It wasn't until Zhao Rao fell into a deep sleep that Cheng Zheng walked out of the bedroom lightly.
"My lord." Out of the main hall, two shadow guards with knives were already waiting for him.
"Have you found it?" Cheng Zheng's expression was cold and stern, not at all as gentle as before when he was facing Zhao Rao.
"We followed his people to the stone village outside the city, but they disappeared." One of the shadow guards said, "My lord, could it be that Cheng Zheng hid the fifth princess in the stone village?"
Cheng Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly, "You take people to Shitou Village, and dig three feet to find the princess."
"Yes, my lord." The two shadow guards led away.
Cheng Zheng also left the palace afterward. Today's weather is very bad, the sky is covered with dark clouds, thunder can be faintly heard, and it should rain heavily in a while.
He rode a horse, followed by only four shadow guards, and came to the gate of the Song family, the second princess Zhao Xiang whom he begged to see.
Zhao Xiang married the second son of the Song family, but did not move to the princess mansion, but lived in the Song family. He was filial and respectful to the second son of the Song family, and never put on airs of a princess. He had a very good reputation in the capital city. He didn't want to do anything to the second princess, so he came here in person.
"Master Cheng, this way please." The servants of the Song family welcomed Cheng Zheng into the gate.
"Is Lord Hou at home today?" Cheng Zheng asked casually.
The servant replied, "Master Cheng, our Lord Hou has gone out."
Cheng Zheng raised his eyebrows slightly, and didn't say any more.
"Master Cheng, please wait a moment, I will report to the second princess." The servant whispered, and asked Cheng Zheng to serve tea, and he went to the backyard to report.
"Okay." Cheng Zheng smiled faintly, and sat down on the grand teacher's chair beside him.
Not long after, Zhao Xiangshi came over and saw Cheng Zheng sitting in the hall. She walked in dignifiedly and gracefully with a just right smile on her face.
"Your Majesty Cheng is here, and our Song family is full of glory." Zhao Xiang said with a smile, but his tone was slightly cold.
"Second princess, you're being polite." Cheng Zheng said quietly, "I came here today because I want to ask the princess about something."
Zhao Xiang sat down and said with a smile, "I don't dare to do it, Mr. Cheng has something to say."
Cheng Zheng smiled, looked up at Zhao Xiang, "Does the Second Princess know where the Fifth Princess is?"
"Heh." When Zhao Xiang heard Cheng Zheng's words, a surge of anger rushed into her head, and she was almost speechless. "Did Master Cheng ask the wrong person?"
"Does Second Princess really not know?" Cheng Zheng asked with a half-smile.
Zhao Xiang stood up abruptly, "If you ask me this, it means that Ning'er was indeed detained by you before. Cheng Zheng, what do you mean by doing that? Now that Ning'er is missing, do you suspect someone else?"
"I kept Fifth Princess for her own good. If someone takes her away without knowing the truth, then they will bear the consequences themselves." Cheng Zheng said expressionlessly.
"For her good?" Zhao Xiang sneered, "It's for her good to let her separate from Murongyi? Mr. Cheng, you are too self-righteous. Now that the fifth sister is gone, you are blaming others instead. If she really has something wrong, This palace is the only one who wants to ask you."
Cheng Zheng took a look at Zhao Xiang. He was sure that Zhao Ning was taken away by Song Hongao, but he didn't know whether Zhao Xiang knew about it or not. Looking at Zhao Xiang's reaction now, he probably didn't know about it.
"If the fifth princess has both good and bad, the one who took her away should be held accountable." Cheng Zheng said flatly, "Since the second princess doesn't know about it, I will leave now."
"Cheng Zheng!" Zhao Xiang called to stop him, "I hope you won't let His Majesty become a person whom no relatives recognize."
"Second princess, you're speaking too seriously." Cheng Zheng looked at her coldly, "Your Majesty has treated all the princesses well, and he has never killed anyone since he ascended the throne. I don't know why she makes you think that you will disown her."
Zhao Xiang said coldly, "As long as you are by her side, you will implicate him."
"The second princess must be disappointed, this Marquis will not leave Rao'er." Cheng Zheng sneered, and strode out of the hall.
When he was about to leave the Song family, Song Hongao's carriage just arrived at the gate.
Cheng Zheng stopped and stood on the steps with a straight body, looking at Song Hongao coldly.
Song Hongao knew about Cheng Zheng's arrival on the way. He stood beside the carriage and smiled slightly at Cheng Zheng, "Master Cheng is very leisurely today."
"Not leisurely, I came here on purpose." Cheng Zheng said flatly.
"I heard that you are here to find the second princess. It seems that the matter is over. This Marquis will not hinder you, so please go slowly." Song Hong'ao's handsome face had a polite smile.
Cheng Zheng walked down the steps slowly. He was slightly taller than Song Hongao, and his figure was stronger. The two stood facing each other. His imposing manner was intimidating, showing sharp sharpness, while Song Hongao was restrained and gentle like an unsheathed sword.
"Even if you take Zhao Ning away, what will change?" Cheng Zheng asked in a low voice.
"Master Cheng, what are you talking about? Why can't I understand?" Song Hongao was confused, with an expression of not knowing what Cheng Zheng was saying.
"You know exactly what kind of predicament Qi will face if Murongyi doesn't get the throne of Jin." Cheng Zheng said coldly, "Do you want to see the people of Qi continue to be displaced?"
Song Hongao said in a deep voice, "You are the one who made Qi lose its stability."
If it wasn't for Cheng Zheng helping Zhao Rao to usurp the throne, if it wasn't for him increasing taxes, if it wasn't for his policies, Qi would not have become more and more depressed.
"Rao'er is more suitable to be emperor than the fifth prince, you know it very well." Cheng Zheng said, "Even the late emperor thought so."
"Even so, it's not the reason for you to usurp the throne." Song Hongao naturally knew the late emperor's evaluation of Zhao Rao, but the fifth prince had done nothing since he ascended the throne. He was exactly the emperor Qi needed, and it was Cheng Zheng himself who was ambitious.
Cheng Zheng sneered, "If I hadn't done this, the Qi Kingdom would have been swallowed by the Beiming Kingdom. It was the fifth prince who listened to the slander and wanted to kill me. Without me here, the Beiming Kingdom would have invaded."
"Then what you said makes sense." Song Hongao nodded lightly, "And you have succeeded. Although Zhao Rao is the emperor, you are the one who really controls Qi. I have no reason to oppose you."
"Then hand over Zhao Ning." Cheng Zheng said.
"I don't know where the fifth princess is." Song Hongao looked cold, "You put the fifth princess under house arrest. You know where she is best."
Cheng Zheng smiled lightly, "How do you know that I put the fifth princess under house arrest?"
No one knew how he treated Zhao Ning. Song Hongao obviously went to Cheng's house to save Zhao Ning.
"It's not that the fifth princess is under house arrest. Did you still torture and coerce her?" Song Hongao asked again.
"Since Lord Song refuses to hand over the fifth princess, I can only find it myself." Cheng Zheng smiled slightly, "From now on, Lord Song's family, don't let anyone walk out of this gate until I find the fifth princess."
Song Hongao looked at him coldly, "This is what you mean, or the emperor's will."
"This is the will."