When Nan Xuzong saw her look up, he kissed her red lips. "Empress Yao suddenly held a banquet in the palace. She must have ill intentions. We should deal with her carefully. It is not advisable to confront her directly now."
"Mm." Ji Wushang nodded.
The carriage bumped along as Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong left the Jinan Prince's Mansion.
Nan Xianxian learned from her maid in her room that Nan Xuzong and Ji Wushang had entered the palace for a banquet, and knew that this was her last chance.
Success or failure is in her own hands! Nan Xianxian approached the door and window, then looked at the people in the courtyard. She needed to avoid their gaze in order to complete her plan!
The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Garden.
At this moment, Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong entered the Imperial Garden. They saw that most of the people in the garden were concubines from the inner palace, but Huangfu Ting, Huangfu Lan, Huangfu Xuan, Huangfu Yu, and Huangfu Jing were also there, along with ministers or their children. Some were in twos and threes, while others were huddled together, chatting and laughing.
"His Highness the Fourth Prince and His Highness the Fourth Princess have arrived!" a sharp-eyed minister immediately shouted.
Several ministers nearby immediately gathered around, each with their own agenda, "Fourth Prince, Fourth Imperial Consort..."
Ji Wushang glanced at Nan Xuzong, whose expression remained unchanged, but who still politely replied to them.
Ji Wushang stood beside him with a smile, ready to do whatever he did.
Huangfu Xuan looked at them, his eyes darting around, and called out to Ma Ruyi beside him, "Ruyi."
“Yes.” Ma Ruyi immediately stepped forward. She understood what he meant, and the two of them went forward.
"Fourth Prince, Fourth Sister-in-law." Huangfu Xuan's smile was barely perceptible as he and Ma Ruyi stepped forward, and Ma Ruyi greeted them in return.
The ministers all bowed to Huangfu Xuan and Ma Ruyi.
Huangfu Xuan waved his hand coldly, and the ministers immediately understood, quickly making excuses to leave. It was best to avoid provoking this Third Prince Yama!
The four found a place to sit down, and after the palace maids served them wine and snacks, they all left.
"What is Empress Yao planning to do?" Nan Xuzong smiled, his eyes cold as he looked at Huangfu Xuan.
Huangfu Xuan's face remained stiff. "I don't know."
"Crown Prince." Nan Xuzong looked up and saw a group of people escorting one person into the Imperial Garden!
Upon hearing this, Ji Wushang's face turned deathly pale, and Nan Xuzong's heart also trembled.
"How is this possible!" Huangfu Xuan voiced the thoughts of the four.
However, Huangfu Yun did indeed enter the Imperial Garden wearing his crown prince robes!
“I’ve never heard of him waking up!” Huangfu Xuan’s eyes were sinister, and his large hand was pressed on the table, his face tense and cold.
What Nan Xuzong and Ji Wushang were worried about was that Huangfu Yun's previous fainting and becoming a living dead was their doing! It was Nan Xuzong who personally crippled Huangfu Yun!
But now, if Huangfu Yun wakes up, everything will change!
Huangfu Yun will not let them get away with this!
However, Huangfu Yun dared not casually reveal what had happened before! So much time had passed, and everything had changed beyond recognition.
Now, the situation is completely different... Ji Wushang's expression gradually improved, while Nan Xuzong was already very calm.
"Awake? Very well!" Nan Xuzong sneered. "This show is about to get even more exciting!"
At this moment, Huangfu Yun declined the congratulations from the ministers, pushed through the crowd, and walked towards Ji Wushang, Nan Xuzong, and the others.
☆、257 A little mishap amidst the good news!
Ji Wushang's eyes were cold, and Nan Xuzong lowered his dark eyes, placing his large, warm hand on her waist and helping her to stand up. At this moment, Huangfu Xuan pulled Ma Ruyi to her feet, and the four of them looked at the Crown Prince Huangfu Yun who had arrived in front of them.
This man had a pair of small, almond-shaped eyes that revealed cunning and treachery. He looked at Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong, paused slightly, then a smile returned to his eyes. "It seems this Crown Prince has been unconscious for too long; I have no idea what's going on!"
"Crown Prince!" Huangfu Xuan and Ma Ruyi greeted him first, while Nan Xuzong, accompanied by Ji Wushang, said together, "Greetings, Crown Prince!"
"Heh, all of you, sit down! Why be so stiff?" Huangfu Yun sneered. "Are you surprised to see me wake up? Actually, I was extremely surprised too! Because the person who attacked me was just too ruthless. His martial arts skills are probably the best in the capital! He was as fast as lightning and crippled me!"
Huangfu Xuan's eyes were dark and deep. He then looked at Nan Xuzong and Ji Wushang. At this moment, neither of them spoke, and both of them had no expression.
"Now that the Crown Prince has woken up, he has recovered, which is a great blessing for the world!" Huangfu Xuan smiled. Judging from the current situation, the ruthless person the Crown Prince mentioned must be Nan Xu Cong, and his actions were likely for Ji Wu Shang's sake... It seems there are many connections between them!
"Heh!" Huangfu Yun sneered, "I have woken up, but the murderer is still at large! I really can't swallow this insult! I wonder what Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law think?"
"Then this person should be brought to justice!" Nan Xuzong said coldly, raising his eyes to look at the Crown Prince in front of him. "I wonder how the Crown Prince was attacked by such a villain? Moreover, the palace is heavily guarded, how could a villain have committed such a crime against the Crown Prince?"
"This person's martial arts are too powerful! Naturally, he doesn't take the palace guards seriously!" Huangfu Yun sneered, his peach blossom eyes slowly shifting to Ji Wushang. "I still remember when I was unconscious, the Fourth Princess Consort was not yet married. I never expected that she would become the Fourth Princess Consort now!"
"I am honored by the imperial decree issued by my father, which allows Wu Shang to marry the Fourth Prince!" Ji Wu Shang said calmly.
Nan Xuzong smiled, "Now that the Crown Prince has awakened, I presume that your father and mother will choose a woman of suitable age from the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty as your Crown Princess!"
"Yes!" Huangfu Yun smiled, looked at Ma Ruyi, and then at Huangfu Xuan. "If Eunuch Liu hadn't told me about what happened after I fell into a coma, I really wouldn't have known that my third brother had returned to the capital and married Miss Ma as his concubine, and that the Prince of the South had become the fourth prince! Ah, these things have really surprised me!"
"Times have changed, things are naturally different." Huangfu Xuan picked up his wine cup and took a sip.
Huangfu Ting, who was watching them from a distance, immediately walked over.
"I wonder when the Crown Prince woke up? How come none of us knew? His sudden appearance has surprised us all! I wonder if Father Emperor knows about this?" Nan Xuzong looked at Huangfu Yun with cold eyes.
"It was only a few days ago! Mother was determined to give Father and everyone a surprise, so..." Huangfu Yun smiled, then stood up and smiled at Huangfu Ting who was walking over, "Second Imperial Brother!"
"Crown Prince!" Huangfu Ting strode forward.
Nan Xuzong and the others greeted him, and Huangfu Ting was also sitting among them.
"Your Highness, you have no idea what happened while you were unconscious!" Huangfu Ting said, then looked at Nan Xuzong and the others, finally fixing his gaze on Ji Wushang. "However, the most important thing now is to find out who caused Your Highness to fall into a coma!"
“That’s right!” Huangfu Yun looked coldly at everyone. “However, I don’t remember what happened back then, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on this matter!”
Ji Wushang sneered inwardly, "So it was an imposter after all!"
Let's see how long you can keep lying to people!
Ji Wushang smiled slightly, "Of course, although some time has passed, we must not let those murderers get away with it!"
"Oh, Fourth Sister-in-law has an idea?" Huangfu Yun's eyes swept over Ji Wushang, looking him up and down.
Nan Xuzong's eyes darkened.
Ji Wushang's smile faded, and she said expressionlessly, "No, these are matters of the Imperial Household Department. How can a woman like me, Wushang, get involved in politics?"
"Fourth sister-in-law is exceptionally intelligent; she will surely come up with some good ideas," Huangfu Ting said. "However, it seems I've heard that quite a few things have happened at the Prince of Jin's residence recently?"
"How could they even bring this up!" Ji Wushang rolled his eyes at him, then put on a gentle smile. "I wonder where you heard this, Second Brother? Or is it just hearsay?"
"Well, I'm afraid that's not related. It's just that my fourth brother and sister-in-law are staying at the Prince of Jin'nan's residence for a while, and I'm worried that what happened there might be detrimental to them! That's why I'm asking," Huangfu Ting said.
Nan Xuzong placed his hand on Ji Wushang's waist and smiled wickedly, "The Jin Nan Prince's Mansion is unharmed, thank you for your concern, Second Prince!"
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Ting smiled, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes, and said nothing more.
Huangfu Yun glanced at Huangfu Ting, then at Huangfu Xuan and the others, and said, "I'm going out for a walk first! You guys chat!"
All five bowed, and Huangfu Ting, seeing their silence, knew that staying here would be pointless. Seeing that they had nothing else to do, he made an excuse and left.
After everyone had left, Ji Wushang tugged at Nan Xuzong's hand on her waist. Nan Xuzong glanced at her and said to Huangfu Xuan and Ma Ruyi, "Let's go for a walk first."
"Mm." Huangfu Xuan nodded.
Nan Xuzong took Ji Wushang's hand and walked out. After making sure no one was paying attention to them, he asked, "Did you discover something?"
“Yes,” Ji Wushang said. “Let’s sit over there.” There was a small pavilion not far from them. The Imperial Garden was quite large, with pavilions, terraces, and small ponds, each with its own style, allowing people to appreciate the charm of art while enjoying themselves, and also providing some secluded places.
Nan Xuzong sat there with her, and he pulled her into his arms. The two snuggled together, like mandarin ducks with intertwined necks.
"Tell me," Nan Xuzong gently stroked her hair, his tone very tender, "Is there something wrong with the Crown Prince?"
"You knew too?" Ji Wushang immediately turned to look at him, but then glanced around. "Could someone be eavesdropping on our conversation?"
"No," Nan Xuzong laughed. "My Shadow Strike will clear out everyone around here."
"Hmm." Ji Wushang was relieved, but immediately said seriously, "I feel that the crown prince is a fake!"
"Hmm?" Nan Xuzong looked at her with a smile. "Go on."
“To be honest, when I first saw him suddenly appear, I was very scared. Because, as you know, what happened back then, and you crippled him. If he suddenly appeared, wouldn’t it be to take revenge on us? But, I slowly realized that this crown prince was too pretentious and not natural at all!” Ji Wushang recalled. “As soon as he approached us, he asked us if we were very surprised. I felt that this was a way of covering up the truth! Even if we were surprised, it shouldn’t be the crown prince who said it first.”
“Your analysis is correct. Indeed, this crown prince is an imposter, and it is a scheme by Empress Yao and the second prince!” Nan Xuzong laughed. “Tell me more about the suspicious parts, and perhaps we can find some countermeasures.”
"Secondly, he mentioned that Eunuch Liu told him what happened after he fell into a coma, but as far as I know, there aren't many eunuchs with the surname Liu in the palace, and only the Grand Eunuch Situ Yude and Li Longcheng are close to the Crown Prince. These two form two factions in the inner court, but none of the favored eunuchs and officials have the surname Liu! So, this doesn't quite fit!"
Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong, her red lips slightly moving. "The most important point is that the Crown Prince's birth mother is not Empress Yao, so naturally he is not on good terms with the Second Prince. However, just now, the Second Prince clearly came to check the situation because he was afraid that the fake Crown Prince would be exposed. During the conversation, after the Second Prince arrived, the fake Crown Prince repeatedly looked at the Second Prince's expression and acted accordingly. This clearly shows that there must be a problem!"
Nan Xuzong smiled and embraced her, gently stroking her nose. "You're so smart, and so meticulous. Indeed, these things prove that the Crown Prince is an imposter. As you said, I was also surprised when I saw the Crown Prince enter the Imperial Garden. After all, I was afraid that I hadn't done things cleanly enough and hadn't succeeded in deposing the Crown Prince! But later, I observed his words and actions, and this wasn't the Crown Prince's character. Moreover, he was deliberately trying to imitate the Crown Prince's mannerisms, but he clearly wasn't quite right."
“I once secretly sneaked into the Crown Prince’s palace and examined his condition with gold thread. There is absolutely no chance that he will wake up!” Nan Xuzong said. “Therefore, I suspect that Empress Yao had several purposes in sending someone to impersonate the Crown Prince.”
"What is your purpose?" Ji Wushang asked, looking at him.
“We’ll know in three days, and I need to make some preparations.” Nan Xuzong kissed her cheek. “You don’t need to worry.”
"Why don't we give him a try!" Ji Wushang looked into his eyes. "What do you think?"
"I'll listen to you." Nan Xuzong smiled at her.
Huangfu Xuan and Ma Ruyi remained seated at the table. Ma Ruyi looked at him, unsure of what to say. Neither her father nor her brother had given her any instructions, so she had no idea what to do and could only look at Huangfu Xuan.
However, when Huangfu Xuan turned his head, Ma Ruyi immediately turned her head to look elsewhere.
Huangfu Xuan placed his hand on her waist and pulled her directly towards him. Ma Ruyi felt her face burning and hurriedly looked around at the people. She had the illusion that many people were staring at her and Huangfu Xuan...
"Don't do that, lots of people are watching!" Ma Ruyi whispered in protest.
"What if I said I wanted it this way?" Huangfu Xuan's cold expression remained unchanged, but looking at Ma Ruyi's flushed face, he felt a perverted urge. He just liked doing this in front of everyone!
“Third Prince…” she frowned slightly.
"What instructions did your father give you? Hmm? To poison me or to poison the emperor?" Huangfu Xuan asked without further ado, pulling her into his arms.
Ma Ruyi was taken aback and looked at him. "I... I didn't!" Why was he doubting her again?
"Heh!" Huangfu Xuan pushed her onto the stone bench in the next second. "Or did they think you had no use and discarded you?"
"Why do you think I'm that kind of person? Do you also want me to be that kind of person? Do you also want me to become the villain who comes to kill you and take everything away from you?" Ma Ruyi looked at him with slightly hurt eyes.
Just then, several daughters of officials walked in from outside. These women all wanted to marry into the royal family, but they had failed to become princesses at the last imperial concubine selection banquet. So, they needed to seize this opportunity!
If Huangfu Xuan takes a fancy to one or two of them, he only needs to ask, and those one or two will surely become his concubines! What is Ma Ruyi? She's just a vixen! I can do it too! As long as Huangfu Xuan likes her!
"Your Highness..." Several ladies from official families came forward to greet Huangfu Xuan.