RPAGF What did they find in Chapter 407?
What did they find in Chapter 407?
The second sister quickly said, "I'll go with you."
Prince Ning shook his head: "You, I'll go in disguise. It's inconvenient to bring you along, you..."
Their eyes met, and the second sister quickly looked away, avoiding his gaze.
“Alright, these cases I have on hand, I’ll call Feng Zizhou to investigate them together.”
Feng Zizhou and Zhao Ning got married at the end of the year, and he was given a long leave of absence. He came to the Dali Temple again this year. Indeed, after getting married, he became much more restrained and investigated several cases, earning the praise of the officials.
That night, Prince Ning went to Wuxiang Temple dressed in black, and after returning to the capital, he went directly to the residence of Marquis Anle.
The second sister was half asleep when she suddenly woke up and realized there was someone in the room. She reached under her pillow and touched the dagger. When the person got close, she stabbed him hard.
But her hand was grabbed, the dagger fell to the ground, and the man pulled her into his arms, whispering, "It's me."
The second sister's eyes widened in surprise; it was Prince Ning.
Her voice was hoarse: "What...what are you doing? Let go..."
Prince Ning did not let go, but only held on for a moment before releasing his grip, quickly retreating to the table, and lighting the lamp on the table.
The second sister was a little dazed; she hadn't felt that kind of tenderness in a very, very long time.
She had to admit that she longed for such a hug.
The lights came on, and the second sister regained some consciousness. She took a deep breath and quickly put on her coat.
He then went to the outer room and brought in a warm teapot, pouring a cup of tea for Prince Ning.
"It's so late, Your Highness, aren't you going back to your residence?" The second sister's voice was full of reproach.
Prince Ning didn't seem to care, maintaining a businesslike demeanor: "Consort Wan guessed correctly. On the surface, Wuxiang Temple is a place of Buddhist worship with a large number of monks and believers. But that's just a facade. They are almost all His Highness the Crown Prince's private soldiers, hiding there to train."
The second sister was terrified: "What does the Crown Prince intend to do by training a private army?"
Neither man spoke.
Prince Ning was silent for a moment, then continued, "Many court officials have been controlled by the Crown Prince. He probably wants to take advantage of his position as regent to undermine His Majesty's power."
The second sister's gaze was deep, somewhat puzzled: "Why is His Highness the Crown Prince in such a hurry? He is the heir apparent; that position will be his sooner or later."
"Sooner or later, not certain. Who knows what might happen?" Prince Ning said calmly. "The lust for power can always blind people, especially when it comes to such great power."
"I will go to the palace tomorrow and tell my younger sister about this."
Prince Ning nodded: "I will find a reason to enter the palace to see the Emperor in a while, but it is not convenient now, lest the Crown Prince become suspicious. If there is anything, I... will come and tell you in the middle of the night."
"it is good."
The second sister answered naturally, but after she finished, she seemed a little stunned.
What is she saying? This is her private room, and he is no one to her. How can he come and go as he pleases?
No, he freely enters and leaves her courtyard, how come the guards of the Marquis's mansion didn't notice?
Prince Ning chuckled, stood up and approached his second sister, but did not make any more intimate moves. He simply said, "I'm going back now, Mu Tong. These are turbulent times, please be careful."
The next morning, the second sister used the excuse of accompanying her younger sister to enter the palace again. Today's security was even stricter than yesterday's; there were even matrons searching her body.
The second sister frowned: "Is the palace security this strict now?"
The old woman was very polite: "Please don't be offended, Second Miss. His Majesty is unwell, and His Highness the Crown Prince is worried about His Majesty's safety, so he has strengthened the palace security. No matter who enters the palace, they must be checked routinely."
The second sister handed over the box she had brought to the palace: "It's nothing much, just some trinkets my daughter wove. She asked someone to send them to the capital, saying they were meant for Consort Wan. Consort Wan found out yesterday and, missing her child, specially asked me to bring them over today."
The old woman lingered, turning the box over and over in her hands. The second sister, puzzled, showed even greater displeasure.
"Does the nanny think there's a problem?"
"No, Miss, I was just doing a routine check."
She didn't seem to be conducting a normal check-up; it was more like she was waiting for someone to deliver a message.
Sure enough, another palace maid came over and whispered something in the old woman's ear, and the old woman laughed.
"Second Miss, I'm sorry to have delayed you. Please come in."
When the second sister arrived at the Zichen Palace, she told her younger sister everything that Prince Ning had found out the previous night.
The younger sister's heart sank: "You mean, the Crown Prince is actually training a private army? He's not a military general, this is..."
Generals of the fourth rank and above were permitted, according to regulations, to have a certain number of their own private troops. Even princes, unless granted the title of general, were not allowed to train private troops.
Even if he is the crown prince.
If discovered, they will all be treated as rebels.
The Crown Prince couldn't possibly be unaware that he was doing this with ulterior motives.
The second sister was filled with unease: "The palace gates are becoming increasingly strict. I waited at the gate for half an hour before they let me in, seemingly to report to someone..."
The younger sister pondered for a moment and said, "I understand. Second sister, don't worry. Don't go to the palace these next few days. Just do what you need to do."
The second sister readily agreed.
She wanted to leave, but then remembered something, turned back to look at her younger sister who resembled her, and asked, "Little sister, do you regret it?"
He regretted entering the palace to serve the emperor.
If their younger sister hadn't entered the palace, all these complicated affairs within it would have been none of their concern. They would still be the daughters of the Marquis of Anle.
If you meet someone you love, you can spend your life with them. If you don't want to remarry, no one will force you.
“No.” The younger sister raised her head, her eyes shining. “Second sister, what I want is supreme power. Even if it takes a lot of scheming and scheming, I will still enter the center of this power.”
The second sister smiled slightly: "Okay, little sister, don't worry, I'll always be with you."
She's no longer the stubborn, headstrong girl who thought the world was black and white. She understands how to analyze pros and cons, and knows that there are compelling reasons for taking sides or not.
After leaving the palace, the second sister threw herself back into her work. She was meticulous and thoughtful, while Feng Zizhou was sharp and intelligent. Working together, they handled many things with ease.
The cabinet has been in turmoil lately. Although the crown prince is in charge of the country, the cabinet ministers are not under his jurisdiction. On the contrary, they are advisors, and if the crown prince does anything wrong, they are required to offer guidance or even report directly to the emperor.
However, the cabinet, which is usually rife with infighting, has been unusually quiet lately.
Everyone seemed to fall silent; no matter what happened, their opinions didn't matter, and they unexpectedly reached a consensus.
Feng Ziheng was a very quiet person and rarely offered his opinions unless there was something important. Seeing the current situation, he remained calm and composed.
After finishing his shift, he wanted to go to the palace to see the emperor.
However, they were stopped at the palace gate.
Feng Ziheng said, "This is His Majesty's token. He said that I can come and go as I please. If you do not believe me, please inform him."
But the imperial guards at the gate showed no sign of leniency, coldly saying, "Sir, without the Crown Prince's decree, no one is allowed to enter or leave the palace. If you wish to enter the palace, please obtain the Crown Prince's token first."