Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne
Chapter 121 - 113: The Emperor’s Guess

Chapter 121: Chapter 113: The Emperor’s Guess

"Alas..." He hoped it wasn’t the eighth brother, but his mind echoed a voice telling him it was indeed the eighth brother. He always knew the eighth brother was deep and reserved, but he never expected him to be this... he couldn’t find the right word to describe it for the moment.

The Fourth Prince, who was copying Buddhist scriptures, heard Zhao Yao’s sigh and asked with concern, "What’s wrong, is there something you don’t understand?"

Zhao Yao shook his head and said, "It’s nothing, just feeling sorry for the eighth brother."

Mentioning the Eighth Prince, a hint of indifference flashed through the Fourth Prince’s eyes, and then he spoke calmly, "He doesn’t need your sympathy."

"How could he not need my sympathy? The eighth brother is so badly injured that he has to drink medicine every day." Zhao Yao thought about his own experiences of being seriously ill for those few months and couldn’t help but sympathize with the Eighth Prince. "Fourth brother, you don’t know the taste of drinking medicine every day. The eighth brother is just like me back then, having to take medicine for several months." Alas, the eighth brother is really harsh on himself. If it were him, he would never treat himself this way.

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince realized that Zhao Yao was sympathetic to the Eighth Prince for having to drink medicine, and couldn’t help but laugh, "If you don’t want to drink medicine in the future, then don’t get sick anymore."

"Fourth brother is right."

"Don’t worry about the eighth brother’s affairs anymore." The Fourth Prince did not like the Eighth Prince. He always felt the Eighth Prince harbored impure intentions and didn’t want the simple-minded Zhao Yao to get too close to the scheming Eighth Prince. "Tomorrow morning, we will pray for the late Empress. Go wash up and get to bed early."

"What about you, fourth brother?"

"I’ll finish copying this scroll of Buddhist scriptures before sleeping." The Fourth Prince said, then looked at Tong Xi standing beside him.

Tong Xi understood and said to Zhao Yao, "Your Highness, let me help you wash up."

"Fourth brother, I’ll go wash up first, then."

After bathing, Zhao Yao returned to his room, crawled into bed, and peeked out with two eyes toward the Fourth Prince, who was still copying Buddhist scriptures, "Fourth brother, I’m going to sleep first."

"Go to sleep."

On one side, the brothers’ atmosphere was warm. On the other side, the atmosphere in the Imperial Study was icy and tense.

Shen Hu, Chu Ying, and Duke Zhen knelt on the ground, their faces showing alarm.

Standing on the side, Sun Kui kept his head down and didn’t dare to breathe loudly.

"You’ve investigated for so long, and this is all you’ve found?" The Emperor looked sternly at the three kneeling men, "Do you believe a fifth-ranked General Ning Yuan can cultivate so many suicide squads to assassinate the Crown Prince?" The Emperor was usually inscrutable, but now he obviously showed anger.

Facing the Emperor’s wrath, Shen Hu could only brace himself and say, "I’ve checked his files; they are very ordinary and clean, not like someone capable of nurturing suicide squads."

The General Ning Yuan referred to by the Emperor was a leader in the Imperial Guard. He was silent by nature, seldom spoke, and had an average relationship with the others in the Imperial Guard.

He was once a soldier under Chu Ying, and later, during a rebellion, he earned merits and gradually rose from an ordinary soldier to a fifth-ranked General Ning Yuan. Seeing his bravery and honesty, without any cunning, Chu Ying allowed him to enter the palace and become part of the Imperial Guard.

Chu Ying said, "I’ve rigorously investigated General Ning Yuan and found no connections with the influential families."

Duke Zhen suspected that General Ning Yuan might be Prince Dai’s man, but he did not dare to voice this suspicion. If he did, it would make the Emperor think he was doing it on purpose.

"All clues end at General Ning Yuan, as if someone deliberately erased them, leaving no trace." Shen Hu and others also felt that General Ning Yuan could not be the real mastermind.

"We searched General Ning Yuan’s house thoroughly and found nothing suspicious or unusual."

Duke Zhen said, "Your Majesty, all of this is too bizarre." It was the first time in his several decades of life that he encountered such a perplexing situation.

Shen Hu continued, "I’ve examined all those who had contact with General Ning Yuan and interrogated some but found no useful clues."

"I’ve sent people to investigate General Ning Yuan’s hometown, but it will take two days to get the news." General Ning Yuan’s hometown was in Yangzhou, where a rebellion was currently taking place.

The Emperor also knew about the situation in Yangzhou. Frowning, his expression grave, he couldn’t help but speculate in his heart, could the Crown Prince’s assassination attempt be related to the rebellion in Yangzhou?

"Investigate thoroughly."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor waved his hand, signaling for Shen Hu and the others to withdraw.

"We take our leave." Chu Ying and the other two obediently exited.

Seeing the Emperor frowning and his expression serious, Sun Kui hesitated for a moment and then cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, do you suspect that the Crown Prince’s assassination is related to the rebellion in Yangzhou?"

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