sbdcsierra Chapter 488 Getting angry
Chapter 488 Getting angry
Scholar Qiu did not go far, watching the three figures walk away side by side, seemingly lost in thought.
He wanted to get information out of Jiang Xiaoqi not because he knew anything, but precisely because he didn't know anything yet.
The black powder scattered throughout the city vanished into thin air overnight, and it wasn't just one family scratching their heads in bewilderment.
Marquis Chengen Yang Guozhong finally returned to the capital after many twists and turns, and the first news he received upon arriving in the capital stunned him.
When the Earl of Chengen returned to the capital, weary from his journey, before he could even find out what had happened in the Ministry of Justice prison, another matter came crashing down on him.
"What did you say? Things from the east of the city have vanished?! What have you done? Didn't you say it was foolproof? This is what you meant by foolproof!"
He knew he was a suspect in the Ministry of Justice affair, but since he wasn't in the capital at the time, it was easy for him to clear his name.
So this matter didn't worry him much; he rushed back for the next step of the plan.
After all, the arrangements outside the capital have been mostly made, and the battlefield will remain within the capital.
They have a clear advantage now, so they can't afford to falter at this crucial moment.
Yang Guozhong was furious inside the carriage, feeling as if the carriage might shake and fall apart at any moment.
The subordinates around him all kept their heads down, not daring to breathe, especially the one who was responsible for feeding the dogs.
He really just slacked off and arrived a little late, and didn't notice anything unusual.
The dogs showed no signs of injury or poisoning; they were eating and drinking well and were lively and energetic. How could they not have kept an eye on the goods?
Just then, a spy rushed in to report: "Sir, Scholar Qiu of the Hanlin Academy recently visited the vicinity of our academy. I wonder if he...?"
Yang Guozhong frowned, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Scholar Qiu, Qiu Cheng! A lowly fifth-rank official who has been demoted...?"
He certainly knows how to pick his time... Nobody would believe he wasn't involved!
"Closely monitor their every move. If they make any unusual movements, regardless of who they are working for, kill them without mercy!"
After his subordinates obeyed and left, Yang Guozhong had the carriage driven back to the Earl's residence, unable to suppress his anger.
Now that the black powder has been lost and it will take time to bring in another batch, the plan is about to be disrupted. And with Scholar Qiu getting involved again, things have become complicated.
"We must expedite the arrangements within the capital; we can't wait any longer!"
What exactly is going on with the Third Prince? Why has he remained inactive since returning to the capital?
With the situation so favorable now, why not press on with our momentum?!
Yang Guozhong had just returned to the Earl's residence and hadn't even had a chance to sit down and have a sip of water when his advisors rushed over to request an audience.
"Lord, you're finally back in the capital! You have no idea, while you were away, the Ministry of Justice prison was trying to pin the blame on our Chengen Earl's mansion!"
Fortunately, the Emperor was not misled by the villains and suppressed the so-called evidence, and did not cause any trouble for the household.
Now that you've returned to the capital, shouldn't you go before the Empress and plead your case?
The Marquis of Chengen disliked his advisor's tendency to cry and whine at the drop of a hat, but he did take his advice to heart.
Since he had handed over all the so-called evidence and nothing had happened to him, it meant that the Emperor trusted him not to do those things.
As for complaining to the Empress, that's fine. That nominal younger sister has always been irresponsible. If she could be relied upon, I wouldn't need to worry about her and would instead cling to the Third Prince and his mother.
Yang Guozhong waved his hand, signaling the strategist to leave, while he himself began to make his own plans.
Although he couldn't complain to the Empress, he could certainly complain to the Third Prince.
She had worked for him; back then, she had given away an entire bottle of such precious poison without batting an eye.
Now that someone in the Ministry of Justice has died, and it was caused by his own poison, it's obvious that the Third Prince's men were behind it.
I now have a small but significant hold on the other party. The Third Prince is always cautious and wouldn't do it himself; it must be one of his most trusted confidants who did it.
Such a person is very valuable to those in power; they cannot be discarded after use. The Third Prince certainly does not want to expose this capable assistant.
I can use this as leverage to ask for more benefits.
Once Yang Guozhong made up his mind, he immediately ordered his men to send a message to the Third Prince's residence.
Their relationship wasn't out in the open, so naturally, they couldn't just drop by.
Many of the family's businesses were registered under the steward's name, including teahouses, brothels, restaurants, and theaters, which allowed them to easily conceal their true nature.
Not long after the letter was sent, the Third Prince sent someone to reply, inviting Yang Guozhong to meet him at a secluded teahouse.
This teahouse is located in the north of the city, where there are relatively more poor people. It's worlds apart from the teahouse where I last met the Third Prince.
This teahouse only has two private rooms that can't really be called private rooms, since they are simply separated by a few screens and are not real partitions.
Seeing that the Third Prince and his brothers were gathered together, there was naturally nothing shameful about it.
Those who see it will have to say that the brothers are friendly and respectful, and that they get along harmoniously.
However, his meeting with the Marquis of Chengen, who was the emperor's brother-in-law, made their relationship somewhat intriguing and subtle.
After all, this imperial brother-in-law was not close to the empress and the second prince, and they barely spoke a few words to each other throughout the year.
The Cheng'en Earl's Mansion had little presence in the capital, but even such a low-profile earl would still arouse suspicion from all sides if he met with other princes in private.
After all, few people who can make it in the imperial court have a dull central nervous system.
Yang Guozhong was no fool. Since the Third Prince had chosen such a place, he would be letting down the special arrangement if he didn't disguise himself carefully.
He seemed to be casually accompanied by a few trusted confidants, but in reality, they were all his top experts.
Everyone was dressed in the same linen shorts, looking like laborers carrying heavy loads on the docks.
As soon as Yang Guozhong entered, he saw the Third Prince and his men, all dressed similarly, as if they had agreed to wear the same outfits.
The teahouse was deserted today, with only a few porters sparsely sitting in the main hall, drinking large bowls of coarse tea.
As soon as Yang Guozhong sat down, he began to wail and recount the events in the Ministry of Justice prison, repeating the same story of how he had been innocently implicated several times.
The Third Prince was clearly getting impatient. He had thought the old man had something important to say, but it turned out he was just asking for a guarantee and some benefits.
If I had known better, I would have made an excuse to cancel. Why did I have to come all this way to listen to this nagging?
However, in order to keep people calm, I still offered a few words of reassurance.
Then, changing the subject, he said, "Lord Chengen, now that the gunpowder has been lost, my plans have been disrupted, but I haven't even held you accountable yet!"
Yang Guozhong was startled, not expecting the Third Prince to know about this so quickly.
He composed himself and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I have arranged to expedite the preparations in the capital, and the new Blackfire will arrive in the capital soon."
However, this matter seems to have been deliberately orchestrated. Scholar Qiu of the Hanlin Academy is highly suspicious; he was unwittingly targeted, which is why….”
The Third Prince nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "Scholar Qiu must have someone behind him. He wouldn't dare to do that with just a fifth-rank official like him."
Investigate this matter discreetly first, without alerting the enemy. As for the matter concerning the Ministry of Justice, I will handle it myself.
Yang Guozhong hurriedly agreed, but inwardly he regretted not being able to gain more benefits this time, and that he had suddenly become passive again.