After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

Chapter 582 Different thoughts

As to whether it was the Fifth Prince who did it, the Empress was unsure, and the Second Prince was even less certain.

However, a powerful imaginary enemy has been planted in the hearts of both of them, and they must be wary of it.

After the Empress left, the Second Prince also returned to his palace. He was now eager to find someone to discuss countermeasures.

However, Jiang Xiaoqi can only enter the palace again the day after tomorrow, so the next two days will definitely be agonizing for the Second Prince.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaoqi, who was being thought of, was staring blankly at the system. The reason was simple: the fluffy system had finally decided to upgrade.

Jiang Xiaoqi had been staring at the fur ball of the fur ball system for almost an hour, and apart from a faint yellow light flashing, there was no change.

"Sigh, fine, I'll move it into your space first. Your silence means you agree."

Jiang Xiaoqi moved the fluffy system, along with the oversized cat bed, into the space, allowing the system to upgrade quietly.

Of course, it also allowed him to get some peaceful sleep, since having such a ball of light was like having a light on.

He didn't pay too much attention to what was happening in the palace. If His Majesty the Emperor were so easily harmed, then all those years as emperor would have been for nothing.

Jiang Xiaoqi even thought that no one could easily break into the heavily guarded imperial palace unless it was the emperor himself.

But why resort to this self-inflicted injury ruse at this time?

No, perhaps it wasn't a self-inflicted injury ploy, but rather a tactic to lure the snake out of its hole?

It's better to expose all the monsters and demons hiding among my sons than to let them all jump out one by one.

Jiang Xiaoqi admitted to being a conspiracy theorist, but it's really impossible to rule out that possibility.

Well, I'll see the Second Prince the day after tomorrow, and I can have a good talk with him.

Especially in times like these, you need to stay calm and just be a good, dutiful son.

Waiting for the right moment, whether to confess all at once or to gradually return to normal, is much better than jumping out during such a sensitive period.

The Great Zhou Dynasty valued filial piety. When others were scheming to seize the throne, sincerity and genuine filial piety were the surest way to win.

After clearing her mind, Jiang Xiaoqi prepared to rest early.

But not long after I lay down, I heard a faint sound coming from outside the window.

He got up warily, quietly approached the window, and suddenly pulled it open. A dark figure took the opportunity to dart in.

"Little Black? What brings you here?"

"Meow~"

"Your boss is in seclusion and we don't know when he'll come out. Are you here to pick up some canned food? I'll get it for you."

"Meow~ Meow~ Meow~"

"What? You mean it?"

"Meow!"

"Okay, okay, have some canned food and rest for a bit. We'll talk about it in detail after you've finished eating."

Jiang Xiaoqi noticed that Xiao Hei seemed to have some scratches on his body, so while Xiao Hei was eating canned food, she disinfected it with iodine.

After disinfecting, I took out the wound medicine I bought from the system store and carefully bandaged up Xiao Hei.

"Meow~~~"

Xiao Hei rarely acts spoiled; he's always been a strong boy. This time, he was probably really upset, as he kept rubbing his head against Jiang Xiaoqi's fist.

"Alright, alright, let's eat first. You need to be full to have the energy to yell at people, right?"

"Meow!"

Xiao Hei finished the canned food as quickly as possible, then turned around and stopped acting cute, getting straight to the point.

It turns out that Xiao Hei continued to keep an eye on the Japanese pirates for a while after the incident. After a large number of Japanese pirates were imprisoned, some people from the Great Zhou even went to see them.

"Did you see who went to jail?"

"Meow~"

"They're from the palace?!"

"Meow!"

"Good, Xiao Hei, you did a great job. The reward is doubled and will be stored with your boss. You can use it whenever you want."

"Meow! Meow!"

"Okay, okay, you know the other friends got a share too. You're really loyal. Everyone gets a share, alright?"

"Meow!"

"Alright, go back now. If your wound still hurts tomorrow, come to me at night to change your dressing. Just knock on the window three times, and I'll know it's you."

"Meow~"

After Xiao Hei left, Jiang Xiaoqi had trouble sleeping.

What kind of conspiracy, both overt and covert, is it that the people from the palace are plotting to meet with the Japanese pirates?!

Hey~

If the core of a country is in chaos, then that country is truly beyond saving.

Hopefully it wasn't what he thought; perhaps it was just that people in the palace were curious about what Japanese pirates looked like.

Yeah, I'm just fooling myself.

Jiang Xiaoqi felt that one problem after another was causing her some insomnia.

Few of the princes who were unable to enter the emperor's bedchamber today were able to sleep.

Even if no one said they had their own agendas, everyone's thoughts were in turmoil.

They may not be thinking exactly the same thing, but the reason is the same.

Father, is there any chance this time...?

What would they do if something happened to their father?

After all, the position of Crown Prince was vacant, and the Empress's son was mentally challenged.

If any one of them could gain the support of the Empress and the Empress Dowager at this time, their chances of winning would more than double.

But the Empress was not stupid; what bargaining chips did she have to exchange with the other party?

The lights in the Fifth Prince's study were always on, and a group of strategists and advisors stood before him.

He did try to get closer to the Empress, but she wouldn't take the bait, making his one-man show both exhausting and laughable.

We tried roundabout methods, but Jiang Mingfei was just a stubborn rock who wouldn't understand.

Taking the path of the Second Prince is clearly even less feasible; trying to curry favor with a fool is like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man.

"Sigh~ Let everyone express their opinions. We've come this far, there's no right or wrong, as long as it works, it's a good strategy."

The people below looked at each other, as if no one wanted to be the first to speak.

Song Jinyang was eager to try, but so far he hadn't come up with any good ideas and didn't know where to start.

Just as everyone was silent, an advisor stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, now that the Empress is not responding and the Second Prince's approach is blocked, why not go directly to the Empress Dowager's side?"

Your Highness, as you know, the Ouyang family has deep roots. The Empress Dowager comes from the Ouyang family. If we get close to the Ouyang family, wouldn't that be the same as getting close to the Empress Dowager?

Furthermore, His Majesty is the son of the Empress Dowager, and all princes are her grandsons.

However, there is no blood relation between the princes and the empress. Based on this alone, going through the Empress Dowager is a more reliable approach.

“Mr. Yuwen is right. I had thought of this before, but the head of the Ouyang family has never liked to show his face. The only person I have had the most contact with in the Ouyang family so far is Ouyang Jue from a collateral branch.”

As for the branch of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, there hasn't been much opportunity for contact yet. Especially now that the case of His Majesty's poisoning has been handed over to the Court of Judicial Review, this is even less of a good time to make contact with the Ouyang family.

The lights in the Fifth Prince's study stayed on all night, and the Fourth Prince, Zhao Hongsheng, also went to the Ministry of Rites' residence overnight.

“Grandfather, do you think the fifth prince did this? I wanted to help investigate the case, but neither the Empress nor the Empress Dowager agreed.”

Minister Tong looked speechless. "Forget it, don't be angry. The child is still young. We'll teach him slowly, and he'll improve eventually."

He knew that his grandson genuinely wanted to help investigate the case, and that's what made him feel so touched.