diskusbooks Chapter 923 Secret Passage in the Palace
Chapter 923 Secret Passage in the Palace
Cui Ling looked troubled, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Zhang Ping'an was a smart man, and he immediately understood that it was inconvenient to say these words in front of so many palace servants. So he cupped his hands and suggested, "Your Majesty, the air here is smoky and polluted, and there are too many people around. It may be bad for your health. Why don't we move to the nearby lakeside pavilion to talk?"
Zhou Pu understood and nodded: "Yes, that's fine!"
After they arrived at the pavilion in the middle of the lake, Cui Ling recounted the whole story: "Your Majesty, the operation planned by me, along with Lord Zhang, Lord Li, and Eunuch Zheng, was extremely meticulous and flawless, completely catching the Second Prince and Prince Qin off guard."
Therefore, there was no large-scale fighting within the palace, and everything proceeded relatively smoothly. When I arrived near the Hall of Mental Cultivation, most of the Second Prince's confidants had not yet managed to escape, but the Second Prince's whereabouts were unknown.
Time was of the essence, and I was certain that the Second Prince could not have gone far. So I ordered people to search the vicinity. Finally, we found a secret passage under the bed in another side hall. Judging from the marks, it had been there for a long time, probably since the previous dynasty. The ventilation underneath was normal.
Therefore, I guessed that the Second Prince must have escaped from the palace through the secret passage. So I led my men to pursue him along the secret passage and finally discovered that the secret passage extended all the way to Zhuque Lane outside the palace.
but……"
Cui Ling paused again at this point.
Not only Zhou Pu, but even Zhang Ping'an felt a bit uneasy.
"I have lived in the palace for so many years, yet I had no idea there was a secret passage near the Hall of Mental Cultivation!"
Zhou Pu took a deep breath, his face grim, and urged impatiently, "Minister Cui, just say what you have to say!"
Upon hearing this, Cui Ling continued in one breath, "But when I led my men to Zhuque Alley, the Second Prince had already been shot dead at the entrance of the alley by someone unknown. None of his trusted men were alive either; it seems that none of them escaped. I examined the wound, and the edges were clean. It was an arrow that struck him squarely in the chest, killing him instantly. The method was clean and efficient, showing that the murderer was a skilled archer and had extraordinary abilities. Moreover, the murderer had gold, silver, and various tokens and seals with him, so it doesn't seem like he was after money."
That was the end of the conversation, leaving much for the reader to imagine. As a subject, Cui Ling wisely refrained from continuing the discussion or offering any further personal opinions.
Zhou Pu was stunned: "He was shot by someone else?"
“Not bad,” Cui Ling was also a little annoyed. The credit had been taken away by someone else, and half of what was in their hands had flown away.
He had considered taking credit for the crime, but he worried that the murderer was hiding in the shadows and his identity was unknown, which might bring trouble later. After thinking it over, he had no choice but to abandon the idea and report the truth.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Pu turned his gaze to Zhang Ping'an and Zheng Ping.
Zhang Ping'an and Zheng Ping exchanged a glance, then shook their heads and bowed, replying, "Your Majesty, we dare not deceive you. This was not done by our subordinates."
Zhou Pu's gaze darkened slightly as he lowered his head, deep in thought.
At this moment, Cui Ling also offered a few words of explanation, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the murderer must be extremely familiar with the various secret passages within the palace, which is why he was able to ambush near Zhuque Lane in advance, waiting for the culprit to come to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have timed it so precisely. Such secrets within the palace could not be known by anyone other than a member of the royal family or someone who has been in the palace for many years."
"So, in other words, as long as outsiders know this blueprint, they can come and go freely inside and outside the palace?" Zhou Pu asked.
“That is indeed the case in theory, but not many people actually know this,” Cui Ling said. “I have already sent men to lie in ambush at the exit.”
These few sentences contain a lot of meaning.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Ping couldn't help but sneer inwardly. They were already trying to discard the millstone before the millstone was even finished. They were far too impatient!
Zhang Ping'an also felt somewhat embarrassed. Even though he greatly admired Zheng Ping's character and talent, his own status as a eunuch naturally caused civil and military officials to intentionally or unintentionally oppose him.
Cui Ling's actions were undoubtedly an attempt to steal Zheng Ping's share of the credit.
Zhang Ping'an thought for a moment, then stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, this matter can be investigated later. The Prince of Qin has not yet been executed, and Li Chong has not sent back any news. The most urgent task is to stabilize the people in the palace, quell the internal strife, and regain the throne."
As for the secret passages throughout the palace, we can send people to secretly investigate and then cover them up one by one to ensure the safety of the palace!
"Yes, my dear minister, you are right. Thanks to you all, I am not alone and helpless. Let's proceed according to the original plan!"
Zhou Pu's expression didn't reveal whether he had thought about it much; he seemed to agree with what the others said. However, an emperor who was too easy to talk to would appear to lack his own opinions.
Although he knew that part of the reason was that they would still be needed to stabilize the court and the country, Zhang Ping'an already felt from this moment on that the task ahead would be arduous and the road ahead long.
So much has happened in less than a year.
About half an hour later, the smoke bombs at the Qin Prince's residence finally went off.
The group perked up, with Zhou Pu appearing the most excited. He stood up and asked, "Is it all done?"
Cui Ling cupped his hands and smiled, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
"Come, follow me to see," Zhou Pu said, a hint of hatred flashing in his eyes. "The Prince of Qin and the late Emperor were sworn brothers, having grown up together since childhood. I even called him 'Uncle' since I was a child. I never expected him to harbor such wicked intentions. Human greed is insatiable! I wonder how he will face the late Emperor after his death!"
Perhaps due to excessive emotional excitement, Zhou Pu suddenly clutched his chest and coughed violently after only a few steps.
The men were worried and advised, "Your Majesty is still recovering from serious injuries and should take care of your health. It would be better if you waited in the palace and let us go instead."
Zhou Pu tried to hold on, but after taking a few more steps, he couldn't even mount his horse. The cold wind of the winter night made his headache worse, so he had no choice but to give up.
After catching his breath, he called out a eunuch from among the kneeling palace servants in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. This man had been one of Zhou Pu's personal eunuchs before, so he must have some trust in him.
"Xiao Xiangzi, you will accompany these officials in my stead."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Only after being called out did the eunuch named Xiao Xiangzi dare to crawl over from the ground, plop down at Zhu Ziming's feet, and weep bitterly, "Your Majesty, it's all my fault, you've suffered so much!"
"Ahem, enough nonsense, go quickly," Zhou Pu instructed.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I'll go right away!" Xiao Xiangzi replied hastily.
He knew how to ride a horse. After rubbing his knees, which were stiff and numb from kneeling, he mounted his horse and followed Zhang Ping'an and the others.
Zhang Ping'an knew that Zhou Pu wanted to find a trustworthy person to act as his eyes and ears, so he didn't care and just followed along.
If they don't even have this much shrewdness, then that's even more worrying!