The husband who forced her to marry her couldn't keep her warm, and she didn't want him to

Hearing his mother's words, Zhao Xu stood up from his chair and stood in front of the open window with his hands behind his back.

"The investigation team has already thoroughly investigated the scientific examination fraud case. Zuo Hongwen cannot be kept alive. Cutting off his arm now may help save the situation."

It’s a pity that after so long of secret deployment, everything needs to be carefully considered.

Concubine Jing had a pretty face when she was young. Although her family background was not as good as other women in the palace, she relied on her own skills and stepped on countless women to climb to the position of concubine today.

Now that she is old enough to be a grandmother, her charm is even stronger.

"My prince, you don't have to focus all your energy on developing your own power. That would be too far-fetched."

"You only have one concubine by your side, and the position of principal wife is vacant. It would be better to find a Yue family member who can help you, which would be much more effective..."

The Zhou family can support the second prince's expenses financially, but when it comes to connections, they often lack the ability to do so.

Concubine Shu had the best of both worlds, but unfortunately, she was not able to conceive.

Zhao Xu understood what his mother meant. He always wanted to leave that position for her.

Unfortunately, he regarded it as a treasure, but she regarded it as a piece of trash.

Seeing her son's hesitation, Concubine Jing frowned slightly and became unhappy:

"If you want to be an idle prince, just tell your uncles directly, so that they don't have to work so hard to plan for you outside."

As he spoke, his well-maintained face was stained with an unusual sadness, and he continued with a compromising tone:

"Since you like the one from Huai'an, mother will no longer stop you. With this stain... those people will be more reassured about us mother and son."

"No matter who takes that position in the future, mother will follow you to the fiefdom, and we can live a simple and idle life..."

Zhao Xu walked over from the window and knelt in front of the Arhat bed carved with a Ganoderma lucidum shape.

He took Concubine Jing's hand and said firmly, "Mother, I know what you and the Zhou family have sacrificed over the years. Xu'er will never let you and your uncles down!"

Concubine Jing leaned her elbows on the table, as if she was relieved. "We didn't find out about the matter in Jinan Prefecture, but it was only when those weapons arrived in Huai'an that Zuo Hongwen's life story came to light."

A fierce look flashed in her beautiful eyes, and she continued, "It can be seen that the person behind this is targeting the Zhou family and you, the second prince!"

The gentle demeanor that Zhao Xu usually pretended to have faded away, and a layer of dark clouds covered his face. He said in a firm and fierce voice: "Whoever benefits the most from this must be the one behind this!"

Although he did not say it explicitly, he was referring to the eldest prince Zhao Kang.

Otherwise, how could the emperor be willing to let a sickly person go to the border to comfort the soldiers.

Concubine Jing shook her head and said uncertainly, "Not entirely. The one in Kunning Palace has been fasting and chanting Buddhist scriptures for many years, wishing to extend the life of a short-lived ghost. If she wanted that position, how could it have been vacant for so many years..."

Thinking of something, she curled her lips and revealed a cold smile, "I heard that the Queen recently went to His Majesty to cry and complain, and she was anxious to let the eldest prince leave a successor. So... this is her idea!"

Wang Ying, the chief eunuch of Jingren Palace, walked in at this time, hunched over and lowered his head, and whispered beside the two masters: "My foster father has something to say..."

Zhao Xu was a little impatient, so he interrupted him and asked, "But what about the exam cheating case?"

Wang Ying took two steps forward and said, "In fifteen days, the emperor will personally conduct an investigation. The investigation team headed by Junior Secretary Wang Junhua just left the study room of the Qianqing Palace an incense stick ago."

Concubine Jing picked up the teacup on the table, lowered her head and blew it gently, took a sip and said:

"Wang Junhua's teacher is Chang An, and Chang Daxueshi was once the emperor's teacher. Since the results of the imperial examination have been overturned and invalidated, I'm afraid that the court will have to replace it with a wave of fresh blood."

"The cabinet minister had his house searched early this morning..." Wang Ying added.

The mother and son looked at each other, and the teacup in Concubine Jing's hand fell to the ground. The sound of the teacup breaking was unusually loud in the quiet Jingren Palace.

Her slender white fingers pressed lightly on her forehead and temples, and her voice became weak.

"When she was about to give birth, she was almost in labor because of Concubine Hui in the cold palace. She developed a chronic disease of headaches and shortness of breath every summer."

Zhao Xu ordered the eunuch beside him, "Wang Ying, go to the Imperial Hospital and ask for Doctor Ma, and tell him that my mother just fainted."

"Yes, Second Prince."

Wang Yingying bowed and walked out.

Concubine Jing sat in front of the makeup mirror and took off her makeup herself, and her attitude was naturally very serious.

"The prince has been attending to the sick in Jingren Palace recently, so it would not be without benefit for the eldest prince to leave the palace..."

Thinking of something, he tilted his head and looked at Zhao Xu standing beside him and asked, "Have all the traces of Cao Heng been wiped out?"

Zhao Xu took the hairpin from his mother's hand, put it into the dressing box, and whispered:

"Everything related to us is in an independent account book. My uncle always orders people to follow us and never gives anyone else any handle."

It's a pity that they didn't achieve their desired goal.

Concubine Jing also thought of this. "He is of no use and knows too much. Only by keeping his mouth shut can we avoid future troubles. The Zheng family is no longer the same as it was before. We need to make a long-term plan."

Zhao Xu understood what his mother meant and frowned slightly, "What about the concubine of Yongping Bo?"

"I'm afraid there have already been two deaths..." Concubine Jing looked at herself in the mirror and said calmly.

...

Shaoxiu Hall of Dingguogong Mansion

Jiang Fei threw a thin and plain-looking man at Jiang Nansheng's feet.

He cupped his hands and said, "Master Wu, we caught another one."

On the second day after Huitong Hall exposed the Fuso people's trick, triangular claw marks appeared from time to time on the outer wall of the Duke of Gu'an Ding's Mansion. The assassin on the ground was the fifth person to be caught.

Jiang Nansheng was still wearing the official uniform he wore during the day, and the scarlet robe fluttered with his steps.

The steps he took lifted the assassin's chin, and he lowered his eyes to look him over, without a trace of warmth in his eyes.

He asked, "Did you find anything on him that could prove his identity?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fei lowered his head and leaned on the man's shoulder. A red circular mark was left on his skin under his torn clothes.

"Fifth Master, look, this is the logo of the Zhou family business."

Jiang Nansheng turned to look at his father who was sitting at the top, and said in a low voice, "The Zhou family, the second prince's mother's family."

The Duke was wearing a sleeveless long gown, with a sturdy figure and no signs of old age. His aura was still as strong as ever. He sneered, "False and real, true and false."

He ordered Mr. Wei behind him, "Go and get my official uniform. These people are simply going too far!"

Jiang Nansheng hadn't seen his father so excited for a long time. He smiled and asked him in a low voice: "What is father going to do?"

The Duke stared, "You're not going to chop this bastard up and throw it outside the Zhou family! If anyone causes trouble for my son, I'll go find their father and ask for justice!"

Jiang Honghui's voice was like a loud bell, and could be heard clearly even in the courtyard of Minghui Hall.

Mr. Wei came in holding the Duke's official uniform, bowed and said, "Duke, the Crown Prince is here..."