Chapter 70
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The whole incident boiled down to ten days ago when the culprit poisoned the high-quality charcoal destined for the Imperial Academy, anticipating Yuan Ye’s potential use and subsequent poisoning. It seemed like an attempt on Yuan Ye’s life.
Under the Minister of Imperial Court of Justice Review’s analysis, the eldest prince seized the opportunity to fan the flames, aiming to solidify the accusations against the Pei family.
The atmosphere in the room became extremely tense.
At this critical moment, Pei Jin unexpectedly turned around and said, “That still doesn’t prove it was someone from the Pei family’s shop. I’ve mentioned that this type of charcoal passes through many hands, and these are all just the Minister’s deductions. Based solely on these deductions, it’s difficult for us to confess to poisoning His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“And… if someone wanted to harm His Highness the Crown Prince, why would they allow the Pei family to be so easily implicated? Wouldn’t that be too foolish? It’s obvious that someone is framing us!”
Now even the third prince was in a panic. In reality, he wasn’t entirely sure if his forceful mother secretly ordered the Pei family to do everything. However, since Pei Jin had made this statement, he immediately seized the opportunity, saying, “Exactly, this must be a setup. Minister, you can’t jump to conclusions so directly unless you present evidence!”
He cast a fierce look at the eldest prince. If there was talk of framing, the eldest prince was clearly the prime suspect.
“As your humble servant, I have already dispatched personnel to apprehend all relevant individuals from the shop. We will conduct a thorough investigation. Your Highness the Crown Prince, I am inadequate, and for now, this is all I have managed to uncover. I humbly request your judgment on the matter.”
In a short period, the Minister had uncovered only so much information. He couldn’t explain the content refuted by Pei Jin, as everything ultimately depended on presenting evidence.
The atmosphere in the room became even stranger, with everyone harboring their own thoughts, awaiting Yuan Ye’s decision.
Suddenly, Yue Chen, who had been standing beside Lin Qingyang, spoke up. “Your Highness, may I speak?”
Yuan Ye, shrouded in an ominous aura throughout, turned his gaze toward Yue Chen. Since this matter had been proven unrelated to them from start to finish, Yuan Ye was willing to hear what Yue Chen had to say. After all, there weren’t many people here strategizing for him.
Yuan Ye naturally harbored an urgent desire to apprehend the third prince and Pei Jin. As the heir to the throne, he couldn’t let the matter slide easily, especially considering the gravity of the situation. However, the information uncovered by the Minister was not sufficient.
“Yue Chen, speak.”
“Your Highness, the Minister has done their best, but the information currently available from the Imperial Academy is not enough to make a conclusive judgment on this case. Moreover, Your Highness the Crown Prince is the victim. If Your Highness hastily concludes the case, it may raise questions about whether emotions are clouding Your Highness’s judgment. Therefore, I suggest putting a pause on the investigation here. The individuals brought from the shop can be taken directly to the presence of His Majesty for a final decision. Poisoning Your Highness the Crown Prince is already a matter of great importance to the court and cannot be casually concluded here.”
Yue Chen’s message wasn’t hard to understand, and Lin Qingyang grasped the essence of it. Essentially, he was advising the Crown Prince not to act against the Pei family here. It would not only likely fail but also provide evidence against them. Instead, he suggested escalating the matter to the emperor, as the involvement of the Pei family and the third prince might have far-reaching consequences. Yue Chen was indirectly suggesting that the Crown Prince should bring the issue to the imperial court, where the emperor would have to address it. The outcome might be more favorable to the crown prince.
However, Yue Chen’s advice wasn’t necessarily in favor of the crown prince alone. To the third prince and Pei Jin, it also sounded like a suggestion in their favor. It offered them room for de-escalation and time to devise a strategy. Currently cut off from external contacts, they were unaware of the Pei family’s actions. Even if they wanted to defend themselves, they had no concrete information.
The Minister also took a breath, feeling a sense of relief. He spoke with a newfound firmness, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, I also support Young Master Yue’s proposal.”
The head master naturally didn’t want such a significant matter to be decided here. He aimed to swiftly separate the Imperial Academy from the situation. Yue Chen’s suggestion was supportive in this regard.
“Your Highness, given your current health condition, it is not advisable to exert yourself. Although we have the imperial physician here, resting in the palace would be more beneficial.”
Yuan Ye felt a sense of reluctance, but listening to everyone’s advice, he gradually calmed down. While unsatisfied, he understood that it would be prudent to return to the palace and hear the opinions of the queen mother and the Cheng family. The best course of action needed to be discussed to ensure the most favorable outcome for him.
Finally, nearing evening, a large group of people, including the princes, left the Imperial Academy. Departing alongside them were Cheng Yi, Wang Tong’en, and members of the Pei family.
Lin Qingyang and Yue Chen also emerged from the courtyard.
However, Yue Chen seemed burdened with concerns. When asked by Huo Luo about what was bothering him, Yue Chen suddenly spoke, “What were we doing on the day the charcoal was delivered, as mentioned by the Minister just now?”
Huo Luo looked at Yue Chen puzzledly, saying, “It has nothing to do with us. Do we need to provide an alibi? On that day, we were still immersed in the case of the addictive substance. The case suddenly wrapped up, and we went to find Mr. Cao. You, however, abandoned us midway and took this kid’s cousin to dine at Taibai Building.”
Lin Qingyang, surprised, looked at them. He also recalled that it was the day his eldest sister successfully divorced, and he spent the day at home dealing with Aunt Ru.
“Yes… that day,” Yue Chen’s expression gradually became serious.
“How about it? Did your brain break down from thinking too much? Memory loss?” Huo Luo looked at him with disdain.
Initially, Huo Luo was just joking, but Yue Chen suddenly frowned and shook his head, as if unable to comprehend something. “It’s impossible… I must be overthinking.”
“You’ve always been prone to overthinking, always suspicious,” Huo Luo said, despite his teasing, reaching out to support Yue Chen, who had almost lost balance from shaking his head too forcefully. “Stop shaking; you’ll turn silly.”
Lin Qingyang had been silently observing Yue Chen, unsure of what he was thinking. Suddenly, he noticed a change in Yue Chen’s gaze as he looked ahead.
Following his gaze, Lin Qingyang saw Chu Lishu and Xu Wenzhe not far away, waiting for them to come out.
As his eyes met with Chu Lishu’s, Lin Qingyang felt a strange sense of calm settle over him.
The two were visibly concerned and approached quickly upon seeing them.
“Everyone has left. Are you two alright now?” Xu Wenzhe asked.
Lin Qingyang nodded, “Yes, it had nothing to do with us in the first place. We were just caught up in the unnecessary trouble.”
“Cousin, you’ve been through a lot,” Chu Lishu spoke up.
Lin Qingyang was about to dismiss it, but then a cold gust of wind hit, and he sneezed loudly.
Chu Lishu was still wearing Lin Qingyang’s outer robe, so he quickly took it off and draped it over Lin Qingyang. “After the morning match, without even showering or changing clothes, you were brought here. You should go back and freshen up to avoid catching a cold.”
Xu Wenzhe also advised them to go back.
After expressing their gratitude to Yue Chen and Huo Luo once again, Lin Qingyang followed Chu Lishu and left.
Xu Wenzhe turned to ask more questions but noticed that Yue Chen was continuously staring at Chu Lishu’s figure.
“Brother Yue?” Xu Wenzhe expressed his confusion.
Huo Luo glanced at Yue Chen and said, “He’s probably tired. We’ll go first.”
“I can escort you,” Xu Wenzhe offered.
“No… Wenzhe, take us to see Mr. Cao,” Yue Chen suddenly spoke up.
Upon returning to the residence, Shuncai had already rushed over. Seeing Lin Qingyang repeatedly sneezing, he quickly prepared hot water for a bath. After Lin Qingyang felt refreshed, Shuncai had already prepared the meal, and Chu Lishu waited on the side for them to dine together.
It was only then that they learned about Qi Yan, who had injured his leg in the morning and was sent back to the residence earlier due to a fractured bone. He didn’t encounter the incident of locking down the academy. Now, the courtyard only had him living alone. It was estimated that Qi Yan wouldn’t return soon.
Having missed lunch, Lin Qingyang was truly famished at this moment. However, his mind couldn’t help but reflect on the events of the day.
There was a question he had to ask, or else Chu Lishu would surely become suspicious.
“Cousin, thank you for having Huo Luo come to rescue me today. Otherwise, I really don’t know what would have happened. But how did you…” Lin Qingyang posed a puzzled expression.
Chu Lishu directly replied, “When you were taken away, I overheard the guards who came with the princes mentioning it incidentally. They said that only a few people have that particular footwork. I was afraid you would be wrongly accused, so I brought Huo Luo to rescue you. But how did you end up in that situation?”
Lin Qingyang listened solemnly as he tried to deceive him. Then he said, “I really practiced it myself. Why doesn’t anyone believe me?”
Chu Lishu looked at him with a slightly regretful expression, and then smiled as if genuinely pleased, “Well, you’ve mastered it on your own, which is impressive. It shows that you have a connection with the person who first demonstrated it, sharing similar ideas.”
Lin Qingyang smiled in response, realizing that the first person to demonstrate it was him.
“Cousin, what do you think about today…” Lin Qingyang cautiously inquired. Although it had been concluded that it was related to the Pei family, Lin Qingyang still felt that Chu Lishu might be involved.
However, according to the story, Chu Lishu was supposed to harm his own younger brother only at the end. Even with changes in the plot, would it deviate this much?
“You want to talk about the poisoning of the Crown Prince? Today’s matter is not something we can discuss. It all depends on the investigation results from the Imperial Court of Justice Review. But looking at the current situation, it’s actually not bad,” Chu Lishu said casually.
“Why is it not bad?” Lin Qingyang asked.
Chu Lishu suddenly spoke, “Isn’t it good? The Pei family… they have targeted you before. Pei Jin is still a supporter of Lin Qingxu. Causing them some losses is a kind of revenge for you.”
Lin Qingyang was stunned, it seemed like… this was reasonable.
Just when Lin Qingyang was full of doubts, a conversation between Shuncai and others came from outside the door.
Immediately, Shuncai came in and said, “Young Master, Mr. Cao’s attendant sent a message, saying that Mr. Cao has questions about what happened today and wants to invite you over.”
“Ah? Mr. Cao is looking for me?” Lin Qingyang pointed at himself.
Shuncai nodded excitedly and said, “Young Master, what a great opportunity! To gain recognition from Mr. Cao…”
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but glance at Chu Lishu. He didn’t believe that Mr. Cao really wanted to see him.
Sure enough, the next moment, Chu Lishu spoke up, “I’ll accompany cousin.”
Lin Qingyang naturally nodded in agreement, providing an opportunity for these two to meet.
After finishing dinner, the two hurried to see Mr. Cao.
Mr. Cao’s residence was only occupied by him alone, but there were guards at the entrance.
After the meeting, Mr. Cao first inquired about the events of the afternoon from Lin Qingyang. Lin Qingyang recounted the details, and Mr. Cao nodded, not wasting any more time. He quickly found an excuse to address Lin Qingyang, “Thank you, Young Master Lin, for clarifying. I appreciate your effort. As a token of gratitude, you can go into my inner room and choose some books you like to take with you.”
Lin Qingyang naturally politely declined a few times, but Mr. Cao insisted. It wasn’t until Chu Lishu spoke up, “Cousin, Mr. Cao has a good book called ‘Chronicles of the World.’ I’m quite interested in it.”
Lin Qingyang pretended to scold Chu Lishu with a glance and then, feeling a bit embarrassed, entered the inner room to select some books.
The door closed, and the heavy curtains outside were drawn down, making the conversation outside inaudible from within.
Lin Qingyang naturally wouldn’t go outside to disturb their conversation, and he certainly wouldn’t eavesdrop on anything. He leisurely browsed through the books.
Meanwhile, outside the door, Mr. Cao had already bowed to Chu Lishu, who quickly waved his hand, “I’ve said it before, no need for formalities outside.”
“Your Highness, about this matter…”
“I did it,” Chu Lishu straightforwardly admitted.
Mr. Cao was greatly surprised, “Your Highness, this is too reckless. In case someone finds out…”
“Since I dared to do it, I’m sure I won’t be discovered,” Chu Lishu confidently stated.
“How is it possible to achieve this?” Considering the process described by Lin Qingyang just now, Mr. Cao couldn’t fathom how Chu Lishu managed it.
Chu Lishu found a chair, sat down, and, facing the door to the inner room, he explained briefly to Mr. Cao while keeping an eye on what was happening inside.
In fact, as early as when he, on a whim, intervened to teach Cheng Yi a lesson on behalf of himself and Lin Qingyang, leading to the conflict and setting up the cuju duel with Wang Tong’en, this plan had already formed in his mind.
On the day when he confronted Mr. Cao, it happened to be the day when the charcoal at the Imperial Academy was being replaced. Before going to Mr. Cao’s residence and after ensuring the ultimate fate of the two decoys, Chu Lishu also infiltrated a charcoal-selling shop affiliated with the Pei family.
The shop habitually packed the charcoal to be sent out in advance, so it was easy for him to locate the batch destined for the Imperial Academy. Adding the poison was a simple task, and then he left unnoticed.
After ten days passed, in a place accustomed to changing and replenishing its reserves, with constant coming and going, there would be no trace of any evidence left behind.
As for the conflict between the poison and the silver leaf tea, Chu Lishu naturally discovered it inadvertently during the many years he lived with Yuan Ye. Originally, he noted it down to protect his younger brother from harm, but it ended up being used for this purpose.
The poison was casually bought and concocted by himself, making it unlikely for anyone to suspect him as the culprit.
As for why he was certain they would come to watch the match, it was based on his speculation about the characters of the three princes and those around them. Especially Yuan Ye and Cheng Yi, he knew their personalities too well, so it was easy for him to guess what would happen.
Even if, by some chance, they hadn’t come, it would have just been a loss of a few packets of powdered medicine.
As long as they came, everything would proceed smoothly.
After listening, Mr. Cao was once again shocked, remained silent for a while, and finally couldn’t help but bow, saying, “I admire your Highness. You could plan everything so early and accurately assess the human heart. I truly admire it. However, there is one thing I don’t understand.”
“Why did I attempt to harm my younger brother?” Chu Lishu said coldly.
Mr. Cao’s heart trembled, although he had some speculations, the extent of the former Crown Prince’s affection for this younger brother was well known. Now, Chu Lishu’s unhesitating actions left Mr. Cao profoundly shaken.
“I was going to kill him sooner or later, but not now. This drug will only make him spit a few mouthfuls of blood, just to pave the way for my entry into the palace. Can you guess how lively it is in the court right now?” Chu Lishu smiled, but this smile was tainted with a dark and sinister aura, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Listening to these icy words, Mr. Cao’s heart fluttered in confusion for a moment. However, he gradually grasped the meaning behind Chu Lishu’s seemingly unnecessary actions.
At this moment, within the imperial palace, the three princes’ residences had already fallen into the most restless period.
After a night of trial, the emperor handed the suspects over to the Imperial Court of Justice Review, instructing them to conduct a rigorous investigation. The so-called suspects were members of the Pei family involved in the business of that particular shop.
In the East Palace.
Yuan Ye listened to the news brought by trusted individuals from Empress Cheng and the Cheng family.
“Are you saying it might not be the third prince and the Pei family? It could also be the Eldest Prince, deliberately killing two birds with one stone? Yes, that’s possible too. I almost died in this incident, and both the third prince and the Pei family are implicated. The biggest beneficiary is indeed the Eldest Prince.”
“What? The Cheng family can’t find conclusive evidence either? So, it might really be the third prince and the Pei family? Doesn’t that mean everything said so far is inconclusive?”
“But Queen Mother said one thing right! Regardless of which family, none of them intends to maintain a superficial peace with me. They truly want to take my life! Come, I want to see who is the true heaven’s gift!”
Military Virtue Hall.
The Eldest Prince kicked over the charcoal in front of him and turned to his trusted aide, saying, “What’s the meaning of this? Are they implying that I’m also a suspect? Does Emperor Father suspect that I’ve gained an advantage from this situation? Well, it makes sense! The setup looks like a trap, and why wouldn’t he suspect me? After all, he favors the third prince more!”
“But how come even Grandfather can’t figure out who set up this scheme? What do you mean both the Crown Prince and the third prince are suspects? Indeed, the Crown Prince only spat some blood without major harm, but is he the type to harm himself for the sake of harming us? I’m more inclined to think it’s the third prince. Maybe they are just foolish!”
“Alright, tell Grandfather I know. If they want a battle, then let it be. I don’t want to argue with them all day. Let’s just go all out!”
Water Cloud Palace, Concubine Pei’s Palace.
Concubine Pei held back the restless Third Prince and said coldly, “If the Crown Prince takes action, it’s a feigned weakness, intending to harm us. If the Eldest Prince acts, it’s an attempt to kill two birds with one stone. Both are suspects. Now, it doesn’t matter who the real culprit is. In any case, things won’t be peaceful in the future. Everyone is impatient. I will have the Pei family set aside other matters and focus on dealing with the Wang family and the Cheng family. They harmed us, so we will make them shed some blood in return!”
……
Mr. Cao imagined the chaos in the palace at this moment. The disordered wind had already swept into the court, forming a vortex. Watching the young man before him, who was as handsome as a painting, he trembled with excitement.
With just one move, the false balance maintained in the imperial harem’s forefront had finally been shattered. The balance had been maintained for too long. All factions were continuously expanding, and without anyone taking the initiative, no side was weakened. This was the biggest threat to Chu Lishu.
The strongest forces from the three factions, thinking that the other side had already taken action, began to suspect each other. They would then attack each other, mutually injuring their vital energy. Even if such attacks couldn’t be sustained until all sides were heavily damaged, they could still weaken each other considerably. None of them would benefit from this situation.
The Fourth Prince seemed to stand to gain some advantages from this situation, but in reality, given Prime Minister Li’s character, he would likely retract completely to avoid getting involved in this turmoil and hinder any further development.
So, all in all, the only one who stood to gain from this was the former Crown Prince, Yuan Ran.
It was he who stirred up a strong wind, just as he had said, to pave the way for his entrance into the palace.
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Bro im just glad lqy is on team chu lishu…i wouldnt wanna be on his hit list, ngl