Chapter 313: Two Worthless Chess Pieces? The Scumbag Father Must Die!

Duan Rongxuan might just be a front for her, perhaps even a pawn?

She had previously pretended to discard a son, so she had to choose her own biological Fourth Prince to continue vying for the new Crown Prince position.

But what sort of person Duan Rongxuan really is, she couldn't be unclear about it in her mind.

He simply couldn't beat the other princes, lacking talent, virtue, even competence; although Emperor Yan outwardly favored him, he never gave Prince Yun any important task, not even a single matter.

Moreover, Prince Yun has never held any office in the court to this day.

Thus Emperor Yan could never truly grant him the throne.

Therefore everything the Empress does is merely to pave the way for the discarded Crown Prince's return...!

Li Qingluo's mind held many previously unclear points, which now gradually became clear, as if threads of connection were being linked one by one.

Perhaps yesterday's birthday banquet for Duan Rongxuan, with its bizarre and coincidental assassinations and the successive misconduct of Prince Yun, might all be part of a scheme?

Emperor Yan?

Could he and the Empress share the same intention, thus going along with the flow to do many things?

At the palace banquet on the fifth day, Princess Qingyu clearly committed a grave error, yet the Empress and the Emperor deliberately shielded her.

They must know that Qingyu was acting on behalf of the Crown Prince, right?

Thus even if Qingyu killed the legitimate daughter of the Pan family, she would never truly be punished.

She was quietly confined to reflect behind closed doors, which instead gave her a smooth exit from the palace, making it easier for her to act on the Crown Prince's behalf.

Moreover, the jade pendant that Princess Qingyu originally quarreled over with Pan Li, Prince Su had said that the pendant was originally a gift from the Emperor to the Crown Prince.

So it must be that Pan Li's original body learned some secret between Qingyu and the Crown Prince, which prompted Qingyu's intent to kill and silence!

But... if the Emperor truly shielded Qingyu, would he know that Qingyu is the Lotus Sect leader?

No, the Emperor absolutely does not know this!

Perhaps deep down he also wishes to restore the discarded Crown Prince to his position.

Thus he tacitly allowed Qingyu to become the Crown Prince's faction.

But if he knew Qingyu was the Lotus Sect leader, he would certainly not let her live to this day; after all, a Crown Prince versus a heretical cult threatening the court and the realm—who is lighter—is a genuine decision any emperor must make.

But Emperor Yan doesn't know; what about the Crown Prince?

Is he aware that Qingyu is the Lotus Sect leader?

If he is fully aware and even uses Qingyu's power to rise back onto the court, then Prince Su, knowing the truth, could easily expose him as leverage, wouldn't that be a piece of cake?

Li Qingluo couldn't help but shiver.

She once again gave Duan Rongshi a deep look.

However, she knew she couldn't ask him in front of De Shu at this moment.

Li Qingluo could only temporarily suppress the myriad doubts in her heart and first ask De Shu: "Besides this concubine's child, have you already clarified the matter of the Jiang family that I previously asked you to handle?"

De Shu hurriedly replied: "Miss, the matter you ordered, after so much time, the old servant does indeed have some leads."

"Miss, after Deputy General Jiang died, that concubine of his took this concubine's child and left Jinling City."

"They didn't go far; they settled in Yangzhou."

"A few years ago, this concubine's child participated in the selection for the Martial Champion, but was deliberately framed and failed to be chosen; it was someone under the Crown Prince who brought him out."

"This concubine's child actually has some talent and a bit of wit, so now he keeps climbing higher and is currently a close personal guard of the Crown Prince."

Close personal guard?

Just like Zhui Yu and Po Feng's status beside their lord?

But didn't they previously say he was only handling affairs at Southern Mountain Villa?

De Shu: "Miss, also, the secret letter that was said to have been sent home by Deputy General Jiang years ago wasn't sent to the Jiang family at all, but to this concubine."

"This time, the person who produced that letter is precisely this concubine."

Li Qingluo hammered her fist heavily into her palm.

"No wonder, the Jiang family has been silent for so many years, only to suddenly resurface."

"If they truly had that letter in hand, they would have exposed the truth back then."

"That concubine's child and the concubine, holding that letter, had no connections whatsoever, nor any status to accuse Li Chao Jing."

"Now the Crown Prince backs them, letting this concubine's child bring out the letter, and that letter must be presented by the Jiang family to legitimately blackmail and threaten Li Chao Jing."

"Thus the situation has become the current predicament."

So the real puppet master behind it all is the Empress Dowager and Crown Prince Duan Rongyin!

Prince Yun is merely a discarded piece that his brother opportunistically brought back to the palace.

Li Qingluo shook her head.

"Even if Liu Qingzhu were to return now to Prince Yun's Mansion... no, the Fourth Prince's residence, that dream would be completely shattered."

She was dreaming of being able to enter the palace as a noble lady.

And now, not even to become a noble lady in the palace, even a stable concubine seems impossible.

Nevertheless, all this is self‑inflicted, the retribution that she and Duan Rongxuan both deserve.

After De Shu left, Li Qingluo rose and personally brewed tea for Duan Rongshi.

"Your Highness, you have not yet answered the question I just raised."

"Why do you say that Li Chao Jing this time is bound to die without doubt?"

"Could it be that someone wants to murder and silence him, and he won't die in prison?"

Duan Rongshi, sipping tea and looking at her, said: "Why can't it be that my father the Emperor uncovered that he truly abused his achievements and power, thus being sentenced to death?"

Li Qingluo reached into her sleeve and pulled out a piece of paper.

She spread it out for Duan Rongshi to see.

"Because I, the commoner girl, have already managed to obtain that family letter from back then."

Duan Rongshi's face instantly showed disbelief.

Seeing Prince Su, who is always calculating everything and seeing through all schemes, now showing such an expression, Li Qingluo couldn't help but smile.

Look, he was scared by her too, wasn't he?

Duan Rongshi took it and said, "You... exactly when and where...?"

"How could this be possible?"

Li Qingluo spread her hands and said, "It was created on the Jiang family members, you know."

She explained, "The commoner girl knew early on that the Jiang family extorted Li Chao Jing for five hundred thousand taels of silver, so she had Uncle De handle it."

"After such a long time, they finally swapped the real with a fake."

"However, the commoner girl only just learned that this letter was actually taken out by that concubine, so being able to get this thing from the Jiang family also surprised her."

"The Crown Prince actually didn't keep this thing in his own hands."

Duan Rongshi couldn't help but chuckle.

"Duan Rongyin is an extremely cautious person."

"If it weren't for your people uncovering this truth, I fear others would find it hard to know his countless entanglements with the Jiang family."

The Crown Prince indeed hid it very deeply.

Duan Rongshi returned the letter to Li Qingluo.

He stared at her, meaningfully asking, "Now that you have this thing, what do you intend to do with it?"

Li Qingluo also didn't know.

What the Jiang family now holds is a fake letter.

Li Qingluo even deliberately left many flaws on it.

Therefore, based solely on that one letter and a General Li who has gone mad and cannot extract the truth of that year through interrogation, it is impossible to again convict Li Chao Jing of a serious crime.

Unless someone deliberately wants him dead.

Duan Rongshi saw her remain silent.

He opened his mouth and said, "I say his death is certain because I am convinced the Empress will kill him to silence him."

"Earlier the Empress, under Prince Yun's name, tried to win over Li Chao Jing, but in fact wanted to make Li Chao Jing a faction of the Crown Prince, so he could later serve the Crown Prince."

"Now Li Chao Jing and Prince Yun have both become discarded pieces."

"Duan Rongxuan has already set the board; if someday Li Chao Jing suddenly regains his senses and recalls everything, how could the Empress allow anyone in this world to tarnish the Crown Prince's reputation even a bit?"

"The Crown Prince, however, is the Eastern Palace lord she regained by exchanging another son."

"Therefore, she will not leave such a danger that could later threaten the Crown Prince even a fraction."

After all, before Li Chao Jing went mad, he had already fallen into the Empress's scheme and intended to completely side with the Empress's faction.

If he knew that he wanted to force Pei Lao Furen's death just to safeguard his own future, that because of the Jiang family's threat he sought to quickly acquire the Heavenly Wind Trading House, and that these were schemes the Empress and the Crown Prince set for him, how could he not turn on them?

Li Qingluo thought for a moment, then offered the letter in her hand to Prince Su again.

"Your Highness, decide how to handle this matter as you wish."

"Consider this letter as the commoner girl's offering to Your Highness, to repay Your Highness for today's assistance to the commoner girl and her grandmother in escaping the clan."

Duan Rongshi: "If I, the King, also wanted him dead, what then?"

In the evening, Pei Lao Furen dragged her exhausted body back to the residence.

Li Qingluo hurried to see her.

"Grandmother, how are you?"

"Luo'er, I've boiled calming soup; have a bowl."

Pei Lao Furen first removed her armor, then drank the calming soup.

After she sat down, she slowly told Li Qingluo, "Grandmother... with the military merit from those years, I have exchanged for the safety of all the women of the Li household."

"Even if the Li family this time never returns, these women can still preserve a life."

"Tomorrow, they will all be returned to the Li residence."

Indeed, just as Li Qingluo had guessed, the grandmother would rescue all the Li family's women.

However, the grandmother looked and was not pleased.

Li Qingluo knew what was troubling her, and could only tightly grasp Pei Lao Furen's hand.

"Grandmother, perhaps things... aren't that terrible?"

Pei Lao Furen bitterly shook her head.

"Luo'er, with Li Kechuan's current demeanor, the Li family's future is indeed not a worry in Emperor Yan's mind. He also has no need to target the Li family."

"But the thing your father did is truly a serious crime!"

"His death is fully deserved; Grandmother shouldn't feel sorry."

"But..."

"Back then, Grandmother abandoned him."

"Do you now intend to abandon him once more?"

"Luo'er, in these past two days, Grandmother realized that your father's current state perhaps means Grandmother truly must bear the greatest responsibility..."

"He has never called out to my mother like this, nor has he ever depended on me so much."

"Grandmother is useless, the feeling in my heart is repeatedly as painful as being pricked by needles..."

"Luo'er, to be honest, with your father's current state, Grandmother's heart... truly does not want him to die."

Pei Lao Furen said, ashamedly lowering her head.

But even so, today she used the military merit to exchange, still the safety of all the women of the household.

Pei Lao Furen wiped the tears at the corner of her eye, and seemed a bit hesitant to look at Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo had long guessed that she would be soft‑hearted.

She raised her hand and tightly grasped Pei Lao Furen's hand: "Grandmother, forgive Qingluo for being unfilial."

"But this time, he truly must die!"

As soon as Li Qingluo finished speaking, a thunderclap sounded from the heavens, and the lightning went "crack—crack—."

Then, a torrential downpour rolled from the dark, oppressive sky and instantly poured into Jinling City…