20demayo Chapter 498 Cheng En Bo Ga Le
Chapter 498 Cheng En Bo Ga Le
It was a simple meal, but the three of them ate with their own thoughts on it.
As Jiang Xiaoqi ate, she wondered if Prince Xuan Nan would still be listening in this afternoon.
The second prince, on the other hand, was thinking about how to bring the Taoist-influenced and somewhat Buddhist-like Lord Jiang under his command.
Prince Xuan Nan, however, was thinking that he should take his leave after lunch, as he had a habit of taking a nap after meals.
He's getting old, and he can't compete with these young people in terms of energy; he needs to conserve his strength.
Sure enough, only the Second Prince, who was focused on his career, was thinking about serious matters.
After lunch, Prince Xuannan yawned and took the opportunity to say goodbye and return to the Taiji Palace for a nap.
Jiang Xiaoqi thought the other person probably wouldn't be back in the afternoon; it's normal for older people to need more sleep.
The Second Prince should also take a rest; Chen Lin had already prepared a small couch and blankets.
At this time, Jiang Xiaoqi would go out to rest in a nearby side hall, where there was a daybed. Who wouldn't take a nap there?
Not long after Jiang Xiaoqi lay down in the side hall, he heard a series of hurried footsteps.
However, the footsteps were heading towards the main hall, so he ignored them.
It's time for lunch break, so focus on resting during lunchtime.
Besides, no one from the Second Prince's entourage came to summon him, which means they didn't need him.
Jiang Xiaoqi consciously lay down fully clothed, and the square pillow on the daybed was the perfect height.
The palace is cleaned by dedicated staff every day, so Jiang Xiaoqi doesn't need to worry about whether it's clean or not. Just by looking at the spotless Arhat table, she knows that this side hall has been cleaned and tidied up today.
I had barely lain down when there was another commotion outside.
Jiang Xiaoqi really didn't want to get up and go out to see, so she lay down on the daybed and pretended to sleep.
It wasn't until Chen Lin came over that he pretended to slowly wake up and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Eunuch Chen, it sounds very noisy outside."
"Oh, Lord Jiang, His Highness sent me. He said you don't need to worry about what's going on outside. His Highness is going to see the Empress now and will try to come back this afternoon."
The Second Prince said, "Please rest well in the side hall first, and we'll talk when he returns."
"I see. Then I will not ask any further. Please trouble Eunuch Chen to inform me when His Highness returns."
Chen Lin bowed, "Of course, please do as you please, sir."
After saying that, Chen Lin hurriedly went out, presumably to go to the Empress's palace with the Second Prince.
What on earth happened? A palace coup? No way!
Jiang Xiaoqi didn't want to ask any palace maids or eunuchs for information; asking about palace affairs was just asking for trouble.
However, he soon found out, and it was the Second Prince who told him himself.
"Sir, Yang Guozhong died at Dali Temple."
After leaving the Empress's residence, the Second Prince did not return to the main hall, but instead took Chen Lin directly to the side hall where Jiang Xiaoqi was resting.
Jiang Xiaoqi quickly got up and straightened his clothes.
The Second Prince is too unconventional; he never comes in person. Chen Lin was quite helpless.
However, the Second Prince believed that he and Lord Jiang were already very close, and there was no need to care about these formalities.
He didn't care about these details anymore, but Jiang Xiaoqi was genuinely startled, since she hadn't even put her boots on properly, which was considered impolite.
To everyone's surprise, the Second Prince acted as if he hadn't seen anything, and sat down on the couch where Jiang Xiaoqi had just been lying, and told him what he had been doing outside.
"What did you say, Your Highness? Yang Guozhong? Marquis Chengen, Yang Guozhong?"
Jiang Xiaoqi was certainly very familiar with this name. There was the hatred of being poisoned and ambushed first, and then there was the matter of several innocent lives lost in the Ministry of Justice prison. As for Yang Guozhong, Jiang Xiaoqi really wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
However, there was never a chance. After finally getting everything arranged, some force beat them to it and imprisoned them in the Dali Temple on several counts of crimes.
None of the tricks and arrangements he had prepared beforehand were used, and all those points were wasted.
"Yes, according to the people from the Dali Temple, he was bleeding from all seven orifices and was beyond dead!"
The second prince seemed quite excited, his excitement mixed with joy and relief.
If I remember correctly, the Earl of Chengen was the Second Prince's maternal uncle.
However, after a moment's thought, Jiang Xiaoqi understood.
Yang Guozhong was not closely related to the Empress and the Second Prince by blood; he was merely an adopted son from a collateral branch.
Moreover, it seems that Yang Guozhong was involved in the deaths of the Empress's father, the old Marquis Chengen, his wife, and the Empress's elder brother.
However, due to various forms of suppression, this matter has not been brought to the forefront.
No wonder the Second Prince is so happy; after all, the Empress must be very happy right now.
Even if the Second Prince still has the mind of a child after all these years, the Empress would never allow him to recognize a thief as his uncle.
After years of exposure, one would at least know that Yang Guozhong was not a good person. When something is repeated for a long time, impressions and hatred will continue to accumulate.
It erupted today.
Jiang Xiaoqi also felt that two strings of firecrackers should be set off.
Haha, what a cause for celebration!
But now that this person is dead, many things will have to be hidden away again...
Jiang Xiaoqi even suspected that the Third Prince had sent someone to do this, and that all the previous actions of pleading for the Marquis of Chengen were just an act.
This was all to set the stage for the subsequent murder to silence witnesses, making himself the "least likely" person to commit the crime, the most innocent person.
It has to be said that the royals are all masters of acting. Even he himself had genuinely believed that the Third Prince truly wanted to protect the Marquis of Chengen.
With the news of Yang Guozhong's death arriving today, many people will likely skip over the Third Prince and turn their suspicions to others.
Even the Empress is a more suspicious figure than the Third Prince…
Thinking of this, and looking at the Second Prince who was still grinning foolishly in front of him, Jiang Xiaoqi had a bit of a headache.
Surely not? We can't frame this mother and son for this, can we?
The Second Prince may not understand, but the Empress surely does. Shouldn't she have some backup plan or countermeasures?
Perhaps it was the bond between master and disciple that had been building up these past few days, but Jiang Xiaoqi dragged the Second Prince along, wanting to go to the Empress's palace.
"Teacher Jiang, where are we going? Class is about to start!"
What time is it?! What class are we having?!
Don't turn around and find out that people are already plotting against you and your son while you're still in your study reciting classical Chinese texts!
Jiang Xiaoqi felt that her worries were not unfounded. It was one thing if the Second Prince couldn't think of it, but what if the Empress was too busy or too happy to think of Yang Guozhong's death?
No, no, I have to remind myself!
"Class isn't urgent! Your Highness, please take me to see the Empress immediately, there's something extremely urgent!"
Jiang Xiaoqi didn't say what it was about, and the Second Prince pretended to be clueless, but he had already started thinking about it in his mind.
An urgent matter? Could it be related to Yang Guozhong? Did Lord Jiang suddenly think of something?
Oh dear, I can't just ask directly, that would make me seem too clever!
Alright, then I'll go to the Empress Dowager's palace again. Lord Jiang will definitely talk to her there.
"An urgent matter? Alright, let's go find Mother!"