Catching Monsters

Chapter 583 Gu Zhengyu

"The eldest prince is leaving the capital? Is that even plausible?"

Inside the Jiang residence's dining room, Jiang Yun, Xu Suwen, and Jiang Qiaoqiao were having breakfast early in the morning, while Qi Da arrived as soon as possible.

Qi Da sat on the table, hurriedly drank a mouthful of hot porridge, and nodded: "How could it be false? The news has spread, and His Majesty is going to officially appoint the Eighth Prince as Crown Prince."

Qi Da was also a little unsure. As Jiang Yun's confidant, he knew that the eldest prince and Jiang Yun were quite close.

Now that the eldest prince is in trouble, I wonder if it will implicate Lord Jiang.

Who cares most about Jiang Yun's future? Zidane.

Only when Zidane is promoted will he have the opportunity to continue to improve. That's why he rushed to the Jiang residence to inform them as soon as he received the news.

Then Zidane picked up a piece of bread from the table, took a bite, and said, "My lord, how about I make some arrangements? His Highness the Eighth Prince has been appointed Crown Prince. In your name, I'll send some generous gifts over."

"His Majesty trusts you, so the Eighth Prince wouldn't cause you any trouble, would he?"

"Besides, Madam also came from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion..."

Jiang Yun frowned slightly. There was quite a conflict between herself and Xiao Jingqing. Moreover, a new emperor brings a new court.

If Xiao Jingqing were to succeed to the throne, what use would Xiao Yuzheng's favor be? The new emperor would likely purge a group of old officials immediately upon his ascension.

Xu Suwen's lips moved slightly, but she did not speak. If His Highness the Crown Prince wanted to deal with Jiang Yun, the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and the Jiang Mansion were two different things.

At most, during the search of the Jiang residence, he would exonerate himself and send him back to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

"Alright, I know what I'm doing. You should eat your meal first." Jiang Yun patted Qi Da on the shoulder.

Upon hearing this, Qi Da swallowed hard and nodded. Just then, Yun Pingchuan rushed over and said, "Master, the Crown Prince has arrived outside. He claims he is leaving the capital immediately and is here to see you one last time."

"The eldest prince."

Jiang Yun was a smart man; at this critical juncture, the arrival of the eldest prince at his residence was not a good thing...

But since Xiao Jingzhi has already come, how could Jiang Yun not see him?
Seeing this, Zidane said, "My lord, I'll excuse myself for a moment and eat in the backyard."

As he spoke, he took the rice porridge in front of him and ran to the back.

Jiang Yun looked at Xu Suwen and Jiang Qiaoqiao: "You two should also leave for a while. Let me see what this eldest prince is up to."

"Hmm." Xu Suwen frowned slightly and left the restaurant with Jiang Qiaoqiao in her hand.

Soon, Xiao Jingzhi, dressed in a prince's robe, arrived at the restaurant under the guidance of Yun Pingchuan.

"Brother Jiang, I've come at just the right time." After sitting down, Xiao Jingzhi said to Yun Pingchuan, "Give me a bowl and chopsticks."

After serving the bowls and chopsticks, Yun Pingchuan left.

"Your Highness, I heard you're leaving the capital?" Jiang Yun asked with a forced smile.

"Yes, it was just an imperial decree issued by my father this morning." Xiao Jingzhi chuckled and sighed, "You know, life is like this."

“I was required to study at the college from a young age, and even before I became an adult, I was not allowed to leave the inner city.”

“The Confucian teachers in the academy taught me to read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. At that time, I wanted to leave the capital and travel around the beautiful land of our Zhou Kingdom to see the sights.”

"But my father strongly opposed it. I was young then and was thinking of sneaking out to play."

At this point, Xiao Jingzhi's smile turned into a bitter one, and he continued, "But now, I want to stay in the capital, but I have nowhere to go. I'm afraid that after my father passes away and my eighth brother ascends the throne, I won't be able to return to the capital."

Xiao Jingzhi could almost foresee his own end.

If one loses the battle for the throne, being able to leave the capital and save one's life is considered a stroke of luck.

Once you leave Beijing, returning is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Hearing Xiao Jingzhi's words, Jiang Yun remained expressionless, her brows slightly furrowed, and said, "Your Highness, you're just leaving as you please, but you even come to my residence for a visit. Aren't you trying to harm me?"

Jiang Yun didn't beat around the bush; he was quite direct.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingzhi said in a deep voice, "Brother Jiang, whether I come to your residence or not, it doesn't matter. Let me tell you, among us princes, I am the most benevolent."

"Let's not talk about the fourth and sixth brothers. This eighth brother, don't let his young age fool you, he's the most ruthless, he just hides it too well."

"You're a thorn in his side, do you think he'll let you off so easily?"

As Xiao Jingzhi finished speaking, he quickly took out a waist token from his bosom: "This is my prince's token. When you take it, all those civil officials will know that you are one of the people I trust the most."

Jiang Yun frowned slightly: "Your Highness, you've already left the capital, what would I need this for?"

"Help me get rid of the Eighth Prince." Xiao Jingzhi gripped Jiang Yun's hand tightly and took a deep breath: "You have the Eastern Garrison Command and the Embroidered Uniform Guard in your hands! As long as the Eighth Prince commits a heinous crime in the capital that even my father cannot protect, I can come back."

"At that time, I will be able to ascend the throne."

"Brother Jiang, I, Xiao Jingzhi, hereby swear that as long as you help me seize the throne, I will guarantee your Jiang family a hundred years of wealth and prosperity!"

"You like Taoist temples, right? I will order all provinces, prefectures and counties across the country to vigorously build the Sanqing Taoist Temples."

“Establish the Sanqing Temple as the state religion.”

Xiao Jingzhi had no other choice at this moment; his only hope lay with Jiang Yun.

His other civil officials were indeed loyal, but none of them were physically strong enough to kill a chicken.

It was too late to try and win over other influential people in the capital.

The trees fell and the hozens scattered.

Now that the position of Crown Prince has been clearly established as belonging to the Eighth Prince, how many people would still be willing to work for Xiao Jingzhi?

After much thought, the only one who could be involved was Jiang Yun, who had a conflict with Xiao Jingqing.

Hearing Xiao Jingzhi's words, Jiang Yun found the offer very tempting, but he didn't reach for the token. Instead, he asked, "Who do you think are the people who can be loyal to you and useful to you?"

As she spoke, Jiang Yun took out a piece of paper and gestured for Xiao Jingzhi to write down the list.

After pondering for a while, Xiao Jingzhi wrote down a list of about twelve people.

"Only twelve people?" Jiang Yun frowned. "Not even a single minister?"

"You just arrested Minister Tang and Minister Miao, who were my staunch supporters."

"The other ministers are basically my father's confidants. Whoever my father supports, they support."

Looking at the twelve people on the list, although their official positions were not high, their positions were indeed not low.

After thinking it over, Jiang Yun put the list away and accepted Xiao Jingzhi's token.

"Your Highness, you shouldn't have come to see me in such a grand manner," Jiang Yun sighed softly.

"I was in such a hurry to leave that I didn't think about it much," Xiao Jingzhi replied. Of course, in his heart he was thinking, if I didn't come over in a big way and tie you to my side, you might not work for me.

The two were actually somewhat tacitly aware of each other's intentions. "Alright, Brother Jiang, the imperial decree has been issued, and I must leave the capital today." Xiao Jingzhi said, patting Jiang Yun's hand as he spoke. "Whether I can return to the capital depends on you, Brother."

After saying that, he quickly turned and left.

Jiang Yun touched the token and fell into deep thought.

……

The Eighth Prince's residence was the smallest among the princes' residences, consisting of only one five-courtyard house.

Before Xiao Yuzheng fell seriously ill and Xiao Jingqing began to take care of him personally, he was not valued by Xiao Yuzheng.
The main reason is quite simple: his mother's background was not considered high.

Xiao Jingqing's mother was originally just a palace maid. Eighteen years ago, on a night of torrential rain, Duke Xu Dingwu of Zhenguo won a great victory at the front and defeated the Hu army.

Xiao Yuzheng drank a bit too much at the celebratory banquet, and Xiao Jingqing's mother was being taken care of by him, which led to Xiao Yuzheng's favoritism.

Unexpectedly, she became pregnant. However, when Xiao Yuzheng found out, his first reaction was to get rid of the palace maid.

In his view, this palace maid must be a scheming person with ulterior motives, taking advantage of his drunkenness to approach him.

Secondly, he didn't believe that he could get pregnant so easily after just one night of sleeping together.

Despite having so many concubines in his harem and enjoying their favor day and night, he only had seven children.

Unexpectedly, when Prince Fu, the head of the Imperial Clan Court, learned of this, he declared that if the woman was indeed carrying the emperor's child, she could not be killed at will. At the very least, she should be born, and the Imperial Clan Court would verify her identity before making a decision.

Thus, Xiao Jingqing's birth was not entirely smooth, as the Imperial Clan Court had a special method for verifying royal bloodlines.

After verification, Xiao Jingqing was indeed Xiao Yuzheng's biological child.

Logically speaking, that palace maid, Xiao Jingqing's mother, should have been able to rise in status because of her son, at the very least receiving a title, and most of them would have been made a concubine.

Xiao Yuzheng disliked this palace maid, and even though she gave birth to a prince, he only gave her the title of Consort.

He was placed in a secluded courtyard in the palace, and they would not see each other for a year. Only during the annual royal grand ceremony would a eunuch bring Xiao Jingqing to participate in the ceremony.

As a child, Xiao Jingqing spent his time with his mother in this quiet little house.

Although he was a prince and no one dared to disrespect him, his mother suffered a lot of disdain from the eunuchs.

As Xiao Jingqing grew a little older, he always wanted to stand up for his mother and curse those lackeys, but his mother always stopped him and advised, "We are living a comfortable life. There are so many people outside who can't even get enough to eat. We should be content."

Later, however, her mother fell ill, and the imperial physicians who came to see her were always perfunctory and unfriendly.

He knew that all of this was because his father didn't like his mother.

But Xiao Jingqing still lost his temper and beat the imperial physician severely with a stick, as well as the eunuchs who usually looked at his mother with cold eyes.

His beating caused a huge uproar. When Xiao Yuzheng learned of this, he had the imperial physician and the group of eunuchs all beheaded.

He then realized that many things were not as simple as his mother had said, that one could simply not fight for them.

Sometimes, you have to fight for it. If you don't, others will think you're weak and easy to bully.

Unfortunately, when he was eleven years old, his mother fell seriously ill, and the unfamiliar father never appeared.

The imperial physicians examined him and declared that there was nothing they could do to save him.

He still remembers kneeling beside his mother's sickbed, his mother in pain but afraid that he would see her worry.

Before she passed away, her mother simply patted Xiao Jingqing's head and said, "Jingqing, your mother is not the kind of person they think she is."

“My mother’s family used to be wealthy, but they fell on hard times. That’s why she went to the palace to work as a maid to pay off her debts. She was planning to go out and find someone to marry after she paid off her debts.”

"Unfortunately, His Majesty was drunk that day, which is how you came to be."

“But I don’t regret it. My mother is actually very glad, not because she was glad that she gave birth to a prince, who might rise to prominence in the future.”

"I'm so glad I have you."

The mother stroked young Xiao Jingqing's face: "Promise me that after I die, you will not fight for the throne. We have no power or influence, and we can't compete with others. I just hope that you will grow up peacefully and live a healthy life."

After the mother died, the unfamiliar father finally showed up and ordered that the mother be buried according to the standards of a nobleman.

Soon, Eunuch Feng stepped forward, took Xiao Jingqing's hand, and said, "Your Highness, from now on, you will have a new home."

From that day on, he moved to this five-courtyard house in the inner city, and was taken care of by some servants and attendants.

Except for major sacrificial festivals, he rarely stepped into the palace gates, and Xiao Yuzheng never paid him any attention.

He seemed to have become invisible.

It wasn't until Xiao Yuzheng fell seriously ill that Xiao Jingqing rushed to take care of him personally for several months, and only then did he gain Xiao Yuzheng's attention.

Today, quite a few people have come to his Eighth Prince's residence.

Many high-ranking officials and dignitaries rushed to offer their congratulations.

Xiao Jingqing didn't see any of them. He sat in his study, where his mother's memorial tablet was located.

"Mother, if only you were still alive." Xiao Jingqing stared at the memorial tablet in front of him, lost in thought about his circumstances in earlier years.

Unfortunately, on the memorial tablet, the mother's name was only listed as Consort Huang.

dong dong dong.

A knock sounded at the door. Xiao Jingqing wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, regained his serious expression, and pushed the door open.

"Your Highness, the manor is quite lively today."

The person who came was Gu Zhengyu, the current commander of the Imperial Guards.

Gu Zhengyu was in his forties and had previously been one of the deputy commanders of the Imperial Guards. However, he had a strained relationship with Zhang Yao and had always been neglected within the Imperial Guards.

Later, when the Zhang Yao case broke out, he was spared because of his extremely poor relationship with Zhang Yao. Afterwards, he was directly promoted to commander of the Imperial Guards because of his seniority.

He is also Xiao Jingqing's confidant now.

He was also carrying some congratulatory gifts.

"Commander Gu, you're no outsider either. Come on in, what did you bring?" Xiao Jingqing smiled faintly and casually beckoned him into the study.

"Hi." After Gu Zhengyu entered the room and sat down, he saw the memorial tablet inside. He hurriedly stepped forward, lit an incense stick, and squeezed out tears from the corners of his eyes. He said, "If Empress Huang knew that you had become the Crown Prince, she would probably be happy."

Xiao Jingqing said, "My mother was just a noblewoman."

"When Your Highness ascends the throne, you will be bestowed the title of Empress," Gu Zhengyu said with a smile.

Hearing this, Xiao Jingqing was slightly moved. One of the reasons he was working so hard was to get a legal status for his mother.

"By the way, I have something urgent to tell you. Xiao Jingzhi went to the Jiang residence." Gu Zhengyu said with a serious expression.

(End of this chapter)