Capital City , Menghua Palace.
Cocunbine Mu lifted her teacup and looked up at the fourth prince pacing back and forth in the hall.
Although she had been demoted to Noble Cocunbine, her every move still exuded grace and elegance, without any sign of sorrow.
Seeing Cocunbine Mu still had the mood to drink tea, the fourth prince couldn't help but whisper, "Mother, the Mu family is facing this disaster, on the verge of collapse. Why aren't you in a hurry?"
Saying this was a real complaint.
Cocunbine Mu took a sip of tea and glanced at him, "What's the use of being in a hurry? Can being in a hurry bring back your uncle's soul from the underworld?"
The Fourth Prince looked at Cocunbine Mu, at a loss for words.
After a while, he sneered, "What the mother said is true. Even if I die of anxiety here today, it will be of no use in the end. But, don't forget..."
"If it weren't for your uncle going to the Blood Rain Pavilion to provoke those people in the Jianghu, how could he have been randomly retaliated against and ended up in such a state, causing the Mu family to be implicated."
Bang-
Cocunbine Mu's face changed slightly, and she slammed the teacup heavily on the small table.
Looking at her incompetent son, she rebuked, "Shut up! Don't you know why your uncle went to find those people in the Jianghu? Wasn't it to help you deal with the Prince Yan?"
The Fourth Prince sneered, "Mother, don't try to deceive me. I've known for a long time that Uncle was not entirely focused on helping me, but rather out of fear."
Cocunbine Mu narrowed her eyes, "What is he afraid of? Your uncle is a Minister household department assistant, what's there to fear?"
The Fourth Prince smiled and replied, "Of course, there's nothing to fear about Uncle. But Grandfather is afraid. He holds the position of prime minister but is afraid that the Governor of Qingzhou has evidence of his past embezzlement, corruption, and harming colleagues."
"In the past, they were not afraid of him and thought that Governor Xu, was just a small figure. They didn't care and repeatedly suppressed him, hoping to slowly wear him down."
"But when they heard that Xiao Jin was closely associated with Governor Xu, they panicked. They were afraid that he would defect to Xiao Jin and reveal some unspeakable secrets."
Cocunbine Mu became angry and said, "Xiao Yi, what are you saying? Even if your grandfather and uncle feared the Prince Yan, they still eliminated the Qin mother and daughter for your sake."
The Fourth Prince nodded, "Yes, Uncle and Grandfather used my assassination as an excuse to let Blood Rain Pavilion kill the Qin mother and daughter."
"In fact, they secretly ordered Blood Rain Pavilion to destroy the account book. They planned it perfectly, but unfortunately, the people didn't die, and the account book wasn't destroyed. Instead, Uncle lost his life."
Cocunbine Mu looked at her son's mocking expression and raised her voice, "Xiao Yi, listen to yourself! Regardless of what your uncle and grandfather did, they did it for you in the end!"
"What a 'for me'!"
The Fourth Prince looked at Cocunbine Mu and almost burst out laughing, "Mother, you always say that they did these things for my own good...but in the end, what have I gained?"
He walked up to Cocunbine Mu and said softly, "Grandfather made me pretend to be a foolish and overbearing person to lower the Crown Prince's vigilance. He did it for my own good."
"Aunt Zhao Yang told me to assassinate the Yan Princess(Chu Shao), to sow discord between Xiao Jin and the Crown Prince. She did it for my own good."
"You asked me to offer singing girls to the Emperor, and to plant spies in the palace gardens. You did it for my own good."
"You all did it for my own good, but now...where am I good at?"
.....
In the huge palace, the words of the Fourth Prince echoed.
They were particularly clear and sharp, and the palace maids had already been asked to leave. With no one else in the room, the silence was even more pronounced.
There was a long and quiet pause.
Cocunbine Mu looked at her son standing in front of her. She lifted her trembling hand and wanted to touch his head as she did over ten years ago.
However, the fourth prince dodged aside, leaving her hand suspended in mid-air.
Yes, Xiao Yi had grown up.
After a moment, Cocunbine Mu regained her composure and calmly said to the fourth prince, "The Mu family will not fall."
Hearing this, the Fourth Prince chuckled lightly, "Mother, face the reality. Grandfather has retired and returned to the village, and Uncle has been assassinated. How can the Mu family not fall?"
"I have to admit, the Crown Prince is really ruthless. With one move, the Mu family was destroyed in an instant."
Cocunbine Mu stroked the precious jewels on her crown and said slowly, "Xiao Yi, I started as a lowly talented woman and climbed my way up to the position of a Concubine. Now, I have been demoted to a noble cocunbine. How could I not understand the power struggles and deceit in the court?"
"Everyone knows that the Mu family is now in chaos. But I also know that if His Majesty really wants the Mu family to fall, he will not allow them to linger on like this."
"The royal family is cold-hearted, and the emperor is even more so. Your father, he will directly exterminate everyone!"
The Fourth Prince furrowed his brow slightly. He seriously considered what Cocunbine Mu had just said. After a while, he asked tentatively, "What does Mother mean?"
"In recent years, although the Mu family has crossed the line a little and gradually extended their reach, they have not committed any major mistakes. If we have to say what the biggest mistake was, it was always just one thing."
The Fourth Prince looked at Cocunbine Mu's remorseful expression and instantly understood what she meant.
He couldn't believe it and said, "So...the Mu family's downfall was not the Crown Prince's doing, but..."
"This is a warning from His Majesty to us."
Cocunbine Mu raised her hand and touched the faded vermilion paint on the corner of the table. "His Majesty is warning the Mu family not to associate with people they shouldn't."
The Fourth Prince's expression was bewildered, as if he understood something.
But at the same time, he felt more discouraged. If it were true, it meant that Father knew everything about his association with Princess Zhao Yang.
He had lost Father's favor.
In this life, he would never be able to surpass the Crown Prince.
The Fourth Prince was in a state of decadence, murmuring, "Mother, what should I do now?"
Cocunbine Mu let out a soft sigh and turned her head to gaze at the beautiful sunset outside the window.
Though the scene was breathtakingly beautiful, it was fleeting, much like every bit of glory in the palace.
As soon as night fell, it would disappear in an instant.
After coming back to her senses, Cocunbine Mu closed the window and whispered to the fourth prince, "Go and pay your respects to your father."
....
"Father, I know I was wrong."
The Fourth Prince knelt on the ground with his eyebrows and eyes lowered.
His voice was soft and carried a hint of pleading.
Although his humble posture was extreme, it also had its drawbacks.
The music in the hall was too loud, and his voice, which was already gentle, was completely drowned out.
The Emperor Qi had his eyes fixed on the graceful movements of the dancers, reveling in their beauty.
It seemed he had not heard the fourth prince's words clearly, and he burst out laughing, asking the eunuch next to him, "Xiao Dezhi, what is this dance called?"
Xiao Dezhi did not dare to look at the fourth prince kneeling on the ground and respectfully replied, "In response to Your Majesty, this dance is called the Hu Xuan dance."
Completely ignoring the fourth prince, Emperor Qi nodded and said, "What a great Hu Xuan dance! Let them dance again."
The movements of the dancers were gentle and graceful, as if they were lotuses blooming on the surface of a lake.
The sound of their feet landing on the ground was like the sound of falling leaves.
The Fourth Prince felt incredibly humiliated as he knelt on the ground, but he endured it and did not show it.
He just knelt silently in front of Emperor Qi, maintaining his humble posture.
It wasn't until the dancers finished their dance that Emperor Qi waved his hand and let them step down.
He leaned back on his soft couch and was surprised to see the fourth prince kneeling on the ground for so long.
"Yi'er, what's wrong with you today? Why are you kneeling on the ground for so long?"
The Fourth Prince lifted his head and looked at the Emperor Qi leaning on the couch. Then he whispered, "Father, I know I was wrong."
The Emperor Qi seemed confused, touching the Buddhist beads on his wrist, "I didn't understand. What did you do wrong, Yi'er?"
The Fourth Prince gritted his teeth and lowered his head, "Father, I... I have made all kinds of mistakes, big mistakes!"
The Emperor Qi was taken aback, then burst out laughing, "Yi'er, you are my son. I am the emperor, and you are a prince. How could you be wrong?"
With that, the fourth prince was at a loss.
The Emperor Qi didn't intend to explain further.
He fiddled with the Buddhist beads and said something irrelevant, "I have been bothered by something lately."
The Fourth Prince quickly raised his head and respectfully said, "If Father doesn't mind my foolishness, I would like to help you relieve your worries."
The Emperor Qi looked at the fourth prince and nodded approvingly, "Princess Zhao Hua's birthday is coming soon. As her Older brother, I should give her something. But she has always been closer to Princess Zhao Yang and even closer to the Prince Yan and Lady Shufei. Unfortunately, the Prince Yan is now in Qingzhou and doesn't seem to plan on coming back."
The Fourth Prince chuckled awkwardly and was forced to speak well of Xiao Jin, "Although the third brother is in Qingzhou, he must miss the capital in her heart."
"Moreover, Princess Zhao Yang and Lady Shufei are in the palace, and father can also ask them for advice."
The Emperor Qi shook his head, "Today is Princess Qi Yun's anniversary. Princess Zhao Yang and Lady Shufei have gone to Dali Temple to pray. They probably won't be back for a few days."
The Fourth Prince was taken aback. Princess Qi Yun? When did the palace have such a princess? Seeing that the Emperor Qi didn't want to say more, the fourth prince wisely didn't ask any more questions.
He just made a mental note of the name and planned to ask his mother later.
The Emperor Qi then said, "Since you have such filial piety, why not represent me and try to find out Princess Zhao Yang's thoughts?"
The Fourth Prince was a bit puzzled.
Since it was for Princess Zhao Hua's birthday, they were all family members. Why go through so much trouble to guess her thoughts?
Then, the Fourth Prince suddenly realized something.
The emperor asked him to test Princess Zhao Yang, not Princess Zhao Hua. Because Princess Zhao Hua and Princess Zhao Yang were on the same side.
Test one, know the other.
However, if one truly wants to test into the thoughts of Princess Zhao Yang, who is currently at Dali Temple, how can they go and ask her?
Emperor Qi noticed the hesitation of his fourth prince.
After a moment, he said with a smile, "Yi'er, if you're unsure about her intentions, you can start by asking Ruoyu."
Ruoyu, Xiao Ruoyu.
This is Xiao Jin's alias.
Hearing this, the Fourth Prince became even more uneasy.
However, Emperor Qi smiled and said to his fourth prince, "Actually, I'm quite curious myself."
"When it comes to matters involving the Prince Yan, how will Princess Zhao Yang feel now?"
....
Xiao Jin listened to Ye Suyu read the entire intelligence report, but her brows furrowed slightly.
This was because, whether it was during the Mu family's uprising or when Governor Xu served as the Minister of Revenue, Cocunbine Mu had not shown any attitude at all.
This was the most peculiar thing.
Ye Suyu looked at Xiao Jin's expression and added, "In addition, Princess Zhao Yang and the Lady Shufei recently went to Dali Temple.
It seems they went to recite sutras and pray for Princess Qi Yun."
Xiao Jin had never heard of this name before.
She also had no recollection of this character from the original work.
So she asked, "Who is Princess Qi Yun?"
Ye Suyu knew that Xiao Jin had lost some of her memory.
But at this moment, her expression was also somewhat strange: "Princess Qi Yun was His Majesty's younger sister, who has passed away for many years."
Xiao Jin nodded, "It seems that Princess Qi Yun and Princess Zhao Yang had a good relationship during Princess Qi Yun's lifetime."
Ye Suyu agreed, "Yes, Princess Qi Yun and Princess Zhao Yang were indeed very close."
Immediately afterwards, Ye Suyu recounted an incident.
Xiao Jin listened quietly and roughly understood where the intersection between Zhao Yang and Qi Yun came from.
When the Yao Country was strong, it had been at war with the Qi Country for several years.
At that time, the Qi Country had suffered several defeats and had to declare a ceasefire and negotiate peace.
At that time, Princess Qi Yun was still a princess and not a member of the Qi Royal family, so she became a sacrificial pawn.
The previous emperor of the Qi Country was also her adoptive father and was preparing to send her to Yao Country to marry.
If it were not for Qi Yun's quick thinking and seeking refuge with the most beloved daughter of the former emperor - Princess Zhao Yang - the marriage proposal would have been impossible.
Although Xiao Jin was not from this world, she had never liked the idea of marriage alliance in ancient times.
So she said slowly, "It is only natural for sisters to rely on each other. But if the Yao Country insists on having a princess marry into their country, how will this matter be resolved in the end?"
Ye Suyu smiled and said, "There is no need to resolve it."
This sentence was intriguing.
Xiao Jin knew that Ye Suyu was selling a riddle.
So she didn't say anything and just looked at her calmly, waiting for her to continue.
After a moment, Ye Suyu said lightly, "Because the most brave and skillful prince in the Yao Country, the Prince Gong, was assassinated on his way back home... and not a single member of his family survived."
"The Yao royal family was also embroiled in infighting for the throne, so the marriage proposal was temporarily put on hold. It was never mentioned again."
Xiao Jin was stunned and couldn't help asking, "Was the Prince Gong's wife surnamed Nan? And did she have a daughter named Chu Jin?"
Ye Suyu nodded, "That's right."
Then she raised her eyebrows in puzzlement, "Your Highness, why do I feel that your amnesia is selective?"
After receiving the answer, Xiao Jin lost her mood to chat with Ye Suyu.
These things were just too strange.
If one were to follow this train of thought and make bold assumptions, it was likely that Princess Qi Yun had begged Princess Zhao Yang to secretly kill the Nan Jin family in order to prevent Qi Yun from marrying far away to the Yao Country, while also considering the interests of her own country.
Xiao Jin didn't know how Princess Zhao Yang had planned everything, but being in the Qi country, Princess Zhao Yang could see through the situation in Yao country and the hidden undercurrents.
With just one plan, she had eliminated the highest military commander of Yao Country and intentionally supported the Nan Jin family, causing internal struggles within the Yao royal family.
Undoubtedly, this was a series of interlocking plots, and the person who had set them up was a master strategist.
Thinking of this, Xiao Jin's back felt a bit chilly.
Perhaps it was the psychological effect, but even though summer had arrived, she frowned and coughed twice, covering her mouth with her hand.
Ye Suyu saw this and immediately had a maidservant bring a slightly thicker cloak to drape over Xiao Jin's shoulders while smiling and saying, "Your Highness, even though it's hot outside, you should still wear something thicker. If you catch a cold, the Princess will worry."
Just as Xiao Jin had finished coughing, she tried to take a breath but immediately started coughing again upon hearing Ye Suyu's words.
If looks could kill, she believed that Ye Suyu would have been shattered into pieces by now.
It was at this moment that Jue Ge walked in.
Although her expression had been slightly solemn at first, upon seeing Xiao Jin cough, it turned to concern and worry. "It's so warm outside, Your Highness, why are you coughing again?"
After Xiao Jin finished coughing, she adjusted her black cloak and said calmly, "Just a few coughs, nothing to worry about."
However, when she lifted her head, her gaze towards Ye Suyu was quite unfriendly.
Seeing that Xiao Jin was still glaring at Ye Suyu with murderous intent, Jue Ge breathed a sigh of relief.
But just as she had let her guard down, her expression turned solemn again.
Xiao Jin noticed that something was wrong with Jue Ge's expression, so she asked slowly, "Jue Ge, is something wrong?"
Jue Ge shook her head and said, "There's nothing big going on, in response to Your Highness's words."
Xiao Jin nodded and said, "It seems like something small has happened."
Jue Ge seemed to be considering her words and said, "Your Highness, actually...nothing has happened, but..."
Xiao Jin rarely saw Jue Ge stuttering.
She couldn't help but ask, "But what?"
Jue Ge sighed, "...Miss Bai Zheng and Miss Shen Shuang have come to the estate."
"..."
Xiao Jin was silent for a moment and asked, "Jue Ge, does this count as an issue?"
Jue Ge whispered, "The Princess has received news and is already receiving them in the hall..."
Xiao Jin was surprised, "This is indeed an issue."
Perhaps a major issue that would involve bloodshed.
Jue Ge hadn't finished speaking, so she continued, "Your Highness, in fact, there are two more people who came with Miss Bai and Miss Shen..."
Xiao Jin said expressionlessly, "Jue Ge, speak clearly, don't breathe heavily."
Jue Ge apologized, "It's my fault. It's just that the people who came this time have a somewhat special identity."
Xiao Jin thought to herself, how special can they be?
Are they more special than the Vice Master of the Blood Rain Pavilion?
Jue Ge slowly said, "Along with Miss Shen and Miss Bai, there are also two commanding officers."
Xiao Jin squinted and asked, "Who are the two?"
Jue Ge whispered, "Vice-commander Tang Yu, and...Commander Tang Ling."
Xiao Jin was stunned.
How did the two Tangs come here?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator's note: "Oh! Oh! This is too exciting - new character! I mean Princess Qi Yun 😲. And we can finally meet the two Tangs of Qi Country. Additionally, guess what?! Princess Zhao Yang as a CP here! Can you guess who her CP is? Can you guess?~~~" Wahahhaha~~~
TO BE CONTINUE...