Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

late at night.

The Eastern Palace Cheng'en Hall.

A sketch of the city's wards and markets was laid out in front of Li Chengqian.

The sketch was densely covered with red and black lines, marking the distribution of spies from various factions and the rotation routes of the twelve guards within the palace.

He drew a heavy red line between the "Da'an Palace" and the "Imperial Hospital".

"Your Highness."

The shadow then spoke.

"explain."

"Following the strange fire that occurred in Consort De's palace, I have uncovered a clue."

The night before the Emperor Emeritus's accident, Consort De's personal maid, Cui'er, secretly went to the Imperial Hospital.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian raised his head and asked:

"What are you going to the Imperial Hospital for?"

"The palace maid told the imperial physician on duty that Consort De had been restless for days and frequently experienced night terrors, and needed a calming medicine."

The shadow replied.

"Sedatives?"

Li Chengqian sneered.

"That's a pretty lame excuse. According to palace rules, concubines need a physician's diagnosis record to get medicine, and it also needs to be registered with the Imperial Pharmacy."

"How could a palace maid like her run off to get medicine in the middle of the night?"

"Your Highness is wise."

The shadow continued,

"That's the strange thing. I checked the Imperial Hospital's records, and the record of Cui'er taking the medicine that night was quietly erased before dawn the next day."

Li Chengqian immediately became interested and looked at the shadow, asking:

"Have you found out who erased the records?"

"We found out. It was the imperial physician on duty that night, named Chen Song."

The shadow paused for a moment.

"But Chen Song mysteriously disappeared on the afternoon of the same day the Emperor Emeritus had his accident."

The Imperial Medical Academy claimed he had returned to his hometown to visit relatives, but the people from Tingfeng Pavilion investigated his hometown and found no such person.

"Kill him to silence him."

Li Chengqian snorted coldly.

"Any other discoveries?"

Shadow hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering his words.

"Speak up, why are you stammering?"

"Your Highness, while investigating Chen Song, I also uncovered a rather private matter."

In the past two weeks, Consort De has been frequently summoning another imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital.

This imperial physician was named Liu Bai, twenty years old, and... quite handsome.

"puff!!!"

Li Chengqian spat out the mouthful of cold tea he had just taken a sip of.

Xiao Shunzi, who was standing nearby serving, quickly handed over a handkerchief.

Li Chengqian wiped his mouth, glared at the shadow, and asked:

"Handsome? How come you, an undercover agent, are focusing on someone's appearance while investigating a case?"

"Your Highness, I also find it strange."

The shadow explained in a very serious tone,

"Empress De always summoned Liu Bai in the afternoon, and each time she would dismiss her attendants, leaving only Cui'er to guard outside the door."

They stayed for over an hour. This subordinate truly cannot determine whether Consort De was seeking poison or pleasure.

Xiao Shunzi couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

"Your Highness, isn't Consort De incredibly audacious?"

This is even more exciting than throwing a palm-sized grenade in Liaodong!

If the murder of the retired emperor is confirmed, it would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

She actually has the mind to do all this messy stuff in the palace?

Li Chengqian ignored Xiao Shunzi's joking remarks.

"Father is truly vigorous for his age."

Li Chengqian said with a mocking expression,

"Marrying such a strong-willed concubine almost caused his father to die on the spot, and he might have also ended up being cuckolded."

Xiao Shunzi was so frightened that he quickly covered his mouth.

Only the Crown Prince would dare to say such a thing; anyone else would lose nine heads.

"Your Highness, what should we do now?"

The shadow asked for instructions.

"Should I just tie up Liu Bai? Once he's in the torture chamber of Tingfeng Pavilion, he'll tell me everything."

"idiot."

Li Chengqian glanced at the shadow.

"Do you think Consort De, a woman in the harem, would have the guts to murder the Emperor Emeritus?"

If she didn't have anyone backing her up, she wouldn't dare do something that would involve the extermination of nine generations of her family, even if she had ten times the courage.

The shadow suddenly realized:

"Does Your Highness mean that Consort De is merely a pawn pushed out into the game?"

"nonsense.

Use your brain to think about it, where did Consort De come from? The Wang family of Taiyuan.

Her entry into the palace was merely a pawn used by powerful families to consolidate their power within the imperial court.

Li Chengqian pulled the sketch of the market town in front of him and pointed to the several red circles on it.

"I have severed the foundation of the Taiyuan Wang clan in Hedong Province, and I have also implemented the imperial examination reform in the court, cutting off the lifeline of the five surnames and seven clans. They are desperate."

The Wang family of Taiyuan and the Cui family of Qinghe have joined forces to kill me and depose me from my position as crown prince.

But I have a large army protecting me in Chang'an, so they can't bring themselves to do it.

So they set their sights on the Emperor.

Xiao Shunzi asked in confusion:

"What benefit would they gain from killing the retired emperor?"

"The benefits are huge."

Li Chengqian sneered.

"The death of the Emperor caused shock throughout the court and the country."

During the period of national mourning, I must return to the capital to attend the funeral.

"As soon as I return, they can secretly fabricate charges against me, and even pin the blame for murdering the Emperor Emeritus on me."

Li Chengqian pointed out the direction outside the window.

"You think Father Emperor is keeping me under house arrest in the Eastern Palace just to protect me? He's also preventing the powerful families from resorting to desperate measures and sending assassins to storm the Eastern Palace and kill me to silence me."

The shadow cautiously continued to ask:

"Then Consort De..."

"Consort De was nothing more than a knife in the hands of aristocratic families."

Li Chengqian gave the order with a cold smile.

"Pass down the order: Tingfeng Pavilion, close in immediately."

"Keep a close watch on everyone around Consort De, 24/7, especially that palace maid named Cui'er, and that handsome imperial physician Liu Bai."

"yes!"

"Remember, never alert the enemy."

Li Chengqian looked at the shadow with amusement.

"Since the powerful families like to play dirty tricks, then I will play along with them to the very end."

"Shadow, send someone to create some illusions, to make Consort De believe that her actions are flawless."

The shadow paused, startled: "Your Highness means...?"

"Didn't she have the Imperial Hospital's records erased? When you sent people to investigate, you deliberately left some loopholes so that Consort De's people would discover that you were investigating, but they wouldn't find anything substantial."

Li Chengqian picked up the teacup and gently swirled the tea inside.

"You can even cover up some minor, insignificant clues for her in secret."

It made her feel like even God was on her side. When people feel things are going incredibly smoothly, they lower their guard and reveal even bigger flaws.

The shadow understood perfectly:

"Understood! To destroy someone, first make them mad."

"Go ahead," Li Chengqian waved his hand.

The shadow retreated.

Xiao Shunzi stepped forward, refilling Li Chengqian's teacup while muttering under his breath:

"Your Highness, that's a really underhanded move. If Consort De knew you were helping her like this behind her back, she'd probably be furious."

"I don't know if she vomits blood or not, but I'll skin those old bastards Wang Gui and Cui Min alive sooner or later."

Li Chengqian picked up the hot tea, just about to take a sip.

Just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

Li Chengqian's hand suddenly stopped, and the teacup stopped in mid-air.

Xiao Shunzi instinctively stepped in front of Li Chengqian, a dagger appearing in his hand without him even noticing.

"Who's outside?"

Xiao Shunzi demanded an explanation in a stern voice.

The guards outside didn't make a sound of protest.

This is the Eastern Palace, which Li Shimin personally ordered to be sealed off. Not even a fly can get in. How could anyone swagger to the door of the study in Chengen Hall?

The door was pushed open.

A night breeze carrying a faint scent of sandalwood blew into the study, causing the candlelight on the table to flicker.

Li Chengqian squinted, using the dim light to make out the person who had just arrived.

He was stunned.

Xiao Shunzi was also stunned, and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground.

Standing outside the door was none other than Empress Zhangsun Wugou, who should have been resting in the Lizheng Hall.