Proud Feather

Chapter 21 Staring
The storm was more severe than expected.

The Imperial City Bureau did not even wait overnight and began the search that night.

They split into several groups and conducted detailed investigations of the palace, the Duke of Anguo's Mansion, the Dahuai Temple... every place where Chu Ling had stayed.

Although the imperial physician hadn't leaked any information, the princess and the crown prince had both been poisoned within a short period of time, forcing others to speculate. Furthermore, with such a large commotion, who could possibly take it lightly?

After Xue Wang went to the Duke of Anguo's mansion to ask questions, he was stopped by the old lady.

"Master Xue, how is the princess?"

Xue Wang replied calmly, "The princess is fine, old lady, don't worry."

"Then does the poison she was poisoned with have anything to do with the Crown Prince?"

Xue Wang met the old lady's expectant gaze and finally shook his head: "Your Majesty has the final say on this matter. It is not my place to interfere. Madam, please rest. Goodbye."

The Imperial City Bureau's personnel quickly retreated. Feng Xiao supported the old lady and said softly, "Don't worry, mother. If there is anything truly foul-minded, His Majesty will definitely speak up for the Crown Prince."

The old lady said in a low voice, "I am already old, and my children have passed away one by one. Now I only hope that I can see the murderer executed before I close my eyes!"

……

Early in the morning, the three judges were also summoned.

The emperor threw Xue Wang's report over and said, "You three have been busy for half a month. It would be more useful if the princess could leave the palace!"

Zhang Ji, Lin Wenyu, and Gao Mian read the report in turn. They were shocked and apologized one after another: "I am incompetent."

Xue Wang's report clearly stated that after an overnight investigation, the Duke of Anguo's mansion was cleared of suspicion. The poison the princess had contracted, examined by the imperial physician, was consistent with the residue on the crown prince's body. It was only due to the incense ignited by the evil monk Jinghui that the poison was discovered early.

By now, the investigation had a clear direction. First, the Dahuai Temple. If they could find the poison there, they would have physical evidence. Second, they had to find a connection between the Dahuai Temple and the prince. If they could find one, the prince's murder case would be solved as well.

Of course, there is a very small possibility that the poison is hidden in the palace, and the Dahuai Temple is just an inducement. This requires their criminal justice personnel to confirm.

Gao Mian was both surprised and puzzled. He had been investigating the case primarily through the poison itself, and the coroner had already identified the key ingredient and was conducting a city-wide search. Now, with the clue of the Dahuai Temple, it was like a guiding light.

However, the appearance of this Dahuai Temple was too smooth. Doesn't the person behind it know that the prince's case is under strict investigation? He should have disappeared and hidden himself well.

Gao Mian was not stupid enough to say these words out loud. Soon news came from Nanming Palace that the princess had woken up!
The emperor was overjoyed and immediately went to the Nanming Palace.

Zhang Ji and others looked at each other and followed tacitly.

To know what exactly happened, it is better to hear the princess herself say it than to read the report.
-
As soon as the emperor entered the Nanming Palace, he saw his daughter looking at him with tears in her eyes: "Father!"

Chu Ling tried to get out of bed, but her legs went weak and she almost fell.

The emperor hurriedly supported him and said, "Don't come down, you are not well yet!"

Chu Ling sat back down obediently, and before the emperor could speak, she hurriedly said, "Father, I heard everything Qiu Niang said. I never thought Jinghui, who appeared to be a compassionate monk, could be so sinister inside! I regret it so much. How could I have been so possessed back then, arguing with you for him? Thinking about it now, my mind is still hazy."

The father and daughter at Dahuai Temple had a quarrel, and the emperor felt somewhat unhappy. For so many years, he had held his daughter in the palm of his hand, and in the end, she quarreled with him over an outsider. Now, after hearing Chu Ling's words and seeing her pitiful appearance, his heart softened and he said softly, "Father does not blame you. You were bewitched by his incense, and it was not from your heart."

"Really? His incense is indeed magical. I've also tried the imperial physician's medicine, but I still feel the most comfortable with him."

"Listen, isn't that right?" The emperor became more and more certain of his judgment. "That evil monk took advantage of your emotional damage to steal your soul. I'm afraid the foreign monk who came here to hang out with you had a plan all along, just waiting for you to come!"

Chu Ling grew angrier as she listened. "Father, they're so hateful! Not only are they plotting to kill us, they're also trying to sow discord between us. Just imagine, if I hadn't fainted unexpectedly, you would have thought I was disobedient and unfilial, and I'd have thought you didn't trust your daughter. And so, with my eldest brother dead, you and I would be at odds with each other. Wouldn't that be a tragedy for our loved ones and a joy for our enemies? You're the Supreme Lord, and my eldest brother and I are descendants of the Phoenix and the Dragon, yet you're being toyed with like this!"

This was very true. The emperor was silent for a moment and nodded.

He reached out and touched his daughter's hair. "Okay, now that you're awake, you should rest well and take care of yourself. Father will take care of these things, so don't worry about it."

"Father..." Chu Ling didn't put in so much effort for this result.

The emperor was about to stand up when he heard a plop and someone knelt down.

He turned his head and looked at Lu Chan in surprise: "Crown Princess?"

Lu Chan bowed solemnly and raised his head, saying, "Father, I have a request."

Under such circumstances, the emperor had no choice but to listen to the Crown Princess' words, so he sat back and said, "You go ahead."

Lu Chan said, "I ask that Your Majesty, Father, abolish my title of Crown Princess. From now on, I will just be an ordinary member of the royal family and live in a separate palace with my little grandson."

The emperor's brows slowly furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Lu Chan stood up and cried, "Father, I'm scared! The Crown Prince died in mysterious circumstances, and now A Ling has been poisoned. Who will be next? Will it be Jin'er? I've already lost my husband, and I don't want to lose my son. He's still so young. If something happens to him, how can I survive?"

At this point, Lu Chan burst into tears: "I don't want the title of Crown Princess, nor do I want the honorable position of the little emperor's grandson. I just want to raise my son safely."

After a brief silence, the emperor angrily shouted, "Crown Princess, what nonsense are you talking about? Don't you trust me? Jin'er is your son and my eldest grandson. How could I allow anyone to harm him?!"

Lu Chan stiffened his neck and said, "It's not that I don't believe you, father, but the thief is really cunning. Ah Ling is surrounded by guards and palace maids, and the prince had an accident not long ago. Who would have thought she would be poisoned? Could a monk really be the murderer? Ah Ling has contacted him, but what about the prince? He has never been to the Dahuai Temple, let alone seen any monks. How could he be murdered? I naturally believe you, father, but I dare not believe anyone else."

"You..." The emperor was angry and ashamed by what she said.

Yes, if something happened to the Crown Prince and the Princess while they were heavily guarded, wouldn't that be a slap in the face of him as the Emperor? But for the Crown Princess to speak out in public like this, wasn't that forcing him?
He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, A Ling's accident, let's just call it a mistake by the Three Courts. Now I'll let Xue Wang keep an eye on it. Can you feel more at ease?"

Lu Chan remained motionless.

The emperor was furious: "You can't supervise it yourself, right?"

Before Lu Chan could speak, a voice interrupted: "Father, I can go!"

The emperor turned his head and looked at his daughter in surprise: "You?"

Chu Ling was furious. "The thief is truly despicable. He harmed my elder brother and now he wants to harm me! The Three Courts are also useless. They have been investigating for so long and not a single one of them is useful. In that case, I will keep an eye on it myself! Sister-in-law, you can trust me, right?"

(End of this chapter)