Chapter 172 - 172:172. The truth unfolds
Translator: 549690339
During the day, Duanmu Chen sent Chang’an secretly to inquire about Duanmu Che’s condition.
Su Liang did not mention that Xiao Muyun’s affairs had anything to do with Duanmu Che but only said that Duanmu Che had inexplicably gotten a mental illness, which didn’t last long before it was cured.
Cooperation with Duanmu Chen has been pleasant so far, but Su Liang always remembers that there is only an exchange of interests between her and Duanmu Chen. They cannot be friends.
Some things must not be known to Duanmu Chen; otherwise, there is no guarantee that they will not be used against Su Liang by Duanmu Chen in the future.
That night, Ning Jing sneaked into the Imperial Palace again and successfully poisoned Duanmu Che.
No matter how many skilled defenders or poison testing rules in the palace, they couldn’t stop him.
As a result, Su Liang was woken up in the middle of the night, brought a medicine box into the palace, and saw Duanmu Che acting crazy like the night before.
She asked the Imperial Physician to give Duanmu Che acupuncture and had him take calming medicine before he finally settled down.
Huang Bols face was extremely ugly, “The Master drank calming medicine before going to bed, yet surprisingly, he had another episode.” Obviously, the calming medicine couldn’t counteract the effects of the
Leisurely Pill.
Su Liang sighed, “In my opinion, the Fifth Prince has a heart disease.”
The term “heart disease” sounds simple, but it’s much more troublesome than physical problems.
In most people’s understanding, heart disease is incurable. If the symptoms of madness become severe, the person becomes insane.
Duanmu Yi suspected last night that Duanmu Che went mad because he couldn’t get Su Liang, and when Duanmu Che woke up, he suspected that Su Liang had poisoned him. The situation made Duanmu Yi think that there was a significant mental problem.
Seeing Duanmu Che’s relapse, Duanmu Yi agreed with Su Liang’s view.
However, at this point, it’s not possible to force Su Liang to marry Duanmu
Che.
Duanmu Yi felt that he had to quickly choose a consort for Duanmu Che. After marriage, with someone to take care of him intimately, perhaps there would be no issues.
About Duanmu Che’s issue of madness, Duanmu Yi had ordered a gag order.
Although Duanmu Chen knew about it from Su Liang, he didn’t make a fuss about it.
However, the news spread throughout the capital city that day.
It was said that the Fifth Prince Duanmu Che liked Su Liang, the Martial Arts Champion, and when his unrequited love turned into obsession, he developed an intermittent mental illness.
Rumors spread quickly, and there was obviously someone pushing behind the scenes.
Su Liang believed that Duanmu Chen wouldn’t do such foolish things, as it would not only destroy the reputation of Duanmu Yi’s favorite son, but also severely damage the royal family’s reputation.
Su Liang suspected that the crown prince’s party did it.
Although Duanmu Cheng had a convincing claim to his position, Duanmu Yi loved and valued his youngest son, Duanmu Che, and his fourth son, Duanmu Chen, which were constant thorns in Duanmu Cheng’s side and posed threats to him.
Given a chance to ruin Duanmu Che, they naturally wouldn’t let it go.
Su Liang didn’t care about the undercurrents within the Royal Family. When no one came looking for her, she closed the door and busied herself with her own affairs.
Ning Jing continued to poison Duanmu Che every night. Su Liang went to the palace for two consecutive nights. The third time Duanmu Che had an episode, the Imperial Physician handled it directly , and Duanmu Yi didn’t invite Su Liang again.
That day, friends visited once more, bringing the news that the royal family had begun selecting consorts for Duanmu Chen and Duanmu Che.
Lin Boyan was the Vice Minister of Rites; Lin Xueqing said the Ministry of Rites had prepared a list and portraits of the ladies to be sent to the palace.
Xing Yu Sheng snorted, “Three days ago, my father arranged a marriage for my sister who is of marriageable age, just to avoid this selection. Someone has been throwing tantrums at home.”
This “someone” referred to Xing Yu Sheng’s stepmother, Miao Shi. Su Liang smiled, “Your father is really bold.”
Being so obvious, she is not afraid of any dissatisfaction from Duanmu Yi.
“Love for his daughter is too strong.” Xing Yu Sheng said indifferently, “Unfortunately, someone can’t understand him.”
Su Liang felt that Xing Ji was a very smart, responsible, and good man. Even though he didn’t like Miao Shi, he didn’t take any concubines for so many years. However, two people with a significant gap in their spiritual worlds might not truly connect for a lifetime.
Qin Yujin asked Su Liang whether she knew about the Fifth Prince’s madness.
Su Liang shook her head, “It’s not appropriate to discuss the matters of the
Royal Family.”
Qin Yujin blinked, “Sister Liang is right.”
Qin Yujin sighed, mentioning that two of her close friends were on the list of candidates for the selection, still uncertain of their fate.
“Their families all hope to be chosen to enter the Fourth Prince’s Mansion,” Qin Yujin said. What she didn’t say was that they were all afraid of being chosen for the Fifth Prince’s Mansion.
Although the Royal Family has refuted the rumors, saying that Duanmu Che is not mad and that his health has recovered, there are still some underlying issues.
Even if Duanmu Che is not mad and is the most favored prince, people with discerning eyes know that his life is going nowhere. His birth mother died early, and his external family, the Lin Family, although a famous general family, has declined and has no one to support him.
At least compared to Duanmu Chen, no one would bet on Duanmu Che.
“Sister Su, I have some good news for you!” Lin Xueqing said excitedly, “My older brother got engaged!”
Su Liang was surprised, “Which young lady?”
Qin Yujin laughed, “It’s Min Jingwen, the granddaughter of Old Minister Min from the Ministry of Industry, whom you met at my house. Her brother and Lin
Boyan are colleagues.”
“Is it one of those twin sisters? The older or younger one?” Su Liang recalled.
Qin Yujin replied with a smile, “The younger one. The older sister is named Min Jingya and she is also engaged. Can you guess to whom?”
“Seeing you so happy, is she going to marry into your family?” Su Liang asked.
Qin Yujin nodded, “My older brother. Our two families live close, and they actually liked each other early on. But because of some misunderstandings, the two families hadn’t communicated for many years. After my grandfather became ill, Old Master Min took the initiative to visit and resolve the misunderstanding. ”
In the past, Old Minister Min had proposed marriage for his youngest son who was in love with Qin Xiang, but Old Duke Qin felt that the young man from the Min Family was not good enough for his precious daughter and rejected the proposal.
The Min Family not only lost face but also had their only son run away from home after Qin Xiang was married to Bei Jingwang, Xing Ji. As a result, there had been enmity between the families. Though they were neighbors, they hadn’t had any contact for 20 years.
But in the end, no one was wrong.
Qin Xiang didn’t like the young man from Min Family back then, and if time were reversed, the result would still be the same.
Now, for the sake of his granddaughter’s marriage, Old Minister Min was willing to make amends, and Old Master Qin naturally had no objections.
As for Lin Boyan and Min Jingwen’s marriage, it was arranged by Qin Yujin’s mother.
“That’s great. Congratulations.” Su Liang sincerely congratulated him.
Not long ago, Duanmu Chen had told Su Liang that the emperor wanted to choose a son-in-law for Sixth Princess Duanmu Qianqian, and he seemed to favor Lin Boyan. Su Liang was worried that the Lin Family would be forced to marry the princess and would no longer have peaceful days.
One night, Su Liang took the initiative to find Duanmu Chen.
“It’s just right that you’re here. I entered the palace today, and the emperor asked me whether you would like to go to the military for training and lead troops in the future, or become an Imperial Physician. What would you like?”
Duanmu Chen asked.
Su Liang thought for a moment and said, “Become an Imperial Physician. I don’t want to leave the capital for now.”
Duanmu Chen smiled, “I knew you would choose that.
“How can I hold both positions?” Su Liang asked.
Duanmu Chen looked serious, “I suggested to the emperor that you first serve as a small deputy general under Lin Bojun to learn military tactics, while also holding a position in the Imperial Medical Bureau. You don’t need to go there every day; when someone in the palace needs you, they will call you over.” Su Liang’s voice was faint, “Fourth Prince is truly considerate for my future.”
Duanmu Chen pretended not to hear Su Liang’s hidden message and deepened his smile, “You’re welcome.”
Su Liang knew that Duanmu Chen was not doing this for her benefit but because it would provide him with the greatest help.
Duanmu Chen didn’t try to hide his motives, either.
“In that case, I’ll wait for the emperor’s command.” Su Liang didn’t feel strongly about it, as long as she didn’t leave the capital, she didn’t mind being busier and learning more. She had a more important matter to discuss today, “Huang Bo, from Fifth Prince’s side, told me that my grandfather was exterminated back then because he accidentally learned some noble secrets.” Duanmu Chen’s eyes narrowed, “Do you believe him?”
“He has no reason to lie to me,” Su Liang said. “Furthermore, he only knows this much and doesn’t know the specifics. I guess it has something to do with your cousin, who was once the Second Prince’s concubine. Do you know anything about it?”
Duanmu Chen remained silent, then poured Su Liang a cup of tea and handed it to her.
The tea was warm, and Su Liang held it without taking a sip. Seeing Duanmu Chen’s face, she thought he might know something.
Su Liang didn’t push him, and it wasn’t until the tea in her hand had lost its warmth that Duanmu Chen spoke again, “Now that you mention it, I remember an old story.”
Su Liang nodded, “I’d like to hear the details.”
Duanmu Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly, “I once thought that my cousin would marry the crown prince.”
Su Liang was taken aback; this statement carried a lot of information…
“You must be very curious why my maternal grandfather Prime Minister Xiao would have his granddaughter marry another prince, right?” Duanmu Che sneered.
“Indeed,” Su Liang said. “I thought Miss Xiao would marry you.”
Even though Xiao Mulian was older than Duanmu Chen, for the sake of their interests, she should have married someone from Duanmu Chen’s faction.
Xiao Mulian became the Second Prince’s concubine, which made Su Liang suspect that Xiao Family didn’t have much faith in Duanmu Chen initially, so they took advantage of the marriage to have an additional option.
Duanmu Chen looked at Su Liang and showed a mocking smile, “You didn’t guess wrong. My maternal grandfather is very shrewd, maybe even too shrewd. It’s only after my cousin died and the emperor began to favor me these past two years that Xiao Family gave up their other plans.”
Su Liang sighed softly, “It hasn’t been easy for Fourth Prince to get to where he is today.”
It seemed that his powerful maternal relatives weren’t completely loyal to him. Only when he demonstrated his abilities did he manage to control the Xiao Family.
Duanmu Chen shook his head, “It’s all thanks to them that I realized early on that if I am useless, no one would value me, even those so-called relatives.”
“You said that you once thought your cousin would marry the crown prince, what was that all about?” Su Liang asked.
Duanmu Chen seemed thoughtful, “A few years ago, I accidentally saw my cousin with Duanmu Cheng alone, but later she married Duanmu Ao.”
“Your cousin is very beautiful, right?” Su Liang asked.
Duanmu Chen nodded, “She was once the most beautiful woman, with fair skin and delicate features, unparalleled in the capital city.”
Su Liang frowned, “Could it be that what my grandfather inadvertently discovered was your cousin and the crown prince’s… ”
A glint flashed in Duanmu Chen’s eyes, “It’s very likely. Xiao Mulian died suddenly back then. My maternal grandfather said it was because Duanmu Ao was eager to marry a Mei Family girl. Now that I think about it, there must have been some unspeakable secrets. The Xiao Family knew about it, but they kept it from me.”
Su Liang suddenly remembered something, “Back then, Xiao Muyun also said that he knew that his sister’s death had nothing to do with my grandfather.”
Duanmu Chen’s expression darkened, “But after so long, if I continue to ask, the people of the Xiao Family will definitely not admit to it.”
“Of course they won’t admit it. If a woman from the Xiao Family really did something disgraceful and died because of it, how could they let people know about it?” Su Liang’s gaze turned cold.
“The Su Family was wiped out, and other people who knew about it have long since died.” Duanmu Chen said, “And even if I force the Xiao Family to say something, neither Duanmu Cheng nor Duanmu Ao will admit to it. Since it’s a scandal involving the royal family, I can’t get involved. If it gets out and my father the emperor finds out, I will be the first to suffer.”
“I understand what the Fourth Prince means.” Su Liang said coldly, “I just want to confirm whether what happened back then was as I suspected.”
“And after confirming?” Duanmu Chen asked.
“Revenge for those who have wronged me. I won’t drag the Fourth Prince into this.” Su Liang said, “If something happens to both the crown prince and the second prince, the emperor may suspect the fourth prince of trying to eliminate rivals. I won’t be able to help you then.”
Duanmu Chen shook his head, “As long as I haven’t done anything, I’m not afraid of my father’s suspicions. You can do whatever you want, there’s no need to discuss it with me.”
Because this was originally why Duanmu Chen sought out Su Liang in the first place. He always believed that the extermination of the Su Family was related to the crown prince’s faction, which was his biggest obstacle to his ascension to power.
At first, he only wanted to use Su Liang as a pawn, but he didn’t expect her to have such great abilities, and their relationship evolved into a partnership.
Now, some of the fog had dissipated, and the truth was beginning to emerge.
Duanmu Chen couldn’t wait for Su Liang to eliminate both Duanmu Cheng and
Duanmu Ao.
“I will find a way to make the Xiao Family confess what exactly Xiao Mulian did back then.” Duanmu Chen said, “After I confirm it, I’ll let you know.”
Su Liang stood up, bowed, “Thank you, Your Highness, the Fourth Prince. I will return home and await the news.”
“Wait a moment.” Duanmu Chen called Su Liang back, “Did you have anything to do with Duanmu Che’s madness?”
Su Liang’s expression remained calm, “Your Highness, the Fourth Prince, it’s better if you don’t ask.”
Duanmu Chen’s eyes flickered slightly, “Alright, you can go.”
Not long after Su Liang left the Fourth Prince’s Mansion, she noticed that she was being followed, so she headed in the opposite direction of the Su Mansion.
After circling around the capital, she still couldn’t shake off the tail. Su Liang was considering whether to return to the Fourth Prince’s Mansion when the person following her showed themselves.
Seeing the familiar figure gracefully land in front of her, Su Liang held her forehead and said, “Great God, why are you scaring me in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?
“Your vigilance is insufficient; if you discover you’re being followed, you should immediately return to the Fourth Prince’s Mansion. If it wasn’t me tonight but someone stronger and with the intent to kill you, what would you do?” Ning Jing’s eyes were tinged with a hint of coldness due to the night.
Su Liang nodded, “Yes, yes, my strength is too weak, and I don’t have the
ability to protect myself. So, Great God, you came out to watch over me? Just tell me, and I’ll be grateful. Let’s go home and practice.”
On the way back, Su Liang told Ning Jing that she had obtained crucial information from Duanmu Chen that night. Before Xiao Mulian married Duanmu Ao, she had some ambiguous relationship with Duanmu Cheng.
“If it really was Duanmu Cheng and Duanmu Ao who killed the Su Family to cover up their scandal, even if they are princes, I will make them pay for their blood debts!” Su Liang’s eyes were resolute..
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺