dognovel Chapter 174 Sending Consort Lan to Mourn the Death
Chapter 174 Sending Consort Lan to Mourn the Death
Ninth Aunt pushed Ye Gengxin aside and asked the gatekeeper, "Where are the Prince and Princess? Is there any news about them?"
The gatekeeper replied, "There is no news of the Prince and Princess. We only heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is wearing mourning clothes for the Duke of Wei."
Ye Gengxin waved his hand, "Go down."
"Yes."
After the guards left, he immediately closed the door and asked in a low voice, "Ninth Aunt, what exactly happened? The Duke was clearly in our residence, so why did they announce his death? If the Duke really died, then who came to our residence?"
Aunt Jiu was both amused and exasperated. "General, is it possible that the Duke of Jizhou who died was a fake?"
"Uh?"
"Didn't Wenyan and Wenmo say that the Prince was worried that the Duke would be murdered by the Crown Prince, so he asked them to secretly send the Duke back to the capital? Since it was the Prince's idea, the Prince will definitely find someone to replace the Duke."
Ye Gengxin opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
He had considered this possibility, but impersonating the Duke was no small matter, especially since it involved the Duke's funeral arrangements—a grave crime of deceiving the emperor…
"Ninth Aunt, please keep an eye on things at home. I'm going to the palace; I need to see the Emperor before the morning court session!"
"What are you doing in the palace?" Ninth Aunt asked, puzzled.
"The Duke's feigned death is a crime of deceiving the Emperor. I must report the truth to him before the Emperor learns the truth, so that no one will hold Prince Cheng accountable for this matter later!"
After Ye Gengxin finished speaking, he went back to his room, quickly tidied his clothes, and then hurriedly went to the palace.
Aunt Jiu watched his anxious back and wanted to call him back, but after thinking about it, she let him go.
……
Lanxia Palace.
Upon hearing the report from Jeju, Consort Lan was awakened from her sleep and asked Chen Mama with a mixture of surprise and delight, "Is it true? What does the report say?"
Granny Chen said, "The report was written by the Crown Prince himself, saying that the Duke of Wei was old and frail and died without illness."
Consort Lan was overjoyed and praised, "I never expected that Min Wenqian would be dealt with so quickly and successfully this time. The Crown Prince has done a truly excellent job!"
Granny Chen smiled as well, "Now that the Duke of Wei has been dealt with, Your Highness should be at ease, right?"
"Quickly help me with my hair and makeup. I'm going to Qianning Palace to join the Emperor in mourning." Consort Lan was happy, but she still had to put on a show.
"Yes."
Here at Qianning Palace.
Just as Yuchi Sheng received the summons, a palace servant came to report that Ye Gengxin was requesting an audience.
He summoned Ye Gengxin for an audience. The two spoke in the room for less than a quarter of an hour before Qi Sui came to report, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has arrived."
Yu Chi Sheng frowned, but still summoned Consort Lan into the palace.
Seeing Ye Gengxin there, Consort Lan was somewhat surprised, "General Ye, why are you in the palace so late at night?"
Before Ye Gengxin could reply, Yuchi Sheng said, "I heard that Prince Cheng and Princess Cheng are also in Jizhou City. They sent the news of the Duke of Wei's death back to the General's Mansion. Minister Ye did not believe it and went to the palace late at night to ask me for confirmation."
Consort Lan looked sorrowful, "The Duke has passed away just like that... I am truly heartbroken..."
Yu Chi Sheng sighed deeply, his face also filled with sorrow, "Yes, he's gone just like that, it's really hard for me to accept."
Consort Lan comforted him, “Your Majesty, the dead cannot be brought back to life, so please don’t be too sad. Besides, I heard that the Duke died of old age and that the Crown Prince was there to see him off, so he probably has no regrets.”
Yu Chi Sheng sighed several times, then suddenly remembered something and looked up, saying, "Your Highness, the Duke of Wei only had one daughter, the Empress. The Empress passed away early, which must be the Duke's greatest regret in life. You and the Empress were like sisters, and you've treated the Crown Prince as your own son all these years. Why don't you go to Jizhou City and work with the Ministry of Rites and the Crown Prince to arrange the Duke of Wei's funeral? With you mourning before the Duke's spirit, the Duke and Empress, if they have spirits in heaven, will surely be deeply gratified!"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Consort Lan nearly vomited blood.
When Min Wenqian died, she felt only joy and elation.
Asking her to go and mourn for that old man now would be disgusting, wouldn't it?
"What, you're unwilling to see the Duke of Wei off on his final journey for me and the Empress?" Yu Chi Sheng's face suddenly darkened.
"No... Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Consort Lan never expected him to make such an arrangement, and for a moment she couldn't think of a reason to refuse.
“Since that’s not the case, then you and the people from the Ministry of Rites shall set off tonight!” After saying that, Yu Chisheng instructed Qi Sui, “You escort the Imperial Concubine to the Ministry of Rites, and don’t forget to tell them to take good care of the Imperial Concubine.”
"Yes," Qi Sui quickly replied.
Consort Lan's face was a mixture of pale and ashen.
At this moment, she felt as if she had been given a live fly by the emperor, utterly disgusted yet daring not to disobey the imperial decree.
Watching Consort Lan depart, Ye Gengxin's lips twitched involuntarily.
She can hardly accept the idea of Consort Lan going to Jizhou to mourn the Duke. If she and the Crown Prince were to see the Duke still alive in the future, they would probably be so angry that they would die on the spot...
"Ye Qing, you've come at the right time. I have something I need you to prepare." The sadness on Yu Chi Sheng's face had vanished.
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?" Ye Gengxin quickly replied.
"After Consort Lan and the Crown Prince return to the capital, I will hold a hunting expedition. Wangqiu Mountain is your campsite, and you are very familiar with its terrain. This hunting expedition will be held at Wangqiu Mountain. Prince Cheng will make some arrangements, and you must cooperate."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will make preparations in advance!" Ye Gengxin did not ask any further questions, because he understood that this hunting trip was the idea of Prince Cheng, so he could ask Prince Cheng later.
……
Consort Lan and officials from the Ministry of Rites rushed to Jeju.
Upon learning of Zhu Huaning's miscarriage, Consort Lan, already in a terrible mood, became even more furious. She berated Qingcui, "How did you take care of the Crown Princess? Do you know how important this pregnancy was? So useless! Believe me, I'll chop off your head and send you to be buried with the Crown Prince's eldest grandson!"
Qingcui knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe, and could only endure the scolding.
Zhu Huaning couldn't help but speak up for Qingcui, "Your Majesty, it has nothing to do with Qingcui. My child and the Crown Prince's child were killed by Yuchi Ling and Ye Shishu!"
"Where are those two? Why aren't they here?" Consort Lan asked through gritted teeth. If they were here, she would definitely slap them in the face herself!
"They left the day before yesterday."
"They left the day before yesterday? So, they didn't find anything during their trip to Jeju City?" Consort Lan narrowed her eyes, quickly analyzing the situation in her mind.
She knew that Prince Seung had become suspicious of her origins.
The fact that Prince Cheng left before the Duke of Wei was even laid to rest means he discovered nothing. After all, if he knew the Duke of Wei was his maternal grandfather, he wouldn't have just left like that.
Just then, Yu Chi Rui walked in.
Seeing his haggard face and bloodshot eyes, Consort Lan felt heartbroken. "Your Highness, what happened to you? That old man is dead, why are you torturing yourself like this?"
Yu Chi Rui snorted, "Besides Min Qiang, there's no one in charge in this mansion. They bother me with every little thing!"
Consort Lan quickly instructed Granny Chen, "Take His Highness to rest. Also, spread the word that the Crown Prince is too grief-stricken to keep vigil for the Duke of Wei. If there is anything else, go to the Ministry of Rites!"
Those two bastards, Yu Chi Ling and Ye Shi Shu, just left and abandoned her son, leaving him here to do this unlucky and awful thing. She will definitely remember this debt!