The dazzling figures had already walked away side by side, and inside the room with its door closed, the young couple stood facing each other gravely.
Pei Zhan quietly said, "Since King Yan is certainly lying, his initial appearance before the Eldest Prince must not have been by chance.
"Including his visit to the City God Temple, it may not have been purely coincidental either."
Fu Zhen recalled, "That’s right, what did you discover at the City God Temple?"
Pei Zhan shook his head, "Nothing was found. However, that place was originally an alley used to house foreign rchants. After the conflict with Dayue began, the foreign rchants were dispersed, and the area was nearly uninhabited. Timing-wise, the temple had been abandoned for years by then.
"When I went there today, the wild grass had grown nearly as tall as a person. It must have been overgrown back then too. Unless there was a deliberate reason to go, I cannot understand why a prince, raised within the deep palace, would choose such a route and place to shelter from the rain."
"Moreover, the windows there were all tightly shut. If nothing further had occurred and no one specifically went to close them, then they would be in the sa state as seven years ago.
"So under what circumstances would the Palace Attendant and guard, personally instructed by the Empress to take good care, leave an eleven-year-old prince in the temple while they themselves walked away?"
Fu Zhen said, "Are you saying that his trip seven years ago was also preditated?"
"Otherwise, I can’t think of why he would go there."
Fu Zhen pondered, "There are too many things that don’t make sense. Now I feel it’s ti to enter the palace and candidly reveal everything to the Empress. Instead of our endless guessing, it’s better to let the Empress determine the truth; it’s the most fitting and effective way."
Pei Zhan nodded, "Indeed. But how can we make Her Majesty believe us?"
Currently, everything is conveyed by us, and everyone sees the Empress’s affection for King Yan. To accuse her son of scheming without evidence, no matter how wise the Empress is, she won’t listen to us, right?
Not to ntion that just recently we exposed the deposed Crown Prince, leading to his death by his own father’s hand.
Of course, up until now, the Empress still trusts us, but making repeated accusations against her son, anyone would feel targeted, wouldn’t they?
"I do have a rather effective idea," Fu Zhen said at this point. "If the Eldest Prince can et with the Empress, King Yan’s plot will unravel on its own."
"It’s a good idea, but how could the Eldest Prince agree? We certainly can’t force him."
"But I don’t think he’s really resigned to the Empress," Fu Zhen looked at him. "You know? Yesterday, I purposely left that bottle of osmanthus in his courtyard; he took good care of it. When I went previously, there were still water droplets on the petals; he had watered them."
Pei Zhan straightened his back at this, "Could it have been He Zhao who watered it?"
"He Zhao has loyally followed the Eldest Prince for over twenty years. Even if He Zhao did it, if the Eldest Prince truly didn’t care, or if they both felt the Empress was beyond forgiveness, do you think He Zhao would take care of those flowers?"
Pei Zhan pondered and agreed, "Makes sense. But I still don’t know how to persuade him."
As a coarse man, he really wasn’t adept at dealing with such matters.
"We must co up with a way," Fu Zhen said, calling him over and whispering in his ear, "We need to use our wits..."
Pei Zhan, with a flushed ear, listened and was sowhat skeptical, "Will it be effective?"
Fu Zhen said firmly, "We’ll know if it’s effective after we try. Even if it doesn’t work this ti, we’ll think of another thod next ti! The eting between them is no longer just about willingness but concerns the stability of the palace. King Yan’s lie must be exposed quickly!"
The imperial sons were few to begin with, and now one after another is encountering problems. Fu Zhen felt a sense of sadness for the Empress, but this is a family firmly holding onto imperial power, far different from common households, right?
Despite King Yan’s frailty, it never hindered his experience of the privileges of high position in the imperial lineage.
Now the Empress’s most dreaded occurrence has already taken place, and no matter what, everyone must brace themselves to face it together.
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