vstars Chapter 688 Whose Family Is It?
Chapter 688 Whose Family Is It?
"Grandson greets His Majesty the Empress Dowager and pays his respects!"
"Get up quickly, aren't you cold?"
The Empress Dowager instructed the eunuchs around her to help the person up, and at that moment, hot tea was served.
"Have a cup of tea to warm yourself up."
"Thank you, Grandmother!"
Zhao Hongsheng is no longer the same naive man he once was. Under the careful guidance of Minister Tong, he is increasingly resembling a prince.
The Empress Dowager was naturally very pleased to see this, but she still sighed inwardly when she thought of the absurd things the Fourth Prince had done.
Has this child truly changed, or is he suppressing himself to an extreme degree? Her old eyesight is failing, and she can hardly see clearly.
Although Zhao Hongsheng didn't feel cold, he was really thirsty.
He gulped down a cup of hot tea in no time, lacking the noble bearing of a prince but acting more like a great general.
"Slow down, slow down, it's still very hot."
"Hehe, my grandson is actually a little thirsty."
A palace maid offered the fourth prince a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, but it was too late; the fourth prince had already wiped it with his own sleeve.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager shook her head helplessly and dismissed all the servants.
"Alright, now that there are no outsiders here, say whatever you want."
The Empress Dowager went straight to the point, which caught Zhao Hongsheng, who had been thinking of his opening remarks, off guard.
He immediately realized what was happening and knelt down again.
"Grandmother, I have come today to discuss matters concerning the Tong and Ouyang families."
"Oh? What's going on between the Tong family and the Ouyang family?"
The Empress Dowager had lived in the palace for a long time, and this was not feigned ignorance; she genuinely did not know.
Besides, the Tong family treasure map was from a long time ago, so even if people knew about it, they wouldn't think about it in that way.
The Tong family and the Ouyang family have never had any interaction, so it's no wonder the Empress Dowager was confused.
The Fourth Prince briefly explained the matter of the treasure map at the Tong Family Poetry Gathering, as well as the treasure hunt by Ouyang Jue and the Fifth Prince.
The Empress Dowager frowned more and more deeply upon hearing this. Was the Fifth Prince Zhao Hongjing involved in this matter?
"Alright, I understand. But how come the Fifth Prince is involved here?"
"Didn't that treasure map get obtained by the Ouyang family's brat?"
"That's how it is. Ouyang Jue didn't have the ability to find the treasure himself, and he didn't want to trouble the elders of the Ouyang family. Just then, the fifth brother approached him to discuss cooperating on the treasure hunt."
One had a treasure map, and the other had manpower; they hit it off immediately.
The Empress Dowager snorted, "Hmph~ A perfect match? Instead of consulting with family, you cooperate with a prince you don't even know. The younger generation of the Ouyang family is truly getting worse with each generation."
Okay, continue. What happened next?
The Fourth Prince sorted out his thoughts, since the topic of Ouyang Jue's disappearance was about to come up.
However, he believed that the Empress Dowager, who had seen many storms, would not be emotionally affected by the disappearance of a junior member of a collateral branch of the family. She might be angry, but as long as it wasn't directed at the Tong family, it would be fine.
"Everything was going smoothly afterward, and it seemed that the exact location of the treasure had been found. However, in the last month or so, the entire team has disappeared without a trace."
"All gone without a trace? So many perfectly healthy people just vanished into thin air?"
The Empress Dowager only seemed puzzled, and there was no emotional fluctuation on her part. Only then did the Fourth Prince dare to speak freely.
"Yes, we used to write back to the capital to report on the progress. The Fifth Prince and the Ouyang family have lost contact with Ouyang Jue and the treasure hunting team for almost a month."
If you think letters and carriages are slow, then there are still carrier pigeons to deliver messages, aren't there?
Such a large residence as the Fifth Prince's mansion and the Ouyang family could not possibly have not trained carrier pigeons. Carrier pigeons can make a trip every three to five days, so why would someone be out of contact for more than a month?
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "So you came to the palace today to help the Tong family get rid of their entanglement?"
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was being straightforward, the Fourth Prince also got straight to the point.
"Yes, I dare not deceive my grandmother. Although the treasure map came from the Tong family, the Tong family did not participate in any of the subsequent events."
Moreover, using the treasure map as a prize was just a spur-of-the-moment decision by the Tong family patriarch. Now that he knows that the Ouyang family members are in danger because of a treasure map, the Tong family patriarch feels very bad.
We had already contacted the Ouyang family before, and if the Tong family needs any help in any way, they will certainly do their utmost.
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly. "The Tong family's attitude is not unreasonable. However, the treasure-hunting team's sudden disappearance is not as simple as it seems."
The Empress Dowager's gaze was deep, as if she were pondering something. "Fourth Prince, have you sent anyone to investigate the clues?"
Zhao Hongsheng said, "I have secretly arranged for people to investigate, but there are no results yet."
The Empress Dowager sighed softly, "This matter involves the Fifth Prince and the Ouyang family members, and I cannot sit idly by."
In that case, I will have the Imperial Household Department allocate some personnel to assist you in the investigation. Investigate carefully, and if someone is indeed secretly causing trouble, be sure to find the mastermind behind it all.
Zhao Hongsheng quickly kowtowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost to give Your Majesty and the Ouyang family an explanation."
"Remember, we are first and foremost members of the royal family, and only then members of the Tong and Ouyang families. No matter how far you want to go, you represent the royal family, not the Tong family."
The same applies to me. Today, I am ordering you to investigate, not as a member of the Ouyang family, but as the Empress Dowager of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Fourth Prince, you need to think clearly about what our royal family's motives are. You can help the Tong family, but you are not obligated to do so.
You can act as the Fourth Prince, not as the grandson of the Tong family.
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, "Go, and report any progress to me in a timely manner."
Zhao Hongsheng was somewhat taken aback. Could it be that the Empress Dowager was really not close to the Ouyang family, as rumored?
After kowtowing and accepting the order, Zhao Hongsheng stopped having any wild thoughts and respectfully withdrew.
After all, the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Ouyang family is not something a mere prince like him can interfere with.
Moreover, the Empress Dowager's lack of favoritism towards the Ouyang family is even more beneficial to the Tong family.
As for himself, he was both a member of the royal family and a member of the Tong family. He had blood from both families, so how could he possibly distinguish between them?
Therefore, he didn't believe that his grandmother could so clearly distinguish between the royal family and the Ouyang family.
As soon as Zhao Hongsheng stepped out of the Empress Dowager's palace, a trusted confidant of the Empress Dowager was waiting outside the palace.
Zhao Hongsheng was taken to the Imperial Household Department, which was not only for people who managed the internal affairs of the palace, but also for people favored by the Empress Dowager.
They were not needed for daily purchasing and arranging servants for the various palaces; they were the Empress Dowager's own reserve of talent.
Some are skilled in martial arts, some are good at gathering information, and some know medicine and how to make poisons. Of course, they don't reveal these skills in public.
The fact that the Empress Dowager allowed Zhao Hongsheng to take these people away and use them shows that she had a certain degree of trust in her grandson.
After all, this was a trump card in the Empress Dowager's hands, and she wouldn't use it easily.
Of course, there is another reason: it would be too conspicuous for someone from a particular faction to be associated with the Fourth Prince.
The situation would be different if it were a few unfamiliar eunuchs.
At least it won't attract special attention from others. Which prince doesn't have several eunuchs serving him?