Chapter 239: Life and Death Unknown

"Qingcheng is back?" Emperor Chongming was startled, and suddenly sat up from the bed, frowning, with surprise on his haggard and old face, "Where is she?"

"Just returned to the princess's mansion." The palace servant reported, "It is said that she brought back a man."

"Shouldn't she be in the Great Zhou? Why did she come back suddenly?"

"I don't know."

Emperor Chongming thought for a moment with a gloomy face, and said coldly: "Pass on my order, let her in immediately-"

"Your Majesty!" The eunuch hurried into the hall and reported respectfully, "Her Highness the Ninth Princess requests an audience."

Emperor Chongming was stunned. He had not yet completely recovered from the sudden news that Ye Qingcheng had suddenly returned to Shu. His thoughts were still a little confused. Hearing the eunuch's report, he only said in a deep voice: "Let her in."

"Yes."

The eunuch went out to pass the message, and soon Ye Qingcheng walked in. Seeing Sitting on the edge of the bed, the Emperor said calmly, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, Father."

Emperor Chongming is over sixty years old and his energy is not as good as before. These days, he has become more and more haggard and pale due to illness. However, his eyes still fell on Ye Qingcheng's face like lightning, and he asked her like he was interrogating a prisoner: "Why did you suddenly come back from Da Zhou? What happened to your brother's disappearance?"

Ye Qingcheng said, "Your Majesty, I rushed back because I learned about the disappearance of the prince."

Emperor Chongming's eyes were sharp, "Did the royal family of Da Zhou do it?"

"It shouldn't be." Ye Qingcheng said calmly, "After the news of the prince's disappearance spread to Da Zhou, the regent of Da Zhou sent people to investigate, but there is no definite news so far."

Emperor Chongming said angrily, "He disappeared in Da Zhou, how could he have nothing to do with Da Zhou?"

Ye Qingcheng said calmly, "The clues point to Jiuxiao Pavilion."

What?

Emperor Chongming's face changed: "What did you say?"

"Your son said that the clues of the prince's disappearance point to Jiuxiao Pavilion." Ye Qingcheng said calmly, "But there is no conclusive evidence at the moment."

Emperor Chongming's face changed slightly, and his expression was a little gloomy. After a long while, he said coldly: "You went to Da Zhou for marriage, why would the regent of Da Zhou let you come back?"

"Your son is still free."

"What did you say?" Emperor Chongming's face darkened, "What do you mean?"

"The power of the emperor of Da Zhou has been hollowed out, and now the power of government and military power is all in the hands of the regent." Ye Qingcheng said calmly, "This regent has a wife who loves him like a treasure. He has no plan to take other concubines, and does not allow the emperor to take concubines in the harem, so the marriage did not succeed."

When Emperor Chongming heard this, a deep and unfathomable color appeared in his eyes, "The regent controls the government?"

"Yes."

Emperor Chongming fell silent again, his eyebrows and eyes were gloomy, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

The palace was silent, the air seemed to be condensing, and the palace servants stood aside trembling, not daring to speak.

It was not until the emperor got up from the bed that the personal eunuch immediately lowered his eyebrows and eyes and came forward to serve.

"What do you think about the disappearance of the prince?" The emperor slowly stretched out his arms, and with the help of the eunuch, he put on a noble bright yellow dragon robe. The tone of the question was gloomy, and people could not detect the real emotion in it.

Ye Qingcheng said, "I don't have any opinion."

The emperor frowned and looked at her unhappily, "He is your brother."

"So you think I can save him?" Ye Qingcheng raised her eyes, with a strange luster in her eyes, "I am just a weak woman who can't even tie a chicken. Do you think I can be so powerful that I can find out the whereabouts of my brother immediately, or do you think I should be responsible for his disappearance?"

"You..." Emperor Chongming was angry and was about to say that he was presumptuous, but a sharp pain came from his head, as if someone was constantly piercing his head with an awl, and the pain made his face pale suddenly, and his body shook involuntarily, "Come... someone!"

"Your Majesty! What's wrong with you?!" The personal steward hurriedly supported him and carefully helped him sit on the bed, "Your Majesty, shall I call the imperial physician?"

Emperor Chongming closed his eyes and couldn't help holding his head with both hands. He was about to grit his teeth and ask someone to call the imperial physician, but the severe pain seemed like an illusion and suddenly disappeared without a trace.

My mind was empty for a while, and then it suddenly stopped hurting, as if the severe pain just now did not exist at all... Emperor Chongming was stunned for a long time, and then slowly put down his hands: "I'm fine."

But his voice was much more tired and sounded a little empty.

"If the emperor is unwell, please ask the imperial physician to come and see him." Ye Qingcheng said in a light tone, "The health of the emperor is related to the country. Now the prince is missing and his life and death are unknown. If the emperor has any mishap, the country of Shu will soon fall into chaos."

If this sentence came from someone else's mouth... Oh no, no one in the court, including the prince, would have the courage to speak so bluntly in front of the king of a country, and even dare to say "If the emperor has any mishap", but Ye Qingcheng not only dared to say it, but also did not worry about causing the emperor's anger.

Because the emperor and the palace people have been used to hearing it.

The Ninth Princess had been a bit of a loner since she was young. After the Yun family encountered trouble three years ago, she became even more cold and indifferent and difficult to get close to. Fortunately, the emperor was more tolerant of his daughter than his sons, probably because the Ninth Princess had lost her mother when she was young and the princess was not involved in the dispute over the throne. Although she had a bad temper, the emperor turned a blind eye and was unwilling to argue with her.

From the time she entered the palace till now, she had not said a single word of genuine concern. She was not as concerned as other princes and princesses, and her attitude was particularly cold. The emperor did not seem angry. Apart from expressing some doubts about her marriage to the Great Zhou and the disappearance of the prince, he did not show any other unhappy emotions.

"I'm fine." The emperor said calmly, "Speaking of the throne, do you think I should abolish the throne and appoint another one?"

The prince was kidnapped and his life or death is unknown. What if...

"In my opinion, the country should be the most important thing." Ye Qingcheng said, "Unless the prince can come back safely, it is better for your father to make a decision early."

The palace servant handed over the tea, and Emperor Chongming took it and sipped the tea slowly: "Did the Regent of the Great Zhou send someone to escort you back?"

"No." Ye Qingcheng said calmly, "The prince left a few people with me, and I just told the Regent when I came back. Since they have no idea of ​​marriage, they naturally don't mind letting me go back to Shu. Besides, the Great Zhou is now busy with the marriage with Dongling and has no time to pay attention to me."

What?

Emperor Chongming's face changed: "The Great Zhou is marrying Dongling?"

"Your Majesty heard it right." Ye Qingcheng said in a light tone, "The wife of the Regent of the Great Zhou is Princess Dongling."

Emperor Chongming's heart sank, and he couldn't say a word.

--

Author's words:

I heard that National Day is coming, and Mid-Autumn Festival is coming too. Are the babies going to have a holiday? Should I save some manuscripts and update them when the little cuties have a holiday?