Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

Xie Tingyu sat nervously in Chu Yuncang's study, recalling every little detail of their past.

Although the two were close friends, that was only due to his naiveté during his childhood.

Xie Tingyu's mother, Jiang Muxue, was the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, a first-rank general. Chu Yuncang's biological mother, Yao Shiqin, was the second legitimate daughter of Grand Tutor Yao. The two were of similar age, both talented and beautiful, and became close friends. They were known as the "Two Beauties of Shengjing" at that time.

Later, Jiang Muxue married Xie Jingyuan, a top scholar from a humble family, while Yao Shiqin married into the royal family and became Empress Yao, the mother of the country. Their statuses diverged dramatically from then on, but the chasm between them didn't extinguish their friendship. As a child, Xie Tingyu often accompanied Jiang Muxue to the palace to visit Empress Yao, and he became good friends with the eldest prince, Chu Yuncang, born to Empress Yao. The two were of similar age and shared a close conversation.

But dreams are shattered. Empress Yao suddenly passed away from a serious illness. Emperor Yingtian, against all odds, quickly appointed Chu Yuncang the Crown Prince. From then on, Chu Yuncang became increasingly reserved, his emotions hidden. As Xie Tingyu grew older, he gradually understood the difference between ruler and subject, and the importance of serving the emperor like a tiger. While their friendship remained, it was no longer as pure as it had been in their childhood.

Now, can this meager friendship make Chu Yuncang show leniency to the Jiang family?

As Xie Tingyu grew increasingly uneasy, the door was pushed open and Chu Yuncang strode in. He had just finished showering, his slender body draped in loose clothing, his slightly damp hair casually draped over his shoulders. Perhaps the shower had washed away the fatigue of the days' journey; his handsome face was no longer as cold as before, but now held a slight smile. He exuded a lazy and leisurely aura, a stark contrast to his usual aloof demeanor.

Chu Yuncang's personal shadow guards Liuguang and Liuying gently closed the door and stood guard outside the study quietly. Their eyes were sharp, and they were always alert to the movements around them.

After Chu Yuncang sat down in the main seat, he realized that Xie Tingyu had not gone to wash up and was still wearing his previous clothes, with a serious expression.

Without waiting for Chu Yuncang to speak, Xie Tingyu knelt on one knee and said, "Your Highness, the things that the rebellious guard said are completely false. He must be trying to sow discord. The Jiang family has been loyal and faithful for generations and has never had the intention of rebellion. Please understand, Your Highness!"

Chu Yuncang stared at Xie Tingyu, only to see beads of sweat oozing from his forehead, reflecting tiny glints of light against the light. He smiled bitterly inwardly. This only true friend had already placed them in the position of monarch and subject. When facing him, he was already as timid and cautious as the other subjects, treading on thin ice. Had he become truly alone?

Chu Yuncang stood up and helped Xie Tingyu up, and said solemnly: "General Jiang devoted his life to Dongling, and the descendants of the Jiang family died on the battlefield to defend the territory of Dongling. The loyalty of the Jiang family is evident to all. How could I doubt the Jiang family because of a few provocative words? Brother Tingyu can always trust me on this matter." He did not call himself "orphan", wondering if he could dispel Xie Tingyu's uneasiness and save some friendship.

Xie Tingyu's expression was no longer tense. He bowed to Chu Yuncang and said, "On behalf of the Jiang family, I thank Your Highness for your trust!"

Chu Yuncang smiled bitterly. His mother's death had exposed him to the coldness of the imperial family. Since then, he had gradually hidden his emotions, learning to be a crown prince who showed no emotion. At first, Xie Tingyu hadn't noticed his change and treated him as usual, but his deliberate avoidance and indifference hurt Xie Tingyu, or perhaps Xie Tingyu had learned the lesson of being a subject, and they gradually drifted apart.

But during this trip to Jiazhou, Xie Tingyu took the initiative to take risks for him, and in his dream he ended up in an unknown state of life or death. He suddenly realized that if he missed out on Xie Tingyu as a friend, he would regret it for the rest of his life. It is too hard to be alone!

Chu Yuncang narrowed his eyes, pulled Xie Tingyu to sit down at the desk, and directly revealed the reason for his trip to Jiazhou and the bizarre dream. Finally, he added: "These things are unknown to me alone, and they have been weighing on my mind for a long time. In this world, Brother Tingyu is the person I trust most. If you and I work together like we did when we were children, we will definitely be able to solve these problems."

Xie Tingyu's mouth dropped open in shock. The dream itself was truly bizarre, but Chu Yuncang's ability to predict events along the way, always ambushing and waiting for the opportunity, compelled him to believe it. As for the conspiracy between Cai Zhen, the commander of the Southwest Garrison, and Huang Dai, the prefect of Jiazhou, he harbored doubts.

He licked his dry lips and spoke slowly, "General Cai Zhen was originally the deputy commander of the Jiang family army. He was a straightforward and generous man, and his military skills and martial arts were outstanding. My grandfather highly regarded him, and it was said that he almost surpassed my uncles. Many even speculated that he would be the next commander of the Northwest Army. But later, for unknown reasons, he left the Northwest Army. Now, nearly twenty years have passed, and stories of his heroic deeds are still spread among the Northwest Army."

Chu Yuncang personally poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Xie Tingyu. Xie Tingyu was a little surprised, but still picked up the cup and drank it all. He continued, "From what I know, Cai Zhen is not a person who covets power. Moreover, he is now the commander-in-chief of the Southwest Army. Although he is a first-rank official, one level lower than my grandfather, he is still so young and has a high possibility of surpassing my grandfather in the future. Therefore, there is no need for him to take the risk of rebellion."

"Also, Cai Zhen only has his parents, no wife or children. I heard he was once married, but divorced within a year. Rumor has it that he was unlucky with his wife, so he hasn't remarried since then. I haven't heard that he planned to adopt a son. Therefore, it's unlikely that he rebelled to preserve the prosperity of his descendants."

Chu Yuncang tapped the table with his fingertips. "Brother Tingyu, what you said makes sense. I have already sent shadow guards to investigate these matters, and they will definitely not wrongly accuse innocent people. Moreover, the Southwest Army must not be in trouble, otherwise, once this piece of fat meat is exposed, it will definitely cause disputes in the court."

Xie Tingyu bowed and said, "Your Highness is wise."

"Brother Tingyu, you can just call me Yuncang like you did when we were little." Chu Yuncang's eyes were bright and full of expectation.

Xie Tingyu was silent for a moment, his eyes red. He had thought that their relationship in this life could only be that of monarch and subject. He didn't act coy, but smiled heartily and said, "Well, when there are no outsiders around, I will call His Highness Yun Cang."

Chu Yuncang's lips curled up, his mood as bright as the warm sun. He smiled and said, "Brother Tingyu, do you have any thoughts on the people who are chasing us this time?"

Xie Tingyu hesitated slightly and asked, "Is it Queen Meng?"

"Well, of course Queen Meng had her hand in this. My second brother has no interest in the throne, but this woman is determined to oppose me at every turn." He sneered, "Of course, my restless brothers also got involved, even Nan Jing."

Xie Tingyu said solemnly, "If Nan Jing is involved in this, he must have some big plans. It's very likely that someone in the court is colluding with Nan Jing. And you must be their number one target. You need to be extremely careful. For example, if you hadn't been prepared for tonight's assassination, the consequences would have been disastrous!"

Chu Yuncang's eyes darkened. "Why would the guards of the Crown Prince's Mansion commit such a treacherous act? Are there other traitors among them? I've already arranged for the Shadow Guards to investigate. They won't have the chance to get close to me until they've verified the facts." He paused, "Besides, there are also traitors among the Crown Prince's trusted officials. As for who they are, I'll investigate thoroughly once I return to the capital."

Xie Tingyu was stunned. He didn't expect Chu Yuncang to be in such a difficult situation. Everyone close to him was full of suspicion and it was difficult for him to handle the situation alone. If Chu Yuncang wanted to reach that position, he would need to overcome many obstacles.

Xie Tingyu pondered for a moment, then stood up, knelt on one knee, and said, "Your Highness, I am willing to serve you. I will do my utmost and will not hesitate even if it means death!"

Chu Yuncang stood up and helped Xie Tingyu up, a smile on his handsome face. This was Xie Tingyu, as a minister and friend, choosing to stand on his side in the struggle for imperial power. Although Xie Tingyu was talking about a humble minister, not the Marquis' Mansion, let alone the Jiang Mansion, it was enough!

Chu Yuncang helped Xie Tingyu sit down and said in a deep voice, "Actually, what worries me most are those strange Taoist priests. The other forces are just political schemes, and we can just deal with them as they happen. But those strange Taoist priests can use strange powers and are beyond our comprehension. And I can only tell Brother Tingyu about such bizarre things. I hope Brother Tingyu will investigate it personally."

Xie Tingyu accepted the order.

At dawn, the two of them just went to rest...