The news of the Eldest Princess’s return to the palace quickly reached the National Master Hall.
Gongsun Yanming was reviewing morials on behalf of Prince Jin, and asked offhandedly, "Say that again, who returned to the palace?"
The disciple replied, "It’s the Eldest Princess."
Gongsun Yanming glanced at the disciple, seeing him hesitate to speak, he said lightly, "Speak if there’s sothing to say."
The disciple took a deep breath and boldly reported the situation that occurred at the palace gates.
After listening, Gongsun Yanming’s hand, which was handling the morials, paused, "She returned alone to the palace?"
"Yes."
The disciple responded.
Gongsun Yu clearly went to his fief, and there’s been no news since.
"And also."
Having reported this much, the disciple simply revealed all unfavorable news in one breath, "The Eldest Princess brought back an army of twelve thousand, among which ten thousand... don’t seem to be troops from our Great Liang."
Gongsun Yanming asked, "Are they clad in Black Armor?"
The disciple hurriedly answered, "Exactly!"
"I understand."
Gongsun Yanming gestured for the disciple to withdraw.
"Lu Fengyin, Black Armor Army..."
He murmured as he fell into deep thought.
"Your Highness!"
From outside the hall, the disciple’s voice ca with a salute.
"Get out!"
Prince Jin entered the main hall, unable to suppress his irritation.
The disciple knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound.
Gongsun Yanming stood up, bowing respectfully, "Your Highness."
Prince Jin lifted his robe and sat on the main seat, angrily saying, "The Eldest Princess has tad the Black Armor Army and entered the city under the pretense of searching for Your Majesty."
Gongsun Yanming said, "I heard the Eldest Princess issued a military order: if she fails to find Your Majesty and quell the turmoil in Miaojiang within ten days, she will apologize with her death?"
Prince Jin closed his eyes, skeptically saying, "At first, I thought like you, believing her decree was made impulsively. If I stalled her for ten days, I could take the opportunity to eliminate her!"
Gongsun Yanming discerned the deeper aning in Prince Jin’s words, calmly asking, "Is it the affairs of the Ministry of Justice that throw Your Highness into disarray?"
Prince Jin looked at him, displeased, "It’s already this ti, and you still appear confident... You haven’t witnessed it personally; my aunt is utterly different from her usual self!"
First, at the city gates, she gave him a fierce whip in front of the entire city’s people, then rushed to cause havoc at the Ministry of Justice; finally, at the palace gates, she publicly questioned his intentions before the full assembly of civil and military officials.
One surprise attack after another, seamlessly connected, with unerring precision.
Lu Fengyin definitely couldn’t have devised such a thorough and speedy plan on his own!
"There must be soone extraordinary guiding her!"
Prince Jin gritted his teeth.
Gongsun Yanming listened again as Prince Jin’s attendant recounted all the events in ticulous detail, even more precise than his disciple’s account.
"Your Highness is right."
He spoke, "It certainly doesn’t resemble the usual Eldest Princess."
Thinking of this aunt, a sense of unease surged within Prince Jin: "She killed Prince Rui and frad King Qi... Now, King Qi is missing, and I’m afraid... he has t with disaster."
Gongsun Yanming contemplated, "If I were the Eldest Princess, I wouldn’t kill King Qi."
Prince Jin frowned, "Why do you say that?"
Gongsun Yanming replied, "Too rash, it loses its aning."
Prince Jin paused.
He felt the likelihood of Fourth Brother’s survival was low, yet he knew Gongsun Yanming’s capabilities; if he says so, then Fourth Brother must have a slim chance of survival.
He clenched his fist, "The urgent task is to find Fourth Brother; once found, we can expose her sches!"
Gongsun Yanming suddenly realized, "So they are aiming at this."
Prince Jin gave Gongsun Yanming a peculiar look.
Gongsun Yanming said, "With Your Majesty and the Miao King missing, they threw out King Qi, forcing us to exhaust ourselves finding King Qi, the witness, thus unable to obstruct them in finding Your Majesty and the Miao King as we did before. Truly fighting fire with fire."
Prince Jin glared at Gongsun Yanming.
Gongsun Yanming said, "No need to search for King Qi’s whereabouts."
Prince Jin was perplexed, "Why? Didn’t you say Fourth Brother is alive?"
Gongsun Yanming replied, "Though alive, and though helpful in unveiling the Eldest Princess’s sches, we must prioritize matters; we must ensure they cannot find Your Majesty and the Miao King."
Prince Jin frowned, "I am not a heartless person; opposing Father... was a last resort. Once the situation is settled, I shall release Father from the underground palace, and, like Great Zhou, confer Father as the Supre Emperor so he may live his years peacefully in the Imperial Palace."
Gongsun Yanming nodded, "Yes, Your Highness’s intentions are pure, and the subject understands."
Prince Jin said, "I do not wish to give up on Fourth Brother; in any case, have the State Preceptor send people to find him."
Gongsun Yanming sighed, "I accept the order."
Prince Jin stood up to leave.
After walking a few steps, he spoke again, "She... is she truly my aunt? Or... has soone cast Gu on her?"
Gongsun Yanming replied, "I shall uncover the truth."
Prince Jin said with low spirits, "I go to the Ministry of Rites to prepare for Third Brother’s funeral."
Gongsun Yanming bowed, "Wishing Your Highness well."
After Prince Jin left, the disciple entered.
Gongsun Yanming instructed, "Send soone to inquire about Gongsun Yu."
The disciple complied, then asked, "Should we arrange people to search for King Qi?"
Gongsun Yanming picked up a morial, "No need."
The disciple was shocked, "But didn’t Prince Jin say..."
Gongsun Yanming calmly said, "The dirty work is naturally done by the subjects."
He took up his brush, about to review the morial, but instead wrote a na on a piece of xuan paper: Lu Fengyin.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, "Is it you again?"
-
After the Eldest Princess entered the palace, she first went to Kunning Palace to pay respects to the Empress.
Ever since the disappearance of Your Majesty, the Empress has been sleepless, with no appetite, and has beco quite thin.
"Sister-in-law."
The Eldest Princess sat by the bed.
The Empress reached out her trembling hand and held hers, "Fengyin..."
Before speaking, her tears had already soaked her collar.
The Eldest Princess gently comforted, "Sister-in-law, I already know about Imperial Brother’s matter; once I got the news at the fief, I rushed back to the Imperial City. Rest assured, Fengyin will definitely find Imperial Brother!"
"I’m just afraid... It’s already..."
The Empress choked back her words.
The Eldest Princess said, "Sister-in-law, Imperial Brother is the Emperor; the heavens will surely protect him. Fengyin believes he will turn misfortune into fortune."
The Empress tightly held her sister-in-law’s hand, crying sincerely.
The Eldest Princess looked at her with genuine concern, "Sister-in-law, don’t worry; with Fengyin here, even if... even if Imperial Brother does encounter misfortune, Fengyin will do her utmost to protect Sister-in-law fully."
The Empress was moved with tears, "Fengyin..."
The Eldest Princess softly said, "Sister-in-law, Fengyin has a few words, not sure whether to ask or not."
-
Crown Prince Mansion.
Yu Zichuan sat on the roof, wiping his bow.
Suddenly, a cold figure leaped up and sat beside him.
Yu Zichuan asked, "Weren’t you playing the part of the Eldest Princess entering the palace?"
Qing Shuang said, "Too many lines, I couldn’t recite them all, so it was switched to Young Madam."
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