The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 721 - 721 335 Tricked her (two updates)_3

Chapter 721: 335 Tricked her (two updates)_3 Chapter 721: 335 Tricked her (two updates)_3 “What?” The old priest’s eyes bulged out in shock and panic as he fell to his knees, “May the Emperor discern the truth! I surely handed him a silver! I don’t know how that silver turned into a hidden weapon! I swear to Heaven!”

Marquis Xuanping clenched his teeth.

Act!

You continue your performance for me!

Noble Concubine Zhuang said with a smirk, “Priest Huo is making such a sincere oath. Could it be that he really didn’t do it? After him, the only one who seems to have privately touched the box is Marquis Xuanping.”

“Noble Concubine Zhuang!” Empress Xiao sharply interrupted her.

Noble Concubine Zhuang laughed, “I have no intention of defaming Marquis Xuanping. I’m just analyzing the facts.”

Marquis Xuanping said, “After receiving the box yesterday, I didn’t open it privately and kept it on me the whole time. I placed it in my room when I returned to my residence. The only people who can enter my room are myself and my guard, Chang Jing. Chang Jing hasn’t touched the box.”

Chang Jing had no interest in such rigid things.

He wouldn’t care to look even if it was offered to him.

Empress Xiao stood up and walked to her brother’s side. She bowed to the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, Marquis Xuanping has always been loyal and reverent towards the Empress Mother. He would never set her up! Especially… In front of so many people, with something that he personally handed over. Isn’t that stupid?”

Noble Concubine Zhuang chuckled, “Maybe there is someone who is using this idea to make the impossible, possible, so they could escape suspicion.”

Empress Xiao’s gaze turned icy, “When I speak with the Emperor, it’s not your place to interrupt!”

Empress Xiao rarely used her status to pressure Noble Concubine Zhuang. After all, the Empress Dowager supported Concubine Zhuang who held substantial power. It was only because of her desperation today that she spoke in such a way.

Noble Concubine Zhuang gave a cold snort.

The Emperor looked at Marquis Xuanping gravely, “Has anyone ever sneaked into your room?”

Marquis Xuanping openly met the Emperor’s sharp gaze, “Your Majesty, I dare not claim that my residence is impregnable, but Chang Jing guards my room, and I rest in there. With our skills, it is impossible for anyone to sneak in and tamper with things without us noticing.”

The Emperor contemplated, “Is the Chang Jing you mentioned is that assassin brought back from the Night Gate?”

Marquis Xuanping answered, “Yes.”

The Night Gate is a power outside of the six nations, not under the jurisdiction of any country, with their headquarters on an island.

The assassins of the Night Gate are all top-notch experts.

Especially since what Marquis Xuanping said was correct, he is also one of the strongest fighters himself.

The old priest muttered, “What if someone acted while you were sleeping?”

Marquis Xuanping looked at him and laughed, “Do you know that there are less than five people in Zhan Country who can beat Chang Jing. One is the Grand Marshal and supreme commander of the army, Tang Yueshan, one is the old Marquis from the Marquis Residence, and the other three are the Dragon Shadow Guards loyal to the Emperor. I say three because I have only seen three; if there are more, I’m not aware.”

The old priest earnestly explained, “So there are suspects who might have committed the crime!”

Marquis Xuanping calmly retorted, “Tang Yueshan followed the Prince Ning to suppress the bandits at the beginning of the month and has not yet returned. He is not in the Capital City, so how could he have acted in my residence?”

The old priest asked, “Then… what about the old Marquis?”

Marquis Xuanping narrowed his eyes, “Are you playing dumb, Huo?”

The elder Marquis is the Emperor’s confidant. This is not unknown to anyone, especially Huo Xian who deeply trusts the Emperor. Would he not know?

Would he attempt to harm the Empress Mother?

Did he know about the existence of the box?

Empress Xiao knew that the elder Marquis was secretly training troops for the Emperor, she also believed that the elder Marquis had nothing to do with this matter.

Noble Concubine Zhuang was the Empress Dowager’s person, but considering how well-informed the Empress Dowager was, how could she not know that the elder Marquis and the Emperor were only estranged on the surface?

She scoffed, “By your arguments, nobody could have committed the act, could it be the Dragon Shadow Guard from the former Emperor? Marquis Xuanping, why don’t you go ahead and say the Emperor wants to harm his own Empress Mother?”

Noble Concubine Zhuang didn’t know that the Emperor had long ago given the Dragon Shadow Guards to Empress Mother.

So even if it was done by the Dragon Shadow Guard, it wasn’t the Emperor harming Empress Mother, it was Empress Mother harming herself.

But why would Empress Mother harm herself? Was she playing the victim? But for what?

Was it to frame Marquis Xuanping, or to frame the old priest?

The Emperor felt that aside from the Empress Mother’s naivety and good heart, she had no reason to do this – both Marquis Xuanping and the old priest were his confidants, why would she want to harm them?

The Emperor coldly looked at Marquis Xuanping, “I am entrusting this investigation to you. You must find out the truth for me! If you can’t, I’ll assume you did it!”

Marquis Xuanping: “…”

After leaving the Imperial Palace, Marquis Xuanping barely resisted the urge to pin down the old priest and rub his face in the dirt, “Huo, you’ve really outdone yourself, even dragging me into this mess!”

“What are you talking about, Marquis Xuanping? I genuinely don’t know how the silver turned into a dart!” The old priest denied furiously.

Zhan Country’s number one hypocrite, his acting skills were superb!

Marquis Xuanping gritted his teeth, “Given that you were once Ahen’s teacher, I will spare you for now. But if I find evidence, even if the Emperor doesn’t kill you, I’ll do it myself!”

The old priest respectfully said, “Safe travels, Marquis!”

“Hmph!” Marquis Xuanping huffed and stormed off!

Only after he left did the old priest sigh in relief.

He arrived at his carriage and climbed in.

Inside the carriage, Gu Changqing and Gu Jiao had been waiting for a long time.

“Priest Huo, how did it go?” Gu Changqing asked.

The old priest smiled brightly, “Things went smoothly! And there were even some unexpected developments. Turns out the Empress Mother knows martial arts.”

He hadn’t seen the Empress Mother catching the dart herself, he had asked Chamberlain Wei after he left.

He initially thought that one of the former Emperor’s loyal guards would have acted.

It’s clear that people can’t help but reveal themselves when it comes to matters of life and death.

Gu Jiao gave a sound of acknowledgement, “Her pulse is so weak, it doesn’t look like she has practiced martial arts.”

Gu Changqing thought for a while, then said, “Maybe she is taking some sort of medicine to alter her pulse.”

“Hmm, possible.” Gu Jiao nodded, her eyes suddenly brightened, “So now can we…?”

“No, we cannot!” The old priest ruthlessly took away her sack.

“Has the Emperor started to suspect her?” Gu Changqing asked.

The old priest took a sip of tea and said with a mischievous smile, “Not yet, but the seed of suspicion has been sown. With more events like this, the seed will sprout and grow in the Emperor’s heart, blooming into a flower of discord!”

Gu Changqing: Uh…you look…really like a treacherous official…

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