Scheming Through the Palace 036: Safety Alert
Gu Ling narrowed her eyes, remaining silent for a long time before slowly asking: "In the fifth year of Qing, it was indeed the heyday of Liu's family power, and Empress Shengyuan of the Liu clan was also the most prominent in the harem. It's no wonder that even the eldest princess had to leave the palace to live with her maternal relatives for a year. Although it's unbelievable, as long as it involves the Liu clan and Empress Shengyuan, even if it's unbelievable, it doesn't seem unexpected."
Liao Qingyun's expression became solemn, thinking of the tenth anniversary. The Emperor's iron-blooded methods not only led to the death of Empress Shengyuan, who was five months pregnant at the time, but also resulted in the extinction of the entire Liu family. Even the seven-year-old Princess Wuyou was confined to the Cold Palace for life, unable to regain her freedom. It has been only five years since then.
Gu Ling furrowed his brow and asked: "What exactly happened in the fifth year of Qing?" Could it be that the Grand Princess was forced to leave the palace and live with the Shi family?
Liao Qingyun's expression became somewhat strange, and Gu Ling thought of what Qingyun had said earlier about the Princess Worry-Free. Could it be?
"As for what actually happened, I was still young at that time and didn't care about these things, but after the Liu Clan's extermination incident, I once heard a rumor."
Liao Qingyun shook her head silently, and the flat tone that rarely had any ups and downs also appeared with a hint of sigh: "Although it's just a rumor, I reckon it's probably eight or nine out of ten true."
"What is it?" Gu Ling's interest was piqued. What could make Qing Yun reveal such a strange expression and yet be grateful?
"In the fifth year of celebration, the emperor's birthday was held in Shengyang Palace, and Empress Shengyuan led a group of concubines, princes, and princesses to attend the banquet. The eldest princess and the eldest prince were already aware of their status, so they naturally wouldn't get close to Princess Wuyou, who was honored with a noble title. However, the second prince was the same age as Princess Wuyou, and it was rare for them to meet under normal circumstances, making things fresh between them. But as children often do, one moment they would be playing nicely together, and the next moment they might start fighting."
Gu Ling stared in surprise, just because of this?
Liao Qingyun let out a soft sigh.
The carefree princess and the second prince were fighting, the carefree princess happened to bite the second prince's finger and wouldn't let go, all the palace maids and servants who were attending were flustered but didn't dare to come forward.
Seeing the Second Prince crying in pain, with fresh blood flowing from his fingers, the Grand Princess, who was the Second Prince's full sister, rushed forward in a hurry and forcibly pried open the carefree princess's mouth. In her haste, she accidentally pushed the Carefree Princess, causing her to hit her head.
Princess Worry-free felt fearful of Grand Princess, crying and shouting to drive Grand Princess away. It was just a childish remark, but Empress Sheng Yuan might have been too doting on Princess Worry-free, or perhaps she used this as an excuse to reprimand the other consorts.
So, just as Princess Worryfree said, the Eldest Princess was forced to move out of the palace and into the Shi residence... until a year later on the Emperor's birthday, Empress Shengyuan ordered for the Eldest Princess to be brought back to the palace.
"No wonder even you sighed." After hearing the rumor, Gu Ling nodded calmly.
Liao Qingyun played with the decorative folding fan in her hand: "Whether Empress Shengyuan and the Liu family were guilty of heinous crimes, everyone had different answers in their hearts, but... that carefree princess who was born into a life of luxury and honor, ended up with such a miserable fate, I'm afraid it would make everyone sigh."
Gu Ling smiled indifferently: "The imperial family is the most ruthless, and Princess Wu You isn't the first, nor will she be the last. She's not much different from those who were also buried alive by imperial power, only... her birth is nobler, and she received more honor and glory." His aunt wasn't buried alive by imperial power either? Who can sympathize with his grandparents' sorrow, his father and uncles' helplessness, and the pain in Emperor Huai's heart?
He once asked his grandfather why he had sent his aunt to the palace in the first place, and his grandfather was overcome with grief, saying only: "It's all fate!"
Princess Worryfree perhaps is also like this, everything is fate!
So is she innocent? Is she pitied by others? Or does she evoke admiration? What's the use of all these? It can't change their predetermined fate!
……
The king looked at the booklet presented by Xiao Tiaozi, flipping through it page by page, his brow furrowing more and more.
"Little Escaped One, what problems do you think Shi Jia and the Second Prince have?" Yuan Wu You pointed the spearhead at Shi Jia and the Second Prince, while Gu Ling also seemed to be heading in this direction.
He hesitated for a moment before answering: "This humble servant did not find anything unusual about the Shi family, but this humble servant felt that the Second Prince was somewhat unusual. Although it's not obvious, careful investigation can still distinguish it."
"Just a feeling?" Without substantial evidence, all feelings are just empty words.
He escaped with a somewhat ashamed and lowered head: "I am incompetent, should I continue to investigate?"
"No need, you just copy and send a copy to Yuan Wuyou in the Cold Palace." He wanted Yuan Wuyou to investigate this matter.
Upon hearing the king's order, Huiyang merely paused for a moment before regaining his composure: "Yes."
King Huai's eyes flickered slightly, and he said again: "Also make a copy and secretly send it to Gu Ling."
"Yes, your humble servant obeys." He retreated silently and disappeared from view.
The king read it again, and his heart was full of curiosity. How did Yuan Wuyou lock onto the Shi family and the second prince in just a few short days? Could it be... that the one who set fire to the Moon Cleansing Palace was indeed the second prince?
But is it possible? A twelve-year-old... The king's face tightened, and he smiled coldly.
If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked. Yuan Hao Tian killed his brother and seized power, killing his wife and exterminating his clan to take back imperial power. His 12-year-old son was able to commit arson in the palace and kill his sister; what's surprising about that?
What's more, Yuan Wuyou was also twelve years old. Even in a cold palace, she could still stir up trouble...
The phrase "the imperial family is the most ruthless" is far from enough to describe the cruelty of being born into an imperial family. In an imperial family, only imperial power is supreme, and husbands and wives, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters are all enemies.
He wanted to see if it was true, and what Yuan Haotian would do next, whether he would kill his son who surpassed him or... reward him?
Hehe... Hehe, it's really a fun thing worth looking forward to, isn't it?
……
The horizon reveals a pale white dawn, and the black night is replaced by daylight.
Yu Worry sat half on the bed, seemingly smiling and playing with the booklet in her hand. Last night there were guests coming, but she didn't get up to greet them, which was indeed impolite.
On the bed opposite, Yu Zhu opened her eyes and subconsciously looked towards Yuan Wuyou's bed. However, upon seeing Yuan Wuyou sitting on the bed in his nightclothes, she was startled and immediately got out of bed to get dressed.
She pushed Yu Cui, who was sleeping on the same bed, and Yu Cui rubbed her sleepy eyes. When she saw Yuan Wuyou sitting on the bed with only his clothes half on, her sleepiness disappeared instantly, and she quickly got out of bed and put on her clothes.
After washing up, the sky also completely brightened up, changing from a pale white to a light orange color, and then from light orange to a pale red.
Yu Cui pushed open the window and looked at the sun that had just risen, saying with great delight: "Princess, the sun is out today."
Yu Zhu smiled and said: "Today is indeed a good day, Yu Cui, let's take out the bedding to sun it."
Yu Wu walked to the window and looked at the sky. The morning glow was like brocade, today's weather was indeed very good, but her mood had become somewhat gloomy.
Although she had expected that apart from the pardon, King Huai would definitely have some hidden forces to save his life, and this point was also explored by her from Imperial Noble Consort Guo and got confirmation.
Yuan Haotian must have had his doubts, but since Empress Dowager was just like him and didn't use them either, plus she was weak and ill, and with Consort Gu as a hostage in hand, and for the past decade Yuan Haotian had to focus all his energy on eliminating the Liu clan, he wasn't very sure who the previous emperor had given it to.
It could be any of the seven kings or the three kings who escaped from the capital at first, and naturally there is no way to deal with this problem.
For five years, she painted in prison, really exhausting her brain, and calculated and deliberated countless times in her heart.
The fact also proved that she was not wrong, but...
Looking at the dazzling sunlight, Yuan Wuyou's back suddenly felt chilly. After last night, she discovered that she had committed a mistake that she shouldn't have made.
She calculated a thousand times and ten thousand times, but did not raise her own safety vigilance to the extreme, thinking that she was in a cold palace, thinking that she was hiding in a dark place, unknown to gods and ghosts, so she was at ease!
If King Hua hadn't sent someone to deliver a message to her last night, but had come to assassinate her instead, then at this moment she probably wouldn't be able to stand here watching that patch of bright sunlight in the sky.
Digression
It's midnight!
