Xue Ke's fingers unconsciously tapped on a few cases. Ah Liu went out to see Ying Wu from time to time, and they didn't come back. When the laughter in the courtyard was lowered, and Mama Zhang and the others were sleeping peacefully, Ying Wu and the others came back with news.

"Lady, Your Highness entered the palace after leaving the East Palace in the afternoon, and then did not leave the palace!"

"Your Highness has not yet gone to Wanhualou! Today, only the saint took the queen and several princes on the Wanhua Tower, and none of the concubines on the list went upstairs! The saint just showed his face, and returned to the palace without watching the singing and dancing after that! ”

"The ceremony of Wanhualou ended in a hurry, but I didn't know what happened when I asked the guards and the inner supervisor!"

Xue Ke's expression became more and more solemn: "What's going on?" Is there anything strange outside the East Palace? ”

The Shadow Guards looked at each other and shook their heads.

"That's good, Ying Wu, you go and ask Lord Nangong's mansion to invite him to come over, and I'll wait for him in Linglong Pavilion."

Kagego knew that the matter was serious, and immediately took the order and left.

When Nangong rushed to Linglong Pavilion out of breath, he saw Xue Ke with a serious face. On the way, he had already heard Ying Wu talk about the matter, and he no longer greeted, and said, "Girl, what are you going to do now?" Do you want to activate the uterine eyeliner? ”

Xue Ke nodded and said, "I called you here for this purpose!" Things must be strange today, and if it is convenient for Your Highness, people will definitely spread the news, so"

"The girl is worried that His Highness is no longer free at the moment?"

"Or maybe the matter is so urgent that you can't take care of uploading the news, but everything is as usual on the outside, and the emperor has gone to Wanhualou, what emergency can there be?"

Nangong also nodded, "What the girl said is that I will immediately activate the inner line in the palace." ”

As he spoke, he went out to find the Zhang guard, and whispered a few words. Xue Ke looked at his mouth, sat on the chair with his mouth and heart, and thought quietly.

After Nangong came back, the more he thought about it, the heavier his expression became, and he couldn't help but walk around the room. The two of them were still and moving, both waiting.

It wasn't until midnight that there was movement on the Shadow Guard's side.

"Lady! Oh no! It is rumored in the palace that it is His Royal Highness, His Royal Highness was drunk and disorderly today, and raped Hua Concubine, Hua Concubine touched the pillar and died on the spot, and the saint fainted on the spot. ”

"What? What about Your Highness? ”

"The saint was furious and kicked His Highness on the spot, saying that he also smashed His Highness's head with an inkstone, and His Highness was detained in the palace at this time, saying that he was waiting to be disposed of."

Everyone present was stunned and looked at Xue Ke in unison.

Xue Ke settled, eased his nerves, and opened his mouth to say, "There must be something strange about this matter." Your Highness must have been calculated. ”

Nangong hurriedly nodded and agreed, "Not bad." His Highness would never do such a thing. ”

Xue Ke was also in a state of confusion, but he knew that he was most flustered at this time, so he took a few deep breaths and said, "Nangong, the emperor is still in anger at this time, although he has detained His Royal Highness, but there is no action against the East Palace, but if the prince does not come back tomorrow, the East Palace will be sealed." ”

Nangong muttered, "The prince was detained, how important? Girl, even if the saint wants to cover it up at that time, I'm afraid I will have to give an explanation. But today, the saint still insisted on going to Wanhualou, and the holy will should not want to make a big deal about it, after all, it is also a palace scandal. ”

"Nangong, you go and summon the subordinate officials of the East Palace to go to the study immediately, and everyone will discuss a countermeasure before the morning court."

Nangong didn't care about anything else, and immediately got up and went out to command.

After a stick of incense, the subordinates of the East Palace arrived at the Suzheng Hall one after another. After everyone drank and had fun on the Shangyuan Festival, they were just asleep at this time, and they couldn't help but be a little confused, and they bowed to each other in confusion.

Xue Ke had already prepared tea, and after everyone was invited to sit down, there was no gossip, "Everyone is the most trustworthy person in the East Palace, I will not go straight to the point here, I will not say it directly, the prince fell into a trap in the palace today and was detained by the emperor." ”

Everyone was stunned, and there were a few sounds of lost teacups.

"It's urgent, Nangong, you make a long story short."

Nangong briefly explained the matter.

"Miss Tang, there's something strange about this!" Xu was the official with the longest experience in the East Palace, and he was also the most trusted person in the prince's plain, so he opened his mouth first to open the dead silence.

Xue Ke nodded and said, "What Lord Xu said is extremely true, but it is a matter of the palace interior, and for a while, we can't find out the truth. ”

The subordinate officials also nodded. How complicated and treacherous it is in the court, and it is a secret thing, even the factory guards are afraid that it is impossible to peel off the cocoon and restore the truth. And a few eyeliners in the palace of the East Palace, it is very difficult to reveal some news at this time.

"This matter is very important, and it is a muddy water, and the most important thing at the moment is to think of an emergency plan." Nangong reminded on the side, "If His Royal Highness does not go to court tomorrow morning, even if the Holy Lord intends not to mention it, there will be doubts." ”

"If the crown prince is detained, the East Palace will also be blocked."

"At that time, the people in the East Palace will not be able to get out, and the news from outside will not be able to come in, so we will be trapped."

"Yes, if the East Palace becomes an isolated island and cannot provide support to His Royal Highness in the palace, His Highness will be even more troublesome."

Xue Ke listened intently to the discussions of the subordinate officials, waited for everyone's voices to be a little quieter, and said, "Temporary urgency, we have too little information in our hands, and it is too reckless to make rash decisions, the most important thing at the moment is what you said, keep the news of the East Palace smooth, and be able to support His Highness in the periphery." So I thought it would be better for all the subordinate officials to leave the East Palace immediately tonight and find a place to stay. ”

The subordinate officials said, "Girl, how can we leave at this time?" ”

"Of course we have to advance and retreat with the East Palace!"

Nangong waved his hand, "Girl, I'm afraid that's not what I mean, everyone don't be impatient." ”

Xue Ke nodded and said, "Of course I know your loyalty and determination, and I don't want everyone to find another way, you are all the pillars of the East Palace, how can I be so ignorant?" It's just that the Shadow Guardian reported that there are no factory guards and brocade guards outside the East Palace at this time, but as everyone just said, I'm afraid this will not be the case tomorrow morning. I am in the East Palace with Lord Nangong, and the East Palace should be changed to an internal transmission by the News Department, and everyone will go out and help each other with the East Palace. What's more, if you need to contact the courtiers or the imperial family to intercede and argue for the crown prince, you can also come to the door. ”

The subordinate officials thought about it for a while, and they all felt that it made sense. He was worried again: "That girl and Lord Nangong? ”

"Lord Nangong has always been in charge of intelligence, and he must command and summarize information here; I am the lady of the East Palace, and it is unreasonable to go out at this time, and I and Lord Nangong can also have a discussion with each other. You are always in diplomatic relations with Your Highness, and it is also convenient to contact foreign ministers. ”

Nangong also nodded and said, "Your Highness is in trouble right now, the matter is urgent, you don't have to be stubborn, without further ado, please hurry up and pack up, after leaving the palace, you will live scattered, but you need to have a gathering place and hand in the information from the outside every day." After a while, I handed over the person and the code that delivered the daily news in the palace to the designated two. ”

Seeing that there was already a glimmer of light in the sky, you didn't say anything more, and immediately pushed out the two of them, and the rest went back to explain and clean up.

The sky will be bright. Nangong came back with a tired face, nodded and said, "It's all clear, just wait for the news of the morning and the future." ”

Xue Ke only felt nervous at this time, and his hands were a little trembling unconsciously. Nangong glanced at it and said, "The girl hasn't slept all night, can her body still bear it?" ”

Xue Ke shook his head, "I'm fine, it's just a little cold." ”

Nangong hurriedly shouted loudly, "Ah Liu, are you there?" Go and tell me to bring two more charcoal basins! He also said, "It's all the negligence of the lower officials, His Royal Highness is afraid of the heat, this Su Zhengtang has never made a charcoal fire, and it's night again, so the girl naturally can't stand it." ”

"It's okay, I didn't think it was going to break up just now, and it was reflected. Adults are tired too, so it's better to go to the side hall to rest for a while. ”

Although Nangong knew that no one could sleep at this time, he thought that it would only increase his anxiety if he continued to talk about it, so he said, "Then the next official will go to sit next door, and the girl will tell me if she has something, and the girl will also go to the inner room to make up for sleep." I'm afraid that this matter will not be able to bear fruit for a while. ”

Xue Ke nodded, knowing that what he said was true. Ah Liu brought two charcoal basins with two internal supervisors, and the room suddenly warmed up. Nangong saw that the arrangement was in order, so he went next door. Xue Ke took Ah Liu into the inner room, the prince rests here every day, he has always been in the military style, self-discipline is very strict, the room is also quite cold, the bedside desk is a few books in addition to a few books, and there is no gorgeous decoration.

Xue Ke asked the palace people to move the charcoal basin closer, lay on the bed with his clothes, closed his eyes and thought about what happened this day, but in just a few hours, it seemed to have changed the sky. How could the prince rape a concubine? Mo said that she trusted the prince's heart, but at this time, the prince was also in love with her, but she believed that the prince at this time would never contaminate other women, so why did Hua Concubine frame the prince with her own life? How tragic it was to die on the spot! Since it was a matter in the palace, Xue Ke naturally thought that it was not the queen's hands and feet? But I heard that the queen has always had a lot of complaints about Hua Concubine, although the queen is known as a virtuous person and is tolerant and generous to the harem concubines, but I heard that Hua Concubine is young and vigorous, and she relies on His Majesty's grace, although there is no big offense, the position is raised too quickly, and the queen is very dissuaded several times. Could it be that the queen took what handle of Hua Concubine so that Hua Concubine had to do this? Or what kind of festival did the concubine and the prince have? The more Xue Ke thought about it, the more he felt a mess in his mind.

Ah Liu heard the movement in the room and knew that Xue Ke was not asleep, so he simply walked in and said directly, "Lady, the shadow guard has just sent news that there are already factory guards outside the East Palace, but they are all in the dark." ”

Xue Ke nodded, "Sure enough, the emperor wants to control everything before the early dynasty, it seems that this matter is not ready to cover up the past, His Royal Highness will not be able to come back in the next few days." Ah Liu, get some water, I'll wash my face and go to Lord Nangong. ”

After Ah Liu served Xue Ke properly, Xue Ke invited him to Nangong and said, "Your Excellency has heard about the factory guards outside the East Palace, right?" Sure enough, as the adults expected, now the East Palace is loose on the outside and tight on the inside, and last night was not in vain. ”

"The girl was in an urgent situation last night, so she wasn't too passive."

"Do you know the background of Concubine Hua?"

Nangong thought for a while, "Concubine Hua was originally a woman from the Western Regions, but somehow she fell into the eyes of the saint, and she has been rising to the top for more than a year, and to put it carefully, the saint has not been so favored by a woman for many years." It's just okay right now, so why don't you accompany the girl to Linglong Pavilion and take a closer look. ”

"That's fine, at the moment, there are only you and me, and at the moment, I'm afraid that other people in Linglong Pavilion can't come over, so it's better for us to come here in Linglong Pavilion."

Nangong also nodded. When the two arrived at Linglong Pavilion, Nangong moved out of the information in the palace column, and the two of them flipped through it carefully to see if they could find clues. However, looking for a needle in a haystack, Xue Ke and Nangong were dizzy and had no clue.

Seeing that the sun had slowly risen in the east, the two of them didn't have the heart to continue watching, waiting for the news of the next dynasty. As the two expected, the subordinate officials of the East Palace were no longer able to enter. It wasn't until almost lunch that the man delivering the water also passed the news in.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did not participate in the early pilgrimage, and the Holy Lord did not specifically explain it. The early dynasty looks like everything is normal. ”

"Did any courtiers mention the crown prince?"

"Yes! Cheng Xiangye asked, saying that he didn't see the prince on Wanhua Tower yesterday. The saint brought it over lightly, saying that there was something to be done by the prince, but Cheng Xiangye didn't ask. ”

"Good! In the past two days, you have paid more attention to whether there are relevant rumors in the streets and alleys, and reported them in time. ”

After the man retreated, Xue Kehu looked at Nangong suspiciously, "Does Cheng Xiangye know or not?" ”

"The lower officials are not sure, but since the fall of Prime Minister Yang, Cheng Xiangye's position in the cabinet is faintly the prime minister, His Royal Highness was not in Wanhualou last night, and there is no court today, and Cheng Xiangye must be aware of the strangeness. But since he dared to ask, he was forcing the saint to give an attitude. ”

"In this way, Cheng Xiangye is helping His Highness."

"Although it is not clear at the moment, if you dare to ask at this moment, it is to correct the name of Your Highness. Not to mention the others, King Qin and the courtiers who got close must be aware of the events of last night, you see that they wish that this incident did not happen, and then let all kinds of rumors fly, even if His Highness comes out in the future, most of their reputation will be ruined. ”

Xue Ke nodded: "Xiangye's kindness, the East Palace has written it down." ”

Nangong sighed: "Your Highness suffers, there is no lady in the harem to help, otherwise it would not be smeared in the inner court." ”

"Since the road to the inner court can't go through, let's come from the periphery. At this moment, since there is no way to restore the truth, let's find another way and make up another story. ”

Nangong clapped his hands and said, "Wonderful!" We don't need to prove the prince's innocence, we just need to give another explanation. ”

"Then we have to start with Concubine Hua. Hua Concubine's biggest problem is her background, what is her biggest motivation? ”

"Revenge? Something else? Got the handle by the queen? ”

"Whether it's a personal affair or a handle, no matter how likely it is, but it's all of them, you won't be able to find out for a while, so you have to start with revenge. Hua Concubine is from the Western Regions, the prince once went to the Western Regions, it is easy to make a fuss from here, Nangong, what do you think? ”

Nangong thought for a while, "It's not impossible, but after all, it's too far away, there are many tribes in the Western Regions, I don't know if her tribe has anything to do with the prince back then, she is a weak woman, why should she use the prince as the spearhead!" ”

"It's good to be vague! It's about the frontier, even the emperor has to think twice, as long as there is room for thought, with the emperor's suspicious character, and then push the people's feelings, I don't believe that the emperor can abolish a prince of the East Palace who has made meritorious contributions to the war for a foreign woman of unknown origin in the harem! ”

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