12dz Chapter 84 The Royal Family Amidst Peril
Chapter 84 The Royal Family Amidst Peril
From that day on, there were undercover agents watching Lu He's every move.
Princess Chengde was also confined to her quarters after returning home that day and was unable to see Lu He again.
The third prince, Li Yun, was also punished by the emperor to copy dozens of scrolls of books, and he wouldn't be able to get out for at least a month.
East Palace, the Prince's Mansion.
"Thank you for your help, Your Majesty." This gentle and refined young man looked still quite childish, only fourteen years old, but beneath his bright smile, one could see hidden fangs. This was Crown Prince Li Guangqi.
"Since it's inconvenient for your younger brother, the Crown Prince, to step forward, as his older sister, I will naturally share your burdens and help you out," Li Cen said with a smile as she looked at Crown Prince Li Guangqi.
"I wonder how my third brother is doing?" Li Guangqi asked calmly, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze.
"Whether he is good or not, shouldn't the imperial brother know best?"
Li Guangqi's smile froze for a second before immediately dissipating. "What my elder sister says is true. I should naturally pay more attention to my third elder brother."
Li Guangqi.
He was the sixth among the royal offspring, and excluding princesses, he was the emperor's second son. Normally, the royal family would designate the eldest son as the crown prince, and the emperor's first son would be his third child, the third prince.
Actually, the third prince should have been made crown prince, as there was only a one-year age difference between him and the sixth prince. The third prince was born at the beginning of the year, and two princesses were born in the middle of the year, so the sixth prince was born at the beginning of the following year.
The two were in the same school, but unexpectedly, they were already far apart by the age of nine. The sixth prince was like a reincarnation of the God of Literature, a true genius. The teachers of the Imperial Academy were amazed, and the emperor himself was very fond of him.
Later, the imperial advisor divined the celestial phenomena and advised the emperor that the sixth prince possessed the aura of a true dragon, was the chosen one to be the crown prince, and would lead the entire dynasty into a glorious era.
Therefore, Li Guangqi was made crown prince.
Li Guangqi appeared to be a gentle and unassuming person, but in reality, he was deeply shrewd and calculating. In this respect, Li Cen and Li Guangqi were the same kind of people.
The Third Prince, Li Yun, was different. He harbored resentment over the loss of the rightful position of Crown Prince. Although he was intelligent, shrewd, and skilled in martial arts, he was also impatient and lacked composure.
Then there's Princess Chengde, and the fourth and fifth princesses—all potential brides for future political marriages. Aside from Princess Chengde, the emperor planned to marry a prince from another country into the family. He didn't favor his other two daughters and was prepared to send them away for marriage alliances. This is perhaps the tragedy of imperial families.
"I wonder if my second sister was also punished?" the Crown Prince asked softly, appearing very concerned about his siblings.
"Of course, Chengde should really tone it down." Li Cen nodded with a smile, and then had a maid serve the pastries she had brought.
"Yes, I heard that my second sister is going to choose a husband this year, and envoys and princes from various countries will be visiting next month." Li Guangqi ordered a cup of tea and took a sip.
Princess Li Cen also picked up her teacup, but before she could bring it to her lips, Li Guangqi asked, "I heard that the Imperial City Guard and the Golden Guard were both mobilized that day. What a grand display!"
The tea stopped at his lips.
Li Cen knew what he was asking about; he simply wanted to confirm whether the General of the Imperial Guard was a bargaining chip for her, the Eldest Princess. Han Ji, the Imperial City Commander, had made his actions far too obvious this time, openly helping the Third Prince. Li Guangqi didn't even need to ask to know that the Imperial City Command was completely subordinate to Li Yun. But who was behind this unexpected appearance as the Lieutenant General of the Imperial Guard?
"I heard that Chengde sought help from General Yao Bingzhong, but Lord Yao is being punished for this matter now." Li Cen downplayed the issue, but in fact, she was still investigating who this General of the Golden Guard was working for.
The Grand General of the Imperial Guards, Gao Zhan, was the son of Grand Tutor Gao, and naturally a man of the Crown Prince. However, he would have been completely unaware of this matter if the Eldest Princess hadn't informed him. And who was Yao Bing, whom Chengde chose to dispatch?
"Speaking of which, I heard that there were Imperial Guards at Minister Nie's house that day? You didn't know about this?" Li Cen also wanted to confirm something: whether Bai Yu, who was by Lu He's side, was really impersonating an Imperial Guard or was actually working for the Crown Prince.
The undercover agents have already checked, and Bai Yu found no such person among the inner guards. But Li Cen is still worried. How can he be sure that there are no undercover agents in the inner guards?
If Bai Yu is indeed an inner guard, then that fortune teller, Mr. Lu, must be a member of the Crown Prince's palace and cannot be allowed to live!
"The Imperial Guard?" Li Guangqi feigned surprise: "Father actually sent people from the Imperial Guard? It seems that what happened that day was quite a big deal, hahaha..." His hearty laughter was a mix of truth and deception, making it impossible to discern the real story.