The Prime Minister’s Darling - Chapter 658

Chapter 658: 311 Pampering (two updates)_4 Chapter 658: 311 Pampering (two updates)_4 The Emperor remained silent.

The next day, Yuan Tang was recuperating at home when a few guards from the Dali Temple and the Honglu Temple came to his residence.

An official from the Dali Temple said, “The Emperor has been assassinated, and the Dali Temple has caught a suspect who happens to be a man from the Sixth Prince’s entourage. We have also found an object belonging to the Sixth Prince at the scene. As such, we ask the Sixth Prince to accompany us to the Dali Temple!”

Yuan Tang furrowed his brows.

He hadn’t expected Gu Jiao to manage to convince the Emperor.

The witness was naturally someone the Emperor utilised to frame Yuan Tang. After all, a single tassel wasn’t enough to implicate Yuan Tang. He could easily claim that it had been lost or stolen.

But the sudden appearance of a witness was a troublesome development.

Moreover, the witness was one of Yuan Tang’s own guards.

Not a close guard, merely a third-class guard.

Yuan Tang’s complexion grew grim: “They managed to bribe someone from my side, I’ve underestimated the royal family of Zhan Country indeed.”

When the bribery had occurred, he had no way of verifying. Fortunately, the person in question was only a third-class guard, who didn’t have frequent access to him and was unlikely to know his secrets.

Regardless, having been bitten by this man, the situation had become tricky.

The man in gray said murderously, “I’ll kill him! This will discredit his accusations!”

Yuan Tang said coldly, “That’s useless. He has already confessed and signed his deposition. His death would still validate the evidence.”

Of course, Yuan Tang wasn’t going to surrender willingly. But being cornered in this way meant that he was obliged to give an explanation to Zhan Country.

In the end, Yuan Tang reluctantly sacrificed one of his trusted aides in order to save himself.

The aide assumed all guilt, stating that his actions were his own and had nothing to do with Yuan Tang.

This aide had been a retainer in his household since their time in Chen Country. He was wise and loyal, and had provided valuable advice and assistance on multiple occasions.

Handing over such a person felt like bleeding his heart out to Yuan Tang!

He would have liked to hand over some random guard as a scapegoat, but Zhan Country would not allow such a thing!

It wasn’t he feared death, but his ambition was unfulfilled, he could not die yet!

…

The news of the Emperor’s assassination sent waves through Capital City and caused a small stir in the court. However, the Emperor did not bother to manage any of this and simply stayed in Bishui Alley.

Of course, he didn’t announce that he was living in Bishui Alley, instead claiming he was residing in an imperial villa.

Though the assassination misunderstanding was dispelled, the relationship between the Emperor and Empress Dowager was still icy.

The Emperor continued to find the Empress Dowager displeasing.

The Empress Dowager remained indifferent to the Emperor.

After playing cards, the Empress Dowager would leave.

At first, she would play cards discreetly without the Emperor’s knowledge. But seeing that the Emperor refused to leave, the Empress Dowager simply stopped pretending.

She was going to play cards, no matter what!

Watching the Empress Dowager’s nonchalant departure for her card game, the Emperor ground his teeth: “Unchaste woman, shameless, violating palace regulations, disregarding ancestral teachings, she is unfit to be…”

A thermometer was shoved into the Emperor’s mouth by Gu Jiao.

“Hold still and don’t speak,” Doctor Gu instructed sternly.

The Emperor: “…”

The news of the Emperor’s assassination caused an uproar in the capital. Although he hadn’t revealed his identity to the families of Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao, the only people in that household who hadn’t figured out his identity were Xiaoshun and Xiao Jingkong.

Xiao Jingkong accepted the fact that he was Chu Yu’s real father since the beginning and thus, could not be swayed by wind and waves from the outside world.

Xiaoshun was simply too naive.

Even Gu Yan had guessed the Emperor’s identity.

After all, there aren’t many people in the world who would dare to glare at their grandmother-in-law.

…

The recent hot weather had caused Gu Yan to suffer from heat stroke at the Qinghe Academy. Afterwards, Gu Jiao took leave for him from the Academy, allowing him to rest at home.

Previously, he didn’t want to go school, but now that he was free, he found it unbearably boring.

He was sitting idly under the shade of a tree in the courtyard, sighing.

Gu Jiao had gone to the Medical Hall, Xiao Liulang had gone to the Hanlin Academy, and Xiaoshun and Xiao Jingkong had gone to school, leaving him without any companions.

He really wished he could go to school…

Just as he was bored out of his mind, a tall figure came into view and cast a shadow over him. Following that, a delicately crafted wooden bow appeared in his line of sight.

Gu Yan was startled, he looked at the bow, then up at the man holding the bow.

“It’s you?” Gu Yan turned his face away.

Gu Changqing walked in front of him, pulling the bow in his hand, he asked, “Want to try archery?”