The soles of her feet felt weak, but she still pretended to be calm. She took several deep breaths and leaned against the door panel to listen.
"Aren't you afraid that the prince will find out in the future and blame you?" Cun Zhao's voice was mixed with the sound of rustling paper.
"There is no way," Lan Yuan said, "This letter will reveal a lot of inside information. If others see it, it will be really doomed. It would be better to deal with it as soon as possible. What's more... this is not the first time this kind of thing has been done. There is no need to hide it again. Si Jin and I can honestly say that the prince will never be able to do without me as the mastermind."
"This is natural." Cun Zhao said with a smile.
When the palace maid heard these words, she couldn't help but tremble with her hands and slapped on the door panel. Although the voice was not loud, she was so frightened that her face turned pale and she staggered out.
The palace maid quickly reported the news to Concubine Geng, saying that Lan Yuan and Cun Zhao were doing something wrong. Concubine Geng didn't pay much attention to the so-called "unruly words", but after hearing that they had colluded to remonstrate with the prince, her blood surged up, and she kept cursing, thinking of revenge. She told her servants not to make any noise and told the prince herself.
At the second watch, the prince indeed summoned her to come and sleep with him. Concubine Geng adjusted her makeup and thought about what to say, then she walked into the bedroom and saw the prince reading under the yellowish light, leaning on the couch. So she disheveled her hair a little before approaching and saluting.
"Concubine Geng, have a glass of wine with me before going to bed." The prince closed the book and said with a smile.
"As ordered." Concubine Geng said, but she did not move.
"Then you pour wine for me." The prince lowered his eyes and looked at her.
Concubine Geng was silent and suddenly started sobbing. When she raised her head, her eye circles were already red.
The prince frowned, leaned over and asked, "Why is my beloved concubine like this? But what kind of grievances have you suffered?"
Concubine Geng then fell to the ground and cried loudly: "How can I be wronged in an ordinary way! That attendant Lan Yuan conspired with your Cundi. The two of them sang in harmony to prevent His Highness from canonizing me."
"It turns out it was Lan Yuan who instigated it...how could such a thing happen!" The prince slapped the table, causing the teacup on it to jingle, "How did you hear these words?"
Concubine Geng burst into tears and said, "I originally sent a maid to deliver him to the Imperial Palace, but I couldn't find him. I overheard this conversation under the wall."
"What else did they say?" the prince asked eagerly.
"They also... also took out a letter, which was given to Cun Zhao by Lan Yuan, saying that the prince must not learn about this matter, otherwise it will be catastrophic..."
"Bold!" The prince could no longer hold back the anger in his heart. Veins popped out on his forehead. He stood up and shouted, "I have trusted him for so many years, and now it is clear that he is planning to rebel! Do you know the content of the letter?"
"I don't know yet..."
"Then ask that maid to come in and write everything she knows on paper!" The prince waved his sleeves and ordered sternly.
A servant who was watching the night heard the news and saw that the palace maid had entered the palace. He felt very worried, so he secretly knocked on Lan Yuan's door, told her that he knew it, and asked if it happened. Lan Yuan had just fallen asleep when he heard that something had happened. He was so frightened that he quickly denied it, put on his official uniform, and followed him to the dormitory. However, the doors and windows were tightly closed, so he had no choice but to kneel down at the foot of the cold stone steps, calling for permission to be seen. The sound of his obeisances sounded like a mountain falling, but he still received no response from the palace.
Lan Yuan wanted to continue to kowtow, but everyone on the night watch couldn't bear it and hurriedly advised him: "Your Highness is in a rage. Even if you want to defend yourself, you have no chance to do so. Why don't you do this useless thing and wait until dawn the next day?" Working area." Lan Yuan was blocked by them and had no choice but to go back alone and didn't sleep all night.
Around the beginning of the chen dynasty, Lan Yuan looked at the horizon and saw some sunlight. Thinking that Concubine Geng was gone, he dragged his tired body and went to the bedroom to ask for an audience again, and finally got the prince's promise.
"Your Highness!" Lan Yuan saw the prince from a distance and was about to step forward, but tripped over the threshold and rolled to the ground to salute, "The loyalty of my ministers can be learned from heaven. How can there be any reason to be rebellious?" ? What’s more, I have no personal relationship with Cun Sijin. He has been away for three years and I haven’t seen him once. Those false accusations are really ridiculous!"
The prince sneered a few times and stared at him with a sinister gaze: "The witnesses and physical evidence are all there, why are you making sophistry? Could it be that they just made up that letter!"
Lan Yuan was afraid that Cun Zhao would be implicated in this matter, so he did not dare to tell the truth, so he could only reply resolutely: "I really didn't get any letters to Cun Si Jin, I dare to swear to God. It must be Concubine Geng's jealousy, and the letter It’s nonsense. Would Your Highness rather trust a prostitute than your subordinates and brothers?”
"Am I supposed to listen to what a traitor says? Who knows what you are hiding secretly!"
Lan Yuan said seriously: "If Your Highness doesn't believe it, everyone in the East Palace can testify for me. They know my loyalty!"
"Don't use words to coerce me," the prince said through gritted teeth. "When I conduct a thorough search in the palace, who is loyal and who is traitorous will become clear."
Lan Yuan immediately replied: "I am not afraid at all, and I accept it calmly. If Your Highness is still suspicious of me, I am willing to temporarily resign from my official position, return home in white clothes, and have no further contact with anyone. Once Your Highness has made such a big move, Search. If real evidence is obtained, I will not escape and will be convicted according to the law by the court."
"good."
After hearing these cold words, Lan Yuan immediately took off his official hat and uniform, and returned his official seal with his hands.
The prince took it without any politeness and said, "Go out and pack your things in the house, and then leave."
Lan Yuan's departure was undoubtedly like a bolt from the blue, quickly causing quite a shock. Although the prince was sure that he was a treasonous person, in order to prevent outsiders from taking the opportunity to interfere, he only said that Lan Yuan was 'returning home to recover from illness', and ordered everyone in the East Palace not to spread the news.
However, such a major matter, like an endless fire, cannot be concealed no matter what. King Yi, who was dormant in the palace, had been spying on the actions of the East Palace. Naturally, recent events could not escape his discernment.
Liu Shuzhai beside him was particularly alert. He had been walking around Lan Yuan's residence in the past two days and found that Lan Yuan had returned. After asking, he found out that Lan Yuan had hurried home to 'recuperate'. But Xu Zhai didn't see any doctor coming, nor did his servants come out to get medicine. Instead, he stayed behind closed doors all day, without any trace of his whereabouts, and hesitation suddenly arose in his heart.
He immediately reported the news to King Yi. King Yi discussed it with all his confidants, and they all believed that they should not act arbitrarily, so he ordered Shuzhai to enter the palace in the name of asking for poetry, and told Ye Yongjia about the matter.
After hearing this, Ye Yongjia was still hesitant and turned to look at Cai Xianqing. Seeing the latter slapping his knees and laughing, he said confidently: "Tinglong, this is the opportunity to completely overthrow the prince!"
