good season

"Where is that scholar who was lucky enough to survive?" Emperor Yongjia asked in a deep voice.

Lu Qian said, "The scholar's name is Lin Xian. From the time of the incident until now, he has been living in a small house near Huiwen Academy. However, he disappeared for a while. I later found out that he was recuperating at Minister Xu's residence during that time. According to the doctor who had been to Xu's residence, Lin Xian was so frightened that he not only forgot what happened at the time of the incident and did not know who the murderer was, but also became mentally impaired. It is precisely because of this that the Ministry of Justice could not convict Yang Shengqiu."

Lu Qian was telling the truth. If the suspect were just an ordinary citizen, the case would have been solved long ago. But the suspect was Yang Shengqiu. Even if he was just a newcomer to officialdom without any background, he could not be arrested without solid evidence because of his status as a top scholar and a student of Feng Ke.

"Does Lin Xian still live in the same place as before? Is he still studying at that academy?" Emperor Yongjia asked again. Wasn't Lin Xian afraid that Yang Shengqiu would kill him again to silence him?

Lu Qian shook his head: "Although Lin Xian still lives there, he no longer goes to Huiwen Academy. It is said that his health has been damaged, his lifespan has been shortened, and he is now mentally impaired. His path to education is blocked. According to the landlord, he either locks himself away and refuses to see anyone, or he goes out to wander. Sometimes he is gone for more than ten days at a time and has been brought back by kind people. If he hadn't paid three years' rent before the incident, the landlord would have stopped him from living there long ago. Alas, such a promising student has been ruined."

Emperor Yongjia understood that it wasn't that Yang Shengqiu didn't want to continue killing to silence witnesses, but rather that Lin Xian had already gone mad, and such a useless person was better off alive than dead.

Because if he died, the Ministry of Justice would suspect Yang Shengqiu. Yang Shengqiu was a smart man and had thought this through.

Emperor Yongjia dismissed Lu Qian, and Lu Qian only realized that his undergarment was soaked through when he left the palace.

For the past nine years, he has walked on thin ice, taking every step with utmost care.

But today, he was still careless.

He was about to leave, so why did he have to bring up Yang Shengqiu?
If you're going to bring it up, just say that there were suspicious circumstances surrounding Yang Shengqiu's abduction. Why bring up that scholar as well?
Lu Qian paused, something was wrong!
When Yang Shengqiu and the scholar were first mentioned, His Majesty showed no unusual reaction.

The atmosphere suddenly changed when I mentioned Zhuxitang in Qinglu County, the family that was murdered, and the visiting doctor.

Silence?

kill?
Lu Qian shivered; he wished he could slap himself!

Why didn't I think of that before?

This method of killing is clearly the consistent style of the sect!
The reason I hadn't thought of it before was because that family was just a small, ordinary household with no officials or positions, and not even one member had any academic achievements.

Lu Qian subconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword. Since his adoptive father passed away, he had become the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and had also taken over the mountain gate.

On the surface, the mountain gate appears to be independent and autonomous, and the person in charge of the mountain gate is the mountain master.

But in reality, the mountain gate is a hidden dagger of His Majesty!

The mountain gate changes its master every five years, so it is called a flowing mountain master. Every mountain master is a servant who serves His Majesty.

Lu Qian closed his eyes and rushed back to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters. The first thing he did upon entering was to find the case file from Qinglu County.

The case file shows the time when that family went missing, which is also the time when they were killed.

He only glanced at it at the time and didn't pay attention to the specific date.

Looking at it again now, Lu Qian gasped in shock!
When this case occurred, he was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which is the same position Li Qing holds now.

Unlike Li Qing, who had no background, he had a godfather who was a commander.

Lu Qian's father died protecting his adoptive father, who then adopted him and later sent him to join the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

What was he doing at this time twelve years ago, when he was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Right, he remembered. That year, the heir of the Prince of Wu was harmed by Lady Wang. The Prince of Wu came to the capital to ask the retired emperor for an explanation. Although the Prince of Wu was persuaded to leave, the people in the capital were in a state of panic. At this time, Emperor Shou Kang, who was also the former crown prince, suddenly moved into Wuji Temple.

When the Crown Prince went to Wuji Temple, he led the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort him all the way!
Lu Qian slumped into the chair with a thud.

The former crown prince went there and never returned alive.

It wasn't until later that Lu Qian learned that the reason the former crown prince went to Wuji Temple was because he had developed an eye disease that the imperial physicians couldn't cure. Fearing that people would find out that the dignified crown prince was about to go blind, he hid in Wuji Temple and searched for famous doctors everywhere.

Famous doctor
The family that was wiped out had a doctor living in their home. Whether he was a famous doctor or not is unknown, but he was very likely related to Yang Shengqiu.

Yang Shengqiu would rather kill someone to silence them than conceal his relationship with that doctor. What does this tell us?
The answer is about to come out!

Lu Qian raised his hand and slapped himself.

How stupid of me to bring this up in front of His Majesty!

Who benefited from the death of the former Crown Prince? It was His Majesty!
Lu Qian thought of his godfather. His godfather did not die of old age; he committed suicide!
The late Crown Prince passed away twelve years ago, while the adoptive father's biological son and his family perished on the river ten years ago. Nine years ago, the adoptive father's health deteriorated day by day, but he refused to seek medical treatment. Only after the adoptive father repeatedly asked the imperial physician did he tell him that it was not an illness, but a poison. The adoptive father said that he could not bear the pain of losing his son and grandson and did not want to live anymore.

Not long after, his adoptive father passed away, and he became the new commander.

Lu Qian's eyes were glazed over. Why had he never suspected his godfather's death? Was it because his godfather admitted to taking poison himself?
My godfather was a strong-willed man; how could he easily commit suicide?
Unless the adoptive father knew too much and was worried about bringing disaster upon his descendants, so he had his own son's family fake their deaths and flee far away, while he committed suicide to completely reassure the emperor.

Lu Qian smiled self-deprecatingly. On his deathbed, his adoptive father entrusted him with an important task, asking him to inherit his mantle, but secretly sent away his own flesh and blood.

But he didn't understand until nine years later!

Who is to blame?
Should I blame my godfather?

It seems we can't blame the godfather entirely. If he hadn't been blinded by power, how could he have only realized it today?
Lu Qian locked the file back in the cabinet and went next door, where Li Qing had been under house arrest since returning to Beijing.

He had shown great kindness and support to Li Qing.

“Li Qing, have you met Xiao Zhen? How is he different from two years ago? People outside are talking about him like he’s some kind of god, like he’s become the son of Laozi.”

Li Qing smiled: "Two years ago, I only met Young Master Xiao a few times. With his status, how could someone as insignificant as me get close? As for Young Master Xiao now, he still has the air of a noble young master, rarely smiling, but he is composed in his actions. Those playboys in the capital cannot be compared to him."

Lu Qian scrutinized his subordinate once more, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

In just a few months, Li Qing has changed.

If it were the same question, the old Li Qing would have told him every detail, recounting every word and action of Xiao Zhen. But the current Li Qing only gave him a vague and perfunctory answer.

Li Qing has changed his mind!

A cold glint flashed in Lu Qian's eyes. He smiled, remained noncommittal, and turned to walk out.

Lu Qian pondered to himself: I cannot touch Li Qing now. Firstly, Li Qing once helped the Emperor Emeritus, so I cannot touch him for the time being; secondly, I mentioned that family massacre case to His Majesty today, and I don't know if His Majesty will hold a grudge against me. Therefore, I cannot act rashly.

Watching Lu Qian's departing figure, Li Qing felt uneasy.

Before meeting Lu Qian, he was just a daring and reckless young man in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Lu Qian had been kind to him, but...
He recalled what Xiao Zhen had told him before he left.

"Your return to Beijing this time might mean facing a period of being sidelined, or even placed under house arrest. You should be prepared." "My children."

"I will help you take care of the child for a while, but as I said before, you are responsible for raising and caring for your own child."

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Li Qing's lips. Although he had not known Xiao Zhen for long, he had confidence in Xiao Zhen and firmly believed that Xiao Zhen was his lucky star!

Meanwhile, in the Third Prince's residence, the Third Prince was in a very bad mood.

The Emperor sent the Seventh Prince out of the capital to welcome the Retired Emperor, but not him.
The seventh prince is only seven years old; he's still a child!

The third prince walked to the window and saw the Divine Bird General eating a rabbit from afar.

He suddenly felt at peace.

He summoned an advisor, and the two had a long talk. When he looked again, the Divine Bird General was already standing on the windowsill, guarding him like a bodyguard.

The Third Prince felt relieved. He had really brought trouble upon himself. The Divine Bird General was right beside him; he was a person favored by the heavens.

Half a day later, the Seventh Prince and his entourage finally met the Emperor Emeritus.

Exhausted from the journey, the Emperor Emeritus took a nap at the official post station before summoning the Seventh Prince, who was accompanied by Zhao Huixian, the heir apparent of the Prince of Lu, and Zhao Tingluo, the grandson of the Prince of Fu.

Prince Lu, the heir apparent, is the father of the Broken Stone Brothers. According to seniority, both the Seventh Prince and Zhao Tingluo should call him uncle. He is also the nephew of the Emperor Emeritus.

With Prince Lu as a "pearl and jade" precedent, Prince Lu's heir surpassed his master, becoming a notorious playboy in the capital in his youth. Now in middle age, he remains the same, indulging in increasingly elaborate forms of entertainment every day.

If it weren't for the need for the retired emperor's nephews to intervene, Emperor Yongjia would not have allowed him to stay by the side of the seventh prince.

There's only one reason: I don't want him to lead my son astray.

The heir of Prince Lu, however, was completely oblivious. Upon seeing the Emperor Emeritus, he burst into tears, saying, "Uncle, I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime."

He cried so hard that the Emperor Emeritus was extremely annoyed.

Neither Prince Fu nor Prince Lu, this pair of brilliant and promising talents, were truly outstanding.

However, it was precisely because they were two useless people that they were able to survive under Empress Dowager Qi.

The retired emperor ignored him and told him to go cry to the side. He then looked at the seventh prince in front of him and Zhao Tingluo behind the seventh prince.

Xiao Qingqing once said that Zhao Tingluo was her little brother, a very interesting child, and now he was the one in charge of the Prince of Fu's mansion.

As for the Seventh Prince, this was the first time the Emperor Emeritus had met him. When he visited the Longevity Palace, the Seventh Prince had not yet been born.

With just one glance, the retired emperor was displeased.

This child also has a hooked nose.

Zhao Tingluo, on the other hand, looks much more pleasing to the eye.

Perhaps it was the hooked nose that irritated him, but now the retired emperor judges people by their noses first. For example, Zhao Tingluo's nose is very handsome, inherited from that old codger Prince Fu. Although Prince Fu is a good-for-nothing, he has a good appearance. Prince Fu's birth mother was a dancer who was extremely beautiful, and Prince Fu inherited his looks from her. Even Prince Fu's descendants are all outstanding.

The retired emperor suppressed his disgust for the hooked nose, said a few perfunctory words, and sent the seventh prince away.

That night, the Seventh Prince and his entourage would also stay at the official post station.

Back in his room, after dismissing everyone around him, the Seventh Prince took Zhao Tingluo's hand and said, "Luoluo, do you think my grandfather doesn't like me? He doesn't even look at me properly."

If the Seventh Prince could notice it, Zhao Tingluo naturally noticed it as well.

The Emperor Emeritus simply dislikes the Seventh Prince. His gaze towards the Seventh Prince is filled with disdain, even more so than towards the Prince of Lu's heir!
Zhao Tinglu could understand why the retired emperor disliked the heir of Prince Lu.

But what about the Seventh Prince?

The seventh prince is still just a child. Although the royal family is known for its ruthlessness, the Emperor Emeritus shouldn't be so disdainful of his grandson whom he's only just met.

Zhao Tinglu couldn't understand it, but fortunately, the Seventh Prince had been traveling all day and was very tired, so he went to bed early.

Zhao Tingluo returned to her room, but did not go to sleep.

He knew that the Emperor Emeritus had returned to the capital with his goddaughter and godson.

Zhao Tingluo doesn't know who his god-grandson is yet, but this god-granddaughter must be his sister Qing!

He was waiting for Zhao Shiqing to come to him.

Zhao Tingluo didn't wait long before he heard a cat meow.

He opened the window, and the little demon darted in.

Zhao Tingluo reached out to touch the little demon's head, but the little demon haughtily avoided him. The little demon wouldn't let him touch it, and instead used its paws to take off a small pouch hanging around its neck and threw it in front of Zhao Tingluo.

Zhao Tingluo was overjoyed and pulled a note out of her purse.

After reading it, he said to Xiao Yao, "I understand, thank you, Xiao Yao."

The little demon meowed, turned around, jumped out of the window, and disappeared.

Zhao Tingluo closed the window, took a deep breath, and said to the eunuchs outside the door, "I've eaten too much and need to go for a walk to digest. You don't need to come with me."

The eunuch hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the Emperor Emeritus is also staying here. Please be careful not to disturb His Majesty."

Zhao Tinglu glared at them: "I've been taking walks in the palace to digest my food since I can remember. When have you ever seen me startle the Emperor?"

The two eunuchs thought it made sense. Besides, this young master was cunning and resourceful; even if he encountered the retired emperor, he could turn danger into safety.

Zhao Tinglu shook off the eunuch and wandered around to the garden.

The garden at the official post station wasn't large, just a small garden. Zhao Tinglu looked around and found the crabapple tree mentioned on the note. He walked over, and behind the crabapple tree was a rock with a person squatting there. Unless you specifically look for it, you would never find that there was someone hiding there.

"Come with me!" the man said in a deep voice.

Zhao Tingluo understood immediately upon seeing the man: this person was definitely not Zhao Shiqing's guard, but rather the Emperor Emeritus's man!
It wasn't just Zhao Shiqing who wanted to see him; the Emperor Emeritus was also there! (End of Chapter)