“Grandma Chang, weren’t you dead?” Prince Ning asked, full of confusion.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, this old servant should have departed with Consort Jing. However, Consort Jing allowed this old servant to survive by ignoble means.”
As she spoke these words, Grandma Chang’s face was filled with sorrow.
“What exactly is going on?”
Prince Ning was utterly bewildered.
“Brother, let’s discuss these matters outside. The most important thing now is for us to help you escape quickly.”
After speaking, An Le immediately asked Qian Yu to unlock the iron chains on Prince Ning’s hands and feet. Then, An Le and Grandma Chang quickly lent a hand, helping the two to switch clothes.
It was at this moment that Prince Ning finally understood An Le and the others’ intentions. They wanted Qian Yu to take his place in prison and then rescue him.
While still stunned, Grandma Chang and An Le had already swapped his and Qian Yu’s clothes. The next moment, Grandma Chang produced a human skin mask made for Prince Ning from her sleeve. With deft movements, she helped Prince Ning put it on, and he immediately took on Qian Yu’s appearance.
Qian Yu, in turn, also put on a human skin mask that looked exactly like Prince Ning. He then fastened the iron chains onto his own hands and feet. The two quickly swapped identities.
Had they not known that both of them were wearing human skin masks, even Grandma Chang would have had difficulty identifying the imposter Prince Ning.
After Qian Yu and Prince Ning swapped identities, An Le and Grandma Chang successfully led the real Prince Ning away from the prison. The entire process went unnoticed.
Meanwhile.
Prime Minister Qin was about to arrange for someone to go to Sizhuang to search for Huo Ying, but his guards had no courage to go to that place, which greatly frustrated Prime Minister Qin.
“Master, that Sizhuang is truly terrifying. One wrong step and one could leave their life there.”
The guards by Prime Minister Qin’s side said with great distress.
“Even so, you still have to go for me. Otherwise, you can die right now for not obeying your master’s orders.”
Prime Minister Qin flew into a rage upon hearing this.
The guards under Prime Minister Qin were compelled to accept the order and prepare to head to Sizhuang.
However, at that very moment, a strange man suddenly appeared and interrupted everyone’s actions.
“Prime Minister Qin, wait! There’s no need for them to go to Sizhuang. I am already out.”
Prime Minister Qin, who was sitting at the head of the reception hall, was completely stunned by the words of this strange man.
“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”
Although Prime Minister Qin found the man’s voice very familiar, he carefully examined the man’s unfamiliar face and was certain he had never met him.
“Prime Minister Qin, I am Prince Ning!”
As Prince Ning spoke, he slowly tore off the human skin mask on his face, revealing his true features.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, so it’s you! But how did you escape the imperial prison?” Prime Minister Qin asked, looking astonished.
“You don’t need to worry about that. In any case, you don’t need to send anyone to Sizhuang. Let’s find a quiet place to discuss some other matters first.”
Prince Ning had no intention of explaining too much to Prime Minister Qin.
“Very well, you don’t need to go to Sizhuang tonight. All of you, disperse and return to your posts.”
Prime Minister Qin immediately dismissed the guards in the reception hall and then invited Prince Ning to his study to discuss matters.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, what would you like to discuss with this old minister?”
“Prime Minister Qin, I cannot return to my Prince Ning’s manor at present. Would it be possible for me to temporarily reside in your manor for a period of time?” Prince Ning said, staring intently at Prime Minister Qin’s expression.
“This, this… of course, there’s no problem!”
Prime Minister Qin blinked a few times upon hearing Prince Ning’s words and forced a smile.
He had wanted to refuse Prince Ning, but now that they were in the same boat, it was difficult to refuse. However, if he didn’t refuse Prince Ning, and if the notorious Prince Ning were discovered hiding in his Prime Minister Qin’s manor, he would also face great disaster.
In the end, Qin Zhihong could only grit his teeth and agree to Prince Ning’s request, even arranging for him to stay in the courtyard closest to his legitimate second daughter, Qin Xilan’s residence.
When Prince Ning heard Qin Zhihong’s arrangement, he understood his intentions.
“Very well, I will trouble Prime Minister Qin during this period.”
“Your Highness Prince Ning, you need not be so polite with this old minister!” Prime Minister Qin replied magnanimously.
“However, Prime Minister Qin, I have one more matter to discuss with you.”
“Your Highness Prince Ning, please speak.”
Following that, Prince Ning beckoned Prime Minister Qin to lean closer and whispered something.
“I intend to control the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and then cooperate with Lin Zhenfan to conquer the capital…”
“What? Your Highness Prince Ning, if this plan fails, your entire clan could be annihilated!”
Prime Minister Qin was startled by Prince Ning’s scheme. Although he had long suspected that both Prince Ning and Lin Zhenfan harbored such ambitions, hearing it spoken aloud by either of them sent a cold sweat down his spine.
Prime Minister Qin muttered to himself, “Holding the emperor hostage to command the lords is too risky. If it goes wrong, it could…”
“Prime Minister Qin, I have no other options. If I hadn’t escaped the imperial prison tonight, the Emperor would have dealt with me within these two days.”
Prince Ning had vaguely guessed the Emperor’s intentions. The Emperor had kept him imprisoned without inquiring about him, all because it had not been forty-nine days since Prince Qing’s death before another son died. This was an extremely inauspicious event for the Emperor.
Therefore, the Emperor would deal with him later.
“Alas… Your Highness Prince Ning, you say you have no other options. Then, how can this old minister have any?” Prime Minister Qin sighed deeply.
During this period, the Emperor had purged a large number of high-ranking officials from top to bottom, but why he had spared this old minister alone, only the Emperor knew.
“Then let us…”
As Prince Ning spoke, he exchanged a few more coded words with Prime Minister Qin.
Subsequently, the two quietly began to plot a major undertaking.
…
In Prince Leng’s Manor.
Ever since Cold Ruo Li finished her dinner, her eyelids had been twitching incessantly.
Jun Mo Han, who was sitting nearby reading, also felt restless and unable to concentrate on his book.
“Jun Mo Han, tonight I have a persistent bad premonition, but I can’t quite articulate it,” Cold Ruo Li said, patting her forehead helplessly.
“I feel the same, a profound sense of oppression,” Jun Mo Han said, also feeling a deep resonance.
“You don’t think it might be my father, or perhaps the Emperor in the palace…”
Cold Ruo Li suddenly thought of these people.
“Don’t think too much about it!”
Jun Mo Han gently comforted her.
Just as they were about to send someone to the palace and to General Leng’s manor to inquire about news, the butler of Prince Leng’s manor brought a man into Hancheng Garden. This man was Jian Feng, the commander of the Imperial Guard from the palace.
“Your Highness, Your Highness Consort, Commander Jian Feng of the Imperial Guard requests an audience!”
“Jian Feng, why are you here at Prince Leng’s Manor instead of being in the palace?”
Cold Ruo Li asked him from inside the room.
“Consort, something has happened at the Empress Dowager’s place,” Jian Feng replied truthfully.