Not long after, Lu Qingyun appeared in Ning Chen's tent and reported his subordinates' findings truthfully.
"I think this bastard, Enhe Jin, must know something. Why not arrest him and have him tried?"
Ning Chen had his back to him, a cold light in his eyes.
"Since you have an idea, go ahead and do it. Remember not to alert the enemy."
"Yes." Lu Qingyun bowed.
Just as she was about to leave, Ning Chen called her back, "Are the Third Prince and Concubine Yi making any moves?"
"Nothing has been discovered yet. The two of them just talked in private for a while. I don't know the specific content. The third prince is in his tent right now." Lu Qingyun said.
Ning Chen nodded and waved his hand, "Go ahead and keep a close eye on it."
After there was no one else in the tent, he let out a long sigh and turned around.
On the table were articles written by several princes two days ago. They all had their own opinions and strengths. The third and fourth princes wrote very well, better than the other two older ones. He was very pleased at that time.
But now I just feel upset when I look at it.
No parent wants to see their own flesh and blood killing each other.
"Your Majesty, the tea is cold. Let me change it for you." Yuan Jiu said in a low voice.
Ning Chen narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice, "The children have grown up. Even I can't control them now. I wanted to wait a few years to temper them more, but now it seems that if I wait a few more years, they will go astray even more."
We are not fools.
The competition for favor in the harem is no longer as fierce as it used to be. To put it bluntly, they are all in their thirties, so why are they still fighting for it? If they want to fight, it's only for the children.
The one who was murdered was the Fourth Prince, and no one would really believe that the person who poisoned the Imperial Concubine wanted to kill her.
Yuan Jiu didn't want to respond and still pretended to be confused, "People are different and they all have their own ideas."
But this time, Ning Chen didn't intend to let him go around.
He said directly, "You don't have to be shy about anything. You have served me for more than thirty years and you have a very thorough understanding of things. Just tell me what the Third Prince is like and what the Fourth Prince is like."
Yuan Jiu raised his head slightly, his eyes met Ning Chen's for a moment, and then he quickly lowered his head.
I sighed in my heart. This time I had no choice but to say it. I had to be careful and cautious.
After thinking it over again, I spoke carefully.
"From my perspective, the two princes have similar personalities. They are both very strong-willed, but the third prince is more obsessed, so he is more thoughtful. The fourth prince is more open-minded and always strives for the best. But if he can't get it, he can let it go and be more lively."
To put it bluntly, the Third Prince is very paranoid and may do whatever it takes to achieve his goal, but the Fourth Prince is different. He can take it or leave it. He will strive for what he can get, but will not force what he cannot get.
Although they are both strong and proud, the Third Prince does it for face and vanity, while the Fourth Prince naturally wants to do things to the best of his ability.
Ning Chen looked at this servant who had followed him for many years, shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"You have a very poisonous eye."
As a father, he understood his son, but it was difficult for him to choose between the two children. Even Ye Jun's words were not enough evidence because Ye Jun was the biological mother of the Fourth Prince.
But Yuan Jiu is different. He is neutral and loyal to Ning Chen, so what he said today was Yuan Jiu revealing what Ning Chen was thinking.
Night falls.
Ning Chen was worried about Ye Jun, so he ordered someone to set up a small bed in her tent and slept beside her to keep watch.
The poison has been identified through experience. It is something from the Liao Kingdom. If the two are taken separately, it will be a chronic poison that will harm the body over many years. However, if they are taken together, they will be highly toxic.
The Third Prince would not be able to get this, so he must have help from others.
The first people Ning Chen suspected were En and Jin.
So they concealed the knowledge of the poison's origin and investigated secretly.
Looking at the woman sleeping beside him, Ning Chen fell asleep with difficulty in worry.
But he didn't expect that the next day he would face something he didn't want to face even more.
Lu Qingyun came to report early in the morning that at half past three last night, the third prince disguised himself as a servant and went to the tent of Crown Prince Hongger.
If it was just an ordinary meeting, why would they choose the middle of the night, and why would they dress up specially? There must be something secretive here.
Before Ning Chen could think about it, Lu Qingyun tore off another fig leaf of the Third Prince.
According to Angqin's confession, he was instructed by Hongger to follow the Fourth Prince during the horse race. When Hongger and the Third Prince angered the Fourth Prince and the Fourth Prince wanted to speed up to catch up, he inserted a silver needle into the Fourth Prince's horse, causing the horse to be frightened.
At first, Lu Qingyun didn't believe that Ang Qin could do flying needles at such a young age, until Ang Qin demonstrated it to him, and then he believed it.
Angqin also bluntly stated that Enhe Jin had many illegitimate sons and daughters, and he was able to gain a foothold in the palace by relying on this skill.
After listening to Lu Qingyun's report, Ning Chen was silent for a long time.
After a long while, he stood up and said, "Yuan Jiu, go and call the Third Prince over. Tell him that I have read his article and there are a few problems that I would like to point out. Lu Qingyun, select a few reliable and tight-lipped people to guard the tent."
Speaking like this definitely means that there will be a settlement.
The atmosphere suddenly became solemn.
Yuan Jiu sighed in his heart and hurried down to do his work.
When he arrived, the third prince was still reading a book and was very polite when he saw Yuan Jiu.
"The emperor specifically asked me to invite Your Highness over. There are some things about the article that he wants to discuss with Your Highness. Let's go now." Yuan Jiu said with a smile.
Anyway, there is no mistake in his attitude.
The third prince had no doubts and came immediately.
It was not until I reached the door of the tent and noticed that there were more guards than usual that I began to feel that something was amiss.
After entering the tent, Yuan Jiu did not follow in, and the Third Prince did not know that outside the tent, the eunuch Liang Zhao who came with him had been dragged away with his mouth covered.
"Youth pays respects to father." The third prince saluted.
Ning Chen raised his eyes and looked over, saying calmly, "Kneel down."
"Father..." The hair on the back of the Third Prince suddenly stood up, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, "Father, please calm down. I don't know what your son has done wrong..."
"I told you to kneel down!" Ning Chen shouted in a low voice, and threw the book in his hand over with a whoosh.
The third prince trembled all over and quickly knelt on the ground, and the booklet fell right in front of him.
It was the article that Ning Chen had given him a topic to write a few days ago, and its content was about the way of a gentleman.
"There is nothing better for a gentleman to cultivate his mind than sincerity. If one is sincere, there is nothing else to do but to uphold benevolence and to act righteously."
Ning Chen's eyes were cold as he read out the words written in the Third Prince's article word by word.
"You said in your article that we should be sincere, uphold benevolence, and practice morality, and that this is the way for a gentleman to nourish his mind and body. I just think that you are a man of your words, but what dirty things have you done that you still have the nerve to write such words!"