The Evil Emperor's Favorite: The Sickly and Poisonous Concubine Goes Crazy

After Yun Ya left, Su Jingning placed the letter on the candle beside her. The flame lit up, and she looked at the jumping flames, her brows slightly frowned.

Ever since Mu Ling was banished to Youzhou, she had been sending people to keep an eye on him. A prince who lost his mother at a young age but was able to grow up safely in the palace and lay dormant for many years, even if he lost his royal status and was banished to Youzhou, still had some abilities, so she had to be on guard.

Mu Ling, who cherished his life so much, died just like that? She always felt that this matter was a little strange.

The flames gradually died down, and the piece of letter paper was burned to ashes. She swept the ashes into the charcoal basin at her feet.

The Palace of the Second Prince of Nanyue.

The maid led a thin man wearing a cloak that covered his head and face into the inner courtyard. Upon closer inspection, it was found that the man's right foot always lagged behind half a step when he walked, and he walked quite slowly.

"Ma'am, the person has been brought here."

The climate in South Vietnam is mild, and even in winter, the courtyard is full of flowers. The woman called Madam by the maid sat in a rocking chair, wearing a bright blue dress of a South Vietnamese noble lady, closing her eyes and rocking gently.

"Understood, let's go down."

Shen Zhiyi gently opened her eyes. Her originally round face looked a little thinner. Her makeup was delicate, and her bright red lips added a bit of charm to her.

She was granted the title of Princess Changping and married into the Nanyue Kingdom as the prince's consort. However, the Queen Mother Chen Wang plotted a rebellion and the cooperation with Nanyue was annulled. All the male members of the Shen family were executed, and her mother followed her father and eldest brother. The women of the Shen family were either exiled or became prostitutes, leaving her alone.

She was just a chess piece, so naturally she was useless. The Second Prince wanted to kill her. No one knew how much she had paid to win the Second Prince's trust and save her life.

"Long time no see, Your Highness Prince Ling." Shen Zhiyi did not stand up. She leaned back in the rocking chair, looking at the man in front of her without any scruples.

Muleng had been demoted to Youzhou for more than a year. The originally gentle, elegant and pampered prince had no idea what he had experienced during this year. His face was pale and thin, his eyes were cold, and he had lost all his former demeanor.

He looked at Shen Zhiyi and didn't say anything.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Shen Zhiyi sat up, with a smile on his face: "It took me a lot of effort to save you, Mu Ling, if you dare to lie to me, I promise to make you suffer a hundred times more than in Youzhou?"

Mu Ling's eyes were filled with hatred, and he seemed to be smiling:

"I want you to save me, so naturally I have what you want."

"The Queen Mother and the Shen family privately minted counterfeit silver and black iron weapons in Yaozhou and Youzhou, colluding with the enemy Nanyue. Your Majesty easily obtained evidence, Prince Chen died, and the Shen family collapsed. Do you know who was behind all this?"

For so many years, the Queen Mother and Your Majesty have been fighting openly and secretly for power. First, my aunt was demoted, then Chen Xu of the East Territory was killed, then the Netherworld Guards were taken away, and the affairs of Youzhou and Yaozhou were investigated. Your Majesty wants to deal with the Queen Mother and the Shen family and completely eliminate the power in their hands.

He wanted to push the Queen Mother, Prince Chen and the Shen family to the last step step by step and force them to rebel.

The rebellion failed, and the Shen family was destroyed overnight. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see her father and mother with red eyes asking her to avenge them. But the enemy is still sitting in the upper position unscathed, and she can't even reach the corner of his clothes. She can only hide in Nanyue and linger.

Shen Zhiyi's smile faded, and there was a fierce look in his eyes: "What do you want to say?"

"The daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, now the Crown Prince of Beiyang's wife... No, it should be the current Princess of Beiyang. If it weren't for her, the Queen Mother and the Shen family's secrets in Youzhou and Yaozhou would not have been exposed, at least Your Majesty would not have been able to obtain evidence so quickly."

"Su Jingning? Haha, she is a frail and sickly lady who has been kept in seclusion. How could she have the ability and means to do these things? And why would she do this?" Shen Zhiyi looked at her with contempt, unwilling to believe.

Mu Ling guessed that she would not believe him, and continued calmly: "Haha, weak and sickly? Raised in seclusion? Her acting skills are really good! Su Jingning's identity is far more than just the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo. I was deposed as a county prince and demoted to Youzhou because of her calculations. Su Jingning's methods are far more terrible than you think. Every day I was in Youzhou, I was under her surveillance. If it weren't for her, my leg would not be disabled."

"The person who sent out the Shen family's secrets in Youzhou and Yaozhou was someone close to her, named An Xia. She was proficient in the art of disguise and had great skills. No one could catch her. I saw with my own eyes how she disguised herself and sneaked into the silver kiln."

"As for why she did this? Pulling down Prince Chen and the Queen Mother, and then getting rid of the Shen family, who in the court benefits the most now?"

Shen Zhiyi's eyes were cold and slightly out of control as he stared at Mu Ling. He didn't seem to be lying.

Su Jingning, who stole the person she loved and brought harm to her Shen family to such an extent, must die!

She looked at Mu Ling without saying anything. After a long while, she pursed her red lips and chuckled, "What else? This alone is probably not enough to save your life, nor is it enough to keep you safe in South Vietnam."

Mu Ling raised his head and looked directly at Shen Zhiyi: "I want to see the Second Prince. What I have in my hand is certainly enough to buy my life."

Shen Zhiyi's expression changed, and there was no patience in his eyes.

"I can tell the Second Prince."

Mu Ling shook his head: "You can't make the decision."

"Oh? Really? What is it that's worthy of me coming to see it in person?" A hearty voice came from behind Mu Ling.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Shen Zhiyi concealed the cruelty and impatience on his face, put on a smile, and walked towards Zang Shuo. When he saw the man in white clothes covering his face behind him, he paused.

"I've met the Imperial Master."

The man just glanced at him, nodded slightly, and his eyes stayed on Mu Ling.

Zang Shuo hugged Shen Zhiyi and sat back on the rocking chair. He sniffed the fragrance of her hair with his nose, smiled, and glanced at Mu Ling with scrutiny:

"Is this the person you asked me to save?"

Shen Zhiyi snuggled in his arms and nodded: "He is the third son of Emperor Zhou, and was banished to Youzhou. He said he had something that Your Highness needed, so I sent someone to rescue him."

"Oh? How do you know what I need?"

"I've met the second prince."

Mu Ling's expression did not change, he just bowed to Zang Shuo.

"Your Highness will be interested in what I have in my hands."

The second prince of Nanyue made a bet with the king of Nanyue when he asked for marriage to the Great Zhou. If he got the black iron weapons of the Great Zhou and the defense map of the southern border of the Great Zhou, the crown prince of Nanyue could be replaced by him. However, the queen mother of the Great Zhou and the prince of Chen plotted rebellion, and the previous agreement became a bubble. He not only angered the king of Nanyue, but also lost a lot of power in the court.

Zang Shuo's eyes were more serious. He glanced at the Imperial Master sitting beside him. When he saw him nod, he looked at Mu Ling:

"What is it? I have to see it first before I know whether it can save your life in South Vietnam."

Mu Ling pulled out a roll of parchment from his large cloak and handed it to Zang Shuo.

"Your Highness, please take a look at this first."

Zang Shuo took the parchment and lowered his eyes, revealing doubt and surprise.

He looked at it for a long while without saying anything, and handed the thing to You Baishu who was standing beside him.

"National Master, please look."

You Baishu lowered his eyes and looked carefully for a long time before he looked up at Mu Ling and asked, "You are the prince of the Great Zhou. How can we trust what you give us? After all, this is the defense map of your southern border, which concerns the foundation of the country."

Mu Lin looked at him. The holy seal between his eyebrows gave him a cold aura that no one dared to touch. His clear and bright eyes seemed to be able to tear apart your disguise and see through you.

“National Master, you don’t know that I’m just a commoner now, not a member of the Great Zhou royal family. I don’t care about the foundation of the country. As for the authenticity, I believe that Your Highness and the National Master have plenty of ways to verify it.” Mu Ling’s eyes were filled with hatred and madness.

Half a month ago, he had been in Youzhou and had a narrow escape from death, but his leg was crippled. After surviving, he had some vague memories in his mind, which seemed like a dream. He seemed to have been to Youzhou before, but that was to quell the banditry in the southern border. He drew this map based on his vague memories.

Moreover, in that vague memory, there was a person who shouldn't have appeared, Su Jingning.

Zang Shuo looked at him, the suspicion and scrutiny in his eyes did not diminish: "This drawing is only half, what else do you want?"

Muleng's eyes were gloomy, and a sinister smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "I want you to help me capture someone. As long as you can bring her to me, I can immediately hand over the remaining half to His Highness."

"Who do you want?"

"...Su Jingning from Beiyang Palace."

Zang Shuo was stunned for a moment, then stepped back and put Shen Zhiyi down from his legs.

"Do you know the identity of the person you want? Princess Beiyang, not to mention that the current King of Beiyang is a famous killer on the battlefield, no one in the Su family of the Great Zhou is easy to mess with, and once they get entangled with you, you can't get rid of them. It's not that easy for you to get her."

Neither of them noticed the person beside them whose eyes turned cold instantly after hearing the name. He raised his eyes and glanced at Mu Ling, and the murderous intent in his eyes disappeared in an instant.

"Half of the blueprint, South Vietnam will keep you undetected for two years, how about that?"

You Baishu's voice was cold as he looked at Mu Ling, seemingly wanting to discuss something with him, but his tone did not show that he wanted to discuss it with him at all.

Mu Ling looked at the Nanyue Imperial Preceptor. This young Imperial Preceptor was second only to the Emperor of Nanyue in status. Even the Second Prince could not refute his decisions.

But what did he mean by not being discovered? What did he know?

"You are already dead in Youzhou. There is no turning back for you. Returning to Dazhou will only lead to death. If you want to live, now I am the only one who can protect you."

"As for this blueprint, this half is enough."

There was a flash of calculation and ruthlessness in Mu Ling's eyes. Two years was enough for him to gain a foothold in South Vietnam. It was also enough time for him to make new plans and settle the score with the Su family.

"Two years. I need a completely new identity in South Vietnam. Your Highness may look forward to it. I have more than just this blueprint. There are other things in my hand."

Giving him a new identity would be a piece of cake for Zang Shuo, so he naturally would not refuse.

"I will have someone arrange it for you. I hope you won't disappoint me and the Imperial Master."

.......

Northern Xinjiang.

Su Jingning went out for a day and didn't want to go out again. An Xia, who had stayed in Kyoto to help her handle the affairs in Beijing, arrived yesterday, so she asked An Xia about the latest situation in Beijing.

"When I left the capital, His Majesty intended to employ young talents and promoted many people. Now that the prince has returned to the Northern Frontier, the position of the commander of the Imperial Camp in the Imperial Capital has been vacant and no one has been chosen for a long time. I heard that it is also because His Majesty wants to train young people. The crown prince seems to be interested in winning over the Su family and may recommend one of the young masters to His Majesty."

"Imperial Camp? Now I have left the capital, and there is only my mother and the others in the capital, with no one to take care of them. It would not be a bad thing if any of the brothers could return to the capital." Su Jingning listened to An Xia's words and responded in a gentle voice.

"By the way, young lady. Yue Xun said that you have come to Northern Xinjiang now. The Fengtinglou in major cities across Northern Xinjiang have been welcoming guests since the New Year, and the business is no worse than that in Jiangnan. She also added some property for you in Hancheng. When you go out, you must have money on hand. She asked me to bring you the account books and property deeds so that you can take a look when you have time." An Xia took out several thick stacks of account books and silver bills and property deeds from the side and handed them to Su Jingning.

Su Jingning looked at the account book. This was her biggest headache, but Yue Xun liked it the most. Every time she looked at it, she admired Yue Xun for being able to look at it with great interest and do calculations for an entire afternoon. She was suddenly shocked and felt a chill all over her body: "I get a headache just looking at the account book. Put it aside for now and show it to Yun Qing later. I don't understand it."

An Xia knew her temper and took the things back with a smile.

She had just packed up her things when Gu Yan'an, who had been away from home for two days, came back.

With a smile on his face, he strode into the house, followed by two people who came back with him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." An Xia bowed to him.

Gu Yan'an nodded to her, then walked straight to Su Jingning, reached out and gently stroked her forehead, with a gentle and doting look:

"How have you been these past two days? How's your cold?"

Seeing that there was someone else in the room, Su Jingning reached out and took his hand away:

Gu Yan'an then took the opportunity to hold her hand.

"It will be fine the day you leave."

"Who is this?" She looked at the girl next to Mo You whom she had never seen before and asked.

The girl was wearing a blue-green dress with a short sword on her waist. Her black hair was tied into a small braid behind her back. Her slightly dark skin showed a healthy color. She looked at Su Jingning with bright eyes, and the scrutiny and examination in her eyes were not concealed.

"I am Kequ, your subordinate, honored to meet the princess."

Su Jingning didn't care about her gaze, he just smiled and nodded at her.

"It turned out to be General Ke."

She had heard from Aunt Tan that this was a female general in the Beiyang King's army named Kequ. Her father was a close confidant of the old prince and died on the battlefield, so she had been raised in the mansion for a period of time and was familiar with the place. She would occasionally help with some matters in the mansion.

"Princess, do you know me?" Surprise flashed in her eyes and she glanced at Gu Yan'an.

With her graceful manners, delicate and weak appearance, their princess met all her imaginations of a noble lady in the capital, and was as exquisite as a porcelain doll.

"I heard Aunt Tan mention it." Su Jingning did not ignore the hope in her eyes as she looked at A Yan.

Sure enough, after hearing what she said, the girl's bright eyes dimmed a little.

"I see. Princess, you are new to Northern Frontier, so you may not be familiar with the area. If you need anything, you can always tell Ah Qu."

Su Jingning smiled and nodded: "In that case, I would like to thank General Ke in advance."

Ke Qu forced a smile and bowed with Mo You:

"Subordinates retire."

Su Jingning looked at her back as she walked away, then turned to look at Gu Yan'an. The blood mole at the corner of his eye made his already delicate face even more charming, and even she was often fascinated by him.

"Beauty is indeed a disaster."