25. Drugging

The emperor continued to review memorials, as if he didn't care about the madness of the Ninth Prince's horse.

  After a while, Concubine Rong asked for an audience outside the Imperial Study.

  The emperor was not surprised by Concubine Rong's arrival.

  As soon as Concubine Rong saw the emperor, she cried and complained about the Ninth Prince's fright, and cried that someone wanted to kill the Ninth Prince, and asked the emperor to investigate thoroughly.

  What she meant was that Empress Xie and the Seventh Prince had drugged the Ninth Prince's horse.

  Just as Concubine Rong was crying, Empress Xie also came.

  Empress Xie came to the Imperial Study to show the emperor that the drugging of the Ninth Prince's horse had nothing to do with the Seventh Prince.

  Concubine Shu, Concubine De, Concubine Liang and others also came to the Imperial Study and asked the emperor to make a decision for their sons.

  The emperor said that he had sent people to investigate the matter carefully and asked Empress Xie and others to go back first.

  Seeing that the emperor was still busy, Empress Xie and Concubine Rong did not dare to delay the emperor in handling government affairs in the Imperial Study, and retreated obediently.

  As soon as she walked out of the imperial study, Concubine Rong sneered at Empress Xie: "Empress, I never thought you would use such a mean method."

  Empress Xie said coldly: "Concubine Rong, watch your words."

  Concubine Rong did not take Empress Xie seriously at all, "Empress, as the legitimate daughter of the Xie family, you actually did such a vicious and mean thing, which really opened my eyes. It seems that the family education of the Xie family is nothing more than this."

  "How outrageous!" Empress Xie scolded.

  Concubine Rong was not afraid of the angry Empress Xie, and said coldly: "Empress, I will never let this matter go!"

  Empress Xie looked gloomy and watched Concubine Rong leave.

  Shufei said, "My poor son has been innocently implicated and is frightened. I hope the emperor can find out the mastermind behind this as soon

  as possible." "This man is so bold as to poison the prince." Defei said, "I hope the emperor can find out the mastermind behind this as soon as possible, otherwise we don't know what will happen."

  "This man dared to drug the ninth prince's horse today, and I'm afraid he will directly poison the princes tomorrow." Liangfei hated this kind of shady villain the most, and said with a very ugly face, "When the emperor finds out the mastermind behind this, he must be severely punished and never let him go."

  Queen Xie glanced coldly at Defei and the other three, then held the hand of the palace maid and left.

  Concubine Shu walked to Concubine De's side, looked at Empress Xie's leaving back, and asked Concubine De, "Do you think it was the Empress who did it?"

  Concubine De said, "The Empress is not that stupid, but the Seventh Prince may not be."

  Concubine Shu was surprised and said, "Do you think it was the Seventh Prince who did it?"

  "The Seventh Prince and the Ninth Prince don't get along, and he was humiliated by the Ninth Prince before. It is not impossible that he wanted to harm the Ninth Prince in a rage." Concubine De said, "Of course, this matter may not be simple." Concubine

  Liang said, "No matter who did it, it was too vicious. Fortunately, Xiaoliu and the others are fine."

  Concubine De said, "The Emperor will find out who is the mastermind behind the scenes, so we don't have to worry about it."

  Concubine Shu thought of the tension between Concubine Rong and Empress Xie, and smiled meaningfully, "No matter who did it, Concubine Rong will determine that it was the Empress who did it." Concubine

  De understood what Concubine Shu meant, raised the corner of her mouth and smiled, "Didn't Concubine Rong just say that she won't let it go, so let's wait and see the show."

  In Kunde Hall, Zhaoyi Liang was relieved to see that her son was safe.

  Just now, they heard about the accident at the horse farm. Liang Zhaoyi and Yu Meiren were very worried about Zhao Yao, thinking that Zhao Yao was also in trouble. Now that they saw that Zhao Yao was intact, they felt relieved.

  Zhao Yao told Liang Zhaoyi and the others what happened at the horse farm, "Fortunately, my brother took me to the corner to practice riding, otherwise I would have been unlucky."

  "Why did the ninth prince's horse go crazy?" Yu Meiren asked.

  "It should be drugged." Zhao Yao said, "Father has sent people to investigate."

  "Drugged?" Yu Meiren was surprised, "Who is so bold that he actually drugged the ninth prince's horse?"

  Pan Cairen guessed, "It can't be the seventh prince, right?"

  Liang Zhaoyi looked at her son and asked, "Is it only the ninth prince's horse that was drugged?"

  Zhao Yao nodded and said, "Yes, only the ninth brother's horse was drugged."

  "Could it really be the Queen and the Seventh Prince who did it?"

  Liang Zhaoyi shook her head slightly, "Whether it was the Queen and the Seventh Prince who did it has nothing to do with us."

  Yu Meiren and Pan Cairen understood what Liang Zhaoyi meant, and they nodded in unison and didn't talk about this matter anymore.

  "Mother, I have to send some apples to Liehuo."

  "Go ahead."

  Zhao Yao took some apples to the horse farm to "repay" Liehuo for his help.

  Liehuo enjoyed Zhao Yao's feeding. After eating the apples, it said with some disdain: [Not sweet enough.]

  "This is the best apple in Kunde Palace." Zhao Yao said, "They like to eat it when they get money." Liehuo said

  proudly: [It's not as delicious as the apples I eat every day.]

  As the emperor's favorite horse, the food it eats every day is excellent. Whether it's food or apples, they are all very fresh.

  "If you dislike it, I won't send you apples in the future."

  [I don't dislike it.] Liehuo said hurriedly, [You have to send me apples often in the future.]   

  "Okay." Zhao Yao thought of the Ninth Prince's horse and asked Liehuo, "Who drugged my Ninth Brother's horse?"

  Liehuo said: [A eunuch. ]

  "A eunuch, do you know him?" Zhao Yao asked again, "Who is it?"

  [A young eunuch in charge of feeding the horses. ]

  "Then do you know who ordered him?"

  [I don't know. ] Liehuo said again, [I haven't seen that person come to the horse farm. ]

  "Then what about the young eunuch in charge of feeding the horses?"

  [He was captured. ]

  "Your food wasn't drugged?"

  Liehuo glanced at Zhao Yao and said: [Who dares to drug my food? Don't you want to live? ]

  "That's right, no one dares to drug your food."

  Although Liehuo is a horse, his status is very high. Everyone in the horse farm raises it like an ancestor. If something happens to it, everyone in the horse farm will be in trouble.

  [You and Lingyun are good friends, right? ] Liehuo suddenly asked.

  "Yes, what's wrong?"

  [Lingyun and I are also good friends. ]

  "So, you want to be good friends with me?"

  [For Lingyun's sake, I'll be good friends with you reluctantly. ] Liehuo and Lingyun have been with the emperor for many years. They both saved the emperor on the battlefield.

  "Okay, from today on, you are my good friend."

  [Since you and I are good friends, you should come to play with me often in the future. ] Liehuo said, [I'll let you ride with reluctance. ]

  Seeing Liehuo's look of "you should be grateful", Zhao Yao said with a smile: "I dare not ride you."

  [I let you ride. ]

  "Even if you let me ride, I dare not ride you."

  Liehuo was a little unhappy: [Why? ]

  "Because you are my father's horse, except for my father, no one dares to ride you." Zhao Yao also wanted to ride Liehuo, after all, it was a famous war horse. "Before, my second brother wanted to ride you, but you threw him off. If I succeeded in riding you, wouldn't I be better than my second brother? I can't be better than my second brother."

  Liehuo snorted: [I can't be ridden by everyone, don't be ungrateful. ]

  "I will ride you secretly in the future without being discovered by others." Zhao Yao thought for a moment, and then said, "By the way, I can only come to see you secretly in the future."

  [Why is this? ]Look at it, why do you have to be so sneaky, can't it see people?

  "Because I don't want people to find out that you are close to me." Zhao Yao suddenly thought of what Heiyu said before, and changed the subject to ask Liehuo, "Heiyu said that you have been to Yangzhou and know about Yangzhou, right?"

  [I have taken the emperor to many places before, of course I have been to Yangzhou. ] Liehuo said with some pride, [The emperor has fought in Yangzhou before, what do you want to know about Yangzhou? ]

  "What is the situation of the rebellious army in Yangzhou?"

  [When I accompanied the emperor to fight in Yangzhou before, there were many rebellious troops, they were all remnants of the previous dynasty. However, the emperor soon drove them away...]

  When talking about the rebellion that year, Liehuo became incessant, and his tone was full of pride.

  Zhao Yao did not interrupt Liehuo, and listened to it patiently.

  "You and your father drove the remnants of the previous dynasty out of Yangzhou, so why are there rebellions in Yangzhou now?"

  [Back then, a remnant of the previous dynasty escaped, and the emperor did not chase him at that time. ]

  Zhao Yao looked thoughtful. Could it be that the people who are now causing chaos in Yangzhou are the remnants of the previous dynasty who escaped that year?

  [What else do you want to know? ]

  "Do you know the current situation of the rebellion in Yangzhou?" In the past few years, Yangzhou has always been peaceful, but at the end of last year, many rebellions suddenly appeared.

  [I don't know. ]

  "Then do you know any friends in Yangzhou?"

  [I used to, but not now. ]

  "Then forget it." As he thought, Liehuo didn't know the current situation in Yangzhou. It seems that he can only wait for Lai Xi's friends. "I'm leaving. I'll come to see you when I have time in the future."

  [Keep your word, remember to come and play with me. ]

  "Keep your word." Zhao Yao rubbed Liehuo's face with his face, "I'm leaving."

  Liehuo was very happy with Zhao Yao's closeness, and he stretched out his tongue to lick Zhao Yao's little face.

  "Your Highness, you are amazing." Tongxi was shocked to see Liehuo getting close to Zhao Yao. "Even the emperor's horse likes you."

  Speaking of which, Your Highness has always been liked by animals. Whether it's flying in the sky, running on the ground, or swimming in the water, they all get close to Your Highness.

  (End of this chapter)