Chapter 476: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 476: Situation Gossip (2)
Mo Yan initially thought that after the three beasts ate the black Lingzhi, there would be some changes or other reactions, but after waiting for a long time, nothing happened, leaving Mo Yan disappointed.
She didn't know that the reason the three beasts showed no reaction was because their bodies had already been transformed by the Spirit Spring water. Combined with their daily intake of Spirit Spring water, their bodies were almost free of impurities, able to easily withstand the powerful medicinal effects of black Lingzhi. Moreover, consuming black Lingzhi wasn't entirely useless; it's just that the specific changes weren't apparent for the time being!
...
The next day, Xiao Ruiyuan encountered an assassination attempt on his way back to the capital, and news of his critical condition spread like wildfire. It quickly spread through the streets and alleys of the capital, with voices demanding justice for Xiao Ruiyuan growing louder by the moment. Within three days, thousands of common people spontaneously kneeled at the palace gates, pleading with Emperor Huian to thoroughly investigate the assassination attempt and give an account to General Xiao, who led the troops to defend the nation and repel the Barbarian tribes.
If Xiao Ruiyuan had been assassinated in his position as the Commander-in-Chief of the Five Cities Garrison, or if he had suffered a defeat, these ordinary people might not have been so supportive of him. It was precisely because of this that more and more people stood up for him. Even some neutral officials began to petition the emperor, urging him to investigate.
Emperor Huian, praised for his well-managed governance of the kingdom, was clearly not a foolish emperor. Upon hearing of Xiao Ruiyuan's assassination attempt and his critical condition from a poison similar to the Crown Prince's, he was so enraged that he overturned the royal case. After calming down, he dispatched the best physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy to Xiao Ruiyuan's residence to treat him swiftly. Simultaneously, he secretly ordered an investigation into the assassination attempt.
Although several days of investigation yielded little valuable information, all signs pointed towards the other princes, making him suspect his own sons who had been making small moves behind his back!
However, no matter how bad his sons were, and no matter how angry he was, they were still his sons. If this matter had not become public knowledge, he could only turn a blind eye to it, blame it on the Barbarian tribes, and then discipline his sons through other means while compensating Xiao Ruiyuan or the Crown Prince from other sources.
The assassination attempt escalated quickly. Soon, rumors spread among the common people that several princes were plotting to seize the heir's position, sending numerous assassins in an attempt to eliminate General Xiao, the right-hand man of the Crown Prince.
The rumors seemed plausible and believable, leaving the common people increasingly sympathetic towards Xiao Ruiyuan. In their eyes, their great hero, who had risked his life for Da Chu and finally achieved victory without dying at the hands of the enemy, was almost killed by "his own people" obsessed with power struggles. It was truly absurd and unfair!
Even those who didn't particularly respect Xiao Ruiyuan heard these rumors and couldn't help but feel chilled. If it was indeed the work of several princes, they were ignoring the overall situation, arbitrarily sending assassins to those who had made great contributions. If this continued, who would dare to serve the royal family in the future? Who would protect the rivers and mountains of Da Chu and ensure the safety of their people?
With this in mind, people who originally didn't care joined the ranks of those praying for justice. The palace gates were so crowded that the civil and military officials had to enter the palace through another gate. Petitions requesting a thorough investigation piled up on Emperor Huian's desk like snowflakes.
With things having reached this point, Emperor Huian couldn't pretend to be deaf and mute and calm the situation. Unexpectedly, even before he ordered a thorough investigation, someone presented evidence implicating the Sixth Prince, Kang Wang, who had raised over three hundred assassins. Several days ago, they had laid an ambush on Xiao Ruiyuan's return to the capital and attempted to assassinate him.
This news caused a stir in the entire court!
Before Emperor Huian could issue an order for verification, news of Kang Wang's harboring of assassins attempting to kill Xiao Ruiyuan spread, causing the common people who already harbored suspicions against the princes to believe more firmly that there were hidden schemes involved. Outraged, someone took the initiative to throw a bucket filled with filth on the gate of Kang Wang's residence in the dead of night.
No matter how Emperor Huian wanted to calm the anger of the common people, he had to order Kang Wang to be temporarily confined to his residence and investigate the authenticity of the evidence.
In the Tai Zi Mansion, Xiao Ruiyuan, who was recovering from his injuries with the care of Ghost physician and the nourishment of the Spirit Spring water, heard the news of Kang Wang's investigation, a deep irony flashing in his eyes.
Compared to ten days ago, when his life could have been cut off at any moment, now that he was free from the torment of the Heart-Eating Poison, his complexion had improved significantly, and his injuries were healing remarkably under the nurturing care of the Spirit Spring water and the superb medical skills of the ghost doctor.
Sitting in a wheelchair, crown prince was pushed in by someone, appearing in a very good mood, with a smile at the corner of his mouth as he said to Xiao Ruiyuan, "We haven't even taken action yet, and they're so eager to use the Sixth Prince as a scapegoat to absolve themselves. If the Sixth Prince has some understanding, we might even get to see a good show of dogs biting dogs!"
Xiao Ruiyuan shook his head and calmly analyzed, "It's been three days since the incident. Kang Wang hasn't defended himself at all. It seems that he's been caught by Heng Wang and others. He's probably going to take the blame alone. I'm curious about what leverage he has that could be useful to us."
Upon hearing this, crown prince's expression became serious. "If the Sixth Prince takes the blame, even if Father Emperor considers familial affection and gives a light sentence, it will be difficult for his princely title to survive. From then on, he will be estranged from the heir's position. Such a huge price... It seems that leverage is not small!"
Xiao Ruiyuan deeply understood the pros and cons of the situation, frowning and saying, "In this matter, it's better for Your Highness to have someone investigate. Perhaps we can use whatever leverage is available."
Crown prince also had this idea and nodded in agreement.
The two discussed the arrangements for the future. Perhaps because their moods were good and the atmosphere was right, Ghost physician couldn't hold back and asked about the matter of the black Lingzhi.
Xiao Ruiyuan had never thought of hiding it, but this matter involved the woman he admired, so he had to be cautious. For a moment, a hesitant expression appeared on his face.
Seeing this, the crown prince was greatly surprised. This cousin had always been decisive and swift. When had he ever shown such emotions? He stared at Xiao Ruiyuan for a long time, suddenly coming up with a bold guess...
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