Chapter 294 Who Is behind the Repeated a.s.sa.s.sinations?“Is it related to Duke Xing’s Mansion?” the Empress said with a gloomy face, as if there was something dark and cold condensed in her body.
“Mother, it’s likely. Otherwise, as Madam of Duke Xing, why should she do that to a Miss from a small place?” Prince Zhou said with coldness on his face.
Both of them stopped talking at the same time, and the room was full of dreariest atmosphere. This was a problem that neither of them had thought of, so they could not figure it out in a while.
Duke Xing was a kind person. Despite his high official rank, he could be considered a nice person. He was also smooth and slick, without offending anyone or taking any side. The Empress and Prince Zhou had repeatedly tried to draw him over to their side. However, every time he rejected them and expressed his loyalty to the emperor.
Conversely, it meant that no matter who became the emperor, he was loyal to the emperor without taking any side.
Although the Empress and her son were not happy, they considered it just as well, because at least Duke Xing would not join any other parties. But what did the current situation mean? Could it be possible that Duke Xing’s Mansion planned to do something?
“Secretly sent someone to Duke Xing’s Mansion for investigation!” After a while, the Empress said with her face darkening. Regardless of whether Duke Xing’s Mansion was really related to the matter, the Empress thought that she must pay attention to Duke Xing’s Mansion…
No one had expected that the banquet, which was supposed to be held solemnly, just pa.s.sed lightly. There was no performance on the flower bed which had been set up. The Empress came over at the beginning of the banquet, and then left early with Prince Zhou.
Prince Yue and Prince Xin just sat for a while, turned a blind eye to the affectionate and shy gaze of the Young Madams, and then also left.
Regarding Prince Chen whose life was said to be uncertain, they didn’t even meet him at all.
The news of picking princesses for several princes at this banquet had been quietly spread among the aristocratic families, but just disappeared so silently, as if the rumor that had excited the aristocratic families before did not exist.
The banquet was supposed to be vigorous, but actually turned out to be flat. The reason for this was that the other incidents were too horrifying, and no one paid attention to the trifling love affair.
At the beginning, someone intended to a.s.sa.s.sinate Prince Chen at the entrance of the palace with the horse from Prince Zhou’s mansion. The groom committed suicide immediately after returning to Prince Zhou’s mansion. Later, Prince Zhou went to the imperial study to kneel down in front of the door and ask for punishment, and the Empress also went there.
Afterwards, Prince Yue was a.s.sa.s.sinated, and it happened suddenly on the way of Prince Yue’s return to his mansion from the palace. At that time, besides Prince Yue, Prince Xin was also in the carriage. Both of the princes were injured. Fortunately the guards risked their lives to rescue them so that they fled back to the palace. What was even more surprising was that Prince Zhou was also a.s.sa.s.sinated in his mansion at night.
The princes were sent to the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine one after another, and the imperial physicians all panicked. They were the sons of the emperor. No matter what happened to anyone of them, the imperial physicians couldn’t afford to take the blame.
In addition, these princes were all badly injured. The emperor temporarily ordered them to live in the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine. Every day, half of the imperial physicians took turns on duty in the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine, and none of them dared to treat it lightly in this period.
The emperor was shocked and furious because his sons had an accident one after another. The entire city was martialized. Even no one dared to make an idle talk on the street, fearing to break the royal taboo. Everyone only dared to talk about the weather or something else like that when meeting others and didn’t dare to spread the rumors about this.
The affair of w.a.n.g Yishu was concealed silently. In this case, who cared about the dispute between two little-known young madams. Although it happened in the palace, compared with numerous things that they needed to check in the palace, the affair between girls was so trifling.
Nevertheless, some people still cared about it. The imperial physicians of the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine were baffled. Since Miss w.a.n.g Yishu was sent to the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine, she had been randomly placed in the corner, but she remained unconscious and couldn’t wake up no matter what the imperial physicians did to save her. The imperial physicians had no choice and planned to ask Duke Xing’s Mansion to take her away.
However, accidents happened in the palace one after another, so she was left aside in the corner. Anyway she wasn’t a real Miss from Duke Xing’s Mansion.
In this case, who cared about her life?
Duke Xing’s Mansion had never sent anyone to pick her up, so Miss w.a.n.g had pa.s.sed out for two days in a corner of the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine!
Chu Liuchen was the first to arrive at the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine, so he naturally occupied the best courtyard in the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine. The incense was burnt in the room, and the ambergris, whose smoke was curling up, was only offered to the royal family. The tranquilizing fragrance came out from a jade-colored beast pipe at the window, pure and light.
Chu Liuchen leaned against a soft couch, looking lazy. He slightly raised his eyes to look out of the window. It was a good day outside the window. The suns.h.i.+ne was genial, s.h.i.+ning into the room through the window and making him look more vigorous.
Only Xiao Xuanzi accompanied him in the room, and everyone else guarded outside the courtyard.
There seemed to be a few people outside the courtyard, but in fact there were a lot of guards hiding in the dark. Everyone was staring nervously at these courtyards, for fear that something would go wrong. Several princes of the emperor were all in the Imperial Inst.i.tute of Medicine. If anything went wrong, none of them could afford to take the blame.
“How are those injured?” Chu Liuchen said with gentle eyes.
“Prince Zhou is seriously injured, and the other two princes are just scratched a little with nothing serious!” Xiao Xuanzi curled his lip scornfully. They had shouted loudly and made great noises, seeming to be seriously injured. But they were just scratched a little.
“Chu Liuzhou is seriously injured?” Chu Liuchen said casually and reached out elegantly to take out a book. Xiao Xuanzi secretly glanced at it and found that it turned out to be a medical book which seemed to be out of print. Wasn’t this kind of medical book Chu Liuchen’s least-favorite? When did he change his hobby?
“Prince Zhou is seriously injured indeed. At this moment, he’s still lying in bed and couldn’t get up. The Empress visited him several times, and she was very sad every time.”
Xiao Xuanzi reported.
“Which part is injured?” Chu Liuchen asked indifferently, s.h.i.+fted his gaze and looked gentle and innocent.
“It’s said that his arm was severely stabbed with a sword, and he can’t even raise his hand now!”
“It’s not bad!” Chu Liuchen said meaningfully.
“Master, what do you mean?” asked Xiao Xuanzi cautiously.
“I don’t mean anything, but just consider the troubled situation not bad!” Chu Liuchen seemed to be in a good mood, s.h.i.+fting his gaze with a bright smile.
“Master, since the banquet wasn’t held successfully, you won’t be able to determine your princess, right?” Xiao Xuanzi blinked and asked.
“I don’t need a princess!” Chu Liuchen seemed to be in a good mood, picked up the medical book in his hand, beat the table twice with it and said with a smile.
“But Your Highness told the Empress Dowager that day you consider the Second Miss Qin a good match for you, right? Besides, you risked your life to save her that day.” Xiao Xuanzi felt confused, raised his head and nerved himself to ask his master in astonishment.
Others might not know the situation that day, but Xiao Xunzi did. It was his master who asked the guards to save the Second Miss Qin. Their carriage was originally at the rear. Hearing that there was a traffic jam in front and the Second Miss Qin’s carriage was also in front, his master got out of the carriage and walk slowly forward.
His master had clearly seen what had happened to the old beggar outside the crowd. After that, the maid and the coachman left, and the horse rushed towards the Second Miss Qin. His master asked the guards to rescue the Second Miss Qin and told them to pull her over to him. Thus, the Second Miss Qin b.u.mped into his master so heavily that his mater pa.s.sed out.
From Xiao Xuanzi’s point of view, all of these indicated that his master liked the Second Miss Qin. However, his master told him that he didn’t mean to marry the Second Miss Qin. So why did he do these?
Xiao Xuanzi was a little eunuch who had entered the palace since he was a child. He grew up with Chu Liuchen as his henchman. But he really didn’t understand his master’s intention this time. His master had done all these and almost got himself killed, but it ended up with nothing definite.
Xiao Xuanzi considered his master had suffered losses. His master almost got himself killed this time. In view of his master’s poor health, such a collision might really make his master seriously injured. Xiao Xuanzi was scared that day that he almost pa.s.sed out. But it happened suddenly, so the guards did as they were ordered. Xiao Xuanzi had no time to object.
Seeing Chu Liuchen knocked out and fall to the ground, if it were not for the only sanity left, Xiao Xuanzi would be scared senseless. It was a serious incident.
“I’m still young, and don’t want any princess!” Chu Liuchen said lightly, without sensing Xiao Xuanzi’s messy thoughts.
“But Your Highness told the Empress Dowager that you consider the Second Miss Qin a good match for you.” Xiao Xuanzi repeated with a bitter face.
“So what?” Chu Liuchen raised his eyebrows.
“The Second Miss Qin is so outstanding. If Your Highness doesn’t pick her first, I’m afraid she will be picked by several other Princes!” Xiao Xuanzi thought that he had better imply his master from another aspect. His master didn’t seem like enlightened and might not know as much as a little eunuch like him.
However, thinking of his master’s health condition, Xiao Xuanzi suddenly understood. The Empress Dowager and the Empress had sent several delicate and charming palace maids to his master’s mansion to enlighten his master about s.e.x. But they were thrown out directly, and some of them were even decapitated. It seemed that he should think of a way to make his master accept the instruction from the palace maids who knew about s.e.x!
“They don’t dare to pick my girl!” Chu Liuchen said with a gentle and innocuous smile. The sun shone on his face, making him look as handsome and elegant as the heavenly fairy.
Only looking at his face, no one would feel how terrifying this handsome teenager was and how tyrannical and outrageous the meaning behind his words was.
Xiao Xuanzi shuddered. Looking at his master’s outrageously handsome face, he suddenly understood! It turned out that his master had expected all of this!
“Your Highness, what do you mean?” Xiao Xuanzi nodded and bowed unctuously with a smile.
“Have a look at that one over there and check if she’s dead. If she’s still alive, just throw her out. She makes me feel perturbed!”
“Yes, master. I’ll do it soon!”