Chapter 106: Right Prime Minister

Hearing this, Li Musheng looked deeply at Cang Cang Yin Yue.

This Miss is truly impeccable in her work; the task of finding the Emperor Tianqi Secret Treasure entrusted to her is something she cares for even more than he does himself.

To speak honestly, if any boss could obtain such a hardworking employee, what worry would there be about not making money and becoming wealthy?

And with such a partner who acts decisively without being sluggish or lazy, what worry would there be about not gathering the seven keys to the Emperor Tianqi Secret Treasure?

"Miss Cang is right, let's go, let's go, we set off immediately."

Li Musheng rose from the stool and, with a face full of shame, withdrew his gaze from Cang Cang Yin Yue's flower-like and jade-like face.

Cang Cang Yin Yue glanced at him with her eyes, nodded lightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk out of the courtyard with Li Musheng.

Boarding the carriage prepared by the Tianjin Wei, but to avoid drawing too much attention, Li Musheng did not bring any Tianjin Wei guards on the journey.

Soon, the carriage sped away from the Tianjin Wei headquarters, disappearing amidst the rumbling sound of rolling wheels.

Not long after, the figure of Guan Tianqian emerged from the shadows of an alley not far from the Tianjin Wei headquarters; looking at the departing carriage, his expression was somewhat fluctuating.

"That must be the Eighth Imperial Prince temporarily residing at the Tianjin Wei; could the young man following Miss Cang Cang Yin Yue that Snow mentioned be..."

Guan Tianqian's face, marked somewhat by wind and frost, was filled with surprise and doubt.

Connecting Miss Cang Cang Yin Yue's recent abnormal behavior after returning to Shangyang City with Miss Guan Shanxue's words, his years of case-solving intuition made him feel that the relationship between the two people before him was not simple.

Standing where he was, Guan Tianqian hesitated and pondered for a moment, and finally decided to follow them for now to take a look.

If the murder case at the Hou Fu of the Marquis Cang and the death of Noble Consort Ji were related to the young man following Miss Cang Cang Yin Yue, and if that young man happened to be this Eighth Imperial Prince who had been lost among the common people...

Then the truth of the matter would undoubtedly be reduced to a single layer of window paper, waiting for him to pierce it with his finger; if he left now, he would naturally never be content.

The Great Li Imperial Palace, Fengyi Palace.

The Wang Hou, dressed in ordinary clothes, lay on her side on a soft couch woven from bright yellow silk, closing her eyes to rest and gather her spirit; at this moment, an old eunuch entered with light steps.

The Wang Hou opened her eyes slightly to look at the other party, and before the other party could speak, she asked aloud:

"Is there any reply from Fu Qiwen?"

Hearing this, the old eunuch stood firm before the couch, bowed, and then shook his head, saying:

"Minister Fu has not replied; instead, the Eighth Imperial Prince temporarily residing at the Tianjin Wei has directly resisted the imperial decree from the palace."

"The Eighth Imperial Prince?"

The Wang Hou looked at the old eunuch, slightly surprised, and said:

"What did he say?"

The old eunuch remained silent for a moment, but still replied in full detail:

"The Eighth Imperial Prince said that the people of the Tianjin Wei are all busy finding the Fire Qilin for him and have no time to find the murderer; if they want the Tianjin Wei's help, they must come to see him personally."

The Wang Hou shook her head, sat up from the couch, and said expressionlessly:

"His tone is quite bold; truly, a newborn calf fears no tiger."

Hearing this, the old eunuch's expression shifted slightly, and he asked:

"Since the Eighth Imperial Prince does not obey the palace decree, he does not place Your Majesty the Wang Hou in his eyes; how does Your Majesty intend to deal with him?"

However, the Wang Hou merely glanced at him:

"The Eighth Imperial Prince has been lost among the common people since childhood; it is normal that he does not understand the rules of the Imperial Capital and the palace; why should this Palace argue with a junior? If I truly did so, would it not show that this Palace has a narrow mind?"

Hearing this, the old eunuch quickly lowered his head and apologized, saying:

"It is this slave's lack of foresight."

At this moment, the Wang Hou waved her hand and said with narrowed eyes:

"The Tianjin Wei seems to be making big moves recently; although this Palace does not know what Fu Qiwen intends to do, his unwillingness to mobilize the Tianjin Wei for assistance at this time is actually within this Palace's expectations."

Immediately, she looked at the old eunuch with deep meaning:

"Let this matter drop; as for what the Third Imperial Prince and the Right Prime Minister should do, that is not something this Palace can control."

On the central axis of Xuanwu Street, inside the Third Imperial Prince's residence which stood majestically, the atmosphere was solemn.

Since the incident involving Noble Consort Ji, the Third Imperial Prince's entire personality changed drastically; he would fly into a rage of thunder and lightning at the slightest provocation.

The guards and servants in the residence were all silent as cicadas in winter, fearing that if they made the other party unhappy, they would be dragged out and beaten to death in public.

And at this moment, inside a study within the residence, all the servants and maids had been driven away.

And in the study, the Second Imperial Prince Li Que, the Third Imperial Prince Li Zhu, and the white-haired Right Prime Minister Ji Song were all present.

"Prime Minister Ji is advanced in years; please preserve your health; the matters of Noble Consort Ji and Lady Zhu are handled by me and my third brother; we will surely drag out the murderer and display his severed head for all to see!"

Li Que bowed his hands toward the old man before him, whose face was withered and whose white hair was disheveled.

The old man's eyes were now cloudy and his expression dazed; he merely raised his emaciated arm slightly to return the greeting, but said nothing.

"Grandfather..."

The Third Imperial Prince Li Zhu clenched his fists, wanting to say something but unable to speak; his eyes were swollen and red, filled with grief and anger.

He himself was already heartbroken, yet he did not know how to comfort an old man who had lost two daughters in a single night, a white-haired person sending off black-haired ones.

Li Que watched this scene, could only sigh lightly, and fell silent with a look of mourning on his face.

After an unknown amount of time, outside the study which was originally empty, a whirlwind swept up a fallen leaf.

Then, the figure of a middle-aged man wearing a scholar's robe and a square cap suddenly appeared from mid-air, stepping on the leaf and descending silently.

His sleeves fluttered, the wind around him hovered motionless, yet his gaze was directed into the study, and he said softly:

"Mr. Ji, long time no see."

The middle-aged man's warm and peaceful voice floated into the study; the Right Prime Minister Ji Song, who had been like a clay statue or wooden carving, finally showed some life on his withered, old face.

He slowly turned his hunched body, bowed his hands toward the outside of the study, and emitted a voice like a rotten wooden door swaying in the wind, saying:

"Please, Mr. Youshan, come in and speak."

And in the next instant, the study door swung open without wind, then closed silently.

Li Que turned toward the sound but saw no one; yet when he looked back, a middle-aged man with a refined countenance stood before the desk in the room, having appeared there at some unknown moment.

Ji Song raised his head slightly, his clouded gaze fixed on the middle-aged man before him. He moved his withered, darkened lips and spoke slowly:

"Mr. Youshan must surely know why this old man has summoned you."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man nodded gently, sighed with a look of compassion, and said:

"Mr. Ji, you have given me a second life. Yet we have not met in over twenty years, and I never expected our reunion to occur under such circumstances."

Ji Song shook his head slowly, his voice rough and hoarse:

"This old man has half his body already buried in the earth. I had long since grown indifferent to life and death, and never thought to repay kindness by demanding retribution."

"But... the grief of losing my daughter is far harder to bear than I ever imagined, so I have no choice but to trouble Mr. Youshan."

The middle-aged man sighed softly once more and spoke gently:

"Mr. Ji, rest assured. I will mobilize all the resources of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion in Shangyang City to help you find the culprit."

(End of this chapter)