It seems this Prince Ning should not have appeared in the capital.
Yun Shu waited for him to speak again.
"Prince Ning's departure from the capital back then was not due to severe illness, but because he had angered the Emperor. The Emperor had secretly ordered that he should never enter the capital again in his lifetime. Even when the Emperor was on his deathbed, he never intended to summon Prince Ning back. He should not have returned," Zhan Tianye said with a deep frown, his voice cold.
Yun Shu was somewhat curious, "What did he do to anger the late Emperor back then?"
Prince Ning was only a year older than Zhan Tianye and had left the capital at the age of twelve or thirteen, ten years ago. What major offense could he have committed to warrant permanent exile from the capital?
"I was not in the capital at the time, and the matter was suppressed by the Emperor. No one dared to speak of it, and those who knew about it were almost all executed. Prince Ning's consort was also confined to the cold palace. What I later found out was that his consort intended to assassinate the Emperor and wanted to put Prince Ning on the throne, but there must have been other involved parties and reasons," Zhan Tianye said.
Yun Shu nodded, "Since it was the late Emperor's decree, he should not have returned to the capital. Yet, he returned without making a sound, which is indeed strange. He is now at the Regent's mansion, making it even more difficult for me to save Lu Hao. Moreover, the guards he brought with him are all highly skilled martial artists."
"Let's go." Zhan Tianye grabbed the clothes beside him and put them on, then ordered towards the door, "Qiu Lu, prepare the carriage."
...
Regent's Mansion.
The not-so-large room was suddenly crowded with many people.
Both Zhan Ming and the Empress Dowager were extremely shocked by Zhan Tianyu's arrival.
Clearly, they had not expected Zhan Tianyu to appear so suddenly.
"Prince Ning, I recall your father once said that you could never set foot in the capital again. Why have you suddenly come to the capital?" the Empress Dowager asked coldly, her eyes narrowed, filled with suspicion towards Prince Ning.
He had returned to the capital so quietly!
Furthermore, there had been no news from the capital before.
Even the Regent's spies, who were spread throughout the city, had no knowledge of Prince Ning's return!
"Mother, Father did indeed say that this King should not enter the capital again. However, the situation is urgent. This King happened to be traveling outside the city and heard that Sixth Uncle was gravely ill, so I immediately rushed to the capital, hoping to see if I could help Sixth Uncle overcome this difficulty," Zhan Tianyu replied unhurriedly.
However, he had not lowered the handkerchief that covered his mouth and nose.
His voice, muffled by the handkerchief, made it difficult for those listening to hear clearly.
Zhan Ming felt no affection for his nephews Zhan Tianye and Zhan Tianhong, let alone for Zhan Tianyu, whom he had not seen in over a decade.
He immediately assumed Zhan Tianyu had come to watch the spectacle and to gloat over his misfortune.
Impatiently, he sneered, "Are you here to see if Sixth Uncle is dead?"
Then, seeing Zhan Tianyu covering his mouth and nose, he was furious, "If you're afraid of catching my illness, then get out! Don't be an eyesore! Go back from where you came. The capital is not a place for you!"
These brats, as they grew up, each became more detestable than the last!
They all deserved to die.
Zhan Tianyu, as if oblivious to Zhan Ming's disgust, smiled calmly, "Sixth Uncle, don't be so quick to dismiss me. I've brought Sixth Uncle a great gift. With this gift, even if the divine physician in your mansion cannot find a cure for you, Sixth Uncle will be perfectly fine."
This statement startled the Empress Dowager.
It also startled Zhan Ming.
They both exclaimed in unison, "What?"
Zuo Yan kept his head bowed. Even when Zhan Tianyu said he had come to save Zhan Ming, he did not look up at Zuo Yan.
Meanwhile.
Lu Hao, who had fainted, was tied up securely and thrown into a woodshed.
The woodshed was tightly sealed on all sides, making it airtight, with barely any light able to penetrate.
In the darkness of the woodshed, Lu Hao bared his teeth.
It hurt so much.
It hurt so, so much.
His entire body ached terribly.
Had all his good luck been used up in the previous years? Had his good luck vanished after meeting the Regent?
If Prince Ning hadn't appeared, his master could have rescued him!
Now, with the Regent's mansion filled with so many people, how could his master save him!
Wuwuwuwu...
Looking at the tightly nailed door, tears streamed down his face. He was actually afraid of the dark.
He was also afraid of being alone.
If someone unlucky were to be tortured by the Regent's men and thrown in here too, he would feel a little better.
In the silent night, Lu Hao could only let out a silent sigh, "Ai!"
Half an hour later.
The Regent's mansion welcomed another guest.
"What is he here for?" the Empress Dowager asked towards the door.
How could the gatekeeper outside know the answer? He could only reply tremblingly, "Your servant... your servant doesn't know either."
The Empress Dowager looked at Zhan Tianyu, her expression no longer distant and cold, but considerably softened, "Did he hear that you entered the capital?"
Zhan Tianyu smiled faintly, unconcerned, "Since this son has returned to the capital, everyone in the capital will surely know the news. Therefore, my Fifth Brother's arrival is not unexpected." However, he had expected the news to take a little longer to reach Zhan Tianye, so he was somewhat surprised at this moment.
"It's not just Prince Ye. Miss Yun the Second has also arrived, saying that Miss Yun the Second has thought of a way to save His Highness," a breathless servant reported from outside the door.
It could be heard that he had run over.
At this moment, Zhan Ming, who was able to sit up and recline on the bed, heard this and hooked his lips wickedly, letting out a sinister laugh, "Thought of a way? I didn't expect my nephews to come one after another to inquire about my life and death at this time."
"Since they are here, let him in," Zhan Ming commanded with a malicious smile.
After the gatekeeper hurried to invite Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye in, Zhan Ming looked at Zhan Tianyu, "Have you not seen your Fifth Brother for a long time? You look sickly, and your Fifth Brother is not much better. He probably won't be able to stand up again in this lifetime."
He had to admit, his imperial brother was truly incompetent. Of the sons he had, none were not sickly, or were crippled by bad luck.
Zhan Tianyu lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable. After coughing a few times, he slowly said, "I learned of Fifth Brother's condition before this year. At that time, I sent people to the capital to inquire about his condition. This time, if possible, I hope my people can help him."
"He doesn't need your help. The person he is about to marry is a renowned divine physician," Zhan Ming sneered.
He had been tormented by illness just now, but now that he had recovered some strength, he could properly consider how to deal with the two nephews who had come to show their concern.
"Renowned divine physician..." Zhan Tianyu murmured the four words in a low tone.
Zuo Yan suddenly raised his head, "My medical skills may not be as good as the renowned divine physician's."