The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 656 The Western Region Princess Who Flees a Thousand Miles
"Snapped!"

Inside the Imperial Study, Yunyang slapped Xu Jianwen hard across the cheek. Xu Jianwen groaned and turned his head away, his cheek slightly swollen, but he was still smiling.

Princess Yunyang, however, stared at him intently, as if possessed.

A moment later, she suddenly threw down the swaddled baby in her arms and collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly.

The baby was woken up by the fall. Even before its eyes were fully open, it instinctively sensed the unease and began to cry.

Zhao Du'an and the Empress watched this scene with different thoughts in their minds, and no one stepped in to stop it or do anything about it.

Princess Yunyang cried and cried until she seemed to finally exhaust herself. Her eyelids rolled back, and she cried herself to death.

"Someone come here." Xu Zhenguan's voice rang out as she addressed the several female officials who entered with their heads bowed.
"Take Yunyang away and send him to the Imperial Medical Bureau."

"Yes."

The female officials didn't dare to lift their heads; two went to drag Yunyang away, while one picked up the wailing baby.

After a while, the crying gradually faded away.

It was like a farce that abruptly ended; the male protagonists of the farce didn't utter a single line, yet it seemed as if they had said everything.

Xu Zhenguan looked at Xu Jianwen with extremely cold eyes:
"Anything else to say?"

Xu Jianwen thought for a moment and asked:
"That child is...the son-in-law Li Shuping's?"

The Empress's mood worsened: "It's Bianji's."

"It's him..." Xu Jianwen suddenly realized, then closed his eyes:
"I'm fine."

Without hesitation, the Empress took out a talisman from her sleeve, tore it open, and threw it over—although she was only a puppet, she could still use extraordinary items.

"Sizzle..." The talisman burned and fluttered, landing on Xu Jianwen.

The rebellious prince fell backward onto the ground with a thud, like a piece of wood, losing all awareness of the outside world.

It has entered the "sealed" state again.

Only in this state can contact with the outside world be prevented to the greatest extent possible, and even suicide be avoided.

"I'm a little confused..." Zhao Du'an raised his hands and rubbed his cheeks vigorously, slowly saying:
"So, Xu Jianwen and Princess Yunyang..."

He didn't say the remaining few words.

The Empress responded with a somber "Mmm".

Another royal scandal.

Zhao Du'an could only exclaim "Holy crap..." in his heart, thinking to himself, "This industry is really messy."

In Xu Jianwen's confession, he learned of the secrets that only the emperor could know through Yunyang.

As for why the aunt and niece could discuss such private matters, that involves their illicit affair.

At this moment, Zhao Du'an recalled the information he had gathered when he first became enemies with Yunyang.

The reason why Princess Yunyang, once a virtuous and gentle woman, became a woman who was available to all men in the capital, was after she married her husband, Li Shuping.

And this marriage was arranged forcefully by the deceased old emperor.

Furthermore, rumors circulate that this marriage came suddenly, seemingly due to a scandal involving Yunyang.

Now, piecing together the clues, the truth of what happened back then is becoming increasingly clear:

Xu Jianwen had an affair with his aunt Yunyang, and it seems that the old emperor discovered the affair. The late emperor was furious and therefore married Yunyang off to Li Shuping...

"The Empress Dowager was very close to Yunyang during her lifetime, and Yunyang was raised by her. Decades ago, the Empress Dowager ruled from behind the curtain because the late emperor was young."

Xu Zhenguan seemed to know Zhao Du'an's doubts and took the initiative to explain.

The Empress Dowager ruling from behind the curtain... This means she once acted as regent and knew some secrets, which is not surprising. After the late emperor grew up, the Empress Dowager disappeared into the inner palace. Yunyang, as the youngest daughter of the Empress Dowager, whether by chance or by some means, learned some secrets from the Empress Dowager and then revealed them to Xu Jianwen... The logic is sound.

However… Zhao Du'an felt a headache coming on, and he rubbed his forehead, thinking to himself:
Judging from the timeline, how old were these two, aunt and niece, when they started dating?
So it's still the "childhood sweetheart" and "white moonlight"?

No... Judging from Xu Jianwen's revealed thoughts, he probably had ambitions for power from a very young age... So, was his contact with Yunyang also intentional?
Using Yunyang, a great deal of information was obtained from the now-deceased Empress Dowager.

This also explains why Yunyang was "unruly" and "self-destructive," seemingly throwing caution to the wind after his love was destroyed...

Well, Zhao Du'an could even conjure up a melodramatic scenario where Xu Jianwen promised Yunyang to kill the old emperor and avenge her before launching the Xuanmen coup...

Hmm, so that explains why Yunyang always harbored hostility, even hatred, towards the Empress...

hiss!
Zhao Du'an suddenly remembered something else:
After he dealt with Yunyang, the Kuangfu Society immediately sent "Frost Sword" to assassinate him... At the time, he did not connect the two events, but now that he has realized it, he can't help but feel terrified when he thinks about it.

Could it be that Yunyang was secretly maintaining contact with the Kuangfu Society back then? Or was Yunyang even a member of the Kuangfu Society?

Who would dare to imagine... princes and princesses crawling into bed...?

I never imagined... that my aunt and niece would conspire to assassinate me...

Zhao Du'an's mind was in turmoil. He took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully, trying to put this melodramatic story out of his mind.

Glancing at Zhenbao, whose face was extremely pale, he knew that as a princess, she must be feeling terrible right now...

"Um... what should we do with this guy?" Zhao Du'an pointed to Xu Jianwen on the ground.

Xu Zhenguan's chest rose and fell slightly, as if she were calming her emotions. She said wearily:
"Since he was already dead back then, there's no need to announce his resurrection publicly. It would be safest to execute him secretly."

However, I am not sure if he is alive now and if there is any way to resurrect him. Moreover, Song Zhi is still a threat. To be on the safe side, I will seal him in the palace and have Eunuch Hai keep him under guard.

Let's consider it after we resolve the Xuan Seal issue.

Zhao Du'an nodded, agreeing with this approach, and tentatively asked:
"Then...may I take my leave?"

Logically, the two should have discussed the acquisition of the next key or Tuoba Weizhi, but given the Empress's current mood... he felt she should let herself calm down for a while.

Anyway, I just came back from Xinjiang in the southwest, so I need to catch my breath and rest for a while before I can set off again.

……

……

"Owner?"

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Tuoba Weizhi saw Zhao Du'an come out and called out softly.

The mysterious witch with black hair, black eyes, and black skin stood motionless in the spot that Zhao Du'an had first made her stand, like a nail.

His gaze curiously drifted into the hall.
"I just saw a woman who was unconscious, and a child was being dragged away."

Tuoba Weizhi spoke in a low voice, as if he were revealing a great secret.

Zhao Du'an was both amused and exasperated. He raised his hand as if to slap her scalp, but held back and turned to walk away.

"Let's go. Stop asking useless questions."

After leaving the palace, Zhao Du'an hesitated at the crossroads for a moment before finally deciding to take Tuoba Weizhi to the Pear Blossom Hall.

It's been a while since I last visited the Imperial Court. Now it's almost late spring, and the sun is shining brightly today. The long street outside the Imperial Court casts a long shadow, while the lush green trees inside the walls are vying to sprout.

The trees planted in each of the various parishes also began to blossom and bear fruit one after another.

"Lord Zhao!?"

As they approached the yamen gate, a military officer in brocade uniform, carrying a carrying pole and buckets to fetch water, recognized the newcomer and respectfully bowed, his eyes filled with admiration.

The living Yama of the capital is as docile as a cat.

"Okay, go ahead and get busy."

Zhao Du'an nodded and continued walking forward with his hands behind his back.

Upon entering the yamen, he saw several groups of men in brocade robes carrying buckets of water, which puzzled him. Each hall in the yamen had a well, so why were they all going out to fetch water?

"Lord Zhao is back!" As I walked into Pear Blossom Hall with doubt in my heart, a captain shouted loudly from afar.

Immediately, several familiar figures rushed out of the lobby, all with expressions of surprise.

Qian Kerou, Hou Renmeng, Shen Juan, and Zheng Laojiu, four close confidants, smiled broadly:

"grown ups!"

Although in their "understanding" that Zhao Du'an had returned to the capital some time ago after killing Prince Jing, Zhao Du'an, given his current status, rarely came to the government office anymore.

Therefore, his visit today is a rare occurrence for his subordinates.

At the same time, the group noticed a dark-skinned woman wearing a cloak following behind their master, and couldn't help but wonder about her identity.

"Are you all here?" Zhao Du'an nodded with a smile, glanced at the group, and asked:

"Jiyue is not here?"

When Lu Yan'er went to the capital, Ji Yue also returned to the capital with Gongshu Tianyuan, Jin Jian, and Yu Xiu.

She didn't return to Houhu afterward, and the homeless sorceress was casually arranged by Zhao Du'an to stay temporarily at Lihua Hall.

Zhao Du'an clearly remembered that Ji Yue was not a person from the Yu Kingdom, but an islander from the Thousand Islands of the East China Sea.

They were unexpectedly captured and brought to the Kingdom of Yu, and the next "key" is hidden in the Thousand Islands of the East China Sea.

In other words, Jiyue is a ready-made guide.

Therefore, he planned to ask Jiyue about the situation in the East China Sea in preparation for his departure.

Upon hearing the words "Jiyue," several subordinates' expressions turned slightly strange. The round-faced secretary, Qian Kerou, quickly said:

"Yes, I'm here and I've been living here just fine."

“Oh,” Zhao Du’an nodded, then casually added:

"Tell her to come see me. By the way, on my way here, I saw many people from the yamen going out to fetch water. What's going on? Is the well in the imperial yamen not working properly?"

“This…” The group hesitated.

Just as Zhao Du'an was wondering what was going on, he heard a "splashing" sound of water behind him.

He turned his head and looked back, and saw under the lush pear tree, in a well, a "female ghost in red" who was soaking wet and disheveled was clinging to the wet well edge, trying to pull her body out of the well.

Ji Yue raised her head, two pale pupils peeking through the gaps in her black hair, and she grinned:

"Sir...sir..."

Zhao Du'an: "..."

Shen Juan rubbed his dark circles and explained:

"She wasn't used to living in a bed, so she lived in the well."

Because all the wells in the government office were interconnected, the news gradually spread, and everyone in the office knew that a ghost—or rather, a person—lived in the wells… Therefore, some people dared not drink the well water.”

Zhao Du'an: "..."

Tuoba Weizhi: (*Д*)
Ji Yue lowered her head in shame, her embroidered shoes toes aligned, her pale hands intertwined with her index fingers, her face flushed crimson, causing her body to steam like in a sauna...

Zhao Du'an took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his frustration, and was about to offer some comfort when suddenly hurried footsteps came from outside the Pear Blossom Hall!
A tall figure with a beauty mark at the corner of his eye and a throwing knife sheath hanging at his waist kicked open the door roughly.

"Dangdang!"

When Haitang saw Zhao Du'an, her eyes lit up immediately:
"I heard you were here, you've come at the right time! Come with me!"

As she spoke, she quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.

Zhao Du'an cautiously took a step back, distancing himself from his female colleague:

"What is it? Get to the point."

Haitang said loudly and irritably:
"Princess Wenzhu, Princess Wenzhu from the Western Regions has fled to the capital!"

What?! Zhao Du'an was taken aback.

……

……

Zhao Du'an dared not delay and hurriedly followed Haitang toward the Governor's Hall.

On the way, he asked:

"What exactly happened? Why is Princess Wenzhu in the capital? Didn't the intelligence say she was already imprisoned? Is she in the yamen (government office)?"

Haitang grabbed his arm, walking away while saying angrily:
"I don't know either! She was injured and disguised herself as a commoner to enter the city. She suddenly came to the yamen in the morning, said she was looking for you, and then fainted!"

The Grand Eunuch sent people to your house to look for you, but they couldn't find you. He then went to the palace, but they still couldn't see you there.

This matter is of great importance, and it's not appropriate to discuss it with the other ministers in the court, so I'm focusing on treating the injured person first. I only came to find you after hearing of your return.

As they were talking, the two stepped into the Governor's Hall, where they saw several familiar figures waiting under the eaves outside a side room.

It was none other than the Grand Eunuch Ma Yan, Zhang Han, and others.

"Lord Supervisor, what's going on?" Zhao Du'an asked with a grave expression.

When Ma Yan saw him coming, he breathed a sigh of relief, shook his head, and explained in a deep voice:
"It's not very clear yet. All we know is that Princess Wenzhu fled all the way from the Western Regions to the capital under the escort of her personal attendants."

When she arrived, she found only one female guard by her side, who was also seriously injured.

I sent the female guard to the Imperial Medical Bureau. She only said that everyone else had died while escorting the princess. She wouldn't say anything else.

Zhao Du'an's heart sank: "Where is Princess Wenzhu?"

Ma Yan pointed to the tightly closed door:

"Inside, the princess's injuries weren't serious; she was more exhausted from the fear and anxiety she had endured the journey and had just woken up from a nap."

No matter how we asked, she wouldn't speak, seemingly quite wary of us. She only said she would speak if she saw us.

Zhao Du'an frowned:
“I understand. I’ll go in and take a look. Tuoba, you wait outside.”

He gave a worried instruction, then stepped onto the rough steps, raised his hands, placed them on the door, and slowly pushed it open.

"Squeak-"

The room was dry and warm, with sunlight streaming through the paper windows and a faint scent of calming herbs.

After closing the door behind him, Zhao Du'an turned into the foyer and entered the bedroom, where he saw Princess Wenzhu lying on a bed.

Half of the bed curtains were drawn, and Princess Wenzhu, who was once elegant, charitable, and almost a "saint," now seemed to have become a different person.

She was haggard and weak, with a sallow complexion and dry hair. She lay there wearing only a white undergarment. Startled awake by the noise, she said:

"I have said that I will not see anyone except Lord Zhao..."

Zhao Du'an strode over, his eyes narrowing slightly:
Princess Wenzhu?

Wenzhu was startled, then quickly stood up and looked over with surprise. When she saw it was him, the woman who had fled from afar seemed to have found her pillar of support. Her tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed, and her eyes almost reddened.

"Lord Zhao..."

Zhao Du'an stepped forward, but out of courtesy, he didn't get too close. He simply pulled over a sandalwood chair, sat down on the edge of the bed, and said in a deep voice:

"What exactly happened? Princess, weren't you placed under house arrest in the Golden Tent?"

Princess Wenzhu, on the verge of tears, said:
"It was a Red Sect master who managed to rescue me and entrusted me to find you, saying he had a huge secret to tell you!"

(End of this chapter)