The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 932 - 932 426 Take Action (two updates)

Chapter 932: 426 Take Action (two updates) Chapter 932: 426 Take Action (two updates) Prince Ning suddenly stretched out his hand, grasped the crown prince consort’s throat, and pinned her against a large tree, “Clarify your words for me!”

The crown prince consort seemed to know he would not truly strangle her to death near Jinluan Hall, thus she had little fear, and retorted with a cold laugh, “Say what? That you didn’t kill Xiao Hen, or that Xiao Hen didn’t return to the Capital City alive?”

Having said that, she removed his hand from her throat, “Chun Yin, let’s go!”

Chun Yin nervously glanced at the two of them and hurriedly followed the crown prince consort with small steps.

Prince Ning propped himself with one hand against the tree, his gaze icy cold.

“Qi Fei.”

He called out.

The confidant known as Qi Fei quickly appeared and bowed, “Young master!”

Prince Ning lowered his hand from the tree and looked toward Jinluan Hall with an indifferent expression, his thin lips lightly parting, “Go investigate who has entered and exited Jinluan Hall within the past half ‘shi chen’.”

“Yes!”

Qi Fei was efficient. He contacted their informants within the court and quickly obtained the list that Prince Ning needed with hardly any effort.

In the carriage, Qi Fei reported the names one by one to Prince Ning.

“… Senior Grand Secretary Kong, Minister of War Xu, Minister of Works Zhao, Prime Minister Yuan, Huo Jijiu… Xiao Xiuzhuan.”

Prince Ning’s hand rubbing the jade ring on his thumb paused, “Huo Jijiu with whom?”

Qi Fei answered, “Xiao Xiuzhuan from the Hanlin Academy, the top scholar of the current session, his name seems to be… Xiao Liulang if I recall correctly.”

Prince Ning pondered, “Is that the one who looks like the young marquis?”

Qi Fei nodded, “Yes, it’s him!”

Xiao Liulang’s appearance was no secret in the court; the commoners might not have heard, but figures like Prince Ning and the crown prince surely knew.

Born in the countryside, he surpassed numerous challenges and with outstanding results, he was admitted to the Guozijian, seizing the top spot as the top scholar in his first imperial examination.

Some said his high marks came with the help of Marquis Xuanping, who had lost his beloved son and by chance encountered someone with such a similar appearance, naturally projecting his feelings onto him.

Nobody suspected he was Xiao Hen, because Xiao Hen was already dead.

This was something that everyone firmly believed without doubt.

About Xiao Liulang, Prince Ning actually knew more than the average person, like the fact that the Empress Dowager wasn’t convalescing in a side palace, she was lost among the common folk, and during that period, she was saved by Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao.

Whether Xiao Liulang climbed to prominence on his own merit or due to the emperor’s or Empress Dowager’s favor didn’t matter.

If he wasn’t the real Xiao Hen, Prince Ning wouldn’t bother with him.

Xiao Hen was dead, and even if Xiao Liulang looked alike, he could not be Xiao Hen.

But if Xiao Hen wasn’t dead, then only Xiao Liulang could be Xiao Hen!

“Young master, there are a few more names, would you like to hear them?” Qi Fei asked.

“No need,” Prince Ning said as he caressed the jade ring on his thumb, “Investigate Huo Jijiu’s and Xiao Liulang’s interactions.”

He could not determine if Wo Linlang’s words were true, he could not simply take her word for it.

Investigating this was not difficult.

Before returning to the Guozijian, the old Jijiu could easily conceal his whereabouts, but now having rejoined the officialdom and entering the public eye more often, there were many more clues left behind.

Moreover, since everyone at the Guozijian thought the old Jijiu interacted with Xiao Liulang because he reminded him of his beloved deceased disciple, no one suspected, and naturally, there was less need to hide it.

Within just a couple of days, Qi Fei had found out that the old Jijiu lived next to Xiao Liulang’s residence.

“He calls the old Jijiu ‘granduncle,'” said Qi Fei.

Prince Ning furrowed his brows.

If he remembered correctly, Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao referred to the Empress Dowager as ‘grand-aunt.’

The Empress Dowager and Huo Jijiu…

Prince Ning irritably twisted his eyebrows, “Continue!”

“Yes,” Qi Fei said, “It was Xiao Liulang’s family who moved to Bishui Alley first, then Huo Jijiu moved there afterward.”

Prince Ning asked, “Was it before or after Huo Jijiu returned to the Guozijian?”

Qi Fei answered, “Before.”

A bold guess suddenly surged up in Prince Ning’s heart.

After Xiao Hen was lost to a great fire, Huo Xian’s heart turned to ashes and he resigned his post to leave the Capital.

Prince Ning had thought that Huo Xian’s return to the Capital was at the emperor’s request to persuade him back into service, but now it seemed that might not be the case.

He returned to the Guozijian for Xiao Liulang, that place of heartbreak.

How could he bear to attend to his duties there every day at the place that burned his cherished disciple?

One need only look at Princess Xinyang to understand—she still does not dare return to the Princess Residence, fearing that the memories would cause pain, right?

In the past, Prince Ning had overlooked this detail because he firmly believed that Xiao Hen was dead. Anything related to Xiao Hen, he would never doubt again.