Raising shadow guards was no simple matter.
Especially since he was the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. He already had his own guard army to maintain, so raising shadow guards was even more difficult.
First, it had to be hidden from public notice, otherwise, what did raising private troops represent? It represented that he, the Crown Prince, intended to rebel!
Second, it required enormous expenditures.
The Eastern Palace’s yearly income was fixed. His visible income could only barely support the guard army.
To raise these shadow guards, he did not know how much effort he had spent.
Yet now, because of such a tiny matter, so many people had been lost!
Even more hateful was that they had also been saddled with the massive accusation of assassinating the Imperial Grandson!
Xiao Yunting!
He coldly stared at Qingyan before him and only barely managed to suppress the anger in his heart: “Just how exactly did you handle things?!”
Qingyan did not even dare raise his head: “Your Highness, it is all because this subordinate and the others are incompetent!”
The Crown Prince was sick of hearing these words.
He did not want to hear them anymore at all. Letting out a cold laugh, he sneered disdainfully: “What I want to hear is not this! What I want to ask now is, how is this matter supposed to be cleaned up?!”
The Imperial Grandson being assassinated had shocked the entire city.
Emperor Yongchang had already favored Xiao Yunting excessively to begin with, even breaking precedent by agreeing to let Xiao Yunting head to the northwest to investigate Lu Ting’s treason case.
And now Xiao Yunting had an attempted assassination.
That made things even worse!
One moment he was going to help clear the Lu family’s injustice, and the next moment he suffered an assassination attempt.
And the assassin had actually been Duke Cheng, a high-ranking noble and military figure in court!
What did this represent?!
That wretched creature actually possessed such deep schemes!
As a result, the Lu family case, which had originally already been ironclad, had once again stirred with new turmoil.
Qingyan lowered his voice: “Your Highness may feel rest assured. Duke Cheng is already dead, and Zhaoxing will never speak again. This matter absolutely cannot implicate Your Highness.”
The Crown Prince let out a cold laugh: “Do you think this is what I’m afraid of?!”
He flung a Ru kiln beauty-shaped teapot to the ground with one hand, his face full of hostility: “Trash, a bunch of trash! I sent you to handle matters, yet instead you delivered yourselves right to them so they could seize evidence!”
If word got out, people’s teeth would fall out from laughing.
An entire Duke’s Manor, merely because they wanted to scheme against Qi Yuan’s chastity, not only ended up completely destroyed, but even dragged so many others down with it!
Qingyan did not dare utter a single sound.
He knew where the Crown Prince’s anger came from. After remaining silent for a while, he softly said: “Your Highness, actually, aside from losing the Duke Cheng Manor and Wen Mingfeng as chess pieces, plus the people from Rouge Alley…”
The Crown Prince was so angry he laughed. He truly could not help sneering aloud: “What, are you actually feeling fortunate?!”
They had been successively beaten down by two little brats, losing a Duke’s Manor and having an entire shadow guard stronghold uprooted.
Was this still somehow worth feeling fortunate about?!
Qingyan hurriedly shook his head: “Your Highness, that is not what this subordinate means. What this subordinate means is that although we indeed suffered some losses for now, but…”
He paused before continuing immediately afterward: “But in truth, this matter does not impact us very much. As long as the Lu family’s crimes are confirmed, His Highness the Imperial Grandson will never be able to rise again.”
Could an Imperial Grandson whose maternal grandfather had committed treason and betrayed the nation still be worthy of being Imperial Grandson?
Even if Emperor Yongchang favored him, would the court officials agree?
Moreover, Xiao Yunting had never been favored by the Crown Prince to begin with.
At that time, anyone with eyes would naturally know how they should choose sides.
The Crown Prince stared coldly at Qingyan and suddenly said: “Go handle something for me.”
Qingyan hurriedly acknowledged the order and could not help secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Just after the instructions were given, the grand eunuch Zhang Bin hurried in from outside and respectfully lowered his brows as he said: “Your Highness, His Highness the Imperial Grandson had an attempted assassination, and His Majesty is enraged. He has already ordered the Duke Cheng Manor stripped of its title, and everyone in the manor has now been imprisoned.”
The Crown Prince closed his eyes.
Emperor Yongchang doted on Xiao Yunting. Such a punishment was nothing surprising.
He merely gave a faint hum of acknowledgment.
Zhang Bin carefully observed his expression, then lowered his voice further: “Additionally, His Majesty has already ordered the Imperial Guards to thoroughly investigate Rouge Alley.”
The Crown Prince sneered: “Weren’t the people of Rouge Alley simply Duke Cheng Manor’s people?”
He gave Zhang Bin a meaningful look: “Duke Cheng was arrogant and unruly. Raising a batch of death warriors is hardly anything unusual, is it?”
Since the man was already dead, he could not die in vain. Naturally every possible crime would be shoved onto his head.
Zhang Bin immediately understood and hurriedly agreed, then softly added: “This time, His Highness the Imperial Grandson also mentioned Miss Qi again to His Majesty.”
The Crown Prince could no longer bear hearing the two words “Qi Yuan.”
The moment he heard them, his expression changed, and he suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Women should stay at home supporting their husbands and teaching their children, honestly giving birth, raising children, and managing the household.
What kind of woman was someone like Qi Yuan supposed to be?
And how could she possibly become Imperial Grandson Consort?
Xiao Yunting’s eyes were blind, was Emperor Yongchang blind too?!
Filled with irritation, he coldly snorted before sharply asking Zhang Bin: “What about the matter I instructed you to handle earlier?! Is there any news yet?!”
Zhang Bin immediately bent his waist even lower.
He also understood clearly that the Crown Prince was currently full of hostility.
After all, in this attempt against Qi Yuan, the Crown Prince could be said to have lost everything.
Who liked losing?
Especially someone as high and mighty as the Crown Prince.
With lowered brows and obedient demeanor, he answered: “Your Highness, everything has already been handled according to your instructions. Please rest assured.”
Only then did the Crown Prince’s expression improve slightly: “Really? It had better not be some crooked melon or split date.”
“Would Your Highness like to see the portrait?” Zhang Bin had clearly come prepared. He pulled out a rolled-up portrait from his sleeve and handed it over: “Please take a look.”
Qingyan stood nearby and glanced over. The moment he saw the person in the portrait, he could not help sharply sucking in a breath of cold air.
Wasn’t this…
Wasn’t this Noble Consort Xiao Liu?!
Had Noble Consort Xiao Liu come back to life?!
He instinctively looked toward the Crown Prince.
Yet he saw that the Crown Prince seemed to have expected this long ago and did not look surprised at all.
He immediately understood.
The Crown Prince had painstakingly found a stand-in for Noble Consort Xiao Liu?!
But he also instantly understood why the Crown Prince was doing this.
In truth, Emperor Yongchang truly had treated Noble Consort Xiao Liu differently.
Even though Duke Chu had committed such acts, and even with Liu Wangfei and the Eldest Princess constantly demanding explanations from the side, Emperor Yongchang still never once vented his anger on Noble Consort Xiao Liu from beginning to end.
In the end, he had even allowed Noble Consort Xiao Liu a grand burial.
If that did not count as cherishing her dearly, then what did?
Especially after Noble Consort Xiao Liu passed away, Emperor Yongchang visited the harem far less often.
Clearly, the matter of Noble Consort Xiao Liu still remained lodged in his heart.
The Crown Prince had mentioned Noble Consort Xiao Liu before. So it turned out he had already made plans long ago.
A shiver ran through Qingyan’s whole body.
Wonderful!
This move was simply brilliant!
The previous Noble Consort Xiao Liu had been unsuitable because she was a member of the Liu family.
But this stand-in was not.
If this stand-in could gain favor, then…
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