What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 309 - 305: Qin Rong’s Younger Brother Isn’t the Little Ancestor?
Qin Rong smiled playfully and asked, "How do you know it’s a scam?"
Tang Xiaobai looked at her in surprise, "Isn’t it obvious?" He held the letter up to her.
The letter contained only two short sentences—
"Qin Xiao is in my hands. Meet at the tea house in Yanshou Village."
How ridiculous!
"Ah Xiao just parted from us. From here to the Imperial Palace, the way is filled with officials on their way to court, and he is accompanied by Mo Ji. How could he fall into someone else’s hands?" She thought for a moment, feeling there was only one possibility, "Either this letter was written by His Majesty the Emperor!"
How could the Emperor do something so petty?
Tang Xiaobai snorted, "Don’t people do their homework before attempting a scam?" Then he sincerely reassured Qin Rong, "This kind of trick is targeted at family members, using asymmetrical information and familial concern to deceive. Don’t be fooled! Ah Xiao is attending the Grand Court Assembly, nothing will happen!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Rong smiled, "What? You still don’t know who your Ah Xiao is?"
Tang Xiaobai’s eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"
Qin Rong glanced at Mo Huan and laughed, "I wouldn’t dare say!" She closed her folded fan and turned to leave.
Tang Xiaobai noticed the direction and hurried to follow, "Are you going to Yanshou Village to keep the appointment?"
"Yes!" Qin Rong replied nonchalantly.
"Why?" Tang Xiaobai asked, and a thought flashed in his mind, "Could the other party really have someone?"
Qin Rong smiled without replying.
Tang Xiaobai felt his heart tighten, "Who is it?"
Qin Rong turned around and smiled at her, "Of course...it’s my brother."
Tang Xiaobai finally stopped in his tracks, his mind in turmoil.
Qin Rong’s brother...wasn’t he the little ancestor?
...
In the Taiji Palace, the Ritual Officer was reading the decree aloud, his voice resonating through the hall—
"...Taiyuan’s Qin Xiao, reclaimed Yanmen, secured Yunzhong, pacified Hedong, conquered Mosen...for his merits, granted the title of Marquis of Yunzhong County!"
Li Mu knelt in the hall but did not bow, his gaze fixed firmly on the Emperor seated on the throne.
"Expanding the territory for the country, dare not claim merit. Only request Your Majesty to re-investigate the old case of the Qin Family’s collusion with enemies, to comfort the spirits of the wrongful dead in heaven!"
The court was in uproar.
The two Prime Ministers at the head of the civil servants, Zheng Shidao lifted his eyelids to look at Li Mu, while Wang Maozhao kept his gaze lowered.
"Wasn’t the old case of the Qin Family re-investigated and overturned?" the Emperor asked.
Li Mu’s expression remained calm, "The instigator has yet to be held accountable."
"Oh?" The Emperor looked deeply at the young man in the hall.
"Please summon the witness, Pei Jia from Hedong!"
...
The news of Wenren Jia being summoned to the palace to testify quickly reached Tang Xiaobai, as previously agreed, she was informed when the witnesses were summoned.
The messenger seemed to have been instructed and specifically added, "Mr. Qin is well, Second Miss, please rest assured."
"Mr. Qin?" Tang Xiaobai repeated.
The messenger hesitated, nodded, "Yes...Duke Yan and General Tang are also well!"
Tang Xiaobai nodded woodenly, "Understood, you may go."
After the messenger left, Tang Xiaobai looked at Mo Huan, "So today they’re using Qin Xiao’s identity badge?"
Mo Huan lowered his head to the ground, pretending he hadn’t heard anything.
"Who is your Young Master, after all?" Tang Xiaobai asked coolly.
Qin Rong said she wouldn’t dare say, and indeed, she didn’t.
And Mo Huan didn’t say either.
Tang Xiaobai waited for a while but received no answer. She chuckled, "Is it...Crown Prince Li Mu?"
Mo Huan looked up at her in surprise.
Tang Xiaobai smiled faintly.
Once certain it wasn’t Qin Xiao, it was actually quite easy to guess.
The two outstanding masters by his side, Tang Ziqian and Li Xingyuan, showing implicit respect and deference toward him.
And many details she had overlooked, Zhang Yin, Li Shu, the academy, and—
She lowered her head and unfolded her hand.
In it, she still held the item he’d given her that morning.
A brocade bag.
A familiar brocade bag.
When she squeezed it, she knew it contained a seal inside.
Tang Xiaobai opened the brocade bag, and it was indeed the seal he’d asked her to give him a few days earlier.
However, it was now no longer half-carved with a Tiger Button, but a complete Tiger Button.
The Tiger Button seal that cannot be used except by the Empress, Crown Prince, and Emperor.
He certainly did not mind transgressing, for he was naturally entitled to use it.
Tang Xiaobai looked at the seal, feeling conflicted, "How long were you planning to keep this hidden from me?"
Mo Huan couldn’t help but speak, "I’m just a guard; how would I know these matters? Regardless, our Young Master’s identity is one that Second Miss knows must not be easily exposed."
Tang Xiaobai certainly understood.
If the Crown Prince were discovered at Duke Yan Mansion, it would be far more severe than Qin Xiao being there.
The reasoning was clear to her.
But...
Her heart felt terribly uneasy.
Mo Huan regarded the young girl’s indiscernible emotions and felt he could no longer remain silent, "Our Young Master sent Mo Ji away recently and wouldn’t let me leave Second Miss’s side, showing how much he values you. Any dissatisfaction Second Miss has, it’s best to wait until the Young Master returns to blame him."
Tang Xiaobai squeezed the seal in her hand, "I know."
How could she falter at such a critical moment?
Today, he was dealing with none other than the Prime Minister whom even the Emperor couldn’t move...
...
In the Taiji Palace, Wenren Jia began speaking slowly.
"...In the second year of Taixing...granted the designs, instructed to engrave the seal—"
"Do you recognize the person who gave you the designs?"
Wenren Jia looked up, his gaze upright and composed, "I do, it was a steward from the Prime Minister’s Mansion with the surname Wang."
The hall was in uproar.
A Prime Minister in office, how could he be easily accused?
But Wenren Jia was not just anyone.
He was a descendant of the Pei Family.
Their noble lineage led many to believe him immediately.
For a time, some denounced Wenren Jia, while others glanced quietly at Wang Maozhao.
Wang Maozhao always listened with lowered gaze, and only now did he lift his eyes, revealing some surprise, "Is there truly such an affair?" He seemed quite unaware.
"Prime Minister Wang doesn’t know?" the Emperor inquired softly.
Wang Maozhao stepped out to bow, "I am alarmed and respectfully ask Your Majesty to order a thorough investigation, and if truly connected to my mansion, I shall resign in disgrace!" He sighed again, "Privately engraving foreign royal seals, whether intentional or unintentional, could easily lead to great calamity. If indeed related to me, I cannot shirk the blame!"
Word after word of self-reproach, yet also shifting the blame.
The Emperor contemplated silently for a moment and said, "Have it thoroughly investigated by the Three Ministries so that Prime Minister Wang is not unjustly accused!"
He then turned to the young man in the center of the great hall who remained unfazed, "Qin Xiao, are you aware of the crime for falsely accusing a sitting Prime Minister?" His tone grew stern, the imperial authority evident.
Li Mu bowed again, "I accuse firstly, Wang Maozhao of forging seals and incriminating loyal ministers; secondly, I accuse Wang Maozhao of causing Empress Xiao’ai, the Yu Family member’s death—"
...
The first time Tang Xiaobai heard Empress Xiao’ai was forced to death by Wang Maozhao, she didn’t believe it.
Everyone knew, Prime Minister Wang Maozhao wasn’t just Crown Prince Li Mu’s uncle but also his sole support in the court.
Without Wang Maozhao, the Crown Prince might have silently suffered a fatal illness.
Yet from the grave of Xin Yi’s biological mother, they found the blood letter Empress Xiao’ai left for Crown Prince Li Mu.
This blood letter, Xin Yi’s biological mother hid very deeply, even Tang Shigong was unaware.
Tang Xiaobai originally thought the little ancestor would hand this blood letter to the Crown Prince to present to the officials.
Unexpectedly, he himself was the Crown Prince.
"Is he preparing to use the blood letter from Empress Xiao’ai today, in his capacity as Crown Prince, to accuse Wang Maozhao?" Tang Xiaobai asked.
Mo Huan was deeply troubled, "I’m just a guard; the Young Master doesn’t discuss these affairs with me!"
Though Tang Xiaobai was asking him, she was more voicing her thoughts aloud.
If they were leveraging the death of Empress Xiao’ai to bring down Wang Maozhao, certainly as Crown Prince Li Mu, it would be much more effective. So this must be the optimal time for him to reveal his identity.
What she could conceive, the little ancestor could as well.
Wang Maozhao could conceive it even more.
Perhaps, Li Shu would conceive it too.
Thus, Li Shu sought out Qin Rong—
Tang Xiaobai suddenly rose.
"Prepare the horses! I’m going out!"
