"The struggle for the Crown Prince? So soon?"
Xiang Yin lowered his head, muttering to himself. He was just a regular rchant, having passed the imperial examination this year, yet uncertain if this was good or bad. It would be hard for him to enter officialdom, sothing that still seed very distant for him.
However, he could still sense the intense turmoil within. The waves caused by the changes in the crown could easily engulf countless people.
"Grandpa actually gave Uncle Mu’s son the na Jing Rui, signaling to everyone that you are aligned with us!"
Qi Jingyu looked up, his eyes flickering slightly. This was the reasoning he could think of, but he felt that Grandpa might have another layer of aning.
Yet he racked his brains, unable to figure out what that was?
"Jingyu, Your Majesty is truly good to you, forcibly binding us together on a warship." Li Qingmu laughed heartily, holding Xiao Rui’er as he turned to leave.
"Today’s banquet was splendid, farewell!"
The news today was indeed shocking. Qi Jingyu needed to hurry back to report to his father and grandmother, thus he left swiftly.
Su Shi and Xiang Yin, along with his wife, only lingered for a short mont before leaving individually.
In the vast Li Mansion, only the couple and a few servants cleaning remained.
The moon ascended the branches, its light bright and clear as water.
Under a large locust tree.
"Is Your Majesty so impatient?"
Li Qingmu chuckled lightly, seated by a stone table, pouring wine for himself while taking small sips.
No one understands a son like his father, but knowing one’s father might also be best understood by their son. Qi Yun, fearing they would lose their target of hatred and be bullied, beforehand set them a small goal.
Forcibly binding them onto the chariot of succession, thus setting a goal for striving, thereby unleashing their combat power.
"So, from this event, Your Majesty is about to start reeling in his net?"
Long Yue had just soothed Xiao Rui’er to sleep and stepped out to enjoy the breeze, noticing Li Qingmu drinking alone.
"Yes, if I’m not mistaken, he’s likely about to reel in the Da Rong spies."
The Da Rong spies are preliminarily confird to be the interest group led by Pang Wenzheng. These people were not dealt with by Qi Yun earlier, aiming to cast a long line to catch a big fish. But after the poison incident at Nanyuan Palace, Qi Yun must feel impelled to act.
This emperor truly has the nerve, constantly experinting on the edge of death. With the poison incident erging, he should realize the severity of the situation, hence cutting through the chaos decisively.
Li Qingmu set down the glazed wine cup, looked at the petite woman behind him, his gaze sowhat worried: "Yue’er, he is ultimately your father. If I have to deal with him, I hope you won’t hate !"
Long Yue laughed, but the smile was cold: "What nonsense? This father, from the mont he caused my mother to die, ceased to be my father and beca an enemy! A Mu, I once said I would personally take him down to avenge my tragically deceased mother!"
"Good!"
Li Qingmu’s eyebrows relaxed, with Long Yue’s words, he could proceed with confidence.
The next day, everything returned to normal as Li Qingmu went to court as usual.
The court was filled with the sa old discussions causing him to almost fall asleep. This wasn’t intentional disrespect towards the court, rather he had to pretend not to notice.
As so were greatly displeased that Qi Yun nad his son "Li Jingrui," believing his son unworthy of the character "Jing."
Li Qingmu naturally couldn’t argue with that official, otherwise, he would be accused of ulterior motives, so what else could he do except pretend to be dead?
The courtiers envied and resented him, speaking harshly, but Qi Yun, as the Emperor, had spoken, how could he possibly retract his words?
Moreover, this was indeed sothing Li Qingmu deserved.
Thus, Li Qingmu acted dead, Qi Yun also feigned indifference, letting the courtiers make noise without responding until they realized it was futile and quieted down.
Just as Li Qingmu was about to doze off, suddenly urgent footsteps echoed outside, and a eunuch rushed in, even stumbling heavily at the threshold.
Qi Yun frowned, Chief Eunuch Chen Zhong scolded, and the eunuch hastily yelled, "Your Majesty, the harem... there’s been a major incident in the harem!"
The eunuch’s voice was naturally sharp and piercing, awakening Li Qingmu abruptly, as he curiously turned his gaze towards the eunuch.
"Speak!"
The Emperor’s icy voice ca from above.
"Your Majesty, in Kunyuan Palace... soone has died!"
Qi Yun was suddenly enraged: "Soone died in the harem, why report it to the previous dynasty? These matters should be managed by the Empress, isn’t that so?"
The harem is overseen by the Empress, the court by the Emperor, everything orderly, each performing their duties. Now, matters from the harem unexpectedly coming to the Golden Hall — what is that about?
Qi Yun was displeased, and the courtiers also showed dissatisfaction, all glaring at the eunuch.
The little eunuch knelt pitifully: "Your Majesty, it’s not that this servant doesn’t understand the rules, but... but... that person died too horribly, the entire harem is panicking, you... best check it yourself!"
Li Qingmu glanced at Qi Yun. He has just nad his son, and now the harem has incidents. Could such a coincidence occur?
He slightly lowered his head and stepped out: "Your Majesty, since there seems to be a suspicious case, why not let this minister handle it on your behalf?"
Qi Yun appeared displeased: "You’re an Imperial Envoy, not a Capital Governor!"
Those words were sowhat severe, implying overstepping bounds, but Li Qingmu insisted: "Your Majesty, should this truly be a strange case, Lord Zhao will definitely involve . Given this, it’s best I take the initiative!"
"Hmph, little brat, how conceited. Do you think without you the court won’t function, hmm?" Qi Yun bellowed, but didn’t reject his request, waving his hand to indicate he should proceed.
So noted Qi Yun’s impatience, murmuring whether this favored minister had beco too conceited recently, wanting a hand in everything and irritating the Emperor?
Unbeknownst to them, it was rely a mutual performance between the two.
Subsequently, Li Qingmu and Zhao ngran headed to the harem, reaching the scene of the cri.
"Mr. Li, Lord Zhao, here it is!"
Under a ginkgo tree, a palace maid hung suspended, bearing many whip marks and blood stains. But these weren’t the worst; punishnts in the palace were common. The horrifying part was that the maid’s head was shaved, with eighteen copper nails embedded atop her head.
Her face depicted agony and distortion, the copper nails were literally hamred in alive!
"This... what manner of death is this?"
Zhao ngran found the girl’s death too brutal, too terrifying, involuntarily feeling a shock and his scalp tingling, he instinctively stepped back, accidentally stepping into nothing.
"Boom!"
The dust flew, the air swirled, a large pit appeared beneath Zhao ngran, into which he fell abruptly.
"Ah, ah, ah, Lord Zhao has fallen in, save him, quick!"
Near the ginkgo tree, chaos erupted.
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