Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 600: Chapter 304: Feeding Merits_3

"If I’m not mistaken, the Pei Family still holds some status among the Xiongnu, and they might even have a feud with the Right Virtuous King." The attendant thought aloud, "The Pei Family could be with the Left Virtuous King, or from another tribe, or even with the Right Virtuous King. They could intentionally be sowing discord between the Right Virtuous King and the Marquis’s Mansion."

Marquis Jingyang furrowed his brows and said, "If that’s the case, then the mastermind won’t be easy to find."

"Actually, it’s not that difficult. As long as we find someone resembling the Central Plains people, they might be the mastermind."

Marquis Jingyang heard this and smiled bitterly, "You don’t understand the Xiongnu. In fact, within various Xiongnu tribes, there are many Central Plains people. There are also many children of Central Plains and Xiongnu descent. If the Pei Family really did flee to the Xiongnu, as we suspect, they could have married among the Xiongnu, and their children may not necessarily resemble Central Plains people."

The attendant hadn’t considered this, "I didn’t think it through."

Marquis Jingyang’s eyes turned sharp, his tone ice-cold, "Even if it’s like finding a needle in a haystack, I must find the murderer of Dalang and Erlang."

"Marquis, regarding the Right Virtuous King..."

"Don’t alarm the Right Virtuous King for now..." Marquis Jingyang stopped mid-sentence, but from the gloom on his face, one could see his intention.

At that moment, the steward’s panicked voice called from the door, "Marquis, something’s happened."

What Marquis Jingyang feared most at this time were the words "something’s happened." Recently, those three words had cost him his two legitimate sons. His heart sank, and a hint of panic appeared in his eyes.

"Come in."

The attendant also felt a sense of foreboding.

The steward entered, his face stricken with fear, not even bothering with formalities, he stammered, "M-M-Marquisss... Prince Chen, Prince Chen... he...he..."

Upon hearing it was Prince Chen, Marquis Jingyang’s panic magnified. He sat up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot without him noticing. He stared intently at the steward, asking, "What happened to Prince Chen?"

"Prince Chen was assassinated..."

"What, Prince Chen was assassinated?" Marquis Jingyang nearly collapsed onto the bed; thankfully, he managed to brace himself. He anxiously inquired, "How is Prince Chen? Is he alright?"

The attendant, seeing the steward’s grief and panic, knew that Prince Chen was probably... As a result, his heart plunged into an icy hell.

"Prince Chen, he...he..."

Seeing the steward stuttering, Marquis Jingyang became impatient. He yelled at the steward, "What exactly happened to the prince?"

The steward trembled all over from the shouting, and shakily said, "The prince was assassinated and killed."

Suddenly, Marquis Jingyang felt his vision go dark, and then he collapsed onto the bed, immediately losing consciousness.

Before he fainted, he heard the attendant shout "Marquis!"

Marquis Jingyang’s Mansion was not the first to receive the news of Prince Chen’s assassination and death; the emperor was the first to hear it. Soon after, all the courtiers of civil and military rank learned of what happened to Prince Chen, causing an uproar.

Zhao Yao in Xinde Palace also received this news, but he felt not the slightest surprise.

Tong Xi looked horrified, "Your Highness, Prince Chen is really dead..." The eighth prince actually killed Prince Chen!

Zhao Yao sighed lightly, "It was expected."

"But..." Although it was known that the eighth prince would kill Prince Chen, it was unexpected that he actually did it and so brutally that... to be honest, it was hard for him to accept.

"Your Highness, I heard Prince Chen died quite miserably..." The eighth prince didn’t need to be so ruthless when killing Prince Chen.

"It’s not surprising, it was just as miserable as how the two legitimate sons of the Marquis Jingyang’s Mansion died." He corrected himself, "My sixth brother’s condition was worse than the two legitimate sons of the Marquis Jingyang’s Mansion."

"Why do this?" Tong Xi didn’t understand; the eighth prince wanted revenge, but he didn’t have to be this cruel, leaving the body in pieces. "Your Highness, I feel that the eighth prince is..." He showed fear and said in a low voice, "Too vicious."

To be honest, the eighth prince had always seemed gentle and kind in front of them. Learning that he had ruthlessly killed Prince Chen was hard to reconcile with the person they knew.

Zhao Yao softly sighed, "Perhaps this is the true face of the eighth brother."

Tong Xi did not catch Zhao Yao’s words, and hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, what did you say?"

Zhao Yao looked up at Tong Xi and said, "You are mistaken. This wasn’t commanded by the eighth brother; he is not that vicious. The people under the eighth brother are Southern Wei people. They hate the Yuan Family to the bone, and using cruel methods to kill Yuan Family members is not surprising."

Hearing Zhao Yao say this, guilt appeared on Tong Xi’s face.

"Your Highness, I was wrong, I can’t believe I thought of the eighth prince like that."

Zhao Yao warned Tong Xi, "How the eighth brother usually treats me, you’ve seen yourself, so you must not misunderstand him, understood?"

Tong Xi obediently replied, "I understand, Your Highness, I won’t dare anymore."

"Also, in front of the eighth brother, don’t reveal that we know the truth about the sixth brother’s assassination, understand?"

"Rest assured, Your Highness, I know, and I won’t slip up." Tong Xi, after hearing Zhao Yao’s reassurance, found his fear of the eighth prince subsiding.

Seeing the fear disappear from Tong Xi’s eyes, Zhao Yao felt at ease.

The eighth brother is very astute, and if Tong Xi appeared scared in his presence, he would definitely notice.