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墨書 Inktalez
It was indeed that night when the news of the attack on the Right Prime Minister's Residence spread throughout the capital the next morning.
When the Emperor heard this news early in the morning, he slammed his hand on the Imperial Table and shouted, "Outrageous! They dare to disturb even the thoughts of the Right Chancellor. Summon someone! Make sure to investigate this matter thoroughly. I will not spare a single one of them. Also, speed up the troops to cooperate with General Xia's actions in the city. We must find Jiang Tingyu as soon as possible."
"Servant obeys," the Eunuch Supervisor thought it best not to show any signs of delay upon seeing the Emperor's fury. After receiving the order, he hurriedly rushed out.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, the Emperor's angry shout startled the eunuch, who scrambled to his feet and crawled over to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, Servant is here. What other orders do you have?"
"If you do not bring him back alive, you will accompany him in death at the first opportunity."
"Yes, yes. Servant will definitely bring back the Right Chancellor unharmed." The eunuch was so frightened that his legs went weak as he stumbled out of Yangxin Palace.
It had been a long time since the Emperor had been this furious. The sudden outburst scared Eunuch Zhang so much that his clothes were soaked through. After all, who was the Right Chancellor? He was someone highly esteemed by both the Emperor and the people; how could anyone dare to provoke him? Those thieves must have been incredibly bold.
……
At the Empress Palace.
The Queen had just sat down at her Dressing Table when a Servant rushed in with a panicked expression. He whispered urgently in her ear before collapsing to his knees.
"Is this matter true?" The Queen's cold voice spread through the room, causing the eunuch to kneel there without daring to breathe.
"Empress, please be assured. This matter is absolutely true. It was a trusted aide of Longhui Prince who informed Servant of this. How could Servant dare to lie?"
"I believe you do not have such courage." The Queen waved her jade finger dismissively, signaling him to leave. "If there are any new developments, report them promptly."
"Yes, Servant obeys."
Having received permission, the eunuch finally dared to rise from the ground and left with his head bowed low, feeling dejected.
Queen's confidant Consort Cui saw the eunuch finish delivering the message and noticed her pale face. She quickly asked, "Your Highness, have you encountered something troubling?"
"Cuì, you may not know this. On the night Jiang Tingyu was being hunted, Xia Yuhan went to find him and has since gone missing along with him."
Hearing this, Consort Cui gasped and covered her mouth in shock. "What? This is truly surprising. Could it be that they are really involved with each other?"
The Queen's eyes were filled with gloom. "What I'm afraid of is that there is indeed some involvement. I am also worried about what Princess Changning will do once she learns of this. This matter must be kept confidential; we cannot let Princess Changning find out. The day of the Flower Viewing Banquet is approaching, and I absolutely cannot allow Changning to ruin the trap I have painstakingly designed."
Consort Cui repeatedly agreed, "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right. I will keep this matter a secret. Even if Princess Changning asks, I will deny it."
"Alas... this situation is becoming increasingly complicated. We cannot afford to keep Xia Yuhan. Yet we cannot touch Jiang Tingyu. He is a pillar of the nation. I still need to show him some respect. If the Azure Dragon Kingdom loses him, no one will dare to stand up against the Emperor after a misjudgment in his decisions. Moreover, with Hui'er set to inherit the throne, his support will be indispensable. As long as he supports us, who would dare defy the Azure Dragon Kingdom?"
"Your Highness, if I may speak out of turn, there are only two princes under the Emperor's knee: one is Longhui Prince, and the other is that exiled Cang Yile, who was sent to Huashan Temple. When he was exiled, he was still somewhat presentable, but upon his return, he only knows how to indulge in frivolities and pick flowers at night. He has become quite debauched. In this regard, he is hardly a match for Longhui Prince. Why does Your Highness still concern yourself with him?"
The Queen, having fought her way through the harem, replied, "We cannot simply trust what we see with our own eyes; sometimes we can be deceived by appearances. We must be wary of Cang Yile. What worries me most is the Emperor's illegitimate son left among the common people for twenty years—the offspring of Yang Beauty."
Consort Cui turned pale with fright. "Wasn't it during the Emperor's southern tour that Your Majesty secretly sent someone to deal with them when they were traveling incognito?"
"However, they fell off a cliff, and later only Yang Beauty's body was found; that wretched child was never discovered. Back then, the Emperor searched for years but could not find that child and had to assume he was dead."
At this point, the Queen's expression darkened immensely. "Originally, the Emperor did not pursue this matter further. But in recent months, he suddenly mentioned Yang Beauty again and seems unable to forget her. He even wants to search for that wretched child privately—he wants to see him alive or dead. Cuì, how can I feel at ease with the Emperor acting this way?"
Consort Cui, unsure of what to do, replied, "Your Majesty, given that Xia Yuhan has connections with the Right Chancellor, should we eliminate her or not?"
Mentioning Xia Yuhan, anger flared in the Queen's eyes. "Eliminate her! How could we not? Just thinking about how this scoundrel has toyed with my son makes me wish I could tear her apart immediately."
As Consort Cui helped organize the Queen's belongings, she comforted her by saying, "Your Majesty should take it easy. Over these years, those who have secretly opposed you have not survived long. So please do not worry too much; harming your own health would be unwise. A mere Xia Yuhan, does she really think she can escape from your grasp? And as for that wretched child—after years of searching without success and now over a decade has passed—finding someone isn't easy at all. In my opinion, perhaps that wretched child has long since died."
"But I still feel that Xia Yuhan, this scoundrel, is very cunning; I can't tell what she is really thinking. She won't be easy to deal with at all; I must have underestimated her before. And Cuì, regarding the Emperor's search for that wretched child, you must never mention it to Hui'er. Otherwise, all the ministers will be thrown into chaos."
"Empress, your considerations are thorough as always. I understand my mistake and will certainly heed your advice. As for that wretched child’s matter, please rest assured; even if it means suffering greatly myself, I will never reveal a word."
During the conversation, the Queen was supported by Consort Cui as she walked out of the Inner Chamber. Seeing that there was no one in the hall, she said, "Cui, after all these years of struggling alongside me, you must have suffered."
Consort Cui immediately knelt down with a thud and kept bowing her head repeatedly. "From the moment Your Majesty saved me from the hands of evil people, I vowed that in this life, even if I have to work like an ox or horse, I will repay Your Majesty's kindness. Even if I die, I will die for Your Majesty, because this life of mine does not belong to me; it belongs to Your Majesty."
The Queen glanced at Consort Cui and said lightly, "Get up. I know your loyalty. I will not treat you unfairly."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
...
At Canglong Hui's residence.
"What on earth is Xia Yuhan involved with? First Jiang Tingyu, then Cang Yile, and now the Ice Blood Sect Master’s assassins," Canglong Hui gritted his teeth in anger.
"Your Highness, if you want to keep Xia Yuhan by your side, you don't necessarily have to marry her. We can think of other ways. Moreover, after the matter of the fake lover you found was exposed, your reputation has not been as high as before. Those ministers who were originally on our side are starting to watch from the sidelines. If you propose to Xia Manor at this critical moment and marry any of them, what will others think? If those observing officials switch their allegiance to Cang Yile, it would be a great loss."
Upon hearing this, Canglong Hui kicked over a table in frustration. "This can't be done. That can't be done. What can This King do?"
The captain of the guards bowed respectfully to Canglong Hui and said, "Your Highness, you can kill them before they return safely. That way, you won't have to worry about whose side Jiang Tingyu is on or whether Xia Yuhan will be swayed by someone else."
Canglong Hui's furious emotions finally calmed down a bit. "But the best opportunity for assassination has already passed. If This King rashly sends someone to pursue them now, it would be very risky."
"If Your Highness does not take risks, how can great things be accomplished?"
"No. You don't understand. News from the palace indicates that my father is furious upon learning that Jiang Tingyu was being hunted down. He has already sent people to thoroughly investigate this matter. Therefore, This King absolutely cannot take this risk."
The captain of the guards' eyes darkened for a moment before suddenly brightening: "Since General Xia can conceal from the Emperor that Xia Yuhan has also gone missing and he is using the search for Jiang Tingyu as an excuse to look for Xia Yuhan as well, then Your Highness can also send someone to search for her..."
He whispered in Canglong Hui's ear for quite a while before finishing.
"Good. This idea is not bad. It seems This King can no longer wait for so-called opportunities; I must take decisive action and completely eliminate them."
The Captain of the Guards timely echoed, "The Prince is wise."
"Alright. Hurry up and make preparations," Canglong Hui impatiently dismissed the Captain.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Jiang Tingyu and Xia Yuhan. Don't let Canglong Hui's people encounter you. Otherwise, it will be a dead end.
If Jiang Tingyu dies, Canglong Hui would clap his hands in delight. But if Xia Yuhan dies just like that, he would be extremely irritable. Because he hadn't had the chance to torment her properly before her death.
If there were an opportunity to capture Xia Yuhan alive and do so without anyone knowing, he would definitely make her suffer to the point of wishing for death.
...
Now let's take a look at the two in hiding.
When Jiang Tingyu slightly opened his eyes, he saw Xia Yuhan dozing against a tree. It was precisely because Xia Yuhan was asleep that Jiang Tingyu's gaze, once it met hers, could not be withdrawn...
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