"Did they fail?"
Liu Hao's face darkened when he heard the report from the spy who came back from Pei County.
The spy bowed deeply and did not dare to raise his head. "This subordinate saw with my own eyes that Xue Rui boarded the carriage with a young woman. She should be the one who sneaked into the restaurant two days ago."
Liu Hao's eyes sharpened. "She is still alive. Where is the assassin?"
"This … the assassin is missing."
"Missing?"
Hearing him murmur, the spy's legs softened and he knelt down. "Your Highness, please forgive me. After they left, I went to the restaurant to inquire about them. However, those people were all under the supervision of Xue Rui. They were not allowed to leave their rooms at night. They did not know anything. I only found some traces of fighting in their rooms. I guessed that the assassin was caught while committing the crime. So, early this morning, Xue Rui returned with his men."
When Liu Hao heard this, his expression became slightly better. Even though Yu Shu didn't die, Xue Rui had captured the murderer that he had arranged. As long as they searched for information, Liu Hao's men would be able to expose Liu Yi. At that time, he wouldn't have to worry about Concubine Lu's faction becoming enemies with the Xue Clan.
"Humph!" Liu Hao sneered. Liu Tan's complacent face flashed before his eyes. He thought in his heart, [You're just a little kid. You're not studying in the mountains. What are you stirring up when you come back to the capital? Do you think that you can rely on Prime Minister Xue's mansion behind you? You dare to compete with me?
I won't make a move. I will let the Lu and Xue family fight it out first. Sooner or later, I will take care of both of you. "
"Alright, go and do your work."
"Yes, I will take my leave."
In a corner of the flower garden, Liu Hao was left alone. He could hear him muttering to himself. "How did Yu Shu escape this disaster? Perhaps she calculated that she would be killed? Hiss, if that's the case, her Death Sentence Strange Art is not like what she said to others. She can't be left alive. I have to find another opportunity to get rid of her. "
It was late. Liu Hao was in a good mood. When he left the flower garden, he met the maid sent by Concubine Ning. He was not unhappy. Instead, he sent the maid back to tell her that he would be resting in the upper room tonight.
This Ning Wang Fei had been born into a scholarly family, but her personality was a bit wooden. She was only above average in appearance, so she couldn't enter the eyes of Liu Hao, who had read countless people. So the husband and wife treated each other with respect. The number of times Liu Hao slept in the study was more than the number of times he slept in the same room with her.
When Concubine Ning knew that Liu Hao was coming, she quickly dressed up and had the kitchen prepare tonics for supper. Two days ago, she had heard the news that mother-in-law Shu Fei in the palace had intentions of finding a cefei for Liu Hao. This was why she was anxious.
She had only been married for three months and there was no news in her belly. If Ning Wang Fu added someone at this time, if she won Wang Ye's favor, would her days be good? Therefore, the most important thing now was to quickly conceive a child and stabilize her position as wang fei.
This Concubine Ning hurriedly prepared, but she did not guard against Liu Hao stumbling halfway.
"Wang ye, wang ye."
Hearing the call behind him, Liu Hao stopped. Turning his head, he saw the steward of the front yard rushing over.
Liu Hao frowned. "What's the matter?"
"The, the people from the palace are outside the gates. The Saint has summoned you to enter the palace."
Liu Hao's right eyelid twitched violently.
Before the sky brightened, Yu Shu woke up. She was too tired when she came back yesterday. She didn't even eat a bite before she went to bed. The maids called her twice, but she didn't wake up.
When Yu Shu woke up, she asked about Xue Rui. Knowing that he hadn't returned all night, she woke up. She had the servants prepare hot water for her to take a bath. After eating something, she shut herself in the little study. She had Xiao Die guard outside the door and not to be disturbed.
Taking out the little green furnace, she added the Tihu Incense powder that He Fangzhi had tested into the bottom of the furnace. She lit a box of green charcoal that cost five taels of silver. When smoke came out of the cauldron and she smelled the refreshing fragrance, she rubbed her palms and sat in front of the furnace with three copper coins in her hand.
This divination was for Xue Rui. The question was whether his plot against Prince Ning would succeed.
To ask about the lawsuit, one had to know the zodiac signs of Xue Rui, Liu Hao, and Liu Yi. It wasn't hard for Yu Shu to know that the Six Hand Trigrams were inserted into the Eight Trigrams. Using the Six Trigrams in the Six Trigrams, there was an ominous sign. Looking at the Ghost Eyes of the Official Ghost, the Ghost Thief was activated.
In the Six Trigrams, the Ghost God was also strange. The thief was a thief, but it could steal wealth. Therefore, when the Ghost Thief was activated, it would be an auspicious sign. But if it encountered a villain, it would be an ominous sign.
When the result of this divination was out, Yu Shu smiled.
Xue Rui was the villain in this plot. No matter which one it was, Liu Hao or Liu Yi, they wouldn't be able to gain any advantage.
In the end, it was a personal divination. Yu Shu was much more at ease and didn't need to worry that Xue Rui would be at a disadvantage. In the blink of an eye, she saw the thinner and thinner smoke in the furnace and couldn't help but feel her heart ache.
Originally, one pill of incense was a small matter and could be used two or three times. But after He Fangzhi broke off some of it, she only did one divination and it was gone.
It really couldn't be used.
.....
The sun rose. From the Zheng Yang Gate at the foot of the Imperial City, a few figures dressed in court robes walked out. They didn't lag behind, there were old and young.
They stopped outside. Xue Lingnan, who had been summoned to the Imperial Study last night, bowed to the Supreme Court Official Guo Huai 'an and said: "Chengbi, this child, is impulsive. Fortunately, Jing Ming controlled the situation and didn't cause any trouble. Yu Xiong thanks you."
Guo Huai 'an and Xue Lingnan were both court officials and could be said to be good friends. Seeing this, he quickly held his hand and said with a bitter smile: "Old brother, you're overpraising me. Chengbi is also my junior. Encountering such a big matter, I naturally can't sit back and do nothing. Fortunately, His Majesty is wise and can distinguish right from wrong. But in the future, when I investigate this case, I will need your help. "
Last night, Guo Huai 'an and Xue Rui went to the palace together. He was mentally prepared. If this case was to be investigated, it would fall on his head.
Sure enough, after the Emperor's anger, there was news of the two princes confronting each other. Both of them said that they were innocent. Finally, the Emperor slammed the table and said —
Investigate. Official Wei, help Zhen investigate to the end. Zhen wants to see which unfilial son dared to harm Zhen's officials!
"Don't worry."
Xue Lingnan readily agreed.
The three of them parted at Zheng Yang Gates and each boarded the carriage that came to pick them up.
Without other people around, Xue Lingnan's cold face relaxed. He glanced at Xue Rui who was sitting quietly below and said: "Even though it was a bit impulsive, but this matter, you did well."
Xue Lingnan was a shrewd old man. Last night, when he entered the palace and heard Xue Rui narrate the matter in front of the Emperor, he knew what was right and what was wrong.
"Ning Wang Fu's death warrior token, where did you get it?"
Xue Rui lowered his head and answered: "Grandson accidentally obtained it when I was travelling."
When Xue Lingnan heard that it was a matter of the past three years, he lost interest in asking more. He stroked his beard and said: "Last month, when the court proposed to appoint a successor, Jing Wang had some support and Ning Wang urged him. This time, he had a good plan and wanted to sit on the mountain to reap the spoils. I think he was a bit impatient. His Majesty's body has been unwell recently and even though his mind isn't well, he won't allow them to act recklessly. Ning Wang or the Eleventh Prince, no matter who took the blame in the end, His Majesty would be more suspicious of them. In the end, the two turned against each other, which was beneficial to Jing Wang. "
As he spoke, he smiled and shook his head, thinking of something.
Xue Rui didn't speak more. The grandfather and grandson didn't continue to discuss the matter. It wasn't that they didn't care, but that at this step, they didn't need to interfere.
When they were almost at the Prime Minister fu, Xue Lingnan opened his mouth again and asked in a seemingly casual manner: "The yimei you recognized outside, the female fortune teller who can determine life and death. Find a day to bring her back to the fu and let this old man see her."
Xue Rui's eyes flashed and he raised his head: "Grandfather?"
Xue Lingnan's eyes looked at him: "Since she's an adopted sister, it's natural that she's legitimate. After I've seen her character, there's no harm in recognizing a junior so that you can burn three incense sticks and formally become brother and sister."
Xue Rui's expression froze, then he slowly nodded: "I'll tell her later."
"En."
Xue Lingnan withdrew his gaze and pushed open the carriage door. He was helped out of the carriage by the housekeeper who was waiting outside. His footsteps were steady as he entered through the main gate.
Xue Rui stayed in the carriage for a moment longer. He pursed his lips and looked down at his arm that was wrapped in thick bandages. The corners of his mouth gradually turned up in a sarcastic smile.
Xue Rui changed his clothes at home and then went to Wang Ji Lou. It was just past lunchtime.
Today was cloudy and cool. Yu Shu was sitting on a chair in the middle of the courtyard, looking at an account book. Seeing him come in, she put down the abacus in her hands and smiled at him: "Did things go smoothly?"
Xue Rui nodded and walked over to her side and sat down.
"Then why aren't you happy?"
Xue Rui turned to look at her: "Why am I unhappy?"
Yu Shu raised her eyebrows and moved forward. She stretched out a finger and gently touched his forehead, then his nose, and finally his chin. She said: "Here, here, and here."
Seeing her counting his entire face, Xue Rui couldn't help but laugh. His expression suddenly relaxed: "I'm just tired. How can I be unhappy? Did you have a good rest last night? Did you eat lunch? "
Yu Shu shook her head: "No, I was waiting for you. The food is still hot. I guess you're busy now, so you definitely didn't have time to eat."
Xue Rui's smile became more obvious. There was no one else in the courtyard, so he raised his hand and pinched her chin. He shook his head and said: "Good sister, your big brother didn't dote on you in vain."
Yu Shu patted his hand and rolled her eyes. She stood up and pulled his right sleeve to walk into the room: "I asked someone to get the medicine. After lunch, you should drink the medicine for me. Don't complain about the bitterness."
Xue Rui looked at the back of her head affectionately and responded softly.
After lunch, Yu Shu stared at Xue Rui as he drank the medicine. Seeing that he didn't even blink his eyebrows, she was somewhat disappointed.
She asked someone to boil the medicine early in the morning. She tasted it in advance. It was very bitter. She wanted to see Xue Rui's embarrassed face.
"What's wrong?" Xue Rui didn't know that Yu Shu was up to no good. Seeing her staring at him, he thought that something was wrong.
"I wanted to see if you finished drinking it." Yu Shu embarrassedly took the bowl of medicine and put it to the side. She then poured a cup of tea for him to rinse his mouth.
When the two of them were alone, they usually talked about things that were not known to others. Usually, there was no servant to serve them.
After a few times, it was easy for her to serve tea and pour water.
"Quickly tell me. Last night, when you went to the palace to report, what did the emperor say?"
Xue Rui swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and slowly told her: Last night, he invited Guo Huaian to the palace to meet the emperor. What he said in front of the emperor was the same as what he said in front of Guo Huaian. However, the one who handed over the two pieces of evidence was the always incorruptible and impartial official of the Supreme Court.
The emperor's anger could be imagined. On one side was an official who was killed by the murderer, and on the other side was his son who schemed. No matter which son did this, he couldn't tolerate it.
"Actually, I'm guessing that there's another reason why His Majesty is so angry. It's because of you." Xue Rui said. He purposely pointed out that Yu Shu was being targeted by the murderer in front of the emperor.
Yu Shu blinked and understood. She sneered and said: "That's right. If I, the person whose life is related to the world, die, not to mention an imperial son, even if it was a crown prince, he would have to roll to the ground."
These words were not false, but the precious one was not her, but Jing Chen, that great calamity.
Liu Hao had miscalculated this time. He wanted to get rid of her, but he didn't know that her life was not something he could afford.
"What did Ning Wang say?" Yu Shu asked again.
"He, of course, would not admit it. As for Liu Yi, he felt even more wronged," Xue Rui had a ruminating expression, "It's a pity that you weren't there and didn't see the scene of the two arguing."
Ning Wang and the Eleventh Prince had been called into the palace at the last minute and were completely unaware of the impending disaster. When the emperor threw the secret letter and the death warrior's token at their faces, they were stunned.
Liu Yi was really dumbfounded, Liu Hao panicked. The former was confused, but the latter understood.
"When the emperor asked about their crimes, the two of them insisted that they didn't do it. At the beginning, Ning Wang pretended to say that someone had framed them, but Liu Yi didn't appreciate it. Seeing that he was in trouble, he pointed at Ning Wang and questioned him, pestering him endlessly, saying that he killed Zhou Qing."
Xue Rui's prediction was correct. In the face of disaster, even husband and wife had to separate to protect themselves, not to mention the two brothers of the Imperial Family.
Thinking of Liu Yi pointing at Ning Wang's nose in the Imperial Study and accusing him with righteous words, Xue Rui felt that Ning Wang's red face was laughable.
"Last night, Liu Yi entered the palace alone and didn't know how to react. He only knew how to protect himself. When he returned and told Consort Lu, many people would think for him. I think that by now, he should have realized that Liu Hao had failed to frame him and would want to fight Liu Hao to the death."
Don't forget that the cause of the entire incident was because the emperor wanted to investigate the background of the Governor of the two provinces, Lu Buhuan, and weaken the Lu Family's local power.
Now that the matter had blown up, it gave the emperor an excuse. If Liu Yi took the blame, Lu Buhuan would definitely be implicated, and the Lu Family would be implicated.
On the other hand, Liu Hao had lost his trust in front of the emperor. In addition, the brothers were not on good terms. Even if he managed to escape in the end, his vitality would be damaged.
"Ha, those who do evil are doomed to destruction. These two people are not good people." Yu Shu rejoiced in their misfortune.
Xue Rui looked at her and found it strange. He asked, "Ning Wang is one thing, but I don't know, when did Liu Yi make you so angry?"
He didn't know that during the Shuang Yang Gathering, Liu Yi had snuck into Yu Shu's resting room with ill intentions. In the end, he had been beaten and threatened by Yu Shu.
"Eh," Yu Shu choked. She feigned innocence and said, "With his conduct, can't I find him displeasing?"
She didn't notice that her evasive expression had fallen into Xue Rui's eyes. He paid attention to it. If he investigated it later, there would be more complications.
This was a story for the future and would not be mentioned for now.
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