OBS Chapter 950 That Little Thought
Chapter 950 That Little Thought
Fang Nanzhi naturally noticed it as well.
I wonder if she's trying to get in touch with her second uncle, or the Crown Prince?
"When the original master was in office, only the original madam, the eldest son of the first wife, and the second wife's family lived in the capital. Unfortunately, the second master failed the exam and did not get an official position, so they kept a low profile in the capital."
Chen Feng phrased it tactfully.
In reality, the Yuan family wasn't even ranked among the powerful and influential people in Beijing.
"If that's the case, why didn't their family go to their post with the master?" Fang Nanzhi asked curiously.
If there's nothing important to do in the capital, it's better to go to the post of the prefect and be a family member of the prefect. Wouldn't that be more pleasant than living in the capital?
They can also reunite as a family.
Chen Feng glanced at her: "For the sake of our descendants' future, Second Master Yuan is skilled in music and often attends various banquets."
Fang Nanzhi's expression was hard to describe; was she trying to please everyone?
Seeing her like this, Chen Feng couldn't help but smile: "The deeper things are hard to investigate, just be careful."
Fang Nanzhi nodded.
After a night and half a day in a coma, Prince Ning finally regained consciousness at the Prince Ning's residence.
Upon waking, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, dizziness, and a persistent fever.
The imperial physicians, who had been keeping watch all night, rushed forward to take his pulse and administer medicine.
"The fever hasn't completely subsided, but it's already low-grade. The wound is somewhat inflamed, and there's also previous damage to the lungs..."
The imperial physicians described the patient's condition to Princess Ning.
In short, once the fever subsides, they will prescribe new medication, and with proper rest, the patient will recover.
Princess Ning nodded, sent the imperial physician to rest, and sat down on the bed with tears in her eyes.
"Your Highness, how are you?"
Prince Ning opened his mouth and found his throat was very dry.
Princess Ning hurriedly had someone bring water.
After swallowing a glass of water, Prince Ning finally felt a little better, and his mind was now completely clear.
"I've left the palace? How is the Empress Dowager?"
"You were in such a hurry to leave the palace that you aggravated your wound and were exposed to a cold wind, which caused you to develop a fever that lasted all night. It really frightened me."
"However, this matter should be kept from the Empress Dowager for the time being, lest she be worried if she finds out."
Princess Ning stayed up all night, and her face looked somewhat pale.
However, the prince behind her knew that this was not what his father was asking.
"Father, many people have been arrested in Cining Palace. They are all the Empress Dowager's confidants and newly sent people. We still need to investigate who their master is."
"In addition, the Empress Dowager's many businesses in the palace were completely eradicated."
For example, Aunt Yu was able to secretly keep medicinal herbs because she had a complete network of connections.
If she brought medicinal herbs into the palace, the guards at the palace gate must have been bribed. When buying medicine outside, pharmacies are required to register the purchases. Under what identity did Aunt Yu register?
The original arrangements were all uncovered one by one.
The Empress Dowager had been in the palace for many years, and her activities included more than just hoarding medicinal herbs.
The Empress Dowager also had spies planted around the Emperor and the Crown Prince...
With her confidant arrested, the emperor will surely interrogate her about these secrets.
In addition, there are some unspeakable things that the Empress Dowager has done behind the scenes over the years. Who knows if they will be exposed?
Even those whom the Empress Dowager trusts cannot guarantee that everyone will be completely loyal.
Pulled around and moved the whole body.
I fear that more things that are detrimental to the Empress Dowager and Prince Ning will be uncovered.
Prince Ning could naturally think of this, and his face was terribly gloomy.
He glanced at the princess and the crown princess behind her, and said, "You've all stayed up all night, you must be tired. Go and rest first. Just leave Yao'er here."
Princess Ning wasn't stupid; she could tell that the father and son had something to say to each other.
She nodded: "Yao'er, take good care of your father. No matter how busy you are with official duties, don't rush things. It's more important to recover from your injury."
"Yes, Mother," Qingyao replied respectfully.
Princess Ning then took Su Qingya out.
Su Qingya lowered her eyes slightly, thinking about what the prince had just said.
It doesn't sound like the emperor is arresting the people who harmed Prince Ning; it sounds more like he's clipping the Empress Dowager's wings.
Was the emperor dissatisfied with Prince Ning, or with the Empress Dowager?
"Your Highness must be tired, go and rest," said Princess Ning.
"I'm not tired, I'll take my mother home first," Su Qingya said obediently.
Princess Ning glanced at her sideways and thought that after what had happened, her daughter-in-law had become more and more proper and composed.
This aspect pleased her quite a bit.
“I have maids to serve me, I don’t need you.” Princess Ning’s tone softened. “But you should take good care of your health and give Yao’er a son as soon as possible.”
Su Qingya replied calmly, "Yes, Mother."
Inwardly, however, he sneered, "Spreading branches and leaves? Qingyao doesn't even deserve that title."
Childbirth is a painful experience for women even in modern times, let alone in ancient times.
If she were to give birth, it would be to give birth to someone of the highest status, so that she could gain prestige through her son.
Inside the room, with no outsiders around, Prince Ning summoned his personal guards, finally having time to talk about the various events that had occurred since his assassination attempt.
He was in the palace as soon as he woke up, so there were many things he couldn't say.
"We didn't catch the assassin, but he got some cover and we discovered... I suspect he's one of the emperor's men."
"And then there's the matter at Cining Palace. The prince's medicine underwent multiple checks and shouldn't have had any problems."
Prince Ning narrowed his eyes.
There shouldn't have been a problem, but the medicine was still switched, which can only mean that there is a traitor among them.
It should be said that there were people in the Cining Palace who were in charge of cooperating with all of this.
Regardless, Prince Ning sensed an undisguised malice, as if he had been forced to stand on the edge of a cliff.
The emperor first sent assassins to kill him, but the assassination failed. Then, taking advantage of his injuries, he targeted the Empress Dowager.
Prince Ning's gaze turned cold as he stared at the Crown Prince: "Have the people we've been hiding revealed anything?"
Qingyao shook his head.
"Impossible, they live in the mountains for so long, they can't possibly come out."
Since the Crown Prince targeted them several times, Qingyao relocated his core personnel.
The current location is more secluded.
"If something has been exposed, then the Emperor truly cannot tolerate me or the Empress Dowager." Prince Ning's voice was chilling.
All those years of brotherly affection and respect were indeed just pretense.
The Empress Dowager was not the Emperor's biological mother, so how could he be truly filial?
"But Your Highness, this is too sudden!" The guard frowned, somewhat puzzled.
Over the years, the prince's actions have all been kept in the shadows, and the empress dowager has acted as if she poses no threat to the emperor.
Even if the emperor couldn't tolerate them, there should have been a process of suspicion and testing.
Why would they just kill him?
"Yao'er, what do you think?" Prince Ning glanced at his son.
Qingyao thought for a moment: "The emperor might tolerate us, but the crown prince won't."
"But in the emperor's heart, the crown prince is naturally the most important."
He believed that the emperor was in such a hurry to eliminate the Prince of Ning's mansion because of the Crown Prince.
It's not impossible.
Having a powerful and antagonistic imperial uncle is very disadvantageous for the crown prince.
“Father, in my opinion, we should not be thinking about why, but rather discussing what we should do,” Qingyao couldn’t help but remind him.
If the emperor is determined to kill, and fails the first time, he will try a second or a third time.
If they do nothing, aren't they just waiting to die?
"How is what you're working on coming along?" Prince Ning asked.
Qingyao paused for a moment before saying, "It's still a little short."
Prince Ning sneered, "You can't even coax a woman!"
The newly devised weapon was naturally Su Qingya's idea, but after the affair and miscarriage, her relationship with Qingyao became much more distant.
She was also self-righteous and unwilling to help anymore.
The progress naturally slowed down.
Qingyao lowered his head and remained silent.
He had been very humble during this period, but Su Qingya remained indifferent.
She pretended to be close to him in public, but in reality...
As the heir apparent of the Prince of Ning, he naturally harbored anger towards a woman who had to humble herself before him.
"Get it done as soon as possible, and contact the people you need to contact in the meantime," Prince Ning said coldly.
Since the emperor was unwilling to continue with this pretense, he was not one to be trifled with.
It's time to put to use all the scheming we've done over the years, both overt and covert.
Originally, they planned to wait until the crown prince died, the princes vied for the throne, and the country was unstable before making their move.
Unexpectedly, the crown prince was lucky to survive.
It's alright, as the imperial uncle, he doesn't mind personally seeing his nephew off.
In the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince has received news that Prince Ning has awakened.
He curled his lips into a smile: "Keep a close eye on the Ning Prince's residence during this time. It would be best to find out where they are hiding their people."
"And Su Qingya, the person I asked you to arrange before, has she come in handy?"
A figure stood before the desk, bowing respectfully.
"Yes, I have already gained Su Qingya's trust."
The Crown Prince nodded slightly.
The assassination of Prince Ning was only the first step. The Emperor's subsequent investigation of the Cining Palace was the second step, essentially a complete breakdown in relations with the Empress Dowager and Prince Ning.
Now comes the most important part: he wants to force the Prince Ning's mansion to take action.
Only by taking action will weaknesses be revealed.
"Will Zhizhi be free to visit the palace tomorrow?"
This year, due to the heavy snow, the ice in the lake is stronger than in previous years.
Qingyan specially invited a master ice sculptor to create an ice sculpture in the East Palace, which was completed the day before yesterday.
Knowing that Zhizhi would like these, he sent someone to invite her to see the ice sculptures.
Unexpectedly, Fang Nanzhi has been very busy lately, and refused when asked to go to the Earl's residence.
"Miss Fang already has plans for tomorrow. She says she will be hiking, brewing tea, and enjoying the snow with Mr. Deng, as well as Young Master Cui and Young Master Xie."
"Cui Shicheng? Xie Lang?" Qingyan's expression was calm, but for some reason, he seemed somewhat unhappy.
"Yes."
Qingyan put down the book in his hand.
This wasn't the first time he'd heard these names. He knew they were disciples of Mr. Deng's friend, and that the young girl seemed to have made friends with them and had even competed with the talented scholars from Jiangnan.
The little girl made quite a splash.
Qingyan considers himself broad-minded and doesn't mind if Zhizhi makes more friends.
But for some reason, I felt a sense of pent-up frustration in my heart.
Qing Min, who had been sitting silently, cleared his throat: "Your Highness, it's normal for twelve- or thirteen-year-old boys and girls to have pure friendships, as their minds are simple."
Qing Yan didn't say anything.
Qingmin, observing his expression, added, "However, Cui Shicheng, Xie Lang, and others come from complicated family backgrounds and are more mature than their peers. Perhaps they'll also experience their first stirrings of love earlier..."
A cold gaze fell upon him, and he could only lower his head and continue drinking his tea.
The Crown Prince paced back and forth for a long time before suddenly speaking: "Investigate the young ladies aged eleven to fifteen among the wives of officials in the capital..."
He realized something was wrong halfway through his sentence.
What is he doing? Is he trying to interfere with the girl's friendships? And is his next step to control her behavior?
Qingyan frowned, for the first time, he faced his own "filthy" thoughts directly.
Zhizhi is different from ordinary women; she has a big heart, and any restrictions he imposes on her will become like "drawing a circle around herself."
Qingyan clutched his chest.
He had heard Zhizhi say that some people have mental illnesses.
They are biased, jealous, and lack empathy.
Qingyan suspected that he might have contracted this disease.
"Go and fetch the imperial physician."
Two completely unrelated orders left Qingmin utterly bewildered, even though he thought he knew His Highness somewhat.
When Physician Xing, who was on duty that day, heard that something had happened at the Eastern Palace, he couldn't help but feel worried.
The Crown Prince's poison has finally been cured, but will something else go wrong?
When he arrived at the East Palace with his medicine box, the main hall had already been cleared out, and Qingmin was no longer there.
Only the Crown Prince sat upright.
After bowing, Physician Xing took the prince's pulse.
After listening for a while, the pulse was strong and powerful, but I couldn't find anything wrong.
"Is Your Highness feeling unwell?" he asked tentatively.
Qingyan shook his head.
Physician Xing: ...Then why did you invite him here?
"Your Highness's good health is a blessing to the nation."
“I am ill,” Qingyan said firmly.
Physician Xing had been working tirelessly through the night, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with his medical skills.
You really couldn't feel the pulse?
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
Physician Xing hesitated, wondering if he would be asked to cooperate by giving a false diagnosis or something.
"I'm mentally ill."
Qingyan was not one to shy away from seeking medical help.
"I have a woman I love, I think about her all the time, I want to be close to her when we meet, and I care about her feelings."
Physician Xing: ...
Is the Crown Prince's first stirrings of love really under the jurisdiction of the imperial physician?
"I was worried about her safety, and I was also anxious, afraid that she would be tempted by outsiders."
"I want to put her in a safe place, but I can't bear to part with her. I'm jealous of those who can be close to her."
"I want to possess her all to myself."
“But she shouldn’t belong to anyone; she is herself.”
"I cannot control myself."
Qingyan remained expressionless, but his words were intensely passionate.
Physician Xing, a rough middle-aged man, was forced to listen to a man full of youthful sweet talk, and he felt somewhat helpless.
"Ahem, Your Highness must be experiencing love for the first time. That's how love between men and women is—sweet yet torturous."
"Jealousy and possessiveness are normal, but they must be controlled and kept within limits."
Physician Xing carefully considered his words.
The main problem is that he's never seen this kind of problem before.
After thinking about it, he could only use himself as an example.
"When my wife and I first got married, it was the same, but as we spent more time together and built trust with each other, it got much better."
"Does Your Highness share the same feelings with the young lady?"
Qingyan lowered his eyes and remained silent.
Physician Xing understood; it was unrequited love.
The young lady didn't even mean it that way, yet His Highness is so jealous... It's really...
"In that case, Your Highness can only refrain from probing. Since the relationship is not yet established, it would be inappropriate to disturb the young lady too much."
"But you need to spend time with them, leave a good impression, and also find out if there are any rivals in love."
"The best way to deal with a love rival is to do it subtly, without letting the girl know, lest she fall for you."
Physician Xing didn't even know what he was saying; he felt a little sweat on his forehead.
When he got married, it was an arranged marriage by his parents and a matchmaker. He never fell in love with a girl before the marriage.
"Ahem, we're not officially dating yet, so it's always good to respect the girl."