Linhai Prefecture
Linhai Palace
Jiang Zhixu stood in the yard, snowflakes fluttering down, but he felt anxious.
The secret guard who went to pick up his daughter came back to report that he had not picked her up. Jiang Zhixu frowned tightly. He asked along the way and learned that the area had been robbed by bandits and the people had been dispersed.
Jiang Zhixu's heart felt as if it had sunk into an ice cellar. He couldn't imagine what kind of suffering such a young child would have to endure in such a chaotic situation.
Although he had been conferred the title of prince, his wife and children were not around, and his heart had never been at peace. Now his daughter was missing and his wife was trapped in Kyoto. This series of blows was almost unbearable for him.
At this moment, Xia Heng hurried in, his face as pale as paper and beads of sweat on his forehead.
"Your Highness, a letter came from the capital saying that the princess died suddenly in the palace half a month ago. The empress dowager mourned deeply and conferred the title of Lady Mingde of Super Rank on her." Xia Heng's voice echoed in Jiang Zhixu's ears like a bolt from the blue.
When Jiang Zhixu heard this, his body trembled violently, as if he had been knocked down by a huge force. He stumbled back a few steps, his vision darkening, and he almost fainted.
"No, this is impossible!" Jiang Zhixu's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from excessive force.
He could not believe that his bright, beautiful, gentle and virtuous wife had left him just like that. They had spent so many wonderful times together.
The servants in the palace were stunned by the sudden news. They were silent as a mouse, not even daring to breathe, for fear of angering the prince.
Jiang Zhixu held himself up, trying to calm himself. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and then asked, "Do you know why the princess died so suddenly?"
Xia Heng lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly:
"The specific cause is still unclear, but we only know that the princess suddenly fell ill in the palace and the treatment was ineffective. This is truly unexpected.
You know, within the Imperial Palace, apart from the Queen Mother, there's probably no one else who has the power to order the death of the Princess. After all, with the Prince's current power and status, who would dare to provoke him? How could he suddenly meet with such an unexpected fate?
"There's also news from the palace that the princess contracted an infectious disease. After her death, her body was immediately cremated to prevent it from spreading to others. This is very suspicious. There must be something fishy about the princess's death." Xia Heng analyzed one by one.
Jiang Zhixu felt a chill in his heart. He knew very well that the palace was always full of intrigues and deceptions, and his wife's death must have hidden secrets.
"Prepare the horses!" Jiang Zhixu gritted his teeth and squeezed out these two words.
"I will go to Beijing immediately and get to the bottom of this!" His voice was filled with uncontrollable grief and determination.
Seeing this, Xia Heng hurried forward and grabbed Jiang Zhixu, admonishing him, "Your Highness, you absolutely cannot do this! The world is in chaos right now, with princes and vassal states gathering their own armies and declaring themselves kings. The situation is extremely dangerous. If you go to the capital, wouldn't you be walking into a trap, a sheep entering a tiger's mouth?"
However, Jiang Zhixu simply refused to listen to Xia Heng's advice. His eyes turned red with anger and sadness, and he stared at Xia Heng and roared:
"But how can I just sit back and do nothing? My wife died in the palace under unclear circumstances. How can I be worthy of her spirit in heaven if I don't find out the truth?"
Xia Heng stamped his feet anxiously:
"Your Highness, please calm down! Although Linhai Prefecture is strong in military power and has a vast and prosperous territory, it does not yet have the strength to contend with all other forces. It would be safer to secretly accumulate troops and wait for the right time. We can then send people to the capital to investigate the cause of the princess's death."
Jiang Zhixu closed his eyes in pain, clenched and unclenched his fists, and finally sat down dejectedly.
"Okay, as you say."
His voice was hoarse and full of resentment. Afterwards, he quickly arranged for his trusted confidants to sneak into the capital in disguise and make sure to find out the cause of the princess's death.
"Xia Heng, write a letter to Cao Jiao, telling her that Linlin has passed away and that you can declare yourself king."
"Yes, I'll do it right away." Xia Heng bowed and retreated.
At this time, Jiayi walked in:
"Your Highness, Butler Liu is here with his men."
When Jiang Zhixu heard this, he immediately stood up and went to the main hall. In the hall, Butler Liu and his men were dressed like beggars, with wounds on their faces, and looked in a miserable state.
Seeing Jiang Zhixu come in, several people immediately knelt down, and Butler Liu said in a tearful voice: "Your Majesty, this old servant has finally found you."
Jiang Zhixu suppressed his grief and helped Butler Liu up: "Uncle Liu, you have worked hard. Didn't you go with the young princess and the others?"
Butler Liu choked up and recounted:
"The princess was afraid that the people in the palace would hunt us down, so we all went separately. Dabao and the little princess went one way, protected by many experts, and we servants went one way. The property of the Zhenguo Mansion and the princess's dowry were all converted into silver notes and went one way."
Jiang Zhixu asked Butler Liu to sit down and asked:
"What was the situation at home when you left?"
"At that time, the Queen Mother's people were coming to our house, but the princess was afraid that they might have bad intentions, so she sent us all away in advance. I don't know what happened afterwards."
Jiang Zhixu stroked the jade pendant around his waist:
"Did the princess leave any secret guards with her?"
"We're keeping Chunxue and Qiuyu, as well as the ten secret guards of the Mo generation, led by Mo Ren."
Butler Liu paused and continued:
"People from the mansion will probably arrive one after another in the next few days. The little princess and her friends left early. Have they arrived yet?"
Jiang Zhixu sighed and spoke slowly, "No, the secret guard who went to pick them up said that there was a robbery in that area by bandits, and everyone was scattered, and their whereabouts are still unknown."
When Butler Liu heard this, his face turned pale instantly, his hands trembled, and he almost fell to the ground:
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