good season

Chapter 17: The Unreasonable Nie Family

"Yes, as far as I know, it was a small jar of wine, and my father only drank one cup, while the rest was drunk by the Princess and Prince Consort Xiao. If they were not the murderers, there would be no poison in the wine, or they would not have taken the antidote before or after. So the poison was either put into the wine glass, or my father consumed other food or tea after they left. In this case, it is obvious that the poison was put in by someone in the palace.

"Sister, is the wine glass that father used still there?" Zhao Shiqing asked.

Zhao Yunnuan smiled bitterly, "Father's attack occurred about an hour after the banquet. In an hour, the cups and plates were washed clean. However, the servants around father are still imprisoned in the dungeon. Let's go back and interrogate them again."

The two sisters left as soon as they said they would, and when Xiao Su walked out of the Observatory, they were nowhere to be seen.

People in Wisteria Villa said that the eldest princess and the second young lady had returned to the palace.

Xiao Su snorted, "Impolite Zhao Xiaosi, he left without even saying hello."

He also has to go back to Qingquan. He can't help here now, and in Qingquan, there is a traitor waiting for him to deal with.

However, now he has to go to Prince Liang's Mansion to express condolences on behalf of the Xiao family.

However, he had to keep his mouth shut after he returned, because his eldest brother said that no one except the Fifth Old Master could tell that he was still alive.

Originally, Xiao Zhen didn't want to tell the Fifth Old Master, but Prince Consort Xiao was worried that if the news of Xiao Zhen's death reached Qingquan, the Fifth Old Master would not be able to bear it, after all, he was an old man.

Because of the Jinbao incident, Xiao Su now doubts everything. He feels that even the people around the Fifth Old Master are not safe. So on the way back to Qingquan, he thought all the way that there must be a major purge. He doesn't believe that he is the only one in the Xiao family who is a big wronged child and has raised a dog slave who betrays his master.

Seeing that Zhao Shiqing and her sister had already left, Xiao Su had to go to Liangdu alone. He did not bring any followers, so he had to go to purchase the silk gifts himself.

Let’s not talk about Xiao Su and just talk about Zhao Yunnuan and Zhao Shiqing.

The two sisters returned to the palace. As soon as they entered the second gate, maids came running over and put on loose mourning clothes over their plain clothes.

When they entered the mourning hall, they were already in heavy mourning.

Most common folks would keep the body for seven days, but Prince Liang was a prince, so he had to wait for the people sent by the emperor to arrive before he could be buried. If it was less than a month, then the body would be kept for a month.

The journey is long, and currently only officials at all levels and their families from Liang, as well as some noble families nearby, have come to pay their respects. As for several princes in the vassal states and officials in Beijing, they have either not received the news yet, or the people they sent are still on the way.

Zhao Yunnuan and Zhao Shiqing walked into the mourning hall and had just offered incense to Prince Liang when the maidservant beside Nie came over and said that the princess asked them to come over.

The two of them went to Suining Palace. On the way, Zhao Yunnuan said to Zhao Shiqing, "We will leave the palace one after another. Second Aunt will definitely say something in front of Mother. No matter what Mother says later, you must not say anything. I will take care of everything."

Zhao Shiqing nodded in agreement.

Arriving at Suining Palace, Zhao Yunnuan saw Princess Nie of Liang. As Zhao Yunnuan had guessed, Nie looked haggard, like a dodder that had lost its support. She cried and said, "You are the elder sister. At such an important time, you were not at home, leaving your brother to face those relatives and friends alone. You have always been sensible. What happened to you today? It really makes me worry."

Zhao Yunnuan said, "The Princess and Prince Consort Xiao are still in the villa. I can't just leave them there. Besides, Prince Consort Xiao is still sick, so I sent some medicinal herbs over."

There were some things Zhao Yunnuan didn't want to tell Nie. If Nie knew, Nie Qionghua would know too. Zhao Yunnuan simply changed the subject. She looked around and saw that Nie Qionghua was not with Nie for the first time. Zhao Yunnuan asked, "Second Aunt is not here?"

Nie wiped her tears and said angrily, "She has been busy these past few days and has been very tired. She felt unwell today and just had a doctor check her out. She is now lying in the room."

Nie wanted to say a few more words, but Zhao Yunnuan had already pulled Zhao Shiqing to stand up: "The King of Chu's brother-in-law is here, I saw him talking to my second brother."

Nie's face changed. "What brother-in-law? Think about Fan Chong. His sister-in-law is just a concubine of the King of Chu, not even a concubine. It's him who keeps saying that he is the King of Chu's brother-in-law. The King of Chu probably doesn't even know who he is. You should go and take a look. Don't let him teach your brother bad things."

Sure enough, anyone who might teach Zhao Tingxuan a bad lesson, even Nie, who always respected the rules, became sarcastic in his words.

Zhao Yunnuan and Zhao Shiqing hurriedly bowed, and Nie urged them: "Go quickly, your brother is tired after a day, ask him to come to me."

Zhao Yunnuan and Zhao Shiqing walked out of Suining Palace. Zhao Shiqing blinked mischievously: "Sister, you are still worried that mother will scold me. She didn't even see me at all."

Zhao Yunnuan patted her hands and said softly, "Don't take it personally. It doesn't matter if she sees you or not. She did see me, but listen to what she said."

Zhao Shiqing didn't believe that Nie didn't know that Zhao Yunnuan had left the house for something.

Nie came from a prominent family and had been a princess for so many years, it was impossible for her to know nothing.

But she obviously knows everything and understands everything, yet she still calls her sister over to scold her. I don't know if she has nothing to do or not.

Zhao Shiqing said: "Sister, why do I feel that mother is harder to get close to than before?"

In fact, Zhao Shiqing wanted to say "even more unreasonable", but she was Zhao Yunnuan's biological mother after all. There were some things Zhao Yunnuan could say but she couldn't.

Zhao Yunnuan sighed, "Ever since my father passed away, she has been finding fault with me almost every day, trying to suppress me in every way. But now the palace cannot do without me, so she wants to scold me, but dare not provoke me, fearing that I will just ignore her."

The two sisters talked and returned to the mourning hall.

The second son, Zhao Tingxuan, was not in the mourning hall. Zhao Shiqing recalled what Zhao Yunnuan had just said, and asked, "That guy named Fan Chong, besides claiming to be the brother-in-law of the King of Chu, isn't he a bad person?"

If this was not the case, why would Nie be worried that Fan Chong would corrupt Zhao Tingxuan?

Zhao Yunnuan said, "This man likes to take Wushisan. He is usually unruly and often walks around the city with his chest and back exposed. Once he came to the palace. It was already late autumn, but he only wore an outer shirt and didn't even wear an inner shirt. When he raised his hand, most of his chest was exposed. My mother and second aunt happened to see it and almost kicked him out."

Zhao Shiqing frowned: "Second brother is very close to him?"

Zhao Yunnuan lowered her voice and said, "Axuan and him are just casual friends. I just said that to divert mother's attention."

This is a mourning hall, Zhao Shiqing could only force herself not to laugh. Her sister still had many ways to deal with her mother.

(Turn back, there is one more chapter)
(End of this chapter)