Daughter of aristocratic family

Chapter 502 Dirty Water
The Prince's Mansion was very clean. Not to mention any contraband, not even a trace of spider silk could be found. It must have been cleaned out. There was no such thing in the first place. Gu Zhen and Yun Hao did not investigate further.

The royal father and son are fighting each other, and as a subject, you need to know your limits.

"Prince, I'm sorry to bother you." Gu Zhen bowed.

Yun Hao said expressionlessly: "I will report this to your majesty truthfully."

"Thank you for your hard work, my two lords. Please come to the hall and have a cup of tea before leaving." Prince Zuo said politely.

"Thank you, Prince." The two men did not refuse and went into the hall and sat down.

The hall is decorated elegantly yet solemnly, with several landscape paintings hanging on the wall, adding a touch of literary atmosphere to this solemn prince's mansion.

A set of exquisite tea sets has been prepared on the table. The hot steam is rising and the fragrance of tea is everywhere, making people feel peaceful.

Prince Zuo personally held the teapot and poured tea for Gu Zhen and Yun Hao, "My lords, this tea is the Mingqian Longjing carefully selected from Jiangnan. Please taste it."

Gu Zhen took a sip, and the fragrance of the tea slowly spread between his lips and teeth. He exclaimed: "It is indeed a good tea, with a refreshing fragrance and a long aftertaste."

Yun Hao also took a sip of tea. "Not only is the Prince's Mansion well managed, but even this tea has a unique flavor. It shows that the Prince has extraordinary taste."

Prince Zuo's smile froze. "No, no, it's just a little trick. I'm sorry to make you laugh."

The three of them sat opposite each other, with the atmosphere filled with tea mist, and the atmosphere seemed a little subtle for a moment.

"Prince, we are just following orders today. I hope you will forgive me." Gu Zhen was the first to break the silence, his tone revealing a bit of helplessness and apology.

Prince Zuo put down the teacup, with a gentle smile on his face, but a barely perceptible depth flashed in his eyes, "Lord Gu, you are too kind. Thunder and rain are all the emperor's grace. As a prince, I can understand."

"The prince is open-minded, and we admire him." Gu Zhen said.

"Lord Gu, you are too kind. I grew up in the palace since I was a child and have long been accustomed to the ups and downs of life. I know that the world is unpredictable. What happened today is just a small part of the ever-changing situation in the court. My two lords, do you think what I said is right?" Prince Zuo asked with a smile.

"What the prince said is absolutely right. As subjects, we should put state affairs first, perform our duties conscientiously, and not be shaken by temporary gains and losses." Gu Zhen said.

"You two gentlemen are both the most important ministers in the court. The current situation is volatile, and we need to work together to overcome the difficulties." Prince Zuo's tone was gentle, but there was an attempt to win over others in his words.

Gu Zhen glanced at Yun Hao and said, "Prince, since we have completed our investigation today, we will not disturb you any further."

After saying this, he and Yun Hao stood up to say goodbye. Prince Zuo personally saw them off to the door and watched them go away.

When the figure on horseback disappeared around the corner, the smile on Prince Zuo's face gradually faded, replaced by a look of deep thought.

After Gu Zhen and Yun Hao left the Prince's Mansion, they went directly to the palace to meet the emperor.

The emperor met him in the imperial study and asked, "My dear ministers, how is the investigation going?"

Gu Zhen bowed and reported: "Your Majesty, Commander Yun and I have carefully checked the Prince's Mansion and found no prohibited items. The Prince's Mansion is in good order and everything is in accordance with regulations. There is nothing unusual."

Yun Hao then added: "I agree with Lord Gu's conclusion, but during the investigation, I noticed that the Prince's Mansion is heavily guarded inside and outside, and the guards have been frequently transferred recently, which reveals some unusual atmosphere."

The emperor frowned, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, making a dull sound, as if he was weighing something, "Oh? Frequent transfer of guards? Have you found out the reason?"

Yun Hao hesitated for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, I asked the chief guard and he said that they would strengthen the security of the palace to prevent any accidents."

"Strengthen security to prevent accidents?" The emperor sneered, "This sounds like preparing for a rainy day." Gu Zhen and Yun Hao did not dare to respond. They lowered their heads and silently waited for the emperor's further instructions.

The emperor looked back and forth at the two of them for a long time before he said, "The secret report cannot be false. The abnormality in the Prince's Mansion described by Jingyao must have its reasons. You two still have to conduct an in-depth investigation and make sure to find out the truth.
After hearing this, Gu Zhen and Yun Hao roughly understood the emperor's thoughts.

The emperor had to throw dirty water on Prince Zuo in order to clear the way for the eleventh prince to become the crown prince.

Prince Zuo and the Eleventh Prince were both sons of the emperor. The emperor was cruel enough to get rid of one son for the sake of the other.

Although Gu Zhen and Yun Hao remained neutral, they had to sympathize with Prince Zuo at this moment.

I don’t know what Prince Zuo did to make the emperor hate him so much and want to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Although they were full of doubts, Gu Zhen and Yun Hao still responded in unison: "I obey your order."

When I came out of the imperial study, it was already dusk, the sun was setting, and the afterglow of the setting sun was looming.

The two walked side by side under the palace wall, their long shadows stretched out, as if extending their thoughts as well.

When they arrived at the palace gate, Gu Zhen whispered, "Lord Yun, this matter concerns the life and death of Prince Zuo, so we must be cautious when investigating."

Yun Hao nodded gently, his eyes revealing a bit of solemnity: "Master Gu is right. Although your majesty's mind is clear, you still need to follow the law and not speculate. If there is any injustice in the matter of Zuo Junwang, we, as ministers, should redress it; if not, we must also clear the court's name."

"You're right, but." Gu Zhen sighed, "You and I both know how deep the water is. I don't know whether the so-called secret report is true or false."

Yun Hao's eyes flickered slightly. The Longting Guard had the responsibility of supervising all officials and had direct access to the will of heaven, but he had never seen any secret reports. This secret report was most likely false.

"Sir Gu, you and I have already taken on this hot potato, so we can only bite the bullet and move forward." Yun Hao said helplessly.

After leaving the palace, the two of them got on their own carriages and went home.

As soon as Yun Hao entered the courtyard, he heard his son's voice, "I am Sun Wukong, I am going to make a scene in the sky, monsters, don't run away, watch out for the stick."

"What are you yelling about, kid?" Yun Hao took a few quick steps and saw little Yun Yu holding a stick and chasing the puppy around in the yard.

Zhao Wangshu sat in an armchair on the porch, fanning himself and looking at his son with a smile.

"Dad." Little Yunyu picked up a stick and ran towards Yun Hao.

Yun Hao picked him up and walked to Zhao Wangshu, "Madam, are you telling him the story of Monkey King again?"

"He loves to listen to Monkey King." Zhao Wangshu helped him stand up, "He picked up a stick from the ground and thought it was the Ruyi Jingu Bang. He insisted on dressing up as Monkey King, saying that he wanted to protect me and my brother."

Yun Hao raised his lips in a gentle arc, his eyes full of doting and love for his son. "Yu'er is ambitious and a good boy, but your mother will give birth to a sister, and it is your sister you have to protect."

"My mother gave me a younger brother." Little Yunyu and his father had another argument, "Two younger brothers."

"At least one of them is a sister." Yun Hao said seriously.

Zhao Wangshu shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He didn't bother to pay attention to the father and son and walked into the house.

(End of this chapter)