Chapter 940: Chapter 776: Second Prince Poisoned

Li Wei looked up and suddenly noticed Xia Qing’s unusual expression, realizing his previous words might have been inappropriate.

He knew Xia Qing well; could Xia Qing be suspecting him of colluding with Prince Jing?

He quickly voiced his thoughts, fearing that any misunderstanding would make future cooperation difficult.

Li Wei stayed at Xia Qing’s mansion for a full two hours, only leaving hurriedly just before the curfew to return to his own place.

He believed he had dispelled Xia Qing’s suspicions and left reassured.

"Mr. He, you were right! Li Wei has indeed found a new master." Xia Qing sighed, expressing his thoughts to He Zhongkuan.

He Zhongkuan stepped out from the inner chamber and gave a bow. Beneath the concealment of his robe, a smile crept across his lips.

The study in Prince Jing Mansion was as bright as day, illuminated by several lamps, and Prince Jing was diligently writing at his desk.

Suddenly, Xiao Chengzi entered the study.

"My lord! There’s news from the Hidden Guard." He handed a small bamboo tube to Prince Jing, who swiftly glanced at the paper inside.

Immediately, he burst into laughter, feeling delighted.

"Excellent, the fish have bitten the bait, and not just one," he mused.

The next day, news suddenly broke out from the Second Prince Mansion, claiming that the Second Prince had been poisoned and was in critical condition.

This caused an uproar in the court; even Gu Chengyu was taken aback, feeling that it seemed rather rushed.

"Elder brother, do you think this news is true?" Gu Chengyu, having finished his duties, went straight to the Senior Brother’s mansion and also encountered his Second Brother, Wu An, who came along.

"I don’t know! At such a critical moment, would the Second Prince really be poisoned?"

Yin Kun frowned and shook his head. With only three days remaining until the Crown Prince succession ceremony, the Second Prince being poisoned seemed inevitably linked to the other Princes.

"There are three days left, if the Second Prince doesn’t wake up, how can the succession ceremony be held?"

Wu An paced back and forth in the study, visibly worried about the situation.

Gu Chengyu contemplated the matter, finding it rather peculiar.

"Since the Emperor has already designated the Second Prince as the Crown Prince, he should have increased the guards around him, and his meals should be more carefully monitored. Logically, he shouldn’t be so easily poisoned; how could the Second Prince be so careless? Do you know how he was poisoned, elder brother?"

"It’s said that a favored concubine was responsible. She has been captured but refuses to reveal who ordered her."

Yin Kun’s information was always more current, but whether this information was true or not remained uncertain.

"How is the Second Prince now? And what is the Emperor’s stance? Will the succession ceremony proceed as planned?"

Gu Chengyu immediately focused on the key points; learning the Emperor’s position might unravel the truth of the matter.

"The Emperor was furious at the morning assembly, determined to catch the culprit and sentence them to be torn apart by five horses. Attempted assassination of the Crown Prince is an unforgivable crime. As for the succession ceremony, the Emperor hasn’t responded, so even though the Ministry of Rites proposed proceeding, they can only continue preparations since the Emperor hasn’t indicated otherwise."

"The Imperial Physician has diagnosed him, confirming it as crane’s beak red poison. But it seems the Second Prince didn’t consume much, otherwise, he would have... he’s currently still in a coma."

Yin Kun looked at Gu Chengyu, who sat nearby and noticed after some thought, Gu Chengyu started to look more relaxed.

Wu An stroked his beard and sighed: "The Second Prince comatose, the succession ceremony might not proceed as scheduled. The Emperor’s attitude is quite peculiar and intriguing."

This time, Gu Chengyu agreed with Wu An’s viewpoint, "Second brother is right, the Emperor hasn’t canceled the ceremony, so maybe the Second Prince will be recovered by that day. In two days, we should see the outcome, so we should just wait for the result."

It goes without saying that this must be the work of the other Princes, perhaps more than one; we’ll see who ends up taking the blame.

Of course, it’s also possible the Second Prince staged this as a ploy, but considering the timing, the likelihood is low.

Right now, the most critical matter is the succession ceremony; since the Second Prince is already the Crown Prince, he must ensure nothing goes wrong before the ceremony, and for that, one needs to burn incense gratefully.

How could he take this opportunity to plot against the other Princes? Isn’t he afraid of losing the already secured Crown Prince position? Besides, fooling the Emperor isn’t easy.

So, if he wanted to deal with his brothers, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future; why act in haste?

"Who do you think is behind this?" With no outsiders around, Yin Kun straightforwardly asked Gu Chengyu.

Gu Chengyu shook his head, "It’s hard to say, I believe any of them could be involved, perhaps they all are! Some prefer to hide in the shadows, playing their cards stealthily and emerging unharmed."

Gu Chengyu wasn’t just referring to Prince Jing, he understood these Princes, being brothers, were adept at such plots and schemes.

Wu An seemed thoughtful, "I think it’s likely the Eldest Prince. Previously, the Emperor favored him, but ultimately chose the Second Prince. Could the Eldest Prince truly be content? Removing the Second Prince increases his chance of becoming Crown Prince."

Though Gu Chengyu acknowledged the logic in Wu An’s theory, he believed the matter wasn’t so simple.

"With the Second Prince poisoned, the first suspect is undoubtedly the Eldest Prince. In such circumstances, would the Eldest Prince risk this? It’s hard to know. But I believe the Eldest Prince isn’t foolish enough to be discovered if he acted."

"So, are you saying it’s not the Eldest Prince?" Yin Kun asked with skepticism.

"No! I didn’t say it wasn’t him. I mean, it’s unlikely we’ll discover it was him. Of course, that’s just my speculation. I think it’s more likely the Third Prince."

Gu Chengyu had carefully analyzed the characters of the three Princes, first ruling out Prince Jing.

It’s not that Prince Jing couldn’t be involved, but he’s adept at using others’ strengths, unlikely to personally intervene.

Besides, even without the Second Prince, the Eldest Prince and Third Prince remain. There’s no chance for him to become Crown Prince.

Hence, why engage in such a thankless endeavor? It’s entirely unnecessary.

However, eliminating one is a gain, so it’s possible Prince Jing acted as a catalyst behind the scenes.

Returning to the Third Prince, he’s impulsive and easily angered, possessing some cunning and fond of plotting from the shadows. However, being self-assured is a fault.

The Second Prince becoming Crown Prince shortly; how could the Third Prince not be anxious? He might have already taken action and gloated over outsmarting another Prince.

But in the court, who is truly a fool? Based on past quarrels among the Princes, the Third Prince’s strategy lags behind the Eldest Prince.

Additionally, the Emperor always harbors some affection and bias toward the Eldest Prince.

Thus, he concluded that the Third Prince being pushed forward to take the blame is more likely.