AWB Could Chapter 657 be about dealing with a love rival?
Could Chapter 657 be about dealing with a love rival?
...
After a two-day delay, Zong Que led his group away from Jinzhou City.
Lu Yangyang and Sheng Yunjiao were busy with the opening of their new store, and they were just waiting for Jiang Zhiyi to arrive in Jinzhou so they could go to Changyang County together.
On the official road a hundred miles away from Jinzhou City, Zong Que sat in a carriage playing chess with Sheng Junyi.
"Are you investigating Lin Wuji?" Zong Que asked casually as he placed a black piece.
“Yangyang said that Mingruo told her that she suspected Lin Wuji’s background might be related to Northern Yan. It’s a coincidence that when I was investigating, I found that this matter seemed to be related to the Xiao family.” Sheng Junyi threw the chess piece into the jar next to her, leaned back with her arms as a pillow, and yawned.
“You seem particularly concerned about the affairs of Chenzhou.” Zong Que did not look up, but picked up a white piece from the jar and started playing the game that Sheng Junyi had set up.
"You're all just as sensitive," Sheng Junyi scoffed. "I have my own purposes, and I won't interfere with you."
“That old fox from the Xiao family is incredibly cunning. It won’t be easy for you to find any loopholes in his scheme. However…” Zong Que paused, then asked Sheng Junyi, “Have you found out about Lin Wuji’s relationship with the Xiao family?”
"No, it just so happens that we found out that the people looking for Lin Wuji seem to be from the Xiao family." Sheng Junyi frowned slightly, reached for the teapot on the coffee table next to her, and poured herself a glass of water.
"Spread the word that Lin Wuji is a descendant of Crown Prince Chongwen," Zong Que said softly.
Sheng Junyi coughed violently a few times, almost choking on the water he had just drunk. He looked at Zong Que in disbelief: "May I ask Your Highness, are you serious or just talking nonsense?"
Zong Que looked up: "What do you think?"
"You're talking nonsense." Although Sheng Junyi wasn't entirely sure, it was truly absurd and impossible.
Zong Que nodded: "It's nonsense, but at this time, nonsense is useful. What do you think?"
Sheng Junyi's eyelids twitched slightly, and she immediately understood the meaning of Zong Que's previous words.
Duke Xiao was a cunning old fox, and he was definitely involved in the Chenzhou incident back then. However, this old fox was extremely meticulous, making it incredibly difficult to find any flaws in his story. And just at this time, problems arose regarding Lin Wuji's background, which was somehow connected to the Xiao family. Therefore, it's a bold guess that the fabricated story about Lin Wuji's past was likely orchestrated by the Xiao family.
Why would someone deliberately lay such a large bait to conceal Lin Wuji's identity?
If he continues investigating like this for the time being, he definitely won't find any clues.
But at this very moment, the emperor is making a big show of searching for the deposed Crown Prince Zong Que all over the country. But is he really looking for Zong Que? No, looking for Zong Que is just a pretext. The person he really wants to find is the bloodline of the legendary Crown Prince Chongwen.
Since Zong Que became crippled, he has lost his right to be the heir to the throne. Although the emperor wants him dead, whether he dies sooner or later, it won't change the fact that Zong Que is physically disabled. More important than Zong Que's life or death is the whereabouts of the Crown Prince Chongwen's bloodline. If that person is still alive, he is the real threat.
The emperor would never allow such a person to live.
Sheng Junyi was wondering how Lin Wuji had offended Zong Que, this great killer, when suddenly a thought struck her: "You, you wouldn't be taking revenge on your personal grudge, to deal with your love rival, would you?"
Zong Que raised his eyes: "This is not a question that you, Second Young Master Sheng, would ask. I didn't know that Junior Uncle was so gossipy?"
Sheng Junyi: "..."
In the Chenzhou case, Duke Xiao was deeply involved, but he also had a close relationship with the current emperor. Therefore, it's possible that His Majesty was involved in that matter. If that were the case, even with all his abilities, uncovering the truth would be incredibly difficult. But what does the current emperor fear most? He fears nothing related to Crown Prince Chongwen, such as any bloodline of Crown Prince Chongwen that has been lost to the world.
Lin Wuji's background is unusual, and this matter is related to Duke Xiao. If he really releases the news that Lin Wuji is the bloodline of Crown Prince Chongwen, he will completely muddy the already messy pot of porridge. Duke Xiao, the only one who knows the truth, will inevitably lose his composure. As long as he takes any action, there will inevitably be flaws that will be exposed. At that time, we can follow the clues and find the source, which is much better than having no clue at all now.
In a way, this also helped Lin Wuji. Duke Xiao was not an easy person to deal with. He must have something to gain by hiding Lin Wuji's identity. He certainly wouldn't easily tell Lin Wuji the truth, but if there was a big problem with this identity, then there was no need to worry about Duke Xiao not telling the truth.
That's a really wicked trick.
Sheng Junyi looked Zong Que up and down, and suddenly a question came to mind. "I'm curious, if your legs really couldn't be cured completely, what would you choose? Would you give up the throne?"
"If that's truly the case, then I'll accept my fate," Zong Que said calmly. "Who says I have to sit in that position to wield real power?"
Sheng Junyi paused slightly, then curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
I'm afraid everyone in the world has guessed wrong.
Everyone assumed that the Crown Prince was already crippled, or even deposed, and had completely lost any chance of vying for the throne. Everyone had already accepted his fate; even if he didn't die, he would at least be exiled or imprisoned for life.
But they all forgot that even if they completely lost the possibility of ascending to that position, with Zong Que's cunning and scheming, one day when he held great power, would it still matter who the emperor was?
With numerous royal heirs and puppets everywhere, even without ascending the throne, he could still serve as a regent, a figurehead above all others.
This is the true essence of the classics.
The carriage suddenly stopped.
Pei Ji's voice came from outside, "Young Master, the imperial envoy's carriages are coming this way. Should we take another route to avoid them?"
“No need. Since we’ve met, let’s get to know each other,” Zong Que replied.
"The news that you are still alive is just a rumor and there is no evidence yet. If you meet the imperial envoy, it will confirm that you are still alive. Don't you really need to avoid him?" Sheng Junyi asked with great interest.
“Then let’s make it official.” Zong Que remained unmoved and continued playing chess with himself.
Not long after, Pei Ji returned again. "Young Master, the identity of the Imperial Envoy has been confirmed. He is a member of the Yang family, the eldest son of the Yang family's main branch, Yang Chenghong."
"The Yang family was dismissed from their official posts less than a year ago, and now they're trying to atone for their mistakes?" Sheng Junyi clicked his tongue lightly. "Looks like they've put in quite a bit of money."
Zong Que instructed Pei Ji, "Bring the person over."
Yang Chenghong sat in the carriage, looking extremely annoyed, and grumbled, "When are we finally going to get to Jinzhou? This damned weather, is it trying to kill us with this heat?"
The capital city is thousands of miles away from the southwest, and it is impossible to travel by water. The weather is getting hotter and hotter as we travel. When we reach the southwest, it is so hot that it makes people irritable. He was born into a life of luxury and had never suffered like this, even now that the Yang family is in trouble.
If it weren't for the need to atone for his mistakes regarding the Yang family's mine, he wouldn't have wanted to take on such a difficult task!