vstars Chapter 624 The idea of silencing the Crown Prince was swept away.
Chapter 624 The idea of silencing the Crown Prince was swept away.
Su Heng emerged from the court with a grim expression.
He turned around and went to Kunning Palace.
"Why did you do that that day!" Su Heng stood in front of Su Yunqing, glaring at her angrily. "I arranged everything, sent the imperial physician away, and all our efforts over the years have been wasted!"
Faced with Su Heng's anger, Su Yunqing became even more furious and accused him. "Brother, why didn't you tell me the plan? And what were your intentions in plotting this at the Crown Prince's wedding?"
"I didn't tell you to prevent you from being too soft-hearted, and the result was exactly as I expected."
“What’s the point of arguing now? The most important thing right now is to save the Crown Prince. Because of my service in saving the Emperor, His Majesty might tolerate me for a while longer. But I’ll be deposed sooner or later. Instead of trying to shift the blame onto me, you should try to save the Crown Prince.”
Upon hearing this, even if Su Heng harbored many grievances, he could only suppress them. Without the Crown Prince, everything they did would be in vain.
Because of Su Yunqing's sabotage, years of plans came to naught. His years of overt and covert control over the emperor had left him with absolutely no trust in the emperor.
He looked at Su Yunqing, "I wonder what Your Majesty's thoughts are?"
Su Yunqing looked at the person standing in front of her. In the blink of an eye, more than forty years have passed since they walked hand in hand in their youth.
The person he called his elder brother had long been corrupted beyond recognition by power.
Now all he cares about is power. He can use anyone and anyone can become a stepping stone for him to control the crown prince.
Yesterday's idea of keeping the Crown Prince silent was completely dispelled.
"The best approach now is to do nothing."
"Why?"
"His Majesty is already suspicious of us. If we do nothing, his suspicion will dissipate. The Crown Prince has been carefully nurtured by us for so many years, he will certainly not betray us."
Su Heng frowned.
Over the years, he has seen the depths of human nature and knows that the most untrustworthy thing is also the human heart.
"No!" Su Heng refused firmly. "No matter what method you use, you must tell him that he cannot say anything!"
Su Yunqing's face turned cold. "Brother, do you have any ideas? Because of this matter, His Majesty has been monitoring me even more closely. I can barely protect myself, which is my limit. I believe in the Crown Prince. If you don't believe me, then you should find a way to see the Crown Prince yourself. If anything happens, don't implicate me. I can still fulfill your great ambition."
"Please, brother!"
"see a visitor out!"
Two eunuchs flanked Su Heng, looking troubled, and cautiously said, "Prime Minister Su, why don't we wait until Her Majesty has calmed down before we come?"
Su Heng glanced at Su Yunqing, then flicked his sleeves and left Kunning Palace.
The footsteps faded into the distance until they could no longer be heard. Only then did Su Yunqing look at the two children in front of her and ask, "Has your master been sent away?"
One of them said, "Yes, Eunuch Wan has already sent people to take Master away for burial."
Su Yunqing looked at them for a long time before asking, "What are your names?"
The slightly taller and thinner child said, "This servant is called Ge Shun, and I am twelve years old this year. Last year, when Eunuch He left the palace, he saw that this servant was being bullied, so he brought this servant into the palace."
Another, slightly shorter and stouter man, mimicked Ge Shundao: "This servant is called Liu Fugui. This year, when Eunuch He was out of the palace on business, he saw that I was selling myself to bury my parents and brought me into the palace."
Su Yunqing's half-lowered eyelashes fluttered, and after a long while, she asked, "Is he good to you? What are your skills?"
Ge Shundao said, "My master is very good to us. He taught us to read and write, and he also taught us how to serve the Empress."
My heart stopped beating for no reason.
How should we serve?
Ge Shundao said, "Master said that the Empress loves fresh flowers, so we should often pick fresh ones for her to admire. The Empress loves to practice calligraphy, but she only uses Huizhou ink."
Liu Fugui said, "This servant is stupid. My master said that Her Majesty the Empress sometimes has headaches. He taught this servant how to massage Her Majesty's head to relieve her headaches."
Su Yunqing closed her eyes and instructed Liu Fugui, "Come here and give me a massage."
"Yes." Liu Fugui responded and walked to Su Yunqing's side, starting to press according to what Eunuch He had taught him.
Although the pressure was different, Su Yunqing could clearly feel that this was the same method He Dexian used to use to massage her head, even the number of circles he made was the same.
The faint jasmine scent emanating from her sleeves, in particular, made her feel exceptionally relaxed.
He Dexian knew that she loved the scent of jasmine, so he would always scent her clothes with jasmine, so that every time he massaged the Empress's head, she could smell the scent she liked.
Su Yunqing scoffed lightly, "That old man, he's quite thoughtful, he actually cultivated two useful ones."
These words sounded like a soliloquy, yet also like a speech directed at Ge Shun and Liu Fugui.
Neither of them spoke.
A moment later, Su Yunqing suddenly spoke up: "I'm used to calling you Eunuch He, so you two will also take the surname He from now on!"
The two exchanged a glance, then quickly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing upon us this surname."
*
Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, the Emperor asked Sima Changfeng, "Has the Crown Prince confessed?"
Sima Changfeng said, "After a day and a night of interrogation, His Highness the Crown Prince refused to say anything. Because His Majesty has not issued an edict, I dare not use torture on the Crown Prince, therefore..."
The emperor sighed deeply and said, "Keep him locked up for now, I will interrogate him myself tomorrow."
"Yes."
Sima Changfeng came out of the Qin Zheng Hall and encountered Su Heng, who had been waiting for him for a long time, on his way out of the palace.
"What's Prime Minister Su doing here?"
"Of course we'll wait for Lord Sima."
Sima Changfeng stopped three steps away from Su Heng and asked in a cold voice, "May I ask what brings you here, Prime Minister Su?"
Su Heng smiled and said, "Of course I have a favor to ask of Lord Sima. The Crown Prince is of pure and kind nature, and there must have been a misunderstanding regarding the assassination attempt. He has lived a life of luxury for so many years and has never been in such a sorry state. I wonder how he is doing in prison. I would like to see him."
Sima Changfeng met Su Heng's usual hypocritical smile with a cold expression, his words remaining icy: "Prime Minister Su has probably come to the wrong person. I obey His Majesty's orders. If Prime Minister Su wishes to see His Highness the Crown Prince, he must ask His Majesty."
After saying that, he turned around and walked straight past Su Heng without looking back.
Su Heng's face suddenly darkened, and he shouted at Sima Changfeng, "Aren't you afraid I'll tell His Majesty about your past siding with me?!"
Sima Changfeng stopped in his tracks, gave a cold laugh, and said, "I have already told His Majesty."
Watching Sima Changfeng's figure disappear, Su Heng clenched his fists until they cracked.
Su Heng never expected that Sima Changfeng would take the initiative to tell the emperor these things.
The emperor could actually tolerate this?
With Chu Yin arrested and the Crown Prince imprisoned, are all the efforts of more than ten years going to be in vain?
*
After reviewing the memorials, the emperor went to Kunning Palace.
When they arrived, they saw the Empress lying on a chaise longue under the eaves, with two eunuchs serving her.
The sun shone on half of her face, making her look exceptionally pale.
"Is the Empress feeling any better?"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Su Yunqing opened her eyes and immediately stood up to bow.
"I see you, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, you may rise. I heard you were awake, so I came to see you. How are your injuries?"
Su Yunqing glanced at her thickly bandaged hand and chuckled, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. The imperial physician said I need to rest for a while and I will recover. However, I'm afraid I won't be able to write calligraphy or play the zither for Your Majesty in the future."
As he spoke, a faint sadness appeared on his face.
The emperor looked at Su Yunqing, but showed no remorse for her words. Years of conflict had made them less like husband and wife and more like enemies vying for territory, inevitably leading to suspicion.
As for whether the Empress saved him out of genuine affection or for some other purpose, it remains to be seen.
"Were you aware of the assassination attempt on the day of the Crown Prince's wedding?"
Su Yunqing had anticipated being questioned, but she was still somewhat surprised by how directly it was directed.
Su Yunqing knelt down, and the two eunuchs behind her followed suit.
"Your Majesty, I truly do not know."
The emperor glanced at her, his eyes dark and unsettling: "You were involved in organizing the wedding banquet. Do you have any leads?"
Su Yunqing showed no sign of panic. "Although I participated in the wedding arrangements, I only issued the orders. The specific execution was handled by officials from the Ministry of Rites and the steward of the Crown Prince's residence. I am not aware of the details. If Your Majesty wishes to know, you may investigate further."
"Did I misunderstand you?"
"Your Majesty is wise."
The emperor stared at Su Yunqing, his eyes filled with a dark emotion. "I will have someone investigate this thoroughly. Take good care of yourself."
Su Yunqing, supported by two eunuchs, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."
At this moment, the emperor asked, "Aren't you going to ask how the crown prince is?"
Su Yunqing looked directly at the emperor, meeting his probing gaze, and said, "One is my husband, and the other is my son. Regardless of whether it was the Crown Prince's doing, I cannot interfere. I trust Your Majesty to make your own decision, and I also trust Shi'er's character."
Her nonchalant attitude ignited a nameless rage within the emperor.
He came to see the Empress today hoping to see her beg for mercy and panic, but he found nothing.
He's going to investigate thoroughly to see who's trying to murder him.