pdf-ebookys Chapter 939 Royal Secrets
Chapter 939 Royal Secrets
The man with the beady eyes immediately recognized the voice: "Li Chong's daughter?"
"Not bad!"
“Little Fish is not like you. Whether it’s his studies, future prospects, or marriage, I think he plans everything out clearly, which will save him a lot of detours,” the beady-eyed man said with a smile.
Zhang Ping'an smiled helplessly upon hearing this: "This child looks like his maternal grandfather. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, so don't worry so much," the beady-eyed man comforted her.
"And what about you? Haven't you been thinking about your sister-in-law and Maomao all these years?" Zhang Ping'an asked gently, then placed a piece on the board.
Green Bean was speechless for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Well, you're just trying to comfort me, and you want to use my spear against my shield."
After hearing this, Zhang Ping'an put down the chess piece, his expression suddenly becoming serious. "I was just joking with you. Actually, I've already sent a message to the Northwest and sent someone out of the pass to inquire about the situation in the North for you. However, the journey to the Oroqen region is long and will definitely take some time. I'm telling you this so that you can be mentally prepared in advance."
The man with the beady eyes was taken aback. "This...you're helping me abuse my power for personal gain."
"I couldn't stand by and watch, and the situation has changed now, so I used my connections to help you. You can't live the rest of your life with regrets! Life is only a few decades long, so cherish every moment!"
Green Bean Eyes was both moved and excited. After a long while, he finally let out a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you so much!"
"No need for such polite words," Zhang Ping'an waved his hand.
Zhang Pingan left after finishing dinner at the Ge family's house.
Having finished eating, he was already waiting in the carriage. After Zhang Ping'an got in, he asked in a low voice, "Master, the people have been settled. Shall we go now?"
Zhang Ping'an nodded: "Yes, it's not too late now, so going there won't attract too much attention."
After finishing their meal, they drove Zhang Ping'an to a bookstore in the bustling downtown area of the city.
This bookstore mainly targets the mid-to-low-end market. It is quite large and has a wide variety of writing implements, ink, paper, inkstones, and books, but the prices are not expensive.
They also provided some book copying work, and occasionally published some trendy picture books.
Therefore, he was somewhat well-known among scholars.
Outsiders may not know, but people within the elite families of Beijing generally know that this bookstore belongs to the Zhang family.
Therefore, it is reasonable for Zhang Ping'an to take some time after dinner to check the accounts.
The master and servant did not enter through the main entrance, but through a small side door. The shopkeeper was already waiting inside. Upon seeing them arrive, he bowed and then silently led them to a pavilion in the backyard of the bookstore.
This area is not open to the public; behind the pavilion is a scenic lake, offering a high degree of privacy.
"The person is inside. They've been able to eat some food these past two days, but they still can't get up and can only lie down," the shopkeeper said as he pushed open the door.
The lights were still on inside. Seeing someone push open the door, the person inside asked in a hoarse voice, "Who is it?"
The voice sounded as if the person had been startled.
Zhang Ping'an walked in, sat down at the table, and replied calmly, "It's me!"
"Lord Zhang?"
Xiao Xiangzi turned his head and saw that it was Zhang Ping'an coming over. He was not so flustered anymore, and the weight that had been hanging over him finally lifted. "Ever since I got a little better, I've been waiting for you to come over."
"According to what I've heard, you're unwilling to reveal what happened in Yangning Palace that day. Are you afraid I'll discard you after I've served my purpose and kill you to silence you?" Zhang Ping'an asked.
Having survived a great ordeal, Xiao Xiangzi is now much more reckless than before, and less timid and cautious.
Hearing this, he smiled bitterly and asked, "Isn't that so? After I finish explaining the situation, I will lose my greatest value. Lord Zhang, you disobeyed the imperial order and secretly saved me. If this gets out, even if you are a first-rank minister, you will probably not be able to escape blame and will be branded as having ulterior motives. It won't be easy for the Emperor to investigate."
Zhang Ping'an raised an eyebrow. "You're not wrong to think that way, but you don't have a choice right now, do you?"
"If that's really the case, then I might as well just die now, since it won't make any difference anyway," Xiao Xiangzi suddenly said with a look of resignation to his fate.
Zhang Ping'an wasn't afraid and calmly said, "You don't need to test me. If you really wanted to die, you would have died a few days ago after you regained consciousness. You wouldn't have waited until now. The doctor went through a lot to save you from the brink of death. Are you willing to let this happen?"
Xiao Xiangzi fell silent, his hands unconsciously gripping the sheets tightly under the covers. After a moment, he asked, reluctantly and helplessly, "If I tell you, will you spare my life? I don't want anything else, just some money to send me out of the capital after I recover."
"Tell me first, and I'll see if the circumstances of that day were worth sparing your life," Zhang Ping'an said, tapping the table gently and unhurriedly, urging him on.
After finishing his meal, he tactfully took another blanket, spread it out, and placed it under Xiao Xiangzi so that it would be easier for him to speak.
Xiao Xiangzi struggled to lie on the quilt, and after a while, he recounted the events of that day from beginning to end.
The amount of information contained within is astonishing.
Zhang Ping'an frowned, realizing what was happening. "No wonder His Majesty couldn't spare your lives!"
Xiao Xiangzi was speechless. Anyone in a position of power would probably be silenced in this situation. He had grown up in the palace since childhood and knew this all too well.
"I've said everything I needed to say. I'm just a nobody, less than an ant. Please, Lord Zhang, have mercy on me. Don't worry, I know what I should and shouldn't say. I'll definitely keep my mouth shut from now on," Xiao Xiangzi quickly assured him.
Zhang Ping'an didn't rush to make a promise, and continued to ask: "You have served His Majesty since you were a child. How could you not have noticed anything about such a big thing? The Prince of Qin has been secretly plotting again and again. There must have been some clues left behind."
Xiao Xiangzi shook his head, "Even the late emperor didn't notice, so I'm just a mere palace servant, naturally I wouldn't know the inside story."
"Really?" Zhang Ping'an pressed, his eyes suddenly sharpening.
Xiao Xiangzi was a little overwhelmed. After hesitating for a while, he stammered, "This...this...some things are hard to say, but...but when the late emperor was alive, he governed the harem very strictly and disciplined the palace servants extremely rigorously. Empress Wei was also very shrewd and capable; nothing in the harem escaped her notice. Logically speaking, it was indeed impossible for the Prince of Qin to successfully replace the imperial heir again and again, so..."
Zhang Ping'an continued, "So you mean the young princes might still be of royal blood, just not His Majesty's biological children?"
"I dare not speak recklessly about these things; they are all just guesses. Who knows what is true and what is false in the palace?" Xiao Xiangzi sighed.
Zhang Ping'an, however, was thinking more deeply. He wondered if Qin Qingshan was saying this to protect his grandsons and to get revenge on Zhou Pu, thus stirring up trouble.
After all, if Zhou Pu is unable to have children, one of the princes must be left to inherit the throne.