The young man, having just returned to the capital, must have been scheming something nefarious.
He appeared to want nothing to do with worldly affairs, yet he quickly established good relations with many officials in the capital.
If one were to say there was no hidden agenda, it would be too abnormal.
Zhan Ming harbored a grand plan: it would be best to have Prince Ye and Prince Ning fight each other. The fiercer their conflict, the better, allowing him to reap the benefits!
"Prince Ning?" The Empress Dowager mused thoughtfully.
Jiang Luoxi looked at Zhan Ming, "It shouldn't be him."
"Oh? Tell me more," Zhan Ming also turned to Jiang Luoxi. He was suddenly beginning to feel that Jiang Luoxi harbored some secrets, always able to voice her thoughts and offer suggestions at crucial moments.
Such an intelligent woman, it was hard not to suspect she held secrets.
"Prince Ning is new to the capital, having only recently returned. It's impossible for him to rashly make an enemy of Prince Ye. If Your Highness can consider Prince Ning as a possibility, then Prince Ye would surely also think of it. If Prince Ning were truly responsible, wouldn't he be drawing trouble upon himself? That would be an unwise move," Jiang Luoxi calmly analyzed for them.
The Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly, finding merit in the argument. "What Luoxi says holds some truth."
Zhan Ming also nodded, "Indeed, it makes sense. If it's not me, and it's not Prince Ning, then who could it be? Who in the capital could create such a commotion in an instant? Old Master Qin's entourage consists of deeply skilled martial artists and numerous hidden guards."
Jiang Luoxi smiled faintly and slowly shook her head, "That is not something a mere commoner like myself can guess."
"I see you are so intelligent and thoughtful, could it be that you were behind it? You failed to charm Prince Ye, and out of resentment, and then Old Master Qin exposed your use of love potions, so you harbored a grudge and hired someone to assassinate him?" Zhan Ming speculated, stroking his chin.
His mischievous, scrutinizing gaze fixed on Jiang Luoxi.
Jiang Luoxi met Zhan Ming's gaze, about to speak, when the Empress Dowager interjected on her behalf, "How could that be! Anyone could be capable of this, but it absolutely could not be Luoxi. She merely knows one or two people who understand medicine and love potions. In the capital, she has no backing, and Prime Minister Jiang completely disregards her. How could she possibly plan such a meticulous assassination?"
"Yes, I was indeed very angry, even resentful that Prince Ye was so unfeeling, but it was only resentment," Jiang Luoxi conceded, playing along.
Zhan Ming wasn't truly suspicious of Jiang Luoxi; he was merely testing her intelligence. He waved his hand, "Alright, I need to rest. If you have nothing else, return to the palace. Don't let yourselves be seen."
With that, Zhan Ming swayed and turned, walking away.
The Empress Dowager's expression turned grim.
Jiang Luoxi gently advised, "Regent Prince is unwell. It is late, and he will indeed be tired. Your Majesty, let us return to the palace."
The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows tightly and asked Jiang Luoxi in a low voice, "Have you asked Zuo Yan if the Regent Prince is..."
"Perhaps there is still a sliver of hope. Your Majesty, please do not despair," Jiang Luoxi replied in an equally hushed tone.
The Empress Dowager remained troubled, "I hope so. That b*tch Yun Shu, is her medical skill truly that formidable? No, even if her medical skills were superb, she would never sincerely try to save the Regent Prince."
"Your Majesty is wise. Miss Yun Er would indeed not treat the Regent Prince sincerely. Therefore, we must still place our trust in Zuo Yan. He has been diligently studying medicine during this time, and perhaps one day he will find a way to cure the Regent Prince," Jiang Luoxi soothed.
The Empress Dowager found this reasonable, "Let's go, let's return to the palace as soon as possible."
"Yes," Jiang Luoxi replied with a bowed head.
Her sharp, cold gaze fell upon the ground.
This was only the beginning.
Wasn't Yun Shu renowned for her medical expertise? Could she save many from the brink of death? Then why couldn't she save Old Master Qin?
The light in her eyes gradually turned ferocious and distorted. If she could doubt Yun Shu, then Prince Ye would surely harbor doubts as well. The rift between them would begin from this.
It would be best if they came to hate each other.
...
Tonight was exceptionally long.
The General's mansion was brightly lit. xxs12
The wailing continued for a long time.
The children, exhausted from crying, fell asleep with tear-streaked faces.
Yun Changfeng carried each of them into their rooms.
Then, he instructed the servants to prepare a carriage and a hearse to transport Old Master Qin back to his mansion for a proper burial later.
These matters could only be handled by him now. Prince Ye showed no outward signs of grief, but Yun Changfeng could feel how deeply his heart ached.
It would be better if he could cry and shout it out later.
He feared the possibility that he would remain outwardly unchanged.
Watching Qiu Lu, who stood guard at the door, wiping away tears, Yun Changfeng sighed deeply. His own eyes felt sore and heavy with sadness. Old Master Qin, with whom he had chatted and laughed just two days ago, had now become a cold, lifeless corpse. His heart felt heavy and unbearably pained.
"Great General," Qiu Lu turned his head to quickly wipe away his tears when he saw Yun Changfeng approaching, then called out.
Yun Changfeng sighed gently, "Qiu Lu, take good care of your Prince."
"Yes, your subordinate will surely take good care of the Prince! However, your subordinate will find out who assassinated the Old Master! Your subordinate will avenge the Old Master!" Qiu Lu clenched his fists, his bloodshot eyes filled with hatred.
Yun Changfeng sighed again and gently patted Qiu Lu's shoulder, "Let the people from Prince Ye's mansion investigate. I have already ordered my men to do so. We have just received news that the assassins are the same group who attempted to assassinate Shu'er; they have one master behind them."
"Your subordinate will kill all of them! And drag out the one behind it all!" Qiu Lu resolved.
He gritted his teeth and glanced back at Zhan Tianye in the room behind him.
Then he looked at Second Miss Yun, who was by the Prince's side.
He clenched his fists, "Great General, your subordinate must go and investigate this matter now. The Prince... the Prince is left in your care. Later, people from the Qin mansion will come and take the Old Master home."
"Alright, go without worry. I will handle everything here. Prince Ye has Shu'er by his side; he will be alright," Yun Changfeng said gravely.
Qiu Lu clasped his fist, "I trouble you, Great General!"
With that, he left directly.
Seeing this, Jing Heng followed, "I will go with you to investigate."
Qiu Lu looked at Jing Heng and nodded solemnly, "Alright!"
As they left, Yun Shu swept a glance towards the entrance.
She had heard everything they said.
It was still the same group of people.
The master behind them was in the capital.
She lowered her head to look at Zhan Tianye. He had been silent for a long time. From the moment Old Master Qin closed his eyes until now, he had not uttered a word, merely gazing at Old Master Qin with a vacant expression.
She did not disturb him.
Instead, she gazed at Old Master Qin with him.
Old Master Qin was covered in wounds. He was on his last breath when he was brought in, having lost too much blood and suffering damage to his internal organs. Even with a sterile operating room, it would have been beyond saving.
She seemed to recall the scene of her first meeting with Old Master Qin a few years ago.