Jiuxi

Chapter 1047 Extra 11 [Human Heart]

"conspiracy……"

Lu Chen murmured in a low voice, his expression becoming increasingly ugly.

He was not a reckless man with strong limbs and a simple mind. When he heard the word "conspiracy" from Lu Jiusi's mouth and thought carefully about the whole matter, he gradually realized the strangeness of it.

The problem lies with Hu Qingyan, the general manager of Jinxiu Tower.

Since the founding of the Qin Dynasty, the imperial court has not issued an express ban on the opening of brothels in the market. There is no need for Jinxiu Lou to be so sneaky, let alone do such a cruel and cruel act that caused tragic death, because he could recruit women through channels permitted by the government.

For Xu Ling and even the Duke Cheng's Mansion, making money through Jinxiu Tower is not something to be boasted about, but as long as it does not violate the laws of the court and makes some money by using Xu Gui's name, even Lu Chen would not be too harsh on them.

The Xu family has no need to commit so many murders in the building just to satisfy the perverted hobbies of a very small number of powerful people.

It was only because Xu Gui was careless in nature and was impatient to deal with such mundane affairs, and Xu Ling was a son of a powerful family who was neither high nor low, had no ability, and spent most of his time working in the Ministry of War, that Hu Qingyan took advantage of the opportunity and acted recklessly in Jinxiu Tower in the name of the Xu family.

On the surface, Hu Qingyan was just setting a trap for the Xu family, but Lu Chen quickly thought of the coincidental timing.

The first murder in Jinxiu Building occurred in early May last year, exactly one month after he agreed to accept shares in Jinxiu Building.

In short, if this conspiracy really exists, it is very likely that it is not only aimed at the Xu family, but also wants to drag the second prince Lu Chen into the quagmire. By then, when the yellow mud falls into his crotch, Lu Chen will not be able to wash it off even if he jumps into the Hengjiang River.

Who is the mastermind behind this?
Lu Chen first ruled out Crown Prince Lu Jiusi, not to mention whether his elder brother would regard him as a potential opponent. If he was really the mastermind of this conspiracy, then he only needed to follow the rules in the lobby of the Ministry of Justice. Hu Qingyan's confession would soon spread throughout the capital, and Lu Chen's role in it would naturally be impossible to hide.

But if it wasn't the prince's doing, who among these brothers and sisters would be so cruel to himself?

Looking around, Lu Chen always felt that no one would do this, because whether openly or secretly, he had always focused on maintaining the friendship between his brothers and sisters, and had never forged irreconcilable hatred with others.

Even Lu Chen could think so deeply, so naturally the concubines in the hall who had seen all the vicissitudes of life could also think of it.

The atmosphere became increasingly solemn.

Lin Xi raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at everyone with cold eyes. None of the concubines who entered the palace later dared to look at her.

She did not think that the young princes and princesses had the ability to stir up the situation, and she also did not doubt that Wang Chulong, Li Bingxue and others would abandon the friendship they had when they walked side by side. So only Ye Zhen, Wen Lingrong and the other eleven people were suspected of doing so.

Li Bingxue also reacted at this time.

It was indeed wrong for her son to make friends with military forces in private, but such a mistake was not irreparable. With Lu Chen's broad mind, he would not call for killing just because Lu Chen took some shares of Jinxiu Tower.

It is another matter if someone is plotting something.

Thinking of this, Li Bingxue said coldly: "Chen'er is young and ignorant. The reason he did not do well is that I, as a mother, did not teach him well. If the sisters have any opinions, they can come to me. Why do you have to use such means on a ten-year-old child?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the concubines, princes and princesses except Lin Xi, Wang Chulong and Luo Jiujiu stood up, but no one spoke to take over the conversation.

It has been sixteen years since Lu Chen married Lin Xi and Wang Chulong, and this is the first time that there has been any disharmony between his wives and concubines.

Lu Chen signaled Lin Xi not to worry, and first asked Lu Chen to stand up and return to his seat, and then asked everyone to sit down. Then he walked to Li Bingxue's side, and Dai Hong, the chief eunuch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, put the chairs away very considerately.

"do not be angry."

Lu Chen sat down next to Li Bingxue, took her trembling hand, and said with a smile: "Looking back on the past dynasties, this kind of thing is not uncommon. I originally thought it would not come so soon, it seems that I underestimated human nature after all. But it doesn't matter, since it has already happened, we just need to face it calmly."

Feeling his warm palm, Li Bingxue suppressed her surging emotions and said softly: "Your Majesty, I have never thought about-"

"I believe you."

Lu Chen gently interrupted her and continued, "I told you not to get angry because this matter is not deliberately targeting Lu Chen, or he is just one of the targets."

Luo Jiujiu, who was sitting on the other side, asked in confusion: "What does your majesty mean by this?"

She is the person with the most offspring in the harem. Over the years, she gave birth to the third prince Lu Heng, the eighth prince Lu Yan, and the tenth prince Lu Cong for Lu Chen, more than Lin Xi. However, she has never thought of relying on her sons to gain status as a mother or had any evil thoughts.

If you have no guilty conscience, you will not be afraid of storms.

Lu Chen smiled, turned to Lu Jiusi and said, "You go ahead and tell me."

"Yes, Father."

Lu Jiusi bowed his head, then walked to the open space in the middle and said slowly, "The Jinxiu Tower case is not complicated. Before Changle intervened, it was essentially a murder case. Even if my second brother was involved, it would not cause irreparable damage to him, because my father is very wise and will definitely not treat my second brother cruelly without finding out the truth. The people behind the scenes also understand this truth, and they didn't just want to frame my second brother from the beginning."

The young prince looked around at everyone and continued, "So they racked their brains to get Changle to take action. Some things are hard to hide from everyone. For example, in the past two years, I often accompanied Changle out of the palace to investigate the people's sentiments. If Changle wanted to venture into the dangerous Jinxiu Tower, how could I sit idly by? In other words, if it weren't for my father's sudden decision to summon all the officials in the court, I would not have been able to leave without permission. It would have been me, not Changle, who exposed the Jinxiu Tower case that day."

At this moment, a layer of cold murderous intent appeared on Lin Xi's face.

Lu Jiusi's analysis was clear and logical, and he clearly dissected the plans of the people behind the scenes.

The Jinxiu Tower case is unlikely to cause fatal harm to Lu Chen, but if this matter involves the fight between the crown prince and the second prince, it will be difficult to stop it once it starts.

The prince has a righteous cause, the trust and respect of the emperor, and the support of many important officials in the court. His position is actually very stable. Although the Lin family is a gang, they can now provide the prince with enough capital with the Seven Star Army and the Royal Military Industry Bureau in Dingzhou.

Lu Chen's foundation is not weak. First of all, his biological mother Li Bingxue is quite famous, and his maternal grandfather Li Tianrun single-handedly founded the Jingzhou Army of that year. Powerful military heroes such as Xu Gui, Fan Wendi, Huo Zhen and Zhang Zhan were all outstanding people brought up by Li Tianrun. They would naturally be close to the eldest son born by Li Bingxue, and the shares of Jinxiu Tower are proof of this.

If it was Lu Jiusi who uncovered the Jinxiu Tower case that day and dragged Lu Chen into it, no matter how magnanimous Li Bingxue was, the forces of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince would inevitably be in conflict.

This is not a contradiction that can be resolved in a few words.

Even if Lu Chen could forcibly suppress these disputes, the rifts in the hearts of the Tian family members could not be healed.

By that time, even if Lu Chen didn't want to compete for the position of crown prince, he would have to bite the bullet and take on the task, because he couldn't guarantee that if something like this happened, the crown prince would still tolerate him after he ascended the throne in the future.

"This is called sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight, while the fishermen reap the benefits."

Lu Chen summarized succinctly, and it sounded as if he was joking to ease the atmosphere, but all the concubines knew that although the emperor looked calm on the surface, he was actually holding back his anger.

"Father."

Lu Xinyi stood up slowly, her face slightly pale.

Everyone knew that Lu Chen favored her, and she often acted like a spoiled child in front of her father, but she knew what kind of occasion it was and would not act recklessly.

She was a little confused. She originally thought it was just an act of justice to help the weak, but unexpectedly, there was such a conspiracy hidden in it. The most important thing was that she had realized a very serious problem at this moment - if the core of this conspiracy was to be realized through the brotherly love between her and Lu Jiusi, then who told her this secret?
Lu Chen turned to look at his eldest daughter and asked gently, "What's wrong?"

Lu Xinyi tried her best to calm herself down, forcing herself not to look at her mother Wang Chulong and her fourth brother Lu Jing, who was born to the same mother. She said firmly, "I acted on my own and almost put my brother, the Crown Prince, and my second brother in an unjust position. Please punish me, Father!"

Lu Jiusi's lips moved, but in the end he said nothing.

He understood why his sister made such a statement. It was not because she was spoiled and had no scruples, but because she did not want the situation to become more chaotic.

Lu Chen shook his head and said, "What's wrong with you?"

Lu Xinyi said quickly, "Father, this matter was certainly plotted by someone, but it is my fault for being too willful. If I had informed you of the details from the beginning, it would never have come to this. I am ashamed of your love and trust for so many years, please punish me!"

From beginning to end, Wang Chulong did not say a word. She just looked ahead calmly, with a hint of coldness on her gentle and amiable face.

"Come."

Lu Chen waved his hand, and Lu Xinyi left the table and came to his father.

Looking at his daughter who had grown into a big girl, Lu Chen said softly: "Silly girl, you want to take on the responsibility of the eldest sister, which makes me very happy, but have you ever thought about one question, the person behind the scenes is not only calculating the prince and Lu Chen, but also calculating you, why do you want to help others take the blame?"

"Father..."

Lu Xinyi twisted her hands together, her eyes gradually turned red, and she lowered her head and said, "My daughter doesn't know what else to do."

"Don't cry, father is here."

Lu Chen raised his hands and placed them on her cold hands, his tone as gentle as always.

"Ok!"

Lu Xinyi nodded heavily, and tears finally fell. She quickly raised her hand to wipe them away.

At this moment, the truth of the Jinxiu Tower case gradually surfaced. This was a conspiracy against Crown Prince Lu Jiusi, Second Prince Lu Chen and Eldest Princess Lu Xinyi, with the intention of provoking a fight between the Lin family and the Li family.

The most important point is how the person behind the scenes is going to make Lu Xinyi appear in Jinxiu Tower.

Lin Xi was the first to react. She looked at the Fourth Prince Lu Jing beside her in disbelief.

He is Lu Xinyi's biological brother, and Lu Xinyi has no suspicion of him. After hearing the secrets of Jinxiu Tower from him, she will naturally go there to find out without any precautions.

Feeling more and more eyes focused on him, Lu Jing stood up nervously and subconsciously looked at his mother. However, Wang Chulong seemed unaware of his situation and his eyes were still fixed on something.

Lu Jing swallowed hard, looked helplessly at his father not far away, and said slowly: "Father, it was I who told my sister the secret of Jinxiu Tower."

Hearing this, most people looked solemn. Lu Jiusi looked at his fourth brother thoughtfully.

Judging from the existing clues, it seems that this case was the work of Lu Jing.

If Lu Jiusi and Lu Chen were to fight, even if both would not suffer losses in the end, their strength would certainly be greatly damaged. By then, Lu Jing would have Wang Chulong's guidance and the profound background of the Zhailin Wang family. In addition, he would be good at reading and had outstanding literary talent, which was appreciated by some court officials. So he might have a chance to compete for that position.

The position of crown prince naturally cannot be achieved overnight, but as long as one does not miss any opportunity and tries every means to create advantages, no one can determine that Lu Jing cannot enter the Eastern Palace.

But he was just eleven years old. Where did he get the resources to hatch such a conspiracy?
unless--

Everyone thought of Wang Chulong's unusual silence today, and the powerful forces in the court headed by Wang An, Wang Heng, Wang Han and others, and they immediately felt that nothing was impossible.

What's more, when he thought of the birthday gift Lu Chen had given to Lu Jing before, he couldn't help but suddenly realized.

There were eight words written on the paperweight: The wind blows over the water and naturally forms words.

The key lies in the word natural.

Don't have any evil intentions, just let things take their course and you will have a smooth life.

However, some people found it quite strange. Even if Wang Chulong wanted to help her son, there was no reason for her to use her two children as bait. With her wisdom, couldn't she come up with a better way?
But why was she so indifferent from beginning to end? Even now that Lu Jing had to explain the details, she still refused to make any explanation?

Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, Lin Xi spoke up, "Jing'er, how did you know the secret of Jinxiu Tower? Why did you tell your sister?"

These two questions made Lu Chen feel warm in his heart. This was the wife he had chosen, and she had never let him down.

Although on the surface Lu Jing might be the mastermind behind the plot against Lu Jiusi and Lu Chen, Lin Xi did not let his anger cloud his mind, nor did he show obvious bias. Instead, he tried his best to find out all the inside stories of the matter to avoid wrongly accusing anyone.

Lu Jing's tone trembled slightly. "My mother, I heard people talking about Jinxiu Tower hiding something dirty more than a month ago. When I entered the palace, I told my sister about what I saw and heard in the prince's residence, and I mentioned this matter."

Lu Xinyi said quickly, "Mother, my fourth brother did not lie. He did not mention it deliberately at that time. It was only after I repeatedly asked him that he told me."

This explanation is actually very pale.

Whether Lu Jing did it intentionally or unintentionally, there were only the two siblings present at the time, so it is naturally impossible to verify now.

Even if the truth is as Lu Xinyi said, how can she be sure that Lu Jing didn't deliberately arouse her interest? After all, it is no secret that she and Crown Prince Lu Jiusi often go out of the palace incognito to inquire about the people's sentiments.

Lin Xi signaled Lu Xinyi not to be nervous, and continued to ask Lu Jing: "Who did you hear this secret from?"

Lu Jing bowed his head and said, "My Queen Mother, it was Fu Lang, the editor of the Imperial Academy."

Lin Xi was slightly startled. Seeing this, Crown Prince Lu Jiusi introduced: "Mother, Fu Lang was the third place winner of the fourth year of Datong. Father appointed him as a compiler in the Imperial Academy as usual. He is 29 years old at the time, quite talented, but of humble origin. He is currently in the prince's residence and is responsible for accompanying some of the princes in studying classics."

This sudden appearance of the editor from the Hanlin Academy left everyone in the royal family quite puzzled.

A seemingly simple Jinxiu Tower case has now implicated the military heroes of Jingzhou, the military heroes of Dingzhou, the Wang family of Zhailin, the prince's family, the second prince's family, and the fourth prince's family. Unexpectedly, some upright officials in the court are also involved.

Lin Xi wanted to ask more, but when she saw Lu Chen suddenly stand up, she suppressed her doubts.

Lu Chen walked slowly to Lu Jing, looked at the panic and fear in his eyes, and said calmly: "At 2:00 pm today, more than two hours ago, Fu Lang was found hanged in the study room of the mansion."

There was a solemn silence in the hall.

Lu Jing's slightly thin body began to tremble uncontrollably.

This is called no evidence at all!

Once Fu Lang died, his previous statements could no longer be verified. Perhaps he really heard the secret of Jinxiu Tower from Fu Lang and then inadvertently revealed it to Lu Xinyi. But there is also a possibility that Fu Lang knew nothing at all and Lu Jing deliberately brought Lu Xinyi into the game because he knew that his eldest sister and the prince had always had a deep brotherly relationship, and the prince would never sit idly by and watch Lu Xinyi leave the palace alone.

In this way, the Crown Prince exposed the Jinxiu Tower case, putting the Second Prince Lu Chen in danger, and the two would fight even if they didn't want to.

Lu Jing raised his head with difficulty and stammered, "Father, your son...your son..."

What he saw was Lu Chen's deep eyes, which seemed to contain some emotions that he could not fathom.

Lu Chen did not continue to question Lu Jing. He returned to his main seat and sat down. He first glanced at Lin Xi to the left, then looked at Wang Chulong who was still silent on the right, and finally looked around at everyone. They were all his wife and children.

What should have been a harmonious and joyful family dinner now seems to be shrouded in dark clouds and filled with murderous intent.

Dai Hong and the palace servants held their breath, feeling extremely nervous. They had never witnessed such a scene in all these years and couldn't help but miss the harmonious atmosphere of the past.

After a moment, Lu Chen picked up the wine cup and said in a somewhat unfamiliar tone: "In the past seventeen years, I have seen many brilliant people, faced many powerful opponents, and experienced many difficult and dangerous moments. I don't mean to brag in front of you, I just want to tell you a simple truth, no matter what kind of hero he is, he always has a reason for doing things."

"In the case of Jinxiu Tower, I initially thought that Lu Chen was just unwilling to be lonely and wanted to win over people's hearts in order to compete for that position in the future, so he secretly deepened his friendship with the Xu family. But I know Xu Gui. He seems rude but is actually very sensible. What good will it do for him to get involved in the dispute over the crown prince for no reason? I have already given him the title of Duke and let him take charge of the army. Even if Lu Chen can ascend the throne in the future, what can he give Xu Gui?"

Having said that, Lu Chen glanced at his second son, and Lu Chen lowered his head in shame.

Lu Chen continued, "When I heard Changle talk about the details, I knew there was something else going on. This was obviously a conspiracy against the royal family. To be honest, I am very familiar with this kind of conspiracy. Although I got my start in the military, I have experienced many similar things in the past ten years. Looking at the Jinxiu Tower case, Fu Lang was a key figure. Now that he has died inexplicably, I won't say much. Another key figure is Hu Qingyan, the general manager of Jinxiu Tower."

He slightly emphasized the last three words, and immediately some people felt their hearts tighten.

Lu Jiusi said respectfully: "Father, I asked the three judicial officials to interrogate Hu Qingyan repeatedly, and his confession did not contradict himself."

"Of course. Death soldiers are meant to be used for things like this."

Lu Chen nodded slightly, looked at everyone and said: "But I still have a question in my mind, who among you knows this Hu Qingyan?"

Hearing this, the Fourth Prince Lu Jing looked bewildered, while Lin Xi and Li Bingxue examined the eleven concubines who had later entered the palace.

They gradually understood the implication of Lu Chen's words. It turned out that this conspiracy was not done by Lu Jing, but by one of the concubines present today.

A chill rose in the hearts of the two.

If Lu Chen fails to notice, or if Lu Jiusi has evil intentions, a turmoil involving the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Fourth Prince will occur. The three princes who are most likely to inherit the throne of the Qin Dynasty will be involved one after another, and it is not impossible that the latecomer will prevail.

Their eyes began to focus.

Among the eleven concubines who entered the palace later, not many of them had children. They were Zhaoyi He Yuanji, who gave birth to the twelfth prince Lu Yu, Zhaorong Zhao Qiongying, who gave birth to the thirteenth prince Lu Fan, Zhaoyuan Li Shunzhen, who gave birth to the fourteenth prince Lu Xun, and Xiuyi Qu Miaoyin, who gave birth to the third princess Lu Yurong.

At this moment, these people were barely able to maintain their calm, perhaps because they had nothing to blame in their hearts, or perhaps because Lin Xi and Li Bingxue's gazes were gradually focused on another person.

That was Concubine Hui Wen Lingrong, who gave birth to the eleventh prince Lu Hun and the fourth princess Lu Yuming for Lu Chen.

To be fair, Wen Lingrong, who was 24 years old at the time, was at the best age in a woman's life. In terms of appearance alone, she could even be said to be the most beautiful among all the girls. She was not inferior to Gu Wan'er when she was young, and she was more beautiful than Gu Wan'er.

It seemed that because of this face, Lu Chen was quite fond of Wen Lingrong, otherwise she would not have become pregnant with the eleventh prince not long after entering the palace, and later became pregnant for the second time.

"Your Majesty, I have never heard of the name Hu Qingyan before today."

Wen Lingrong was not stupid. She could sense the murderous intent of the Queen and the Imperial Concubine. She quickly stood up and defended herself in a trembling voice.

Looking at this nearly perfect face that was even more timid and moving because of panic, Lu Chen said calmly: "Before the family dinner today, I received the news of Fu Lang's sudden death, so I always held a glimmer of hope that you would take the initiative to stand up and admit what you did before I opened my mouth. Unfortunately, you have always stayed out of it, watching my wife and children angry, sad, and frightened, and you can remain indifferent, which means that I have indeed underestimated you over the years."

Wen Lingrong almost fainted on the ground. She didn't understand why the emperor said that, and she didn't know what connection she had with the Jinxiu Tower case.

The next moment, Lu Chen suddenly turned his head and looked at a dignified and steady woman on the other side, and said indifferently: "Why is it so?"

Wen Lingrong was completely stunned.

The same is true for Lin Xi, Li Bingxue, Luo Jiujiu and other concubines.

In the harem of this dynasty, Lin Xi is the Empress of the Central Palace, Wang Chulong is the Imperial Noble Consort Duanhui, Li Bingxue is the Imperial Noble Consort Zhaoyi, and Luo Jiujiu is the Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangjing.

Song Pei was the Shufei, Gu Wan'er was the Duanfei, Wen Lingrong was the Huifei, Ye Zhen was the Defei, and the rest were He Yuanji and other nine concubines.

Amidst everyone's surprised gazes, Concubine De Ye Zhen slowly stood up.

She calmly met Lu Chen's gaze, suddenly laughed softly, and said slowly: "Your Majesty is wise and brave, and I admire you very much."

Lu Chen tilted his head slightly and asked again: "Why?"

Ye Zhen was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "Now that things have come to this, I have no excuses. I only ask Your Majesty to consider my hard work over the past few years and grant me a three-foot white silk or a cup of poisoned wine. If Your Majesty feels that this does not satisfy your hatred, you can also have me executed by slow slicing."

Wang Chulong, who had been silent today, suddenly looked up at the courtyard outside after hearing these words, his eyes were cold and a little sarcastic.

……

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(It seems that the 12 chapters of the extra story cannot be finished, so let me write a few more chapters~)

(End of this chapter)