"By my calculation, the Third Prince and the entourage of the Duke of An should be back soon. We'll probably be busy from now on."
Just as Feng Yunshu had expected, the Third Prince, Dongfang Yuan, and General Li were "escorted" back to the imperial city by the Duke of Ding.
However, only a few parties involved knew that, in fact, the Duke of Ding had been under control for a while, and Dongfang Yuan and General Li were actually in control.
As soon as Dongfang Yuan returned to the imperial city, his men immediately informed him of the current situation in the palace. Only then did Dongfang Yuan learn that his father had been seriously ill in bed for some time, and during these days, it was the Queen and her father and brother who had been interfering in the state affairs.
"Your Highness, currently in the royal family of the Dan Kingdom, the relatives of the Queen are in power, and the Emperor has been unconscious for a long time. It's a complete mess... Your Highness must take control of the overall situation!"
Dongfang Yuan frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't worry. I will surely wipe out these traitors who dare to defy their superiors and plot a rebellion."
"By the way, you should immediately make arrangements to ensure that our people get into the inner palace where my father is staying to find out the truth. My father was in perfect health before I left. How could he suddenly contract the epidemic and fall seriously ill... There must be someone who drugged my father!"
"Yes, Your Highness! We will surely find a way to obtain the evidence as soon as possible!" His subordinate nodded hurriedly in response. "Oh, Your Highness, there's another thing. The Queen issued an imperial edict on behalf of the Emperor, ordering the Crown Prince to marry the second young lady of the Feng family as soon as possible. Tomorrow is their wedding day."
"The Queen is in such a hurry to marry the Crown Prince to the second young lady of the Feng family. In my humble opinion, she may be trying to win over Prime Minister Feng and other forces in the court as soon as possible. If the Emperor suddenly passes away, the Crown Prince will be able to easily seize the throne!"
Hearing this, Dongfang Yuan, who had just returned to the Dan Kingdom, was quite surprised.
"What did you say? The Crown Prince is getting married to the second young lady of the Feng family?!"
The official didn't know why Dongfang Yuan had such a strong reaction. Thinking he was worried about the throne, he immediately nodded. "This news is absolutely true. Preparations in the palace and the Feng Mansion are almost done."
"This can't be true..." Dongfang Yuan's face looked a bit ugly. He was sure that he had shot the Crown Prince with an arrow that day, and there was no way he could have survived. Yet now he was going to get married. What on earth had happened?
"Have you seen the Crown Prince with your own eyes?"
The official was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. "I haven't seen His Highness the Crown Prince in person these days, but the news is reliable. Is there something wrong?"
Dongfang Yuan looked solemn. After a moment of silence, he shook his head. "It's okay. You can go back first. As for the Crown Prince's wedding, let me think it over. Maybe this is an opportunity."
"Yes, Your Highness. For now, Your Highness will have to stay here. But Your Highness, rest assured. As long as Your Highness gives the order, we will surely go through fire and water for Your Highness without hesitation!"
"Okay. With your words, I feel much more at ease. Go."
After the official left, Dongfang Yuan was left alone in the Clan Mansion. Princes who had committed mistakes would be locked up here awaiting trial and punishment.
Meanwhile, in the main hall, the Queen was sitting on a high chair next to the dragon throne. Her position was shrouded in layers of thin veils. Although her true face couldn't be seen, everyone knew that this was just a formality. Now the imperial palace of the Dan Kingdom was already a world of the Queen's relatives.
A minister below the main hall bowed. "Your Majesty the Queen, this old minister has escorted General Li, who is suspected of treason, and the Third Prince back. I wonder how Your Majesty plans to interrogate and punish them?"
"How to punish them?"
The Queen narrowed her eyes slightly, exuding a chilling aura.
"A bastard born of a lowly palace maid actually dared to plot against the Crown Prince... I will surely make him and his slutty mother suffer worse than death!"
The Duke of Ding shivered and immediately lowered his head, not daring to look at the Queen anymore. His face was dark and unclear. He was extremely conflicted inside, hesitating whether to tell the truth about being drugged and threatened.
Just then, a sudden sharp pain came from inside the Duke of Ding's body, and his face turned pale and blue.
Damn it, the poison in his body was about to flare up again. This poison seemed to be reminding him not to forget what he had promised.
"Tomorrow is the wedding day of my Qi'er. In view of this happy occasion, I'll let that bastard live a few more days."
After saying that, the Queen looked at the Duke of Ding. "There may be some changes at the Crown Prince's wedding tomorrow. To be on the safe side, you, the Duke of Ding, will lead the imperial guards in the palace and be on standby at that time."
The Duke of Ding endured the discomfort in his body and nodded hurriedly. Fortunately, the Queen didn't say anything more, so he quickly left the hall.
After discussing the matter, the Queen came to the Eastern Palace.
The Eastern Palace was filled with a strange and gloomy atmosphere. As soon as one walked in, it felt like entering the underworld.
"Greetings to Your Majesty the Queen."
The maids and eunuchs in the Eastern Palace immediately bowed when they saw the Queen coming. Each of them had a blank expression, like puppets, speaking in a monotone, as if their souls had been taken away.
The Queen walked straight in and looked up to see the Crown Prince, Dongfang Qi, sitting motionless on a chair not far away. His body was a bit stiff.
When the Queen came, Dongfang Qi neither bowed nor spoke. He didn't even turn his head to look at her. He showed no reaction at all.
The Queen seemed to be used to it and didn't say much. She took a deep breath and then walked forward with a smile on her face.
"My Qi'er, tomorrow is your big wedding day. You should be happy. Concubine Mu said that as long as you marry Feng Manshu, you will completely recover. By that time, your mother will surely help you take revenge and make Dongfang Yuan and his low - status mother suffer worse than death!"
...
At this time, in the Feng Mansion.
For tomorrow's wedding, the first wife and Prime Minister Feng were personally making preparations, fearing that any oversight would affect the wedding.
Feng Manshu, who was about to become the Crown Princess, was gradually looking forward to it. She was looking forward to becoming the Crown Princess and then the Queen. By that time, who would dare to disrespect her!
Feng Manshu sat in front of the mirror and quietly looked at the woman in the mirror. She was only sixteen or seventeen years old, but she could see a deep sense of weariness and vicissitude in her eyebrows and eyes, as if she were a woman in her thirties.
Feng Manshu was a bit annoyed with herself. She frowned and slowly stroked her flat abdomen, whispering to herself, "Don't blame your mother for being cruel, my child. Blame the fickleness of fate. Blame that bitch Feng Yunshu. If it weren't for her constant interference, how could I have ended up in such a passive situation... "
"You were never supposed to be in this world. The world is full of treachery. Mother is doing this for your own good..."
Feng Manshu's expression became more and more distorted. She could hardly recognize the distorted - faced woman in the mirror.
"Second young lady, the Queen sent someone to deliver the wedding dress. I heard that this wedding dress was made by hundreds of embroiderers in the embroidery bureau, who worked day and night, stitch by stitch. If you see it, second young lady, you will surely praise it!"
A maid with a strange face walked in happily. Feng Manshu immediately put away all the expressions on her face and turned to look at this newly - arrived maid. "Okay, come here and help me try on this wedding dress."
"Yes, second young lady!"
Looking at the maid walking up, Feng Manshu suddenly remembered the unbelievable look on Zijuan's face before she died.
Zijuan, don't blame me when you're dead. I can't let the matter of the abortion be revealed. Don't worry. If you're still my maid in your next life, I will surely treat you well.