Chapter 309 The Crown Prince Arrives

Chapter 309: The Crown Prince Arrives

The crowd's attention shifted to Eunuch Xue, and Deputy Palace Commander Yang Zhen and Prince Fu briefly exchanged glances before looking away.

Prince Fu gave an almost imperceptible smirk.

Yang Zhen had done well, dragging the Heir of Prince Kang into this. Prince Kang would inevitably step forward to defend his son. And the easiest way to get Ling Yun off the hook was to point out someone who had made an even greater mistake.

Without a doubt, that was Xue Quan, who had introduced Master Miaoqing to the Emperor.

If all went smoothly with the Crown Prince, he should have been tricked and killed by now. Once the Fifth Prince was placed on the throne, there would be ready-made charges to send Xue Quan and his son Xue Han to their deaths.

As for what came after—Prince Fu raised an eyebrow.

A child emperor would be easy to manipulate and control.

While everyone was focused on Xue Quan, Princess Rongning, from an inconspicuous corner, kept her eyes on Prince Fu.

When she caught the subtle change in his expression, a chill ran through her heart.

She did not understand the ways of governance or the struggle for power. In such a chaotic situation, she could not tell who was aligned with whom, or who opposed whom. But she could read the emotions behind her father’s shifting expressions.

Her father was pleased by the Emperor’s death.

He had always spoken of his respect and devotion to the Emperor, always talked about sharing the Emperor’s burdens. Yet now that the Emperor had passed, her father was actually happy!

This realization sent a shiver down Princess Rongning’s spine.

What did her father intend to do?

If his past show of loyalty to the Emperor had been false, and he was already a prince of the blood, what was his goal?

Usurpation...

As soon as this thought surfaced, Princess Rongning’s heart trembled as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.

She was the only daughter of Prince Fu’s household, the apple of her parents' eyes. Yet her father had voluntarily offered her to marry abroad in the princess's stead, just to earn gratitude and a good reputation from the Emperor.

The perplexing pain and anguish that had haunted her finally found an answer.

He needed the Emperor’s favor and trust to become one of the four regent ministers, and he needed a reputation for benevolence to win over civil and military officials willing to serve him.

Having glimpsed Prince Fu’s true intentions, Princess Rongning’s eyelashes fluttered, barely suppressing the rage surging within her heart.

Greedy and hypocritical—that was what her father was.

What should she do?

Princess Rongning instinctively looked toward Qiu Heng, meeting a pair of clear, sharp eyes.

Embarrassed, she averted her gaze. Her heart churned: A Heng knows. A Heng already knows my father’s true face!

At that moment, Princess Rongning felt utterly ashamed.

“Eunuch Xue, you were the Emperor’s most trusted eunuch, yet you introduced this evil Taoist to His Majesty, coaxing him into taking those potent medicines. What do you have to say for yourself?” Minister Lü asked coldly.

Xue Quan’s face was streaked with tears. “After the Lantern Festival, His Majesty fell ill and grew increasingly fond of listening to Taoist lectures on the Way. In those days, many Taoist masters were brought to the palace to lecture. His Majesty had heard of Master Miaoqing and personally mentioned him, so I arranged for Master Miaoqing to enter the palace. Heaven is my witness, I had no selfish motive.”

Xue Quan’s words were slightly embellished.

He indeed had no selfish motive, but it was false that Emperor Jingping had brought up Master Miaoqing first.

Xue Quan grieved the Emperor’s death, but he also valued his own life and wanted to put up a fight.

Minister Lü looked at Xue Quan with disgust. “Even if you had no selfish motive, did you not carefully examine the so-called miraculous medicines the evil Taoist offered before giving them to His Majesty? That was a dereliction of duty!”

“Who says I didn’t!” Xue Quan wiped his tears. “I secretly asked Imperial Physician Wang to examine them. He said they were fine, so I presented them to His Majesty...”

Prince Fu frowned. “Imperial Physician Wang has passed away, hasn’t he?”

Xue Quan choked, his face ashen.

Yes, unfortunately, Wang had to die. Otherwise, if his son Han had interrogated him thoroughly, perhaps they could have found out who was behind him.

Han’er was right—it must be Prince Fu!

Now that the Emperor had ascended to heaven, Prince Fu’s fox tail was about to show.

Prince Fu shook his head. “Imperial Physician Wang is dead. There’s no way to verify Xue Quan’s claim that he had Wang check the medicines.”

“That is the truth! I was deceived too!” Xue Quan glared fiercely at Prince Fu. “I have been wondering—the medicines were obviously problematic, yet Wang said they were fine. Master Miaoqing had some reputation, but he had only been in the capital for a few years, living in a mountain temple. How could he have bribed an imperial physician? Unless there was someone behind him?”

Pressed to the wall, Xue Quan was not about to suffer in silence.

Almost all the senior officials were present. Prince Fu could not have won over everyone. Even without proof, these words would plant a seed of suspicion in people’s minds. Later, when Prince Fu made a move for the throne, that seed would sprout and grow.

“Imperial Physician Wang is dead. Whether Xue Quan had him check the medicines is something only Xue Quan knows. And there’s no way to prove that Wang was bribed by Master Miaoqing,” Prime Minister Zhu said flatly.

Xue Quan’s face turned livid.

Suddenly, a voice rang out: “I would like to ask—are you gentlemen conducting an investigation?”

The crowd was initially baffled.

In this setting, a woman’s voice was unexpected.

Everyone turned to look. They recognized the speaker: County Princess Suiyun, Qiu Heng.

Prime Minister Zhu’s face darkened. “County Princess Suiyun, this is no place for you to make a scene.”

Qiu Heng walked forward calmly, stopping at a short distance from Zhu. “How am I making a scene?” she asked, composed.

Zhu was momentarily lost for words.

Here were all the senior ministers, investigating those connected to the Emperor’s death. How dare a woman come before him and spout nonsense?

“County Princess Suiyun, do not think that because you hold the title of county princess you can do as you please. This is not a place for you to speak!”

“Prime Minister Zhu, why are you so agitated? I only asked if you gentlemen are conducting an investigation. Is that such a difficult question for you to answer?” Qiu Heng’s tone grew cooler.

Her calmness contrasted sharply with Zhu’s anger, making the Prime Minister seem rather flustered.

Realizing this, Zhu suppressed his irritation and retorted, “And what if we are?”

Qiu Heng’s gaze swept over Prince Fu and the others. A faint smile touched her lips. “If you are, I have some confusion. You have found the medicine problematic and are pursuing those connected to Master Miaoqing. But then what? Who will ultimately decide the charges? A kingdom cannot be without a ruler even for a day. Shouldn’t you first ensure the new sovereign’s smooth succession before handling other matters?”

The ministers were taken aback.

Yes. Overwhelmed by the horror of the Emperor’s death and spurred on by Zhu and his faction, they had focused entirely on pursuing those connected to the late emperor’s demise. They had lost sight of priorities.

I said earlier, we should investigate before dark; it won't take too much time. We have been favored by His Majesty's grace for many years. Can't we even spare a little time?

Haven't we already found the elixir problematic and given a preliminary report to His Majesty? Does Zhu Xiang intend to convict and execute Eunuch Xue today when the kingdom has no new sovereign?

Zhu Xiang was so furious he went blind with rage. He pointed at Qiu Heng and said, "State affairs—since when does a woman have the right to meddle? Get out!"

This is not the court. His Majesty invited me to the banquet. What right does Zhu Xiang have to kick me out on His Majesty's behalf?

"You!"

Suddenly, a voice announced: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived—"