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墨書 Inktalez
At the bottom of the cliff, everyone had searched tirelessly for a day and a night without finding any trace of the King and Queen of Jing. They feared the worst—that they were doomed.
Pei Zhirui knelt in the imperial study, his expression solemn as he respectfully reported, "I am incompetent, unable to find Ninth Brother. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
He understood that he had put on a show of diligence, and Emperor Jing would likely not hold this matter against him.
The emperor gazed at Pei Zhirui with heavy eyes, a hint of an unidentifiable emotion flickering in his deep gaze. He spoke slowly, "Do not search for Jing'er anymore. Instead, find out who wants him dead."
Pei Zhirui's heart skipped a beat. The matter was so well concealed—did the emperor suspect something?
He lowered his head slightly, striving to mask his inner turmoil, but feelings of jealousy surged within him. The emperor had always been this way; even if Pei Zhirui's own brother were dead, he would not let it go and would demand that Pei Zhirui investigate personally.
It seemed that in the emperor's heart, he would never hold a place as significant as Pei Zhirui's brother. Even in death, he could not escape scrutiny.
"Your Majesty, what about Ninth Brother?" Pei Zhirui raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Could it be that the emperor would not save Pei Zhirui's brother? That seemed impossible. But why was he now focused on investigating the forces behind this? Had the emperor discovered something and was testing him?
Pei Zhirui's mind raced with various thoughts, but none made sense.
"I have already assigned others to handle Jing'er's situation. You must investigate the truth behind this matter thoroughly," Emperor Jing commanded after a moment of contemplation.
He cast a stern glance at the calm-faced Pei Zhirui and continued, "Who dares to assassinate Jing'er right beneath the Buddha Light Temple? Investigate carefully and leave no stone unturned."
Pei Zhirui trembled at the emperor's piercing gaze, feeling a chill run down his spine as cold sweat formed in his palms. The uncertainty surrounding Pei Zhirui's brother felt like a knife pressing against his throat; he sensed that one misstep could cost him dearly.
After acknowledging the order with a heavy heart, Pei Zhirui exited the imperial study anxiously and hurried toward Yaohua Palace to pay his respects to Consort An.
In Yaohua Palace, Consort An lay languidly on her couch draped in purple silk, her eyes closed in rest. Upon hearing that Pei Zhirui had come to pay his respects, she sat up quickly.
"I have come to pay my respects to Mother," Pei Zhirui said as he bowed deeply before taking a seat beside her.
"How goes the task assigned by His Majesty?" Consort An asked coolly as she glanced at him.
"In His Majesty's eyes, I will never measure up to Pei Zhirui's brother. Why is that? Even in death, I cannot find peace!" Pei Zhirui seethed with anger as he crushed a teacup on the table into dust with a fierce grip.
The palace servants cautiously approached to replace the shattered teacup and then retreated tremblingly.
Consort An observed Pei Zhirui for a moment before slowly moving closer to him.
She had never taken that sickly Pei Zhiqing to heart, yet her foolish son repeatedly found himself at a disadvantage, which was indeed quite frustrating.
"Don't worry too much; that sickly Pei Zhiqing will eventually die at our hands. Don't forget, he is still poisoned. Even if he escapes this time by chance, he cannot escape death," An Guifei said with a contemptuous smile, her eyes filled with malicious calculations.
Fortunately, the Consort Chen had died years ago. The palace attendants who cared for Pei Zhiqing believed that this little prince had lost all value and became negligent in their duties, which allowed her the opportunity to poison him. Otherwise, at this stage, Pei Zhiqing would undoubtedly be their greatest adversary.
"Mother, are you sure no one can cure the poison in Pei Zhiqing?" Pei Zhirui furrowed his brow. His doubt was not directed at An Guifei but rather at Gu Qingning.
For so many years, they had only recently discovered that Gu Qingning possessed medical skills; it was clear how deeply she had concealed them. If she were not highly skilled in medicine, there would be no need for her to go to such lengths to hide her abilities. It seemed that Gu Qingning's medical expertise must be considerable; perhaps she was even a master.
An Guifei raised an eyebrow and looked at Pei Zhirui, saying with great certainty, "That person said this poison is the deadliest in the world. He developed it without ever finding an antidote before he was poisoned himself; moreover, he was all alone and never took on any apprentices or successors. Naturally, no one can cure it."
An Guifei was utterly confident in what she had heard from that person.
Listening to An Guifei's explanation made Pei Zhirui feel uneasy. He asked again, "Mother believes that person so completely? Do you know that Gu Qingning understands medicine?"
An Guifei suddenly looked up at Pei Zhirui, unable to believe what she heard. "What did you say? Gu Qingning understands medicine?!"
An Guifei recalled that Consort Chen had been close friends with Shi Min, who was a confidante in her inner circle. Lady Shi Min of the Zhongyuan Marquis family had been born into a wealthy merchant family in Jianghuai but had studied medicine since childhood and was quite skilled.
"Yes, I only found out recently," Pei Zhirui nodded solemnly.
It seemed to be hereditary; however, her minor medical skills were not worth worrying about. If her medical skills were truly remarkable, then Gu Wanqing's eye condition would have been resolved long ago. An Guifei analyzed.
She speculated that if Shi Min's medical skills were indeed impressive, then Gu Wanqing would not have lived as a blind person for so many years. The Zhongyuan Marquis family would not allow the entire capital to mock them; thus, it seemed there was nothing to fear.
"These days, Mother has found a suitable candidate for your primary consort. When the time is right, I will bring it up with your father so he can grant you a marriage," An Guifei said affectionately.
"All depends on Mother," Pei Zhirui obediently agreed.
"I heard that your concubine has been frequently visiting the Zhongyuan Marquis residence lately; you should keep an eye on her. Since she has entered your household, she should abide by royal etiquette and consider your interests instead of constantly thinking about her family. Ever since her brother died, Li Ruofeng has become mentally unstable and has been acting erratically; his death is actually a good thing for you—no more trouble."
"What?!"
Pei Zhirui suddenly stood up, shock written all over his face.
Li Ruofeng's death—when did this happen? Why had no one informed him?
Yesterday, the residence of Duke Zhongyuan caught fire, and Li Ruofeng died. Consort An repeated it once more.
Pei Zhirui left Yaohua Palace in a hurry, rushing back to the estate.
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