Chapter 517

"Leng Dian, what exactly happened?"

Li Qingluo rushed out of the restaurant without even having time to put on her head veil.

Immediately, countless probing yet unfriendly gazes were directed at her.

Li Qingluo could only hurriedly dodge to the side with Leng Dian, quickly pulling out a handkerchief to cover her face.

She noticed bloodstains on Leng Dian's body, and her brows furrowed instantly: "Did you fight in the tea house?"

Leng Dian's face flashed with surprise: "Miss, how do you know it was the tea house?"

However, he soon realized that the tea house's shopkeeper and waiter had been unusually attentive to them today, even pointing out the assassin's direction when the incident occurred.

He immediately understood that all of this was related to Li Qingluo.

"Miss, don't panic. Although His Highness has been taken away, he knows what's going on."

"I was just worried you'd worry, so I sent my subordinate to inform you."

Li Qingluo: "I want to know exactly what happened!"

"You come with me!"

Li Qingluo, with Leng Dian, hurriedly left the tavern by carriage.

She didn't even have time to say goodbye in person to the Seventh Princess and the Princess of Changning.

The two rushed to the tea house, saw the place in total disarray, bloodstains everywhere, and Li Qingluo felt a surge of anger in her chest.

"Speak quickly!"

When the tavern's manager saw Que'er closely following and flashing an identity Token, he immediately ushered everyone out and kept a safe distance.

The fight that had just occurred had already caused all the tea house's patrons to flee.

So in an instant, only they themselves remained inside the whole tea house.

Seeing that the ruse couldn't hide anything, Leng Dian said, "Miss, do you know the current Empress's surname?"

Li Qingluo: "I think it's Yang."

Li Qingluo thought of Duan Rongshi recently being close to that Yang Qiliang, and wondered at the coincidence that they both have the surname Yang?

"That Yang Qiliang…?"

Leng Dian: "Yang Qiliang and the Empress come from the same clan, so he has always been serving the Empress."

"Your Highness knows that Yang Qiliang was at the trial grounds seeking a person without noble background who still wishes to make a name for themselves and can serve the Empress loyally, so he intentionally went there to wait for Yang Qiliang to take the bait."

"After the matter with the Jiang family, Your Highness's steady and reliable image brought Yang Qiliang and Your Highness even closer; lately he has been taking Your Highness with him every day to investigate the Jiang family case."

"Yang Qiliang wants to continue testing Your Highness."

"But he doesn't realize that Your Highness only regards him as a stepping stone."

"Because Your Highness also suspects that the Jiang family affair is inevitably linked to the Fourth Prince, so these days he has been busy with this matter."

"Perhaps their actions attracted the attention of the mastermind behind the Jiang family affair, so today after they exchanged a few words in the tea house, a MiaoJiang assassin appeared and tried to kill Your Highness and Yang Qiliang."

"That person, of course, is no match for Your Highness."

"But behind this lies a chain plot: the MiaoJiang assassin lured officials from the Great Justice Temple over, then shouted, 'My duties were insufficient; I will atone with death!'"

"Under everyone's watchful eyes, the assassin then killed himself."

Li Qingluo's expression grew solemn.

The Jiang Second Lord's murderous frenzy has been closely watched by several implicated families.

Especially the Dingyuan Marquis's family, which has already sent people to guard the Jiang household.

They demand that the Jiang family give an explanation.

Even Old Lady Jiang is so gravely ill she cannot rise, and the Dingyuan Marquis and the other families are also determined, refusing to let the matter go lightly.

It is said that Old Lady Jiang, still pounding the bed, struggled and shouted, "But he's only ill."

"He didn't truly intend to kill them!"

"Could they still be demanding Sanlang to die for them in vain?"

"They're already dead, so why still want to kill me, Sanlang?"

Minister Jiang knelt, crying out, begging Old Lady Jiang not to drag the entire Jiang family into the mire.

Even knowing that the Jiang Second Lord was poisoned with gu, they still could not shelter the perpetrator.

The Jiang matriarch smashed a teacup onto her eldest son's head and forced him to roll out.

Since then, Old Lady Jiang's courtyard has been locked up.

Minister Jiang's helpless decision turned his hair completely white overnight.

Thus, the Jiang family, and even the Great Justice Temple, know that the Jiang Second Lord was driven mad by gu poison.

Leng Dian: "When the Great Justice Temple officials saw this, they immediately concluded that Your Highness and that Yang Qiliang were not innocent of the Jiang Second Lord's madness, so they were all taken away."

Li Qingluo: "I heard that Minister Jiang is a great filial son."

"If Old Lady Jiang threatens death to force him to rescue the Jiang Second Lord, do you think Minister Jiang would seize the chance to find a scapegoat, so the Jiang Second Lord suffers less resentment?"

Leng Dian: "You mean… Your Highness might be smeared by the Jiang family taking advantage of the situation?"

Li Qingluo: "A Shi is merely an insignificant merchant's son‑in‑law, and that day both my husband and I appeared at the Jiang household."

"Yang Qiliang is also a son‑in‑law not valued by the Jiang family."

"If sacrificing these two could save the Jiang Second Lord, and then weaving more plots onto them… do you think Minister Jiang would try it?"

Li Qingluo: "Although A Shi knows the situation, I still cannot sit idle waiting for him to escape on his own."

"I will help him."

Hearing the heroine's analysis, Leng Dian's back instantly broke out in layers of cold sweat.

Zhui Yu deliberately got captured together with Your Highness.

So now the only personal guard who can move about outside is herself.

He immediately clasped his sword and raised his hand: "Young lady, what are you preparing to do? Feel free to command your subordinates."

Li Qingluo: "Follow me to the Princess's residence."

Li Qingluo handed her petition into the Princess's residence.

The note read: Female merchant of Ningyuan Temple.

Soon, she, Leng Dian, Que'er, and Sha San were taken inside.

Li Qingluo saw Zhang Tinggui and lifted the veil.

"The common woman has seen Prince Consort Zhang."

Zhang Tinggui was quite delighted to see her.

"Could it really be you?"

"Miss, you need not address me so formally; I am now an insignificant Court Marshal, you may simply call me Court Marshal."

It seems he despises his own Prince Consort status.

Li Qingluo bowed slightly: "Then you may also address the common woman as Lady Nangong."

Lady Nangong?

So it was her…?

His surprise deepened, knowing that Changning had lately been going to that tavern almost daily, yet he hadn't expected that it was her tavern.

Indeed, only her boldness could accomplish such a thing.

However, she suddenly revealed her identity today and came to request an audience; she must have something to ask me, right?

"Lady Nangong, what is your purpose? Feel free to speak plainly."

Leaving the Princess's residence, Li Qingluo just boarded the carriage, and the rear horse of Princess Changning's carriage also returned home.

Just then, she saw Li Qingluo's silhouette and immediately furrowed her brows tightly.

"Why is it her?"

"What is she doing coming to our residence?"

The steward at the side gate, who had not yet left, replied: "Princess, this Lady Nangong wishes to request an audience with the master."