"Alright, I'll take care of it right away."
Bai Sha withdrew, and inside the room, Jiang Feixue helped Liu Shi to rest. The Thousand-Day Red had not yet taken effect, so her mother was still somewhat at ease. If the Thousand-Day Red were to take effect, her mother would probably be in unbearable pain.
Thinking of this, Jiang Feixue shed tears again, but not wanting to make her mother even more upset, she tried her best to hold back: "Mother, it's getting late, you should rest early."
"good."
Knowing that her daughter was upset, Liu didn't mention her own poisoning at all, and the two of them rested.
Hailing and Yanzhi returned to Qinfang Courtyard together.
Rouge belatedly remembered something: "Miss, why did you say you wanted the antidote, but the First Madam said to wait until the General returned? Could it be that the First Madam doesn't actually have the antidote, and that the General has it?"
Hai Ling didn't speak, but nodded, gritting her teeth. "Jiang Batian, you damned bastard, you beast in human form!" She wanted to see if he would produce the antidote for Liu Shi this time, and to see how much weight the woman he supposedly cared about really held in his heart. He was a selfish and self-serving person; he wouldn't do anything that was of no benefit to him.
The two returned to Qinfang Courtyard. Du Caiyue was already asleep and looked extremely weak.
Shi Mei stayed by his side the whole time. Although she was a servant, she was very beautiful and proud, just like a young lady from a wealthy family. She was loyal to Xi Lingfeng and dared not make the slightest mistake.
Seeing that it was getting late, Hailing looked at Shimei.
"Miss Shimei, why don't you go back to your residence? I'll take care of my mother here."
She couldn't owe Xi Lingfeng any more favors; if things continued like this, she would never be able to repay them.
Lately, she has been wondering why Xi Lingfeng helped her. Was it for the Crown Prince, or for something else?
However, nothing came of it in the end, because she couldn't think of anything about herself that he could use against her.
Upon hearing Hai Ling's words, Shi Mei's beautiful face turned frosty.
"I was ordered by Your Highness to protect the Fourth Madam, and I will certainly not allow anything to happen to her. Your Highness, please go and rest. I will be here."
"this?"
Hailing wanted to speak again, but judging from Shimei's expression, she was a master who did not listen to reason. The kind of person who only recognized her own master would probably not listen to her even if she spoke.
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Miss Shimei. Rouge, let's go back and rest first."
She still has a tough battle ahead. Xi Lingfeng's words tonight are very important. It seems that if she wants to get out of this mess, she really has to defeat them one by one. First, she has to follow the royal family's wishes and marry into the Crown Prince's mansion. Then everything about her will be unrelated to the General's mansion. Then she can deal with the Crown Prince. If Feng Zixiao gets angry and divorces her or kicks her out, then even if they want to get rid of the Jiang family in the future, she, the one who is kicked out, will not be included.
Two days later, the capital began to be in turmoil, and rumors spread that the imperial family was plotting against the Jiang family because of their great contributions.
If the royal family does not release Jiang Batian and Jiang Wenhao, the Jiang family army will surely rebel, and if they do, the Great Zhou will be thrown into chaos.
For a time, the entire Great Zhou Dynasty was filled with unease.
In the Golden Phoenix Hall, ministers submitted memorials one after another, urging the Crown Prince to release Jiang Batian.
At this time, the Minister of Justice reported that the assassin who attempted to kill the Crown Prince that night had committed suicide in prison, leaving no witnesses.
As for the evidence of illegal activities committed by the Jiang family that the Crown Prince investigated, it was utterly insignificant compared to the merits Jiang Batian had achieved.
Crown Prince Feng Zixiao's face was grim, and he did not express his opinion in the court.
However, the Empress quickly intervened and ordered him to release Jiang Batian immediately. The Emperor was seriously ill, and if Jiang Batian were angered now, it would only hasten the calamity of the Great Zhou Dynasty. There would inevitably be resentment among the people. Moreover, the Emperor had several sons, with Prince Ning being the most outstanding. Furthermore, Prince Ning's mother, Consort Yun, had actually sent Princess Feng Yao to the Northern Dynasty for a political marriage, which in itself had garnered a lot of goodwill. If the Crown Prince were to act inappropriately again, a crisis might be imminent.
Feng Zixiao knew that his mother was right. The most important thing to do right now was to be patient and wait until he ascended the throne and consolidated his power before dealing with Jiang Batian.
The Crown Prince understood and immediately sent someone to inform the Minister of Justice that the Jiang family father and son had been released on the grounds that the assassin had committed suicide in prison and there was no way to verify the facts.
Who knew that when the Minister of Justice was ordered to release the people, the Jiang family father and son stayed in the prison and refused to come out.
Feng Zixiao was so angry that he flew into a rage. Finally, the Left Prime Minister Xi Lingfeng suggested that the Crown Prince personally go to the prison to invite Jiang Batian out.
Finally, the Jiang family father and son were released from prison, and the assassination attempt on the crown prince came to a successful conclusion. However, it further enhanced the prestige of Jiang Batian and his son, proving that the crown prince was still too inexperienced.
The Crown Prince's Residence.
Inside the study, Feng Zixiao smashed many things, leaving a mess on the floor.
The maids were so frightened that they hid outside, and the guards stood watch outside the door; no one dared to enter the study.
However, someone soon arrived; it was none other than the Left Prime Minister, Xi Lingfeng.
Upon seeing the Left Prime Minister arrive, the servants of the Crown Prince's residence finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly invited him inside.
When Feng Zixiao saw Xi Lingfeng enter, his face turned even uglier, and he growled in a sinister voice, "Xi Lingfeng, do you think I'm being too cowardly as the Crown Prince? The Jiang family is going too far."
"Why should the Crown Prince be angry? The Jiang family has deep roots and a long history, haven't we? Right now, what the Crown Prince needs to do most is to be patient."
"Endure, endure, are we just going to let them run rampant?"
Feng Zixiao grabbed something again, intending to smash it, but when she met Xi Lingfeng's deep and unfathomable eyes, she finally stopped, slamming her hand heavily on the table.
"One day I will get rid of Jiang Batian."
"I believe the Crown Prince will succeed."
Xi Lingfeng's eyes shone with a faint light, growing colder and darker, a slight smile playing on his lips. Feng Zixiao calmed down under such gaze, and the study fell silent.
Jiang Batian returned to his residence, and the Jiang family home became lively again.
The Crown Prince calmed down and sent people to Qinfang Courtyard in the General's Mansion. This time, in addition to the previous people, he also sent four more matrons to teach Hailing about the details of the wedding.
Inside the Jiang family's study.
Jiang Batian stared at his first wife, Madam Liu, and his daughter, Jiang Feixue, with a gloomy and unpleasant expression.