Chapter 166: The Bickering Couple

Chapter 166: The Bickering Couple

As soon as Qiu Huanian heard the rumor, he realized something was off.

The Crown Prince's illness was a big deal, known only to a handful of people. The eldest son of Prince Jin had just been born, and hardly anyone had seen him. Why, then, was the rumor so certain that both suffered from the same illness?

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Someone must be behind this, intentionally leaking the information to link the illness of Prince Jin's eldest son with that of the Crown Prince.

It was said that the Crown Prince's illness was not an illness at all, but some kind of rare poison. This conclusion had initially been made by Old Physician Gu, who had retired in Xiangping. Could someone have used the same poison after all these years to harm Prince Jin's eldest son?

What was the poisoner after? And what was the motive of the person spreading the rumor?

Du Yunse slipped out quietly and didn't return home until evening. After playing a game with jingling bells with Gu Gu and Yang Yang, he confirmed Qiu Huanian's suspicions.

"Prince Jin has yet to find a cure. Submitting the memorial and spreading the rumor is his desperate, two-part plan."

"So Prince Jin spread the rumor?" This explained why the rumor could describe the illnesses of both the Crown Prince and Prince Jin's eldest son so vividly.

Du Yunse nodded. "The poisoning symptoms in the Crown Prince and Prince Jin's young son are extremely similar. The difference is that while the Crown Prince has survived despite being sickly, Prince Jin's son might not make it past his first birthday."

"Prince Jin believes that the Crown Prince may have an antidote or some miracle cure to alleviate the symptoms. He wants to force the Crown Prince to reveal it."

"The intentional spreading of the rumor throughout the capital, along with the memorial corroborating it, is a means to pressure the Crown Prince."

After a moment of thought, Qiu Huanian understood Prince Jin's plan and where the "two birds with one stone" came into play.

Although the Crown Prince had always been sickly, he had managed to survive into adulthood and was known for his exceptional abilities and widespread reputation. As a result, most people no longer paid much attention to his ailment.

By widely publicizing this news, Prince Jin was effectively putting the Crown Prince's illness back in the spotlight. If Prince Jin's eldest son could not be saved, the question of "how much longer the Crown Prince has to live" would inevitably arise in the minds of his supporters.

Thus, to calm the public, the Crown Prince would have to do whatever it takes to save Prince Jin's eldest son. This was the first "bird."

Even if the child could not be saved, Prince Jin could then use the Crown Prince's short lifespan and inability to bear the weight of the state as a reason to challenge his claim to the throne. This was the second "bird."

Half curious and half reflective, Qiu Huanian asked, "Does the Crown Prince really have an antidote? Why are Prince Jin's son's symptoms so much more severe than the Crown Prince's?"

Du Yunse pondered, "That is likely what the poisoner also wants to find out."

Qiu Huanian hissed, "Using Prince Jin to test the Crown Prince?"

The poisoner wanted to find out whether the Crown Prince truly had an antidote, so they poisoned Prince Jin's eldest son, forcing Prince Jin to pressure the Crown Prince into revealing any clues.

What a clever way to watch the fight from the sidelines!

This scheme was almost an open conspiracy. Prince Jin was aware of it, but he couldn't abandon his eldest son. The Crown Prince was also aware, but he had to prove that his health was not a major issue.

The person who devised this plan must be an experienced and cunning strategist.

"By dragging both the Crown Prince and Prince Jin into this, the only beneficiary is the Second Prince."

But was it really that simple? Was the poisoner truly aligned with the Second Prince?

Qiu Huanian held his breath, thinking for so long that his brain felt starved of oxygen, and his temples throbbed. Du Yunse sat beside him, massaging his temples and gently kissing his forehead.

Looking at Du Yunse's calm face, Qiu Huanian's heart immediately settled.

The mastermind had thought a hundred steps ahead, but perhaps the Crown Prince had quietly calculated a hundred and twenty. He had to trust in Du Yunse's abilities, to believe that everything was under control, just as Du Yunse had always trusted him.

"Why doesn't Brother Hua continue asking?"

"I'm tired, I don't want to ask anymore," Qiu Huanian said playfully. "Just tell me what you can."

Du Yunse helplessly tapped his nose, hinting, "His Highness will play along with them in this game of chess, with moves and countermoves, making them think that His Highness is trapped in the game."

So, besides the chess game, what else is the Crown Prince up to?

Qiu Huanian suddenly remembered that during a previous visit to the imperial villa, the Crown Prince had once said, "Why not just flip the chessboard" when faced with a stalemate.

Flipping the chessboard... Qiu Huanian's heart skipped a beat, and he didn't dare to think any further.

...

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, the government offices in the capital reopened, marking the official end of the New Year holiday.

In five more days, it will be the Lantern Festival, also Du Yunse's birthday. In previous years, this day had been disrupted by other matters, but this year, with some free time, Qiu Huanian planned to celebrate Du Yunse's birthday properly.

There was no need for a grand affair with a crowd of unrelated people, but close friends and relatives in the capital should be invited to gather.

When it comes to friends in the capital, Min Leyi naturally comes to mind. Min Leyi enjoyed visiting and playing around, and he used to drop by Qiu Huanian's place every few days. However, during the days before and after the New Year, he had only visited once.

"Jiu Jiu, do you know what Leyi has been up to lately? I haven't seen him for quite some time."

Jiu Jiu looked up from behind the desk, thought for a moment, and said, "Brother Leyi has been helping his brother and sister-in-law with a case recently. He sent a servant with gifts a couple of days ago and mentioned it, but I forgot to tell Brother Hua."

Qiu Huanian nodded, "As long as he's okay. By the way, when sending the invitation for Yunse's birthday party to the Min family, remember to tell Leyi that Wu Shen will also be coming, so he should be ready."

Speaking of this, Qiu Huanian couldn't help smiling.

Min Leyi had always wanted to meet his idol, the young General Wu. However, Qiu Huanian had suddenly gone into labor before the New Year and had been recuperating in the maternity room, so he hadn't had the chance to arrange a meeting between the two.

The Lantern Festival and Du Yunse's birthday party would be a great opportunity.

Wu Shen's actual personality was quite different from what Min Leyi had imagined, and Qiu Huanian was ready to enjoy the show.

Meanwhile, Min Leyi, whom Qiu Huanian was thinking of, was currently "strolling" in the northern district of the capital.

He was wearing a dark blue cotton coat, gray thick cotton pants, a white cloth belt around his waist, a melon-skin hat covering his forehead, and a woolen scarf around his neck. Even if Qiu Huanian were there, he might not recognize him at first glance.

Min Leyi held a bunch of candied haws on sticks, took three coins from a couple of kids, and handed them a candied haw, his eyes occasionally darting towards the alley entrance about ten meters away.

That alley was where the Zhao family, the family of the councilor's wife, was located. Min Leyi's position allowed him to see the back door of the Zhao family.

Before the New Year, Min Leyi's sister-in-law, Ren Suyin, had suspected there was more to the case of the real and fake Miss Zhao. Min Leyi had then gone over the case files again, but the surface records showed nothing out of the ordinary, and no evidence could be found.

Not wanting to give up, Min Leyi and his wife were really curious, so whenever they had free time, they used their usual disguise skills to stake out the Zhao family, hoping to catch them red-handed.

"Hey, how much for the candied haws?"

"Three coins for one, five for two," Min Leyi instinctively lowered his voice.

However, the person who asked didn't say anything for a while. When Min Leyi looked up, his heart was filled with shock, and the next second, he immediately started running.

At the same time, his collar and scarf were grabbed from behind.

The person who grabbed him had immense strength. Min Leyi was pulled back, and a threatening voice gritted in his ear, "Little vendor, if you dare to run, how about I give you a punch behind the ear?"

"..." Min Leyi was on the verge of tears. After weighing the difference in strength between them, he obediently allowed himself to be pulled into a hidden corner.

The person who grabbed him blocked him inside, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow to scrutinize him. The face of the young man, who had met Min Leyi once before, was extraordinarily handsome.

Min Leyi held the skewer of candied haws across his chest, his voice faltering, "You, don't be angry. This is the emperor's domain, we all need to be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" The young man sneered, "Alright, then tell me why you ran from Xiangping Prefecture to the capital, and what you're doing outside the alley of the Zhao family's back door?"

Hearing him mention the Zhao family, Min Leyi was startled but feigned ignorance, "I came to the capital to seek refuge with relatives, doing some small business. What Zhao family are you talking about? I've never heard of it."

The young man stroked his chin, "Your explanation does make some sense, but—"

"Two years ago in Xiangping Prefecture, I caught a few itinerant performers who were trafficking women, and you suddenly appeared and almost knocked me out, then ran off without any explanation; today you suddenly appear in the capital again, right at the back door of the Zhao family, who are involved with traffickers."

"With so many coincidences combined, perhaps you're an accomplice of the traffickers, always causing trouble?"

Min Leyi felt like crying but had no tears, feeling utterly defenseless. He didn't want to reveal his identity to avoid spreading worse rumors, so after a moment's thought, he concocted an excuse.

"What happened two years ago in Xiangping Prefecture was really a misunderstanding. I impulsively mistook a good person for a bad one, it was my mistake, I apologize to you."

"As for selling candied haws here, it's because an official from the Dali Temple wanted to dig deeper into the Zhao family's affairs, gave me some money, and hired me to keep an eye on the Zhao family."

"Oh? Which official from the Dali Temple?" The young man didn't say whether he believed it or not.

"How would a small informant like me know? Anyway, it's a respectable official." Min Leyi naturally wouldn't reveal his brother's name.

Half of Min Leyi's face was buried in the scarf, feeling a shiver down his spine, inwardly lamenting. He had disguised himself so thoroughly that only his eyes were visible, why was he still recognized? It was just a one-time encounter, is this guy some kind of bloodhound!

To take a bit of initiative, Min Leyi countered with a question, "You've been grilling me for a while, now it's my turn. Who are you, why did you come from Xiangping Prefecture to the capital? You even know about the Zhao family and came here specifically, you're quite suspicious too!"

The young man found it amusing, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Me? I'm the Deputy General under Commander Wu Shen, following him back to the capital to present prisoners."

"Really? You're Deputy General Wu Shen's deputy?" Min Leyi's eyes sparkled instantly.

"..." The young deputy general was silent for a moment, "Why the excitement?"

Min Leyi waved his arms excitedly, the skewer of candied haws nearly poking the deputy general.

"That's General Wu Shen! A celestial general descended from the heavens! Brilliant and unbeatable, I love hearing stories of his great victories!"

"Ahem." The young deputy general cleared his throat, "That's just storytellers' tales, really, it's nothing special."

Min Leyi immediately protested, "Don't you dare badmouth your general!"

The mysterious deputy general's mouth twitched, about to say something, when he suddenly saw the back door of the Zhao residence half open, and a cart loaded with goods rolled out.

The deputy general frowned, gave Min Leyi a quick glance, and pulled him along.

"Come with me, no funny business, I'll handle you once this is over."