Clear and Muddy Loss of Love

helpless plan

Qi Yan and Nangong Jingnv had already changed into a set of palace attire specially worn for banquets, and were about to board the carriage hand in hand.

But when he saw a servant beside the fifth prince coming on a galloping horse, Qi Yan stood in front of the carriage and did not get up. Sure enough, the other party ran to the gate of Princess Zhenzhen's mansion, got off his horse and galloped to kneel in front of Qi Yan: "Your Highness, Prince Consort, I have something urgent to report!"

Nangong Jingnv stood up when she heard the voice, Qi Yan raised her hand to help her off the carriage.

Nangong Jingnu: "What happened in a panic."

At this moment, Nangong Jingnv and Qi Yan were both a little nervous. They thought it was Nangong who gave up something wrong, but their starting points were completely different.

The servant let out a few breaths, trying to make his tone seem more stable, before replying: "Woke up this morning, His Highness Ninth Prince suddenly fell ill, and several imperial doctors worked together to treat him, but it was still useless. His Highness Ninth Prince... died gone."

Nangong Jingnu: "What did you say?!"

The servant knocked his head to the ground, and replied sadly: "My condolences, Your Highness, our master invites you and the son-in-law to enter the palace immediately."

Qi Yan supported Nangong Jingnu, who was silent for a long time and replied in a low voice: "Go ahead, I know."

Waiter: "Yes."

The death of the Ninth Prince Nan Gongsi was a bit strange.

Qi Yan put her arms around Nangong Jingnv, this thought flashed through her mind.Nangong Si is 13 years old this year. Generally, children who grow up to this age are considered to have passed the "dangerous period", and ordinary minor illnesses will not easily kill them.

After the age of 13, even ordinary children can grow up safely, let alone a prince who is rich and pampered?

Nangong Jingnu: "Qi Yan..."

Qi Yan: "The minister is here."

Nangong Jingnu: "Help me back home and change clothes."

Qi Yan: "Yes."

……

Half an hour later, the two left the Princess Mansion again, but both changed into plain clothes.

After boarding the carriage entering the palace, Nangong Jingnv told the driver to drive faster, and then fell silent.

It wasn't until halfway through the journey that she quietly said, "I think Xiao Jiu's death is a bit strange."

Qi Yan pondered for a moment, then replied in a low voice: "Your Highness, please be careful and see what the imperial doctor has to say."

Nangong Jingnu: "Although Xiaojiu is a bit timid in front of others, he is still very lively and active in private. I haven't heard of any illnesses since he was born. He has been healthy and healthy for 13 years. Why? Suddenly...?"

Qi Yan pursed her lips and did not answer, but a trace of uneasiness flashed in her heart: she also felt that this matter was not so simple, and suspected that it was related to the masked man who had been silent for many years.

According to Ding You, since he left Wuming Valley and entered the palace, the masked man disappeared. For a while, Qi Yan felt that the masked man seemed to be lurking in the Gyeonggi area, and then he completely lost contact with him.

But Qi Yan knew that with the personality of the masked person, she would never let Wei go, but the other party was more patient, more calm, and more terrifying than herself.

Although the former dynasty has been destroyed for 18 years, the power of the former princess should not be underestimated.Three years ago, Qi Yan set out to establish her own strength, and soon her industry penetrated the entire Wei country like the roots of a tree.She once sent someone to investigate secretly, but there was no news.

The more this happened, Qi Yan became more disturbed. She knew that the masked man had not disappeared, and Ding You, who was still lurking in the palace, was the proof that the masked man had not given up.

In this way, there is only one reason for not being able to find out: the strength of the opponent is far greater than oneself.

Could it be that the mask man can't wait?Is it because my movements are too slow and the other party has given up hope?Or is it that the masked man has already deployed everything and is ready to collect the net himself?

Qi Yan's heart skipped a beat. The basic purpose of torturing the emperor's heir was to make the Wei country have no successors...

If you let the other party know that the person listening behind the curtain is Nangong Jingnv, the consequences will be disastrous!

Nangong Jingnu: "Why don't you speak?"

Qi Yan: "I'm thinking. The Ninth Prince is only 13 years old. It can be said that he basically has no destiny for the throne, and he shouldn't have any grudges with others. Who is so vicious?"

Nangong Jingnv sighed softly: "In fact, I can't be sure that the ninth brother was killed by someone. Let's talk about it after seeing the imperial doctor."

Qi Yan: "Alright, what about His Majesty? What does His Majesty decide to do?"

Nangong Jingnu: "...Although it's not proper to do so, I don't want my father to know. I'm afraid my father won't be able to bear it."

Qi Yan: "In my opinion, this matter should be handed over to His Highness the Fifth Highness. After all, he is the prince of Jian Guo, and this matter involves the emperor's heir, so it is inconvenient for His Highness to say more."

Nangong Jingnu: "I see, I will send someone to send news to Eunuch Sijiu later, and ask him to stop the news."

Qi Yan nodded, very satisfied with Nangong Jingnu's answer.

……

The mourning hall was placed in the side hall of the Pixiang Hall, and the Ninth Prince had already changed into the prince's court clothes and lay quietly in the coffin.

This set of clothes was just made this year, and the prince who has reached the age of 13 in Wei country is eligible to participate in politics, and it has only been made for a few months.

Because Nangong Jingnv and Qi Yan were delayed for some time, when they arrived, all members of the royal family had come.

Nangong Jingnv experienced such a scene once, in the year the eldest prince died.

However, Zhang Zhaoyi's palace is more spacious than that of the First Prince's mother, and the standard is naturally higher, but the number of people in this mourning hall is much less than that of then.

Two or four princes were imprisoned, the third prince escorted Concubine Ya back to Luobei to visit relatives, the eldest prince had already died, and now there was another one lying in the coffin.

Looking at the entire mourning hall, there are only the fifth prince Nangong Da, the sixth prince Nangong Lie, the seventh prince Nangong Li, and the eighth prince Nangong Bao.

As well as Princess Zhuohua Nangong Shunv and her son-in-law Lu Zhongxing, Qi Yan took a quick glance and then looked away. The Nangong royal family has withered so far.

Fifth prince Nan Gongda was dressed in a black palace attire and stood beside the coffin leaning on crutches.Seeing Nangong Jingnu and Qi Yan coming in, he waved to them: "Little sister, brother-in-law."

The mother and concubine of the Ninth Prince, Zhang Zhaoyi, was already in tears, and the Eighth Prince was also crying very sadly.

The eighth prince's mother and concubine is Concubine Li, the main empress of Pixiang Palace. The two brothers grew up together since childhood. They are similar in age and have a strong relationship.

Compared to the death of the first prince Nangong Ping, at least a few brothers and sisters felt sad this time, and shed tears for the Ninth Prince sincerely.

Nangong Shunv wiped away her tears and walked to Nangong Jingnv, sobbing, "What a nice person...you go and see Brother Nine."

Nangong Jingnv and Qi Yan came to the side of the coffin, Nangong Si was lying quietly in the coffin without any blood on his face.

Qi Yan has not seen this prince for many years. In his memory, the other party is a little Douding who likes to hide behind the eighth prince. Now he has grown into a teenager, but this coffin is still a bit big for him. There was a large space left on the bottom of the foot.

Nangong Jingnv pressed the edge of the coffin, leaned forward slightly, and tears flowed out.

"Ninth brother..."

Qi Yan withdrew his gaze, and greeted everyone in the field one by one instead of Nangong Jingnv. Nangong Lie stared at Qi Yan with gloomy eyes.

Nangong Shunv's expression was a little unnatural, and she agreed with red eyes.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Nan Gongda, the prince of Jian Guo, said, "Ninth Brother Shaoshang, I am in unbearable grief. Sigh, heaven is jealous of talents, hate, heaven is unfair. I think a half-useless person like me can grow up safely However, the ninth younger brother failed to become an adult..."

Speaking of this, Nan Gongda covered his face with his sleeves and cried a few times, and continued: "The ninth younger brother, Shaoshang, has no children. Yili cannot be buried in the imperial tomb..."

Zhang Zhaoyi wailed loudly, raised his fist and hit the coffin with a crisp sound: "You unfilial son, what do you want me to be your mother? My son..."

Nangong Jingnv wanted to go forward to comfort Zhang Zhaoyi, but Qi Yan seemed to know what she was thinking, and grabbed her shoulder first, took out a silk handkerchief and handed it to Nangong Jingnv.

Nangong Jingnv didn't move, she leaned half on Qi Yan's body, she seemed to be overly sad and unable to stand steadily in the eyes of outsiders.

Qi Yan secretly pinched Nangong Jingnu's shoulders, and saw Nangongda coming to Zhang Zhaoyi with difficulty on crutches, and said sadly: "The Empress's Day is going to change, I will report to my father, begging him to break the old system, let Jiu My brother can rest his soul in the imperial mausoleum."

……

Nangong Jingnv didn't understand why Qi Yan stopped her before, but after hearing what Nangongda said, she was completely relieved.

She secretly marveled at Qi Yan's mind and strategy, and at the same time was very grateful to have such a person by her side.

The fifth prince and the ninth prince are far apart in age, and they are not close.The reason why the other party said this was to win over people's hearts by taking advantage of the absence of political enemy Nangong.

The people in the field are all heirs of the emperor, but they are either not interested in the throne, or they are not qualified to compete with Nangongda. The more he behaves kindly to his brothers, the more they will support him. After all, who wants the new emperor to be suppressed as soon as he ascends the throne? What about persecution?

However, according to ancient etiquette, princes who are underage are not eligible to enter the imperial mausoleum, and Zhang Zhaoyi's status is not noble.

The fifth prince boasted in front of everyone, and he was doomed to lose his promise.

……

In the evening, Nangongda left all the adult princes behind, and let the two princesses and the eighth prince Nangongbao leave first.

Taking into account Qi Yan's eyes, Nangong Jingnv wanted to go back to the nearest Weiming Palace, but Qi Yan was worried that the palace would not be safe, so she insisted on going back to the Princess Mansion.

The two boarded the carriage back home, Nangong Jingnv leaned on Qi Yan's shoulder and wept very sadly.

Nangong Jingnu: "I also want my ninth brother to be buried in the imperial tomb. He will be an adult in three years, and he just got married last year." In fact, Nangong Jingnu can decide this matter.

Qi Yan sighed softly, and calmly analyzed: "The Fifth Prince should not be underestimated. The Third Prince is not in the capital right now. If he is allowed to take the opportunity to win the support of the royal family, it will not be beneficial to His Highness's future."

Nangong Jingnu: "I know...that's why I'm sad! Qi Yan...the ninth brother was very clingy to me when I was a child, and it was only when I moved to the princess' mansion that it became a little less so. I...but I can't do anything for him , but also to make use of his affairs."

Qi Yan: "... before His Highness succeeds, similar things may happen again. Your Highness might as well turn grief and anger into strength, and make up for today's guilt after he succeeds."