The most dissolute couple in the capital

Inside the imperial tent of the imperial palace, the floor was heated to a great warmth, and wisps of calming incense emanated from the golden incense burner.

The Empress sat by the couch, holding Princess Li Zhao's hand tightly, the fear in her eyes not yet completely gone.

This is her only child. If it weren't for the accidental mistake by the Liang King and his wife, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress and the Princess." Cui Qingyi lifted the heavy curtain.

"Please rise and take a seat." The Empress's expression softened immediately upon seeing her, even showing genuine gratitude. "Today, we owe a great debt to you and Prince Liang. If it weren't for your courage in the face of danger, Zhao'er might have..."

Cui Qingyi lowered her head slightly, her face full of fear and humility: "Your Majesty is too kind. Her Highness the Princess is of noble birth and is naturally protected by all the gods. As for me and the Prince... I was terrified at the time and only instinctively pulled the Princess up. The Prince was just blind, throwing things around in a panic."

Wasn't she terrified? She had finally found a stable, long-term job and was preparing to enjoy her retirement, but who would have thought that these princes vying for the throne wouldn't even spare the autumn hunt!

Such a thing didn't happen in my past life.

The Empress asked gently, "How is Chengjing's injury? What did the imperial physician say?"

Cui Qingyi said in a relaxed tone, "The imperial physician said it was just a superficial scratch and nothing serious. But when I returned, he insisted that I see his wound, and he showed it to me several times."

The Empress chuckled, "That's just like him."

"Indeed." Cui Qingyi put down her teacup, a hint of emotion appearing on her face. "But today's events, in truth, are largely thanks to the Prince's fondness for tinkering with spices."

The Empress's eyes flickered slightly: "Oh?"

Cui Qingyi feigned recollection: "After the Prince returned, he kept mentioning that the wild boar had a strange smell. I asked what it was, and he said it smelled like a kind of incense used for taming animals in the Southern Frontier. I didn't quite understand it, but where would this Southern Frontier animal-taming incense come from in the hunting grounds?"

She mimicked Li Chengjing's tone, "Later, I wondered, who in the capital would have access to such unorthodox things?"

The Empress's expression remained gentle and dignified, but the light in her eyes had turned cold.

The maternal clan of the Second Prince Li Han, the Lu clan of Fanyang, happened to have a trade route in the southern border region that had been operating for more than ten years.

The matter was quite coincidental. The Lu family's business in the southern borderlands was ostensibly a trade in spices and herbs, a fact known to everyone in the court. But their ability to obtain unconventional items used for animal taming was beyond the scope of legitimate business dealings.

"You're right. This is indeed strange, and I need to think about it carefully." The Empress's voice was gentle. "Since it's incense from the Southern Frontier, it's truly a remarkable story. Qingyi, you've been frightened today, so go back early and rest with Prince Liang. His Majesty has bestowed some calming tonics upon you; take them back with you."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. I take my leave." Cui Qingyi bowed respectfully and withdrew.

No sooner had Cui Qingyi left than a figure in bright yellow robes emerged from behind the screen in the inner room. The emperor's face was ashen, clearly having overheard the entire conversation.

"Your Majesty..." The Empress stood up.

The emperor raised his hand and sneered, "What a fine example of Southern Frontier beast-taming incense! What a reckless act!" He turned to his personal eunuch behind him, "Pass on my decree! Order Xu Changfeng, the commander of the Imperial Guards, to thoroughly search this palace, inside and out, especially the routes those beasts take! Also, have the secret guards investigate which households in the capital have recently received goods from Southern Frontier!"

The emperor's wrath was no child's play.

In just three days, although the autumn hunt continued, the undercurrents beneath the surface had already surged. Xu Changfeng acted swiftly, not only uncovering the deliberately concealed signs of sabotage at the edge of the defenses but also tracing the clues to uncover two spies within the Imperial Guard. Although these two insisted they had been paid to smuggle wild game, the secret guards' files clearly linked them to certain peripheral forces of the Second Prince's maternal clan.

However, the Emperor and Empress, who possessed this secret report, tacitly chose to suppress it. This matter must not be revealed completely at this point.

Firstly, those caught so far are all peripheral assassins, and there is no absolute irrefutable evidence to directly condemn the Second Prince Li Han; secondly, if the scandal of the prince murdering his brother and implicating the legitimate princess is made public, it will really damage the royal family's reputation.

As for this third point, which is also the point that the emperor and empress feared the most, these pieces of evidence were exposed in a way that was too deliberate.

Whether it was the highly targeted beast-taming incense from the Southern Frontier, or the few unfamiliar guards that the Second Prince inexplicably brought into the hunting grounds on the day of the autumn hunt, every single item was laid out clearly on the table, as if he was afraid that others wouldn't be able to trace it back to him.

Having ruled the country for many years, the Emperor and Empress were well-versed in the intrigues of the court. How could they not see through the clues?

This flawed scheme, rather than being meticulously planned, resembles a classic "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" scenario. The Second Prince, this foolish mantis, is very likely just a scapegoat pushed to the forefront by the true mastermind, used to draw attention and create chaos.

If the Second Prince is severely punished at this time, not only will the "wildcat" be satisfied, but this thread will also be completely severed.

Therefore, the best strategy is to remain hidden and lure the enemy out.

In order to lower Huang Que's guard and to punish the Second Prince for his foolish "going with the flow," the Emperor, who had always valued the Second Prince highly, used the pretext of the autumn hunt defense to unleash his fury in front of all the civil and military officials at the grand court assembly after returning to the capital.

"I see some people who have wasted their education! They panic in the face of danger and can't even discipline their own guards! As the Zuo Zhuan says, 'Think of danger in times of peace; if you think of danger, you will be prepared; if you are prepared, you will have no worries.' They can't even fulfill their duty as guards, and their actions are so frivolous. How can they possibly be fit for great responsibilities in the future!"

The emperor slammed a memorial at the feet of the second prince, Li Han, who was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud, his court robes soaked with cold sweat.

"Your subject knows his crime! I beg Your Majesty to calm your anger!" Li Han gritted his teeth, his heart filled with fear and trepidation. He didn't know where his carefully designed scheme had gone wrong. The wild boar was clearly attacking indiscriminately, and he was just taking advantage of the situation. Why did his father's eyes seem to see through everything?

-

Meanwhile, the matter of the prince consort has finally been settled.

During the autumn hunt, the performances of the young masters from different families clearly demonstrated their superiority.

The story of Zheng Wenhan shooting an arrow into a pine tree has spread throughout the teahouses and taverns of Chang'an, becoming a source of amusement for storytellers.

I don't know who spread the rumor, but at the time, several daughters of military officers, seeing the Second Young Master Zheng howling like a banshee on horseback, almost couldn't resist pulling out daggers from their boots and chopping him and his horse down together.

In contrast, He Yuanlang, the young master of the He family, performed admirably on the day of the autumn hunt. Although he did not make any earth-shattering splashes, he was quick to protect the young members of the imperial clan beside him when the chaos broke out, remaining calm and composed, and acting with proper judgment.

The Empress already had some affection for He Yuanlang.

Li Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, "Young Master He is upright and acts with propriety. He neither competes nor fights, nor does he back down. In my opinion, the most important thing for a prince consort is to be sensible and have a sense of propriety."

The Queen and the Princess exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's unspoken meaning.

The imperial decree for the marriage was issued quickly.

When the news reached the Liang Prince's residence, Cui Qingyi was reclining on a chaise lounge reading a storybook.

Su Xin entered and reported, "Your Highness, Young Master He has been betrothed to a prince consort."

Cui Qingyi placed the book face down on her stomach and closed her eyes to rest.

"Okay, I understand."

Su Xin waited for a while, and seeing that the princess had no reaction, she couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, are you unhappy? Young Master He was the one you recommended back then."

Cui Qingyi turned over, facing inwards, her voice muffled: "Happy, happy for the princess. But being happy is exhausting, so let me be happy lying down."

Su Xin: "..."

Her princess's skill in salted fish has reached its pinnacle.

In her previous life, Cui Qingyi was also the son-in-law of He Yuanlang, so she was not surprised that the woman ended up in the He family.

As for Zheng Wenhan...

Cui Qingyi's lips curled up slightly.

If your ambition to climb the social ladder is still not satisfied, why not change your path and take the foolish but beautiful route...

hiss……

Thinking about it carefully, it's not beautiful enough...