Chapter 342: Can’t Bear to Part with Him
Qi Wu softly said, “Your Highness, now is not the time for you to grieve. What do you want this subordinate to do?”
Li Qihuan lowered his hand and looked at the Crown Princess indifferently. “What did you do? Speak quickly.”
The Crown Princess coughed a few more times before saying, “The things that were changed… are in my room.”
“Pinting, go to the Crown Princess’s room and bring the things to Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu, take them and find…” He whispered a few instructions.
Qi Wu nodded. “How is the Crown Prince?”
Li Qihuan shook his head. “This time… I’m afraid he won’t make it…” After finishing his words, his heart ached, and tears streamed down his face like a river.
Just as he finished speaking, a eunuch rushed in, flustered and panicked. “Your Highness, the Emperor is getting out of his carriage.”
Li Qihuan’s eyebrows shot up, his eyes filled with a fierce glint. At this moment, he truly felt an urge to kill everything in sight.
Qi Wu quickly embraced him. “Your Highness, as long as the Crown Prince has a breath left, you cannot act impulsively!”
Li Qihuan closed his eyes. “I understand. You all go quickly! Xiao Wu, your task is important, don’t rush back!”
Jiang Pinting walked towards the door, then turned back. “Your Highness…” She glanced at the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess saw this and felt both fear and anger. What did this bitch want to do?
Li Qihuan nodded and swiftly struck the back of the Crown Princess’s neck with his hand…
✿✿✿
Qi Wu took the things that Consort Jiang gave him and turned to leave.
Consort Jiang called out to him again and said, “There’s a Scholar-Official Dong in the front. I have a bad feeling about him. His house is the second courtyard on the right in Mutton Lane. After you finish this matter, it’s best to go take a look.”
Qi Wu nodded in agreement.
He flew out of the residence and rushed to the palace gate. As the Crown Prince had instructed, he found someone to lead the way, then knocked two people unconscious and snuck into the room where memorials to the throne were kept. He found the Crown Prince Residence’s… Fortunately, it had just been submitted and hadn’t been transferred to the Imperial Study yet.
He carefully swapped the things. Usually, he rarely complained, but today, he couldn’t help but blame the Crown Princess: This woman was truly a lunatic!
He resentfully double-checked everything once more.
He carried the things he had swapped out on his back. After leaving the palace, he went to the teahouse first, left the things there, and instructed someone to keep a close watch on them. Then he rode his horse to Mutton Lane.
The silent street was deserted… He encountered several groups of patrolling guards and was stopped. He showed his token to pass.
He arrived at Mutton Lane and stealthily entered the courtyard. It was quiet…
He discerned for a moment and found the main room. The front was a study, and the back was a bedroom.
He slid open the door and entered. It was pitch black inside, without any movement. He stood motionless for a while to adjust… before focusing his vision to survey the room…
The study in the front was empty. He went to the bedroom in the back. As soon as he entered, he discovered that there was a pillar in the middle of the small room, positioned awkwardly. Then he thought, this wasn’t right!
He found the oil lamp on the table and turned it on slightly. He was astonished to find that it was a hanging person…
Dressed neatly, with the appearance of a scholar. Scholar-Official Dong? Did he commit suicide, or was he silenced?!
Qi Wu squinted his eyes and searched the room. There was a rather thick letter on the table… He sneered inwardly, knowing without a doubt what it meant. He picked it up and stuffed it into his clothes.
…Could there be anything else?
He poured the oil from the oil lamp onto the bed, then went to the study and found another oil lamp. He did the same, pouring the oil onto the desk and cabinets. He lit both places on fire.
He flew out of the courtyard and saw the fire blazing fiercely. It illuminated the entire courtyard, crackling loudly, but the courtyard remained deathly silent, with no one coming out…
After a while, when the fire had reached the roof, he shouted, “Fire!”
Then, he turned and rode away on his horse.
By the time the neighbors heard the commotion and came out to put out the fire, he had already disappeared without a trace.
✿✿✿
The Emperor arrived.
The old man was dressed in casual clothes as he looked at his son on the bed. There was a trace of pain and distress in his eyes.
“How did it come to this?” he asked in a deep voice.
The Crown Prince knelt at his feet. “At first, it was just diarrhea, but then it got worse and worse.”
The Emperor turned to look at his grandson. Seeing his weary expression, it was evident that he hadn’t slept for a long time. His voice was hoarse, his eyes were red and swollen, and there was an air of despair about him…
The Emperor felt satisfied in his heart. “Where is your mother?”
“Mother has fainted from crying several times… She is unable to come and pay her respects to Imperial Grandfather.”
“We are family, why be so formal? Yang Lin, what do you have to say?” He was asking the Imperial Physician.
The Imperial Physician explained the illness in detail. To be honest, what the Crown Princess had done was truly difficult to detect. If the Crown Prince hadn’t been so weak, it wouldn’t have been so dangerous.
✿✿✿
The Emperor sighed, sat beside the Crown Prince, and waved his hand. Everyone withdrew.
The Emperor didn’t have much familial affection, but towards the Crown Prince, he could barely be said to have a little. He held the Crown Prince’s hand and sighed. “You’ve suffered all these years! I know, you have a generous nature and are indifferent to life and death. If you weren’t worried about going first and making your father, with his white hair, bury his black-haired son, you wouldn’t be clinging to life like this, would you… Alas, if you care about your father, then grit your teeth and hold on a little longer. If you truly can’t bear it… then go in peace! I will show some consideration for Huan’er.”
Under these circumstances, perhaps his words were truly from the heart.
✿✿✿
Qi Wu didn’t go home but went directly to Fifteen. He asked him to send people to follow up on the matter in Mutton Lane, to prevent any further trouble. As dawn broke, he went to find Zhang Jiangqing, asked him to get involved as well, and gave him detailed instructions for a long time.
Then, he went to the teahouse, changed his clothes, altered his appearance, and waited at the designated location outside the Eastern Palace.
It wasn’t until evening that the Crown Prince had someone lead him inside.
“Your Highness, how is it?”
The Crown Prince was so exhausted that his eyes resembled those of a panda. He answered evasively, “Today is New Year’s Eve… Imperial Grandfather came to see Father. I wonder how many will be happy and how many will be sad at tonight’s palace banquet…”
“Your Highness, listen to me…” Qi Wu recounted the entire situation and took out the letter.
The Crown Prince listened quietly and took the letter. It was sealed, and he tore it open to read…
When he saw a certain paragraph, his eyes widened… He quickly glanced at Qi Wu.
Qi Wu didn’t understand what was happening. His clear eyes were looking at him as well.
Li Qihuan stared intently for a long time. Qi Wu knew that he had seen something terrifying, but he didn’t have the madness of yesterday. Instead, there was… a kind of boundless brutality.
Then, he lowered his eyes and read those few sentences over and over again…
Finally, he bent over and vomited violently.
Qi Wu was startled and wanted to go over to help him, but Li Qihuan waved his hand. He threw up the two pieces of dim sum and the cup of tea he had just eaten, leaving nothing behind.
Tears and snot streamed down his face as he lay on the table, his body trembling, but he didn’t make a sound…
After a long while, he straightened up and calmed down. “Qi Wu, you did well. Leave that thing at the teahouse for now; I will find time to look at it later. Discovering this letter was so timely. Scholar-Official Dong said that the Crown Princess asked him for a certain medicine a long time ago.
He didn’t know what she wanted to use it for, so he bought some outside and gave it to her. This time, he also did some things under her instructions. Therefore, when he heard that the Crown Prince was ill and that what was submitted to the Emperor was the version he had prepared, he became afraid and chose to die to atone for his sins.”
Qi Wu nodded. “When I went there, he was already dead. There was no way to investigate what was behind it. I was afraid of missing something, so I set the fire. I have Fifteen and Zhang Jiangqing following it, one openly and one covertly.”
“Good, you’ve been very thorough!” Li Qihuan nodded.
Qi Wu was also troubled. “If the Emperor finds out that the Crown Princess poisoned the heir apparent, and that the Eastern Palace is handling public and private matters improperly, it shows the Crown Prince is incompetent. Even if he survives this ordeal, I’m afraid…”
“Yes, it’s ironic, isn’t it?” Li Qihuan gave a wry smile.
“Regardless, the Crown Prince’s health is the most important. How is he doing now?”
Li Qihuan shook his head. “Father might be worried about me and is still holding on. I truly feel sorry for him… I don’t want him to suffer like this anymore. But I can’t bear to part with him… What should I do?”
Qi Wu was also speechless.
After a while, someone came in. “Your Highness, Eunuch Liu from the Emperor’s side has arrived.”
Li Qihuan said, “You can go back! I will find you later!”
“Your Highness, now is the most difficult time, you must…”
“I know… I know.”
Qi Wu returned home. The Qi residence was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, and they were also preparing to have their New Year’s Eve dinner.
When Wen Yu saw him come back looking dejected, she asked, “What happened?”
He didn’t speak but sat there in a daze. Wen Yu poured him a cup of tea and sat obediently beside him. “If you have something troubling you, tell me about it. Let’s see if I can help you sort it out.”
Qi Wu rarely saw his wife being so gentle and understanding. He couldn’t help but choke up a little. “Ah Yu, I’m afraid you’ve never understood why I’m so close to the Crown Prince, why I risk my life for him, and why I follow him wholeheartedly, have you?”
Wen Yu listened and nodded. “I don’t quite understand…”
She thought to herself: That person, with his sleazy appearance, stingy behavior, and strange ways. Even Older Sister Jiang doesn’t say anything good about him!
With Qi Wu’s status, it would be fine for him to do his own thing. Why does he have to follow him around?
“Well, let me tell you now… It was when I was twelve years old…”
