The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me!

Chapter 567: Feeling Out of Place?

The Emperor squinted his eyes and asked, "And then you came back?"

The Hidden Guard bowed his head and replied, "I dared not get any closer. However, I did not return immediately. I kept my distance and observed for a while. The Prince Cheng and his wife gave the little beggar a silver note worth a thousand taels and joyfully took the Princely Heir onto the carriage, returning to Prince Cheng Mansion. Only then did I come back to report!"

The Emperor responded, "Go and tend to your wounds!"

Back then, he favored Old Fifth and even gave him one of the rare Heart Cleansing Pills. Old Fifth gave it to his beloved eldest son, and because of that, the Heart Cleansing Pill saved Huangfu Jingchen’s life. This indeed seemed possible.

His Hidden Guard unintentionally stumbled upon this, so it should be true.

After all, his Hidden Guard only passed by. If he had known beforehand, one could say it was staged. But since it was a coincidence, it certainly wasn’t an act!

Originally, he had doubts about Old Fifth, but now it seems those doubts can be dispelled.

This Old Fifth, though often worrisome, is, in another respect, the least worrisome.

If he were like those among Old Third, coveting that position with various schemes, given his talents, the person he favored wouldn’t stand a chance.

But is he truly indifferent? Which son would not be tempted by that position?

It’s said that Old Fifth dominates Yunzhou. Now his fiefdom is as solid as a rock. Could it be that Old Fifth plans to use Yunzhou as a foundation?

In the 685th year of the Tianqian calendar, there was a Vassal King who recruited troops and amassed strength in his Vassal Land. When the new emperor ascended and the regime was unsteady, he suddenly launched a coup, seizing the new emperor’s throne.

Old Fifth has this capability!

Thinking of this, the Emperor’s eyes turned somewhat sinister, and he decided to watch and wait.

He lowered his head and turned his attention back to the memorials, preparing to review them when Eunuch Feng came in and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Cheng and his wife request an audience!"

So soon?

Judging by the time, after the Hidden Guard saw the Prince Cheng and his wife taking Huangfu Jingchen back to Prince Cheng Mansion and came to report, they shouldn’t have been back at the mansion for long, should they?

Why are they so eager to enter the palace now?

The Emperor said, "Announce them!"

What the Hidden Guard saw was all true.

However, it wasn’t just a coincidence.

Once outside the courtyard and on the carriage, the unconscious Huangfu Jingchen opened his eyes. The Emperor had always ordered people to keep an eye on the movements of several princes, albeit secretly. However, both Prince Cheng and his wife weren’t weak in martial arts and had long been aware.

Since the Emperor had so many Hidden Guards outside, randomly using one wasn’t a problem.

Regarding Huangfu Jingchen’s disappearance, they seized the opportunity to make Old Third suffer a big loss. The Emperor showed favoritism towards Old Third and demoted him from Crown Prince to Commandery Prince, which was a lesson.

Making Old Third pay a price, even a life for a life?

Not to mention, Huangfu Jingchen didn’t die. Even if he were really unfortunate and got killed, the Emperor wouldn’t allow Old Third to pay with his life or prevent them from continuing. They could only use their own methods to make Old Third pay the price.

Initially, upon hearing the news from Prince Cheng Mansion about the Princely Heir being in trouble, both of them were determined to overcome any obstacle, ready to set off for the Capital City immediately. But soon, another source conveyed this news.

The Prince Cheng couple realized something was amiss. They wanted revenge for Jingchen but also needed to know how many were involved in this affair. Anyone related had to be exposed.

The person who sent the information to them likely had ulterior motives, yet the Prince Cheng couple set off immediately, albeit in disguise, while simultaneously sending a memorial for permission to enter the Capital via an express courier.

When the Emperor dispatched the Royal Flying Eagle with the decree allowing entry to Prince Cheng Mansion, Prince Cheng was already in the Capital. In accordance with Prince Cheng’s instructions, the mansion promptly organized three hundred soldiers and five carriages to journey day and night to the Capital.

No matter how fast they traveled, they would pass through markets along the way. Inside the carriages were people from Prince Cheng Mansion, posing as the Prince Cheng couple. The Emperor’s Hidden Guards were everywhere; if it were discovered that Prince Cheng and his wife were not present, wouldn’t it confirm Prince Zhuang’s claims?

When Prince Li and his entourage were ordered to leave the city to greet them, Prince Cheng and his wife were already inside the city. However, they had their ways to leave the city, replace the false Prince Cheng couple, and meet Prince Li’s party at the tea house.

Only then did Prince Cheng and his wife openly appear in the Capital City.

Now that Old Third had been punished, with Jingchen brought back to Prince Cheng Mansion, it also explained why the commotion in the city was so great, leading to the Emperor severely punishing and dethroning the Crown Prince, yet Huangfu Jingchen had not shown up.

Severely injured and weak, prone to fainting, he had been recuperating. This reason was sufficient.

The Hidden Guard’s unintentional "discovery" was naturally more convincing than anything they could say.

In the Diligent Governance Hall, the Emperor looked at Prince Cheng and his wife, twitching at the corners of his mouth, "What? You want to return to Yunzhou?"

They had just found Huangfu Jingchen, yet they wasted no time, rushing to the palace to bid farewell. He furrowed his brow, "You say you found Jingchen, but he hasn’t recovered yet. How can he endure the long journey?"

Prince Cheng said, "It’s alright. We can take it slowly on the way, allowing him to recuperate as we travel!"

Although there was previously an edict requiring the sons of Vassal Kings to remain in the Capital, that was devised by Prince Zhuang, who was no longer the Crown Prince. Moreover, since Huangfu Jingchen had not recovered from his severe injury, proposing to bring him back to Yunzhou as well seemed reasonable!

The Emperor’s gaze flitted across them, and he slowly said, "You’ve lived in Yunzhou so long, and everything in the Capital must feel unfamiliar now. It’s a good opportunity to get reacquainted with the Capital; why rush to leave?"

The Consort Cheng Lu Qianxue smiled and said, "Father, precisely because everything here feels unfamiliar, living in the Capital gives a sense of not fitting in. We would rather return to familiar Yunzhou, where we feel at home!"

The Emperor mused, "..."

Feel at home in Yunzhou?

Uncomfortable in the Capital?

What was she saying?

This Princess of Old Fifth spoke candidly; if he were to argue, he’d die of frustration!

Prince Cheng added, "Father, while I do wish to honor you by staying by your side, you have many sons, so you won’t miss one. Moreover, I’m too straightforward and often irritate you, Father; it would be better for us to return to Yunzhou. That way, you won’t be troubled by seeing us!"

The Emperor thought, "..."

He’d like to think so, but would the Prince Cheng couple have such insight? They must have other thoughts!

He glanced at the Old Fifth couple, their eyes sincere and full of hope, seemingly eager for him to immediately give the order so they could swiftly return to Yunzhou.

Could it be that this Old Fifth couple held deeper feelings for their fiefdom Yunzhou than for the Capital? It wasn’t that, of course; rather, they had tended to Yunzhou for over twenty years. It was their domain, unlike the Capital!

No matter if he thought of them as akin to the usurper from the Tianqian history, he must guard against potential problems before they arise.