in2ebook Chapter 336 The mysterious Queen Mother
Chapter 336 The mysterious Queen Mother
Murong Shiling only glanced at it briefly, but after a moment, he stopped and murmured, "When were these maple trees planted? Defu, were there maple trees here originally?"
Eunuch Fu was also slightly stunned. He had not been to the Empress Dowager's Buddhist temple very often. "Your Majesty, I really didn't know. However, these flowers and trees in the palace have planting seasons. I will go check it out later."
"Ok!"
In the Buddhist hall, the Queen Mother was talking to a woman. Upon closer inspection, the woman turned out to be Aunt Qing.
"Qingluan, you've worked hard on this!"
"Master, you are too kind. Qingluan failed to complete the mission this time. Please punish me."
"It's not your fault! Given the situation at that time, it was right for you to evacuate in time." The Queen Mother's voice was very cold, but the expression on her face was still calm and gentle, which was very inappropriate.
Aunt Qing lowered her head, seemingly unimpressed by the Queen Mother's praise. She even looked hesitant, "Master, I wonder if the Prince will doubt us this time."
"Don't worry, Hui'er can't think of anything for the time being. However, the emperor might be suspicious. After all, it is said that there are other forces involved in this operation."
"This servant has already investigated. Some of them are the eldest prince's men, probably to deal with the crown prince. The other part is Prime Minister Yu's men."
"Prime Minister Yu? Why would he get involved in this?"
"I'm afraid he saw this as a good opportunity. The master must not know who his target is."
"Oh? From what you said, it seems that this goal has something to do with us?"
"It's hard to say whether they are related, but Prime Minister Yu did what the master ordered me to do before."
The Queen Mother was a little surprised. "Are you saying that Yu Zhengsha's target is Yu Qingli?"
Qing Luan nodded slightly, "Based on my investigation, it is indeed so!"
The Queen Mother seemed to be thinking about something. She had always thought that Yu Qingli must be a chess piece of Yu Zhengsha, deliberately placed next to the eldest prince, making friends with the crown prince, and even seducing the Prince of Yan. It was hard not to be suspicious of such a clever woman, but now after hearing what Qingluan said, could it be that she had been wrong about her all along?
"Qingluan, I heard that Yu Qingli is Yu Zhengsha's eldest daughter. If that's the case, why is she not favored?"
"Your Majesty, you don't know that although Yu Qingli is the eldest daughter, her mother, Li, is not favored. Yu Zhengsha married Li because of her family's wealth. Moreover, I have heard that the Li family is actually hiding a huge secret, and this secret is even related to the country."
"There is such a thing, Qingluan, why didn't you mention it before?"
"This servant deserves death! These are just hearsay. Before their truth is proven, I dare not trouble the Queen Mother with them."
The Queen Mother snorted coldly, expressing her dissatisfaction, but thinking that Qingluan didn't do it on purpose, she felt a little relieved. However, she also took the news to heart. There is no smoke without fire. Now that Yu Qingli has entered the palace, the Queen must have some plans.
"Qingluan, please tell me in detail, what kind of secret is this?"
Qingluan told the Queen Mother everything she had heard. The Queen Mother couldn't help but frown after hearing it. "Qingluan, whether this matter is true or not, you must find out the truth for me!"
"I understand, Master, please rest assured!" Qing Luan was about to say something when she heard hurried footsteps and immediately reminded the Queen Mother, "Master, someone is coming."
The Queen Mother responded and waved her hand to signal her to hide in the dark. Then she knelt in front of the Buddha statue in a proper manner, with a calm and pious expression.
The door of the Buddhist hall was suddenly pushed open, and a bright yellow figure stepped in, looking a bit angry.
The Queen Mother didn't turn around, but her voice was slightly unhappy, "When did Your Majesty become so unruly? This is a sacred place for Buddhism. Is it rare that Your Majesty doesn't even need to knock on the door?"
The Queen Mother's scolding surprised Murong Shiling greatly and deepened his doubts. From childhood to adulthood, the Queen Mother had never spoken to him in such a tone.
A bad thought flashed through Murong Shiling's mind. He stared closely at the Queen Mother's back, "My son, I'm sorry. I heard that you came to the Buddhist temple alone, and I was a little worried. You know, Queen Mother, there seems to be some unrest in the palace these days. We even encountered an assassination attempt when we went to the enclosure two days ago!"
The Queen Mother stood up from in front of the Buddha statue, turned around, and glanced at Murong Shileng's face lightly. That look made Murong Shileng feel strange.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to trouble you, but if the assassin dares to enter and leave this harem at will, I'm afraid the whole world will be in danger!"
"Your Majesty is right. I am the one who is paranoid."
As Murong Shiling spoke, he stepped forward and held the Queen Mother's hand. The Queen Mother did not shy away from asking and placed her hand in the Emperor's. "Tell me, what brings you here today?"
"Your Majesty, I understand you well. Actually, I came here because of the matter concerning the enclosure."
The Queen Mother frowned and spoke with a hint of displeasure, "All living things have spirits. It's inappropriate for you to go hunting. And now you're discussing this in this Buddhist temple. Aren't you going to disrupt my practice?"
Murong Shiling nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, I know I was wrong, but this matter is of great importance, so I came here specifically to ask your opinion."
"Emperor, what's wrong with you? I've been in retirement for years, and even the affairs of the harem are managed by the Empress. Why are you asking about me now?"
Murong Shiling continued calmly, "It was someone close to me who found some clues about the assassins in the enclosure, one of which... involves your mother... Don't worry, your mother, I've already dragged that person out and executed him!"
The Queen Mother snorted coldly, but her expression softened slightly. She waved her hand and said, "You can decide these matters of the court by yourself. I am old and cannot bear to hear this."
"Yes, my son is confused."
"Forget it. I see that you are tired. Let the ladies in the harem accompany you well these days..." The Queen Mother said a few more irrelevant words before carefully leaving the Buddhist temple with the support of Murong Shileng.
Soon, Murong Shileng also left Ci Xin Hall. He had already received the answer.
Murong Shiling seemed to be in a much better mood after returning to Wolong Palace. Although some things were still a little strange, the empress dowager always considered the emperor's interests, and there was not even a trace of anything in her words that made Murong Shiling feel unhappy. Perhaps he was indeed too suspicious before.
Eunuch Fu secretly glanced at Murong Shileng and thought to himself, it seems that there is no need to investigate the origins of those red maples in the Empress Dowager's palace.
In less than a cup of tea, the news reached Yu Qingli's ears.
Yu Qingli was watering flowers in the palace at this time. The Ministry of Internal Affairs sent two camellias. The colors were bright and the fragrance was refreshing, which made Yu Qingli like them very much.
Reaching out to fiddle with the flower branches, Yu Qingli curled her lips. She really didn't expect that there would be news so soon, and the news was so surprising.
"Miss, what should we do now?" Xiluo asked after reporting the matter.
Yu Qingli smiled lightly, "Xiluo, we don't have to do anything now. Doesn't the emperor have the responsibility to investigate?"
Xiluo thought about it for a moment and quickly understood Yu Qingli's intention. It was indeed a good job to reap the benefits while sitting back and enjoying the benefits.
"Miss, I always feel that the Queen Mother's situation is a bit strange. She has sent people to deal with you again and again. This is a bit illogical."
"This Queen Mother... we really need to pay attention to it. By the way, does the Prince of Yan know about Qingluan's close relationship with the Queen Mother?"
Xiluo lowered her head and said nothing. Seeing this, Yu Qingli didn't care and just smiled tolerantly, "I'm glad you know. Xiluo, you did the right thing. It's more appropriate to let Murong Shiling investigate some things than for us to do it ourselves. After all, Qingluan is from Anle Palace."
Xiluo felt even more sorry for Yu Qingli after hearing this, so she started to explain, "Miss, this matter is of great importance, so I informed His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan. Don't worry, there won't be a next time after today!"
Yu Qingli didn't say anything, as if she really didn't care about the matter. When she saw Xiao Liuzi running in from outside the yard, she stood up, brushed her clothes, walked to the door and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes, as the young lady ordered, this is the best ginseng in Curry." Xiao Liuzi opened the box in his hand and before Yu Qingli could speak, he added, "As for the coral sculpture, I have already ordered it to be loaded onto the carriage."
"Miss, where are you going with such a big gift?" Xiluo couldn't help but ask.
"You'll know when you get there." Yu Qingli smiled lightly and walked out first.
Xiluo finally breathed a sigh of relief. When she revealed the news to His Royal Highness Prince Yan, she felt very uncomfortable in her heart, always feeling that she had betrayed the young lady, but now it seemed that the young lady really didn't care.
The Beauty House was crowded with people. Although it was not yet open for business, those rich young men who were always curious had already been lingering at the door, wanting to take a peek through the crack.
Yu Qingli took a look from inside the carriage curtain and heard Xiluo say, "Miss, should we go in through the back door?"
Yu Qingli said "hmm", and the carriage soon stopped at the back door of the Beauty House.
The location of the Beauty Place is a testament to Qu Linlang's meticulous planning. It sits squarely between two streets, its main entrance facing the capital's bustling market, while its back door opens onto the capital's most prestigious street, Wuyi Lane.
There are many dignitaries living in Wuyi Lane, and because several important officials of the current dynasty live there, it can be said that half of the dignitaries in the imperial capital are concentrated in Wuyi Lane. Naturally, there are more guards in Wuyi Lane than in ordinary streets, so ordinary people would never dare to enter without permission, let alone those wealthy children who know a little about the situation. As a result, Meirenfang is extremely quiet.