Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 124 Liang Heng's Death

Jiuque, who thought he had already achieved his goal, never expected that such an accident would happen later, which would cause some flaws in this otherwise perfect journey.

In the heavily guarded imperial palace, a thousand miles away in the capital, a spy dressed in black rushed toward the Hall of Nourishing Life with a newly arrived message.

Having already received the news and been waiting for a long time, Emperor Jingtai eagerly reached out and picked up the thin piece of paper to read it. He read the letter quickly, and gradually a satisfied smile appeared on his face; he even patted the dragon desk.

"Excellent! Excellent indeed, as expected of Jiu Que. You solved the case by accident, and you've only been gone for a short time! Truly a young prodigy!"

Emperor Jingtai glanced at Jiu Fu, who was standing to the side, and coughed twice.

"Of course, the other kids are all very good. Especially your adopted son, he's highly skilled in martial arts and played a big role in capturing Liang Heng's remaining criminal gang. Oh, by the way, he got a minor injury on this trip, he'll need to take good care of himself when he gets back."

"Your Majesty is too kind. It is a blessing that Wei Yuan can serve Your Majesty. He is young and in the prime of his life. What is a little injury? He can recover with rest."

Although deeply worried, Jiu Fu nonchalantly stated that Wei Yuan could be used at will. Despite his injury, he had at least gained the Emperor's favor. In this day and age, as long as one could win the Emperor's approval, the attitudes of others were completely unimportant.

Emperor Jingtai was in a good mood and even had the time to joke with Jiufu. He continued reading the letter as he spoke.

"You old rascal, you're happy to have such a good adopted son at the end of your life. You've got a worthy successor..."

Emperor Jingtai's voice suddenly stopped, and his previously smiling face was now clouded with gloom. Jiufu, who was best at reading Emperor Jingtai's emotions, felt a chill and knew that something terrible must have happened. He dared not joke with Emperor Jingtai anymore and respectfully lowered his head.

A moment later, Emperor Jingtai slammed his hand on the table. This was quite different from his earlier joy. The inkstone on the table bounced violently, rolled several times, and landed on the floor with a thud. The palace maids and eunuchs serving him all knelt down, fearing that the emperor's anger would extend to them.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me—"

"These scoundrels! Do they really think they can fool me? They even pinned all this on the third prince, who's long gone! Isn't that right? Blaming a dead man for a crime, since dead men can't speak, everything's fine, everyone's happy, how wonderful! Very wonderful!"

Emperor Jingtai was practically gritting his teeth. He did hate the third prince, but that didn't mean he could tolerate those scoundrels pinning all the blame on him. Could that idiot third prince possibly manage such a large situation? Could he possibly subdue Liang Heng?

He didn't even believe it was his own father, let alone anyone else. But that damned Liang Heng insisted that the third brother had orchestrated everything and refused to reveal the real culprit's name.

"Ha, no problem. Once that damned Liang Heng returns to the capital, plenty of people will be able to pry his mouth open!" A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Emperor Jingtai's eyes. He was no soft-hearted emperor; there was no mouth in this world that couldn't be pried open! Just then, another man in black rushed over, carrying a familiar piece of paper. Looking at that paper, Emperor Jingtai had a bad feeling. Sure enough, after opening the letter and glancing at it, Emperor Jingtai closed his eyes, feeling somewhat powerless.

Liang Heng was killed in full view of everyone! His killers were none other than the long-oppressed people of Qianzhou! The first to be targeted were the unfortunate miners forced to work in the mines!
"Ugh……"

This could be considered his just deserts. Emperor Jingtai was naturally somewhat disappointed. It was possible that Liang Heng had not only tried to associate himself with the third prince, but also with the other three princes. Could it be that all four of his children were involved in the cinnabar mine case? Liang Heng was merely trying to muddy the waters.

The letter revealed Jiu Que's worry, helplessness, and grievance, and Emperor Jingtai did not want to blame her. How could this child have foreseen that those docile people would suddenly rise up and almost tear Liang Heng to pieces? One wonders if she was frightened? Even without Liang Heng, there was so much evidence and Liang Heng's subordinates; there was bound to be a breakthrough.

but……

The emperor's suspicious nature resurfaced at this moment. Was Liang Heng truly killed because of the people's anger? Emperor Jingtai knew all too well how easily the people could be swayed. Could it be that the true mastermind had been watching Jiu Que and the others all along, swiftly striking when they found the crucial witness, using the people to eliminate Liang Heng? And simultaneously eliminating any possibility of finding him?
Emperor Jingtai pondered for a long time, and finally sighed. He decided to wait until Jiu Que and the others returned before making any further decisions.

The list submitted this time involves seventeen court officials. Once Jiu Que brings back the witnesses and evidence, another bloody storm will ensue. The journey back won't be safe. Fortunately, Jiu Que is clever; she accompanied the army escorting the tribute to the capital. No one in the world should be so bold as to dare touch the tribute presented to the emperor.

But Emperor Jingtai was still uneasy. He thought he had made foolproof preparations, but the child was captured before even entering Qianzhou and had been forced into hard labor for so many days. He needed to find someone to help him.

With his gaze falling upon the quiet Jiu Fu beside him, Emperor Jingtai made the final decision.

“Jiufu, go pick them up. You can also see your godson beforehand and check on his injuries.”

Although Jiu Fu was somewhat surprised, he still knelt down to accept the imperial decree. As His Majesty's Grand Eunuch, he hadn't left the capital since His Majesty ascended the throne. He never imagined that one day he would be ordered to leave the city to fetch his adopted son.

This made Jiufu feel proud, even though he knew it was probably because of the Lady Ying. He couldn't help but be happy.

Jiu Que, who had already departed from Qianzhou, sat listlessly in the carriage. Perhaps due to her mood, she, who had never experienced motion sickness before leaving the capital, now felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. The swaying carriage was no longer a magic tool to lull her to sleep; instead, it gave her a terrible headache.

Even though several days have passed, Jiu Que still can't help but go crazy when she thinks about what happened that day, and even starts pulling her own hair.

"Aaaaaah! If I find out who did this, I'll chop them up! Liang Heng was the biggest witness we caught on this trip. He hadn't even revealed the real mastermind, how could he be dead? And in such a ridiculous way. I thought he was someone important, but he died so quietly! Most importantly, will His Majesty blame us when we get back?"

(End of this chapter)