The figure quickly crumpled the piece of paper into a small ball, stuffed it into his mouth, held his neck and swallowed, then raised his hood to cover his head and face, and walked nimbly through the dark backside that was not illuminated by candles. House, walked to a remote and deserted corner.
Looking around and seeing no one paying attention to this inaccessible place, the man flew up without hesitation.
He tapped his toes on the high wall one after another, and the figure climbed over the high wall lightly and landed in the winding alley next to it.
This winding alley is long, narrow and deep, with high walls on both sides, and a gray carriage is parked at the end of the alley.
The figure walked quickly to the carriage without hesitation. When he saw Jin Yu sitting on the shaft of the carriage, the figure's footsteps were a little brisk and he smiled lightly and said hello, his attitude was particularly familiar: "Manager Jin ."
The figure always lowered her head and did not reveal her face, but from the voice of "General Manager Jin", she could tell that she was a girl in her thirties. Her voice was no longer as clear as when she was young, and had some vicissitudes of time.
Jin Yu raised her eyes, gave the person a serious look, then turned to look at the quiet carriage: "The prince is here."
The smile on the man's face suddenly froze, and he felt uneasy in his heart.
In her heart, the prince is a far-sighted person. More than ten years ago, when the prince was just a teenager, the Prince of Annan County had just died. No one else noticed that there was something fishy about his death, so she was sent to the Prince's Mansion of Annan County. Hibernating.
In the past ten years, she has never been summoned, and she has never sent a message to anyone. When he sent her here, the prince had given instructions to stay dormant and not to move without being summoned. She stayed there peacefully.
After two years, ten years and eight years, she almost thought that she had been forgotten by the prince. From now on, she was probably going to be a slave in Annan County Prince's Palace for the rest of her life. When she suddenly saw the note summoning her, She was ecstatic, and when she saw Jin Yu again, she felt at ease. The prince had not forgotten her, and she was still useful.
But now, when she heard Jin Yu say that the crown prince was here, her heart really skipped a beat.
The prince has so many things to do every day, it is really abnormal for him to come to see a little guy like her.
Those who can be insiders all have eighty-nine minds. Even if their seven orifices and exquisite minds are not enough to see in front of them, they are all short-sighted.
Faced with such an abnormal situation, she immediately overthought it.
She thought about life and death, and then began to reflect on herself. Although she had done nothing in the past ten years, she had done nothing wrong, at least she had not been exposed.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt emboldened. She straightened her back and walked to the carriage, bowed and saluted, her voice trembling slightly: "Your Majesty."
The car curtain moved slightly, opening a gap. Han Changmu revealed half of his face, looked the man up and down, and said calmly: "Come in and talk."
This was the first time that man saw the grown-up Crown Prince after more than ten years. The Crown Prince had been indifferent since he was a child and was not close to the brothers and sisters in Prince Han's palace. Now it seems that the older he gets, the colder his temper becomes. The coldness on her face forced her to tremble, and her mental preparation of "She's right, she's not afraid" that she had just made with difficulty suddenly collapsed, and she got into the car with hunched shoulders and slumped waist.
There was a dim candle burning in the car, and there were shadows and shadows. There were complicated emotions hidden in Han Changmu's calm face, and he was slightly anxious.
He concealed his anxious emotions and asked calmly: "Sit down and pick up the important things."
How could that person dare to sit down? The rules of the palace were very strict. In front of the prince, it was not appropriate for her to kneel down and reply. When she heard the word "sit", she carefully sat down with half her buttocks. Although her heart was panicked and her expression was nervous, I was still a little timid, but my words were still clear and unhurried: "Your Majesty, the saint came again today. He arrived on the second day of the first lunar month and stayed in the main room for an hour and a half. The same thing happened afterwards. The Princess of Annan County was given medicine, but the Princess of Annan County still picked her throat and vomited it out." She paused slightly and continued very cautiously: "Your Majesty, the saint has been more diligent in the past six months. In the past ten years, he has They always come once a month, but in the past six months, the saint has come at least twice a month, and as often as three or five times a month, and the dosage of abortion pills has also been greater than before, and he is obviously impatient."
Han Changmu nodded and thought: "The princess of Annan County is already in her mid-thirties, and she is already past the age when she is most likely to get pregnant. It is reasonable for the saint to be anxious."
The man considered it and said: "But Your Majesty, for the past ten years or so, the saint has been sneaking into the Annan County Prince's Mansion early and late every month, almost without interruption except for New Year's Day. The subordinates can't figure out why the saint is so obsessed with making the Princess of Annan County pregnant." , My subordinates have been watching with cold eyes for so many years, but I really can’t see that the saint has any deep affection for the princess."
Han Changmu was also puzzled: "You have been in Annan County Prince's Mansion for more than ten years, but have you found anything wrong with Annan County Princess?"
The man concentrated for a moment: "She is very cautious. There is no one she can trust in this house, and the rumors outside are not exaggerated. She does behave absurdly, is extravagant, and has raised countless male pets. It is precisely because of this, The subordinates found it even more strange. If the saint really had affection for the princess of Annan County, how could he tolerate such a thing? In other words, if the saint wanted to give the princess of Annan County a title, it would not be difficult. We have planned this for a long time, why should we leave people outside the palace and sneak around at great risk for many years, aren't we tired?"
Han Changmu pursed his lips and said nothing. This matter revealed endless weirdness, and he could not understand it for a moment.
The saint's obsession for more than ten years has been to let Princess Annan have a child, but why is he so persistent.
If you want to take advantage of the child born to Princess Annan, there is no need to be so persistent. Princess Annan has already given birth to three children, especially a heir. Who can't take advantage of the control? Why do you have to do this hard work? The result is unknown.
The iron-blooded Emperor Yong'an has never been a long-term lover!
Unless, unless the child who can be used is the princess of Annan County and the saint!
Han Changmu had never even thought about the possibility that those three children were not born to Princess Annan County.
The princess of Annan County's protection for the prince and her love for her two daughters are not fake. If they were not her biological children, they should be like those children born to concubines, raised in the backyard, given food to eat and survive.
When the man saw that Han Changmu was silent, he tilted his head and said, "Your Majesty, today I saw someone who shouldn't be in Princess Annan's room."
Han Changmu frowned slightly: "Someone who shouldn't be there?" The man thought: "It's the girl Leng Shaoyin just sent into the house today, the one named Yao Yao. She entered the main room at the first moment of the first lunar month. She entered not long ago , the saint arrived, and I don’t know where she hid, but she was not discovered.”
"Did she also find out about this?" Han Changmu was extremely surprised and frowned: "When did she come out of the room?"
The man pinched his fingers and calculated: "She left Zi Mo."
"That is to say, she stayed in the room for two hours." Han Changmu twisted his sleeves and said solemnly.
The man nodded and said: "Yes, I don't know what means she used to hide in the room for so long without being discovered. You must know that there are first-class masters around the saint."
"Master!" Han Changmu sneered disdainfully: "She is the most adaptable and flexible. She has endless ways to save her life. It is expected that she will not be discovered. However," he lowered his eyes, covering his dark eyes, and thought: "She She must have discovered something in the room, and she must have seen what happened between the saint and Princess Annan. But the strange thing is why she didn't leave immediately after the saint left. Even though Princess Annan was still awake, She also had the ability to escape without being noticed by Princess Annan County. In such a dangerous situation, she did not choose to leave immediately, but waited until midnight before leaving. Apparently she made other discoveries."
"This matter is easy to handle. My subordinates arrested the girl named Yao Yao for interrogation, and the truth came to light." That person was eager to make a contribution, or it could be said that she had been dormant in the Annan County Prince's Mansion for more than ten years, and she had long been unable to stay. She was impatient. Now that she had an opportunity to make a contribution, she would not let it go. She asked for her life with firm words.
Han Changmu slowly raised his eyes, staring at the man solemnly with his deep eyes. Although his voice was not high-pitched, he said with great pressure: "This man is a soldier of Jingzhao Mansion, and he is currently working for the Internal Security Department." , it’s not something you can touch or judge.”
The man was shocked by Han Changmu's look. He quickly lowered his head and heard the meaning behind Han Changmu's words. He was very familiar with this girl named Yao Yao, valued him very much, and was regarded as his right-hand man. No one except him She couldn't touch this person. She felt a little dissatisfied, but her face didn't show anything. She still said respectfully: "Yes, this subordinate has overstepped his bounds."
Han Changmu glanced at the man and calmly comforted him: "The saint is anxious. The Princess of Annan County will naturally not be safe and sound. Once she makes any changes, it will be your chance to escape."
The man suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining brightly. She wanted to leave this gorgeous prison-like Annan County Prince's Mansion. She thanked her repeatedly: "Yes, my subordinates must be keeping an eye on Annan County Princess and will never harm the prince." big event."
Han Changmu hummed, and a cold light flashed in his slightly narrowed eyes: "Tell me about Xia Yuanji."
The man coughed slightly and said in a clear and coherent manner: "As for the prince, Xia Yuanji was indeed brought back by the Princess of Annan County a few months ago. Later, he stayed in the Prince's Mansion to prepare for the exam, which greatly pleased the Princess of Annan County. The princess of Annan County even said that when the prince gets married and inherits the title of the prince, she will move out of the prince's palace with Xia Yuanji. This means remarrying. The saint naturally knew it, but ignored it. Gongyuan On the day when the results were released, the subordinates looked at Xia Yuanji to see the results, but he did not come back until the curfew. The princess of Annan County became anxious and sent someone to go out with her badge to find out. Only then did she learn that Xia Yuanji was dead and the murderer He was also found, and was sent to the Jingzhao Mansion along with the body. The princess then sent the guards from the Prince’s Mansion to Jingzhao Mansion, saying that she would torture the murderer in every possible way to vent her hatred."
This sounds like there is nothing wrong with it, and it is the same as the news that Leng Linjiang brought back in the afternoon. However, Han Changmu felt that something was wrong. He frowned and asked, "What happened in the house a few days before Xia Yuanji's accident?" Something wrong?”
The man thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up and he said eagerly: "Yes, just two days before Xia Yuanji's accident, the county prince's mansion was robbed at night, and there was a riot in the middle of the night."
"A thief?" Han Changmu's face darkened. What kind of audacious thief dares to steal things from a place like the Sixteenth Prince's House? He also stole from Annan County Prince's Mansion. Who in the capital doesn't know that the saint has special regard for Annan County Prince's Mansion? It should be noted that the county prince's palace is as tightly guarded as the prince's palace, but what the world thinks of as the emperor's grace is actually surveillance and detention.
He asked attentively: "Do you know where the thief stole and what he lost?"
The man shook his head: "It's strange to say that the first person to report a thief was the back room in the inner courtyard. However, nothing was lost in the back room, but a painting was lost in the main room."
"Lost a painting?" Han Changmu was stunned: "What painting?"
The man was also puzzled: "It's a pair of four beautiful pictures hanging in the main room. It has been hanging in the main room for more than ten years, and my subordinates have been looking at it for more than ten years. There is nothing special about it. It's not a masterpiece by a famous artist, it's worth dozens of taels of silver at most. It's just because the four beautiful paintings on the picture are so graceful and charming that they are loved by the princess of Annan County, so they have been hung up."
Han Changmu squinted his eyes, as if he was asking someone else, or himself: "There are many valuable things in the main house, why did you steal a worthless painting?" He paused slightly, frowned and asked: "What was Princess Annan's reaction after the painting was lost?"
The man sighed: "It's even more strange. It's obviously an ordinary painting, so if you lose it, you'll lose it. If you really like it, it's nothing to find someone to paint another one, but the Princess of Annan County is He was so angry that he detained everyone in the mansion together and searched them everywhere, even the houses that the people in the mansion bought outside were not spared."
"Did you find it later?" Han Changmu asked calmly with his heart trembling.
The princess of Annan County is so nervous about this painting. If there is really any ulterior secret in this painting, isn't she afraid of attracting the attention of interested people by searching for it in such a big way?
If something went wrong, it would turn into a monster. Perhaps the Prince of Annan County was not really concerned about this painting, but wanted to use this painting to cover up what was really lost.
The man shook his head: "After the Princess of Annan County lost her temper, the matter finally came to nothing. There is no further story. I don't know whether the painting was found in the end."
Han Changmu asked: "Where was Xia Yuanji during the days when the thief was committed?" He paused slightly and changed the question: "Did Xia Yuanji search the Zhaoguofang house?"
The man said: "In the days after the accident, Xia Yuanji was always with the Princess of Annan County. His house in Zhaoguofang was also searched, and there was nothing abnormal." Han Changmu already had a vague idea in his heart. After thinking about it, he calmed down for a moment and asked again: "Zuzuo found these kinds of food in Xia Yuanji's body. The inner guard found the food box from Guo Ji Restaurant in the room of Princess Annan County, and went to Guo Ji Restaurant to inquire. On the day when Xia Yuanji was found dead, a maid from Annan County Prince's Palace ordered these dishes at Guo Ji Restaurant and took them away in a food box."
As he said that, he handed over the piece of paper with the types of food written on it, and added a line of small words on it: "Guo Ji Restaurant".
The man was stunned for a moment, looked at the words on the paper, and exclaimed: "This is impossible. The princess of Annan County cannot eat crabs. She gets rash all over her body when she eats them. Therefore, she has never eaten anything related to crabs. You can't access the gate of the county prince's palace!" She paused slightly, then said with some uncertainty: "Could it be that Princess Annan ordered the maid to order these dishes and reward them to Xia Yuanji?"
Han Changmu said noncommittally: "The Internal Security Department has checked the account books of Guo Ji Restaurant. The Prince of Annan County will go to Guo Ji Restaurant every now and then to order a few dishes. The Internal Security Department has also checked the sales of several other restaurants in Chang'an City. The restaurant where the food was eaten was inquired, and on the day of Xia Yuanji's accident, no one ordered these items at the same time at other restaurants except Guoji Restaurant."
The man was not surprised and nodded: "The Princess of Annan County likes the Butter Cherry and Sheng Ping Zhi from Guo Ji Restaurant, and often orders people to buy them back to her home, but this Crab Roe Biluo will never be taken back to her home. No," she thought suddenly, and her voice suddenly became urgent: "No, Your Majesty, on the day of Xia Yuanji's accident, the Princess of Annan County did not order anyone to order food at Guo Ji Restaurant."
Han Changmu looked serious: "Is it true?"
The man nodded: "It's true. On the day Xia Yuanji died, my subordinates had been waiting in the princess's room and could see clearly." She was filled with doubts: "Since it was not the princess of Annan County's order, then there are only a few other It's the master's order. After all, the food at Guoji Restaurant is extremely expensive, and ordinary maids and servants can't afford it." She paused slightly: "Or, who has a grudge against Xia Yuanji? He ordered the food in private. Poison, reward him in the name of the princess?"
Han Changmu said thoughtfully: "Who did Xia Yuanji offend in the prince's palace?"
The man thought for a moment and suddenly smiled: "My lord, what you are asking is that the princess of Annan County has raised so many male favorites. The old ones are hostile to the new ones, and there are many cases of jealousy. However," she hesitated: "But there is no need to be jealous. Save your life."
A sarcastic chuckle suddenly sounded outside the carriage.
Han Changmu also suddenly broke out into a smile, and the sarcasm was so strong that he couldn't get rid of it.
The man was stunned for a moment, and then he laughed at himself: "This subordinate is naive. The affairs in the inner house are not just a matter of jealousy. I will investigate now."
Han Changmu nodded slightly: "Have you seen Meng Suigai?"
The man smiled: "Yes, I almost didn't recognize him at first glance."
Han Changmu also showed a faint smile: "He will stay in Annan County Prince's Mansion for a few days. You can discuss the investigation. This matter must be done as soon as possible without delay." He paused slightly and asked about old things: "Annan County Prince's Is there any clue as to the cause of death?"
When the man heard this, his face fell. This was the reason why he sent her to Annan County Prince's Mansion.
After the death of Prince Annan, the court stated publicly that he had died in the attempt to save him. Regardless of whether it was true or false, everyone believed it anyway. In addition, Emperor Yong'an's favor to the Prince of Annan was genuine. Naturally, the world believed him. This statement is even more convincing.
But according to the news from the people placed in the palace of Prince Han, that was not the case. At least Emperor Yong'an was not assassinated at the palace banquet on the day Prince Annan died.
Since Emperor Yong'an was not assassinated, the theory that Prince Annan died while saving his life is self-defeating.
It's just that no one knows the details. As for whether the courtiers knew it, Han Changmu didn't bother to delve into it.
The man felt guilty and said: "Your Majesty, since Prince Annan's posthumous affairs were settled, Princess Annan has never mentioned him again. I don't know if she is trying to avoid something. Even the people in the mansion at that time have changed. "
She didn't say it clearly, but the implication was self-evident. Everyone who had experienced the incident had been dismissed, and the evidence had been destroyed. For more than ten years, she had found nothing.
However, Han Changmu didn't care. He knew that there was something fishy about Prince Annan's death. He wanted to find out the inside story just to have one more clue.
He did not blame the man, but simply said: "Okay, just do your best on this matter. If there is nothing else to report, just step back."
The man breathed a sigh of relief, looked solemn, said yes, leaned forward and left the carriage.
Han Changmu leaned against the car wall, closed his eyes slightly, and thought for a long time.
Jin Yu sat on the shaft of the carriage, stroking the whip in his hand. When he heard there was no movement in the carriage for a while, he lowered his voice and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to go back to your home?"
Han Changmu suddenly opened his eyes and said calmly: "Drive the car to the back wall of Annan County Prince's Mansion and wait for me."
Jin Yu was speechless and said "Ah", then came back to her senses and asked in a low voice: "Does the Crown Prince want to visit the county prince's house at night?"
Han Changmu pursed his lips and said nothing, just opened the car curtain and jumped out lightly.
There was no need for him to visit Annan County Prince's Mansion at night, he just wanted to see that person suddenly.
He tapped his toes, flew over the high wall, passed through the courtyard without any sound of people, birds, or insects, and went straight to the door of the east wing.
Looking in through the window, the room was dark.
Yao Yao was sleeping deeply at first, but under the inhuman pressure of the Beiya Imperial Guards, she could no longer sleep as carelessly as ordinary people, in a daze.
When Han Changmu walked under the window, Yao Yao had already woken up. She suddenly opened her eyes and heard the familiar footsteps under the window. She lay peacefully, motionless, and smiled jokingly: "Your Majesty, you are in the wrong direction." Meng Sui is in the Xinuang Pavilion in the main room."
Han Changmu smiled through the window: "You are smart. Open the door. I have something to ask you."
Yao Yao was stunned for a moment, put on a coat, but did not open the door.
Annan County Prince's Mansion is as rich as clouds. The windows are not covered with ordinary plain paper, but a whole piece of transparent glass. At this time, the two layers of gauze curtains are lifted up. Yao Yao stands under the window and can clearly see the reflection. The tall figure on the window.
In that era before Yao Yaochuan came, glass was very common, but in this dynasty, it is a rare item. It has always been only used in the palace, not even in the prince's palace.
