"Hmm, that resolves one of my questions, which is good, but what does that have to do with what I asked?"
"Yeah?"
"How did you know about this?" I asked, and only then did I realize that he had been there that day as well.
"Otherwise, why do you think we arrived so quickly that night? There is a unique medicinal herb in Xikou Valley of Lianshan. We said we went to collect the herb, but actually we followed the emperor at the master's behest, and sure enough, something bad happened."
"master?"
"That's Minister He."
“Minister He has always been considerate; letting him retire is also so that he can enjoy his retirement sooner.” I took a sip of tea, suddenly realizing that the topic seemed to be drifting further and further off track. “Are you avoiding my question? I’m asking you if A-Yu has returned?”
"All your questions can be answered by asking just one person."
"If I could get anything out of him, why would I need to contact you?"
He Mengyan slammed the soup bowl on the table. "Are you trying to get me killed? Don't you know who's going to be in trouble if they gossip about you?"
"So everything you just said was nonsense?"
I stared straight at him, and he got a little annoyed by my staring, so he simply dragged a chair over and sat down next to me.
"Just answer me whether the Arabic speakers are in the city or not, and they probably won't let you know anything more in-depth."
"The man is imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison."
"What crime could warrant being thrown into prison?"
"Now Li Mu is hiding in the shadows with his army and the command seal. As for Xiao Lianjue... do you know about his concubine?"
"Xiao Lianjue has a large number of wives and concubines. Explain yourself clearly, otherwise how am I supposed to know which one it is?"
“I’ve never seen her and I don’t know how to describe her, I only know her name is Baojue.” He tilted his head and thought for a moment, “I heard that the Crown Prince dotes on her very much.”
Could it be that woman who came looking for trouble without understanding the situation?
"Oh, and then?"
Do you remember when Senior Sister Zhiyu was injured by the Heart-Shattering Palm?
I nodded; things were starting to look promising.
"That woman is indeed connected to the Hundred Days Sect. You mean Xiao Lianjue learned the Heart-Shattering Palm from her, right? And Ayu also had ties with the Hundred Days Sect before. Even though the Hundred Days Sect was destroyed, they were still members of the same sect. We can't rule out the possibility that they had no contact. Besides, the time of his disappearance was so suspicious. Isn't his return this time just a death wish?"
"I don't know about that."
"Looks like you know quite a bit. Where did you overhear this?"
He suddenly glanced at me cautiously, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but didn't.
"Xiao Yuan."
I frowned. "Who is it?"
He gave me another meaningful look, "The one who likes to wear feathers on her head."
I blinked, and it seemed there really was someone who made me furious just looking at them.
"Damn it, even her brother has submitted to the Crown Prince. Does she think she can just stay here and settle down?"
"You were analyzing things so logically just now, but now you're letting your emotions get the better of you. Isn't it better to keep her? Tianchen probably didn't expect Xiao Lianjue to act so quickly, not even giving him a chance to take Xiao Yuan away. Now that Han Xuanmo and Princess Yaoxing are in the capital, even if Xiao Lianjue puts pressure on him, he won't dare to make any rash moves."
"This is because there is still a chance for things to turn around. If pushed too far, he will still demand the country's support and then turn his back on his family and friends."
He Mengyan stared at me for a while, her eyes gradually darkening, then she lowered her eyes and remained silent.
"How did that princess know these things, and why would she tell you for no reason?"
"Her brother is Tianchen after all, and she's not someone who's been raised in seclusion and is ignorant. There are some things she wants to know, and it's not difficult if she puts in a little effort. She chatters away to Shi'er all the time, even though Shi'er doesn't understand a word, but it's better than having no one to listen to her. No matter how cheerful a girl is, she'll still feel lonely when she's in a foreign place. Besides, she probably really wants to talk to the Emperor, but he's very busy, and I've never seen him pay attention to anyone except you."
I smiled and said, "You seem cold on the outside but warm on the inside; you're quite gentle."
"Don't laugh like that, it makes me feel really uncomfortable."
"That brat won't even take the sweetness I offered him." I immediately tightened my lips. He wisely stood up, cleared the dishes from the table, and turned to leave.
Am I some kind of monster or a demon? Hey, I haven't even touched my medicine yet!
I've been back for more than half a year and only now do I realize that the princess of the Celestial Kingdom has been living in the city all along. To be honest, I don't have a particularly deep impression of her, nor do I think she can threaten me in any way, but for a princess, she seems to know far too much.
I'm a bit tired after spending half a day like this. My energy isn't what it used to be, but my appetite has doubled. I ate something half an hour ago and talked to He Mengyan for a while, so I'm a bit hungry again.
"Xiaoman".
"What are your orders, Madam?"
"Prepare the sedan chair."
She immediately looked at me warily, "Where are you going, Madam?"
"Xianglong Pavilion".
She breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across her face, and obediently went to prepare the sedan chair.
Is it necessary? They're treating me like I'm some kind of monster.
"No need to prepare a sedan chair, go and serve the food."
Xiaoman was stopped by a voice as soon as she reached the door.
Someone arrives on the wind, bringing with them a cool, delicate fragrance; their brocade robes and flowing tassels exude elegance and wealth.
As soon as I raised my head, I felt a dark shadow loom over me, and a cool, fragrant sensation on my lips.
How are you feeling today?
"Hmm, that's a very accurate calculation. I happen to be hungry."
He lowered his head and took a sip of the tea in my hand.
"I was just thinking of coming over to have dinner with you when you arrived. Aren't you busy today?"
"fine."
Judging from his expression, you could tell he wasn't planning to talk about Arabic.
"Don't you think the past six months have been strangely peaceful?"
He sat down, picked up a piece of food, and then put down his chopsticks.
What do you want to say?
"Since that incident, Xiao Lianjue was originally the one with the best chance of winning, so why has he remained silent for so long? And what is Ayu's purpose in suddenly returning after being missing for so long?"
He frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, and looked at Xiaoman.
"Even if I force the person you taught to her death, she wouldn't say a word."
He pursed his thin lips slightly and sighed, "Let's eat first."
I picked up the bowl and stuffed a mouthful of rice into it. "I've eaten. Now, tell me."
He looked at me for a while, then waved for Xiaoman to leave, looking rather helpless.
How much do you know about Xiao Lianjue?
"Not much. I've never understood why Xiao Lianjue is still the Crown Prince even though Xiao Zongjiu has been on the throne for several years. According to the rules, if they like him, they should be granted the title of Prince. However, the mother and son who ascended the throne should see Xiao Lianjue as a thorn in their side and wish they could tear him apart. Yet they let him occupy the Eastern Palace without saying a word. It's too strange. More importantly, this is not in accordance with the rules at all!"
"...It's against the rules, so it's a long story."
Chapter 129
Do you know who Emperor Gaozu of Xiling was?
"I know, the richest and most powerful brothel in Xiling Kingdom!"
"puff--"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a mist of water drifted past him. The culprit, knowing he couldn't dirty the table of food, turned his head and sprayed water.
"I didn't say anything wrong. Even the cooks at Xihongyuan know this."
He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, probably because he choked, and coughed a few times before calming down.
"This... cough, was it your third brother who said this again?"
"That's roughly the idea, that's my own summary."
He nodded, looking like he didn't know what to say to me.
“Alright, then continue. Emperor Gaozu was known for his fondness for women, but that doesn’t negate all the shrewdness and methods a ruler should have. Unfortunately, his excessive indulgence ultimately led to his early death.” He curled his lips as he said this, “Of course, that’s just what people say. In reality, someone was forcing him to abdicate and seize the throne.”
Not entirely unexpected, but it was still rather cruel.
"Xiao Lianjue is indeed capable of doing what he says."
He smiled and shook his head. "It wasn't him."
I exclaimed, "Who else could it be?"
"It's not surprising that you would think it was him, but in fact, he was the least necessary person to do so. Although Emperor Gaozu was a womanizer, he treated his first wife, Empress Zhou, very well, and he openly favored Xiao Lianjue. It's clear that he couldn't escape the throne no matter what. In the tenth year of Ruifeng, the emperor fell seriously ill. The illness came on like a landslide and he recovered slowly. During the few months he recuperated, he handed over almost half of the country to Xiao Lianjue. Anyway, the country was going to be handed over to Xiao Lianjue. It was just a matter of time. So all of this seemed to be a matter of course. But the more a matter of course it seemed, the more anxious some people became."
The first beneficiary of the emperor's death would undoubtedly be Xiao Lianjue, as for the second...
"Xiao Zongjiu?!"
"Not entirely, half of it was forced upon us."
"What do you mean?" I frowned, then thought for a moment, "Could it be that Consort Li is the current Empress Dowager, she..."
He nodded and pondered for a moment, "It can't be said that she was too ambitious, but once she sat in that position, she became powerless to control many things. Later, Emperor Gaozu couldn't stand Consort Li's methods and had the idea of deposing her. If she didn't take action, she would be doomed. Not only would she not be able to turn things around, but her son would definitely be the first one Xiao Lianjue would target."
"What method did she use to force Xiao Lian to never leave the East Palace?"
"Have you ever wondered why the Hundred Days Cult disappeared overnight?"