The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 81

Xiao Yu’s gaze landed on Prime Minister Song.

“Your Majesty, this old official has something to say.”

Xiao Yu’s brow twitched. He recovered and looked at Minister Li, pausing for a moment before focusing his attention. “Minister Li, speak your mind.”

“This old official suspects that the murderer is the same person who killed Xiao Chengze. Their goal is to target Your Majesty and shake the foundation of our Baisheng nation.”

“This…”

Everyone exchanged glances. They couldn’t take sides lightly. Minister Li had always been in a different faction from them. Even though his words resonated with them, no one was willing to come out in support.

Time ticked by.

The hall fell into silence.

Minister Li maintained his clasped-hands gesture. The emperor hadn’t spoken, so he dared not rise on his own.

The wait was long. The summer heat spread through the hall, and soon a layer of sweat beaded on Minister Li’s forehead. At that moment, he wanted to look up to see the emperor’s expression but ultimately gritted his teeth and held his position.

Xiao Yu’s fingertips rhythmically tapped the imperial desk, making a quiet sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent imperial study. Everyone held their breath.

After a long while, Xiao Yu said in a deep voice, “The palace examination will proceed as scheduled. As for the matter of catching the murderer, it will be handled jointly by the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple.”

“But, Your Majesty…” the officials wanted to continue.

“That’s enough,” Xiao Yu waved her hand, her gaze falling on the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Dali Temple. “Let’s end it here for today. If the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple fail to uncover anything more, I think it’s time for you two to be replaced.”

“What?!”

This…

How did the conversation circle back to them? The two officials exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness in the other’s eyes. It wasn’t that they were incompetent; it was that the murderer was too cunning and left no clues. But what could they do? The emperor had spoken. The two clasped their hands together. “We obey your command.”

Xiao Yu nodded.

The two officials wanted to cry and turned their gaze to Song Yunzhou.

Song Yunzhou closed his eyes, completely ignoring their stares.

The Minister of Justice and the Minister of Dali Temple felt a pang of frustration. They both followed Prime Minister Song, so how could he abandon them at a time like this?

Xiao Yu was also tired of dealing with them. She stood up. “You may all withdraw.” With that, she left the imperial study.

These corrupt officials were clearly doing this on purpose. They had a problem but instead of solving it, they came to make things difficult for her.

No, she couldn’t continue to be so passive.

And…

A terrifying thought was immediately dismissed by her.

“Fu Shun, prepare the carriage. I am going to see the Grand Princess’s manor.”

Fu Shun secretly glanced at his master. He had been by her side and naturally saw what happened. He knew the new emperor’s predicament. For her to suddenly go to the Grand Princess’s manor now, she must be seeking help. He lowered his voice, “Is Your Majesty going secretly, or…”

“Don’t let anyone else know.”

“Yes, this servant will make the arrangements.”

Xiao Yu nodded, sighing slightly, with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“Your Majesty, what should I say if the Empress asks?”

The eldest miss?

Xiao Yu paused. “Just tell her the truth.” There was nothing to hide between her and the eldest miss.

Fu Shun immediately understood.

What a model emperor and empress.

Meanwhile, Xiao Qinya had just returned from seeing Miss Li when she ran into Xiao Yu, who had come to find her. The two exchanged a knowing look and went into the study.

After an unknown amount of time, as the sky gradually darkened, the back gate of the Grand Princess’s manor quietly opened, and a carriage drove out, heading towards the palace.

At the same time, a person in black was crouched on the roof of the Funing Palace. After the palace servants exited the sleeping quarters, the person in black leapt into the hall.

The owner of the hall seemed to have anticipated her arrival. Standing with her back to the person, she gazed out the window. Upon hearing the sound, she didn’t turn her head, speaking in a faint voice, “Did he send you?”

The person in black was startled. “My master asks if you deliberately leaked the information to the Grand Princess?”

Song Luoning slowly turned around and countered, “So he sent you to kill me?”

“My master told me to deliver a message: if you don’t want her to die, be obedient.”

Song Luoning endured the impulse. Her fingers under her wide sleeves were tightly clenched. Suddenly, a rush of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

The person in black glanced at Song Luoning and then vanished into the night.

The hall door was pushed open, and Xiao Yu entered from outside. She immediately saw the person standing by the window. She quickly walked over and embraced her, tightening her arms. “My dear, why are you standing here? Even though you’re well now, the wind by the window is strong, so you still need to be careful.”

It had been a full day since she left the sleeping quarters that morning. She didn’t feel anything while busy outside, but now that she was with her, she wished she could melt her into her body.

Song Luoning smiled gently. “It’s fine.”

“You should still be careful,” Xiao Yu sighed, lowering her head to kiss her neck.

The sudden touch of a hot lip on her skin made Song Luoning instinctively shrink her neck, but she didn’t push her away as she had before. She slightly turned her face. “Did things go smoothly?”

Smoothly, yes, but…

Xiao Yu’s eyes darkened. The Grand Princess’s words from earlier flashed through her mind. If those people were indeed taken away by Song Yanyu’s men, the murderer was obvious.

What if they weren’t?

Or rather, what if someone was trying to sow discord between her and her father-in-law’s family?

No matter the speculation, she didn’t want the eldest miss to know about it for now, especially when she thought about how the eldest miss had grown up without a mother and had been raised with great effort by her father-in-law. She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

If she told her that she suspected her father-in-law, how heartbroken would the eldest miss be? Would she be disappointed in her?

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