This was also part of his plan.
To use Master Yunxing as bait to lure out Consort Xian—the big fish.
Tang Xing couldn’t help but nod in admiration. “Your Highness is truly brilliant!”
Shangguan Jue shook his head. “The clever one isn’t me, it’s Fifth Sister.”
If not for her reminder, he might still be deceived by Xiao Yun, dying from the bowls of poison she brought him.
Royal kinship was always thin; he and his siblings weren’t particularly close and rarely met.
Yet he never expected that there would be someone who genuinely cared for him.
“Tang Xing, didn’t Mother send over a box of Eastern pearls last time?”
“Yes, Your Highness. These Eastern pearls are extremely precious—even Her Majesty the Empress only has this one box.”
Shangguan Jue nodded and instructed, “Send them to Consort Chen tomorrow. Say they’re for the Fifth Princess.”
Tang Xing’s mouth fell open in shock.
What?!
Shangguan Jue turned to look at him. “Do you have an objection?”
Tang Xing immediately shook his head. “This subordinate wouldn’t dare.”
Still, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Since when did his master like the Fifth Princess so much?
He had never even seen them talk to each other.
Linqing Palace.
Consort Xian listened to her maid Hongyu’s report, her brows knitting tighter and tighter.
“Hasn’t Master Yunxing always been traveling? Why would he suddenly come to the capital?”
“And what about Xiao Yun? Has the Eldest Prince started suspecting her?”
Hongyu lowered her head. “Xiao Yun says the Eldest Prince is deeply devoted to her now and obeys her in everything, with not the slightest suspicion.”
Consort Xian let out a long breath and nodded. “That’s good.”
“On the day Master Yunxing enters the capital, send our people to intercept and kill him. The Eldest Prince’s illness must not be cured—otherwise, how will my Third Prince ascend the throne?”
Hongyu nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“What about the Emperor? Where did he go tonight?”
Hongyu shook her head. “His Majesty didn’t go anywhere today.”
Consort Xian pursed her lips. “That’s normal. His Majesty rarely visits the harem anyway.”
Hongyu hesitated. “However…”
“However what? Speak.”
There was a hint of impatience in Consort Xian’s voice.
“However, His Majesty went to Consort Chen’s palace for dinner again tonight—three days in a row.”
“Even when Consort Rou personally invited him, he refused and stayed at Consort Chen’s palace. This has never happened before.”
Consort Xian frowned. “Consort Chen usually keeps a low profile. Who would’ve thought she was so scheming?”
“Your Highness, then should we…?”
Hongyu made a slicing gesture across her neck.
Consort Xian let out a soft laugh, her thin lips parting slightly.
“Of course.”
..
The next day, Shangguan Sui slowly opened her eyes.
Only to find herself in the Imperial Study again.
She pouted.
【Why does Father keep bringing me to the Imperial Study? Once or twice is fine, but this is already the third time!】
【Wuwuwu, I want to sleep in beautiful Mother’s arms!】
【I really don’t get it—I’m just a three-year-old kid, my throat is still sick, I can’t even speak, so why does he keep bringing me here?】
Shangguan Lin, who was reviewing memorials nearby, couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard this.
He handed the pastries sent from the Imperial Kitchen to Suisui.
“Are you hungry, Suisui? Have some pastries.”
At once, Shangguan Sui’s eyes lit up. She grabbed one and started eating.
【So tasty, so tasty! The pastries the Imperial Kitchen sends to Father are ten thousand times better than the ones sent to Mother’s palace!】
【Hehe, if there are delicious pastries, then coming to the Imperial Study doesn’t seem so bad~】
Hearing this, Shangguan Lin’s lips curved into a smile.
His little daughter was truly a glutton.
It wasn’t in vain that he had specifically instructed the Imperial Kitchen to send the best pastries every day.
Shangguan Lin continued reviewing memorials. When he saw a certain name, his brows furrowed slightly.
“Lou Changqing… murder at a tavern…”
Hearing the name, Shangguan Sui suddenly froze mid-bite.
Lou Changqing?
Wasn’t that her mother’s younger brother—her little uncle?
It seemed the plot was still following the original story.
Shangguan Sui immediately grew anxious.
But her throat hadn’t healed yet; she could only make muffled sounds while frantically complaining in her heart.
“Abba abba—”
【Father! Little Uncle is innocent! He didn’t kill anyone!】
【It was the Marquis of Zhenbei’s son, Lü Yuan, who did it! He deliberately framed Little Uncle!】
【Lü Yuan and Little Uncle are the same age. They joined the army together, but Little Uncle achieved great military merit and far surpassed him, so Lü Yuan has always been jealous! That’s why he found a chance to frame him!】
【Lü Yuan is the real killer, but the Jingzhao Prefecture fears the Marquis of Zhenbei’s power, so they went along with him and pinned the crime on Little Uncle!】
【Under the Marquis’s pressure, the case was quickly closed, and Little Uncle was sentenced to death!】
【After Little Uncle died, Grandfather fell ill from grief, and Mother was so heartbroken she couldn’t bear it… soon, they all passed away…】
Hearing this, Shangguan Lin’s heart tightened.
Consort Chen would die?!
No. That couldn’t be allowed.
This matter had to be thoroughly investigated.
Shangguan Lin gently patted Shangguan Sui, who was still anxiously babbling.
In a warm voice, he said, “Suisui, don’t worry. Father believes Lou Changqing.”
Then he turned and sternly ordered:
“Prepare the carriage. I will personally go to the Jingzhao Prefecture!”
Jingzhao Prefecture.
“Lou Changqing, do you admit your guilt?”
The prefect lounged lazily in his chair, asking in a careless tone.
In the main hall below, a man in white knelt at the center. His upper body was tightly bound with coarse rope, yet his back remained straight.
Lou Changqing’s cold, handsome face remained calm.
“I do not admit it. I did not kill anyone.”
Prefect: “There are witnesses. What else is there to argue? It was clearly you who killed Xing Shao!”
At the side, Meng Tian quickly cupped his hands and said,
“Yes, Your Honor. I was there at the time—I saw it with my own eyes! It was Lou Changqing who killed Xing Shao!”
Lou Changqing said with disgust, “This Meng Tian is one of Lü Yuan’s men. He’ll say whatever Lü Yuan tells him to.”
Lü Yuan, dressed in fine robes, stood to the side lazily, a smug smile curling at his lips.
So what if Lou Changqing was highly skilled?
In front of the Lü family, he was nothing but an ant.
He could crush him whenever he pleased.
The prefect dug at his ear and spoke indifferently,
“The criminal Lou Changqing refuses to confess, but the evidence is conclusive. Therefore, I pronounce—”
Lou Changqing suddenly grew agitated, shouting out all the anger in his heart:
“Beat me to death if you want! Even if you beat me to death, I won’t confess! I won’t submit!”
“Lü Yuan relies on his father, the Marquis of Zhenbei, to run rampant in the capital! Every month, innocent people die at his hands—case after case, incident after incident! As the magistrate of this city, have you ever done anything about it?! Have you?!”