn't you hear me?"
Su Hong was startled by Marquis Jianing's roar. She nodded quickly, turned around and walked quickly into the mansion.
After a while, Su Hong came back in a hurry, followed closely by Jiang Shanshan. Jiang Shanshan looked reluctant and kept mumbling as she walked: "Mom, I won't go, Mom, I won't go, I have a headache."
When they walked in front of Marquis Jianing, he raised his hand without hesitation and slapped Jiang Shanshan hard in the face, roaring, "You ignorant thing, there are so many reasons for letting you into the palace. You think the Marquis's Mansion is not embarrassing enough? Are you going to make a scene in the streets to watch the Marquis' Mansion become a scene?"
This sudden scene stunned everyone, including Jiang Shanshan herself. She covered her face, tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn't dare cry out loud. The anger and majesty of the Marquis of Jianing sent a chill down the spine of everyone around them.
"Come here, take the second young lady to the carriage." Marquis Jianing ordered.
"Yes, sir." The butler called two servants to drag Jiang Shanshan onto the carriage.
"Mother, save me, I don't want to go into the palace..." Just like that, the whole family of Marquis Jianing got on the carriage and headed towards the palace.
At this moment, a pigeon arrived in the East Palace. Secret Guard Zhaoyang knelt down and presented it to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince opened the letter, glanced at it, frowned slightly, and said, "It seems these people are impatient. Immediately send a message to Wen Youyi and ask him to activate the secret guard camp of Wenshu Pavilion. Also, notify Cheng Ji to ambush his troops fifty miles outside the city."
"Yes, Your Highness, I will do it immediately." Zhao Yang continued, "Your Highness, the owner of Xiaohuang Tower has already found out the identity of that mysterious man. He is the Second Prince of Xiliang, Niao Ren. He has secretly met with the Third Prince. He is currently hiding in an inconspicuous room in Xiaohuang Tower."
"Oh? I didn't expect that the second prince of Xiliang would be so impatient and couldn't help it so soon." The prince sneered, his eyes revealing a hint of contempt and disdain.
"Your Highness, should we take action immediately?" Zhaoyang asked.
"Don't be impatient. Let them jump around for a while." The prince said after a moment's contemplation. "Send people to closely monitor their every move, but don't alert them. When the time is right, we will catch them all in one fell swoop."
"Yes, Your Highness." Zhaoyang replied respectfully.
Meanwhile, in Xiaohuang Tower, Xiliang's Second Prince, Niao Ren, was having a secret conversation with the Third Prince. Their faces were gloomy, filled with conspiracy and intrigue.
"Third Prince, if this plan succeeds, you will be able to ascend the throne smoothly." Niao Ren said in a low voice.
"Hmph, everything will be easy as long as we get rid of the crown prince." The third prince said gritting his teeth.
However, they didn't know that their whereabouts had already been discovered and a bigger storm was about to come.
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