Proud Feather

Chapter 85 Invitation
Chu Ling suddenly stood up.

Poisoning! My older brother was poisoned at that time, which made him unable to withstand the rocking of the boat and also made him unable to save himself after falling into the water!
"Why didn't you say so then?" she shouted angrily.

If Zhang Qianyi had said something back then, perhaps the tragedy could have been avoided. Who knows, his older brother might have discovered his abnormal physical condition, which would have been his last chance to survive!
Zhang Qianyi lowered his head deeply, not daring to answer a single word.

Why didn't he say so then? Perhaps he still harbored resentment towards the Crown Prince after learning of his father's death? People are like that sometimes. He knew his father wasn't wronged, but occasionally he'd dream about it—everyone in the Water Conservancy Bureau was getting paid, and his father couldn't survive without working, so why was he imprisoned? The real culprits were the previous two judges and the officials in the Council of State Affairs; they made a mess of the Water Conservancy Bureau, but the real culprits were still in the court!

"No wonder you wanted to escape," Gao Mian said coldly. "You've squandered the Crown Prince's only chance of survival!"

Zhang Qianyi felt utterly hopeless. At this moment, he was unable to utter a single word in his defense.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Fan spoke up: "Princess, I understand your heartache and anger. Although I only met the Crown Prince a few times, I was still saddened and regretful when I learned of his death. But this matter must have been unintentional on his part. We have experienced the destruction of our families and are like frightened birds. Even if we truly felt something was wrong, we were afraid that speaking out would bring trouble upon ourselves..."

Zhang Qianyi didn't expect her to speak up for him at this moment, and moved his lips: "A-Fan..."

Zhu Fan said coldly, "I'm not doing this for you, I'm just feeling sorry for someone like me!"

Chu Ling recovered. If killing Zhang Qianyi could bring her elder brother back to life, she would do it without hesitation. But her elder brother was already dead, and there was no point in taking her anger out on him.

"So, you only noticed something unusual, but didn't poison it?"

Zhang Qianyi kowtowed and said, "Your Highness, please understand. My father was coerced by the former judge. The Crown Prince has already shown leniency beyond the law. This sinner would never dare to blame the Crown Prince!"

Chu Ling looked up and Gao Mian nodded slightly.

Even if Zhang Qianyi had the motive, he had no opportunity to poison the Crown Prince. After all, he was currently just a river worker, and he had no access to what the Crown Prince ingested.

"Then, I have one more question." Chu Ling's tone turned serious as she asked, "Where did all the money from the Water Conservancy Bureau go?"

Zhang Qianyi and Zhu Fan exchanged glances, both seeing fear in each other's eyes.

The princess demands they reveal the vested interests behind the Water Resources Bureau!
As night deepened, Gao Mian, preoccupied with his own thoughts, saw the princess off at the yamen.

Zhang Qianyi was detained, and Zhu Fanxian sent him back to Xianle Tower. The matter was temporarily put on hold.

But this doesn't mean we shouldn't continue the investigation. On the contrary, we must strike decisively and avoid alerting the enemy at this time.

He watched the princess board the carriage, then lifted the curtain and said, "Lord Gao, you should go back now. You still have a lot to do!"

Gao Mian took a deep breath. He knew there was no turning back. Having already surrendered to the princess, he was likely now seen as a thorn in the side by others. Therefore, he had no choice but to fight for his own future, or for justice.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my utmost!"

Chu Ling smiled slightly, her expression meaningful: "Lord Gao is a loyal man, and I, the princess, will prove that you made the right choice."

No need for further words, Gao Mian bowed deeply.

The carriage started moving and headed towards the Duke of Anguo's residence.

Chu Ling closed her eyes to rest and quietly reflected on what she had learned that day.

Zhang Qianyi and Zhu Fan didn't dare to say it directly, only that the mastermind was the former judge. Under her relentless pressure, they subtly indicated that the former judge had close ties with a certain force—the Marquis of Jingping's residence.

Chu Ling was not surprised at all. Seizing the throne was not something that could be accomplished overnight. Before revealing one's true intentions, one must have already infiltrated every aspect of the situation.

However, it is unethical to embezzle money from the Water Conservancy Bureau—river repair is a major issue affecting the livelihoods of millions of people, and if Chu He were to ascend the throne, those would be his own subjects!
Did her elder brother know any of this? He met with Zhu Fan and imprisoned the Zhang family; there was no way he wouldn't have noticed something... The carriage suddenly staggered, interrupting her thoughts.

Qingcha, standing beside him, immediately stood up and gripped the weapon at her waist. The sound of guards drawing their swords rang out from outside, and the captain shouted sternly, "The princess's carriage is here! Who dares to block our path?!"

Blocking the road? How strange?
A gruff male voice came from outside the car: "Please don't be nervous, everyone. I'm here to deliver an invitation."

Invitation? What is that? The captain remained vigilant.

Under their intense gaze, the masked burly man took out something and tossed it over.

Several guards raised their swords to block it, but the object landed lightly on the ground; it really was an invitation.

As the team member picked up the invitation, he hesitated, when a voice came from inside the car: "What invitation? Let me see it."

The team leader breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully handed the invitation to Qingcha.

Qingcha turned and went back into the car: "Princess."

Chu Ling opened it and smiled.

This is an invitation that doesn't quite conform to the rules. It has no salutation or signature, only the time and place, and the words "We look forward to your arrival".

The time is tonight, the place is...

"Little Bridge Tavern, where is this?"

The masked man replied from outside: "It's right outside Zhang's Tea House, next to the alley where the princess ambushed us that night."

"Ha!" Chu Ling laughed out loud, "Is this an apology or a show of force?"

“Of course, it’s to apologize.” The burly man’s voice boomed. “My young master has been restless day and night since he offended the princess that night. He specially prepared a banquet to apologize to the princess.”

Chu Ling showed him no mercy and bluntly exposed him: "You've been chased by the Imperial Guards and have nowhere to hide, so you've come to beg for mercy, haven't you?"

The burly man choked, scratching his head and chuckling awkwardly, "Your Highness is wise! We've already moved three, four, five... countless places. If we keep moving, we'll be outside the capital region. The master said that since we can't win, we should just kneel down. Face is useless, so we've come to beg Your Highness for mercy..."

The language was truly rude, and Qingcha immediately frowned, shouting, "Speak properly! Do you think this is the military?"

The burly man exclaimed, "Huh? You know where I come from?"

Qingcha coldly said, "Your moves are wide and sweeping, but your lower body technique lacks refinement. It's clearly horsemanship. What's so hard to guess?"

"Oh." The burly man suddenly realized, "Young master is right, there is indeed a loophole here."

Chu Ling asked curiously, "What else did he say?"

The burly man chuckled: "If the princess wants to know, why not listen to the young master tell me himself? After all, I am ugly and my voice is not pleasant. The young master is much more handsome, and you can even enjoy your wine while looking at his face."

Hearing this, Chu Ling raised the corners of her mouth: "According to you, this princess would be at a disadvantage if she didn't go."

The burly man smiled obsequiously and lowered his posture: "Your Highness is as beautiful as a flower and is very magnanimous. Please give us a chance to apologize."

Xiao Yu: I heard you guys forgot about me, so I'm showing up to show my face.