Chapter 138 Prince Mediocre Is Paralyzed In An Accident
Roasted venison was a rare delicacy when sprinkled with salt, and Junior Duke Rong had cumin from the Yi people in the Northwest. When sprinkled with cumin, the venison became even more fragrant.
The palace was filled with the aroma of venison.
Qiao Jinniang didn’t dare to eat it until Lu Chen ate some. It tasted really good.
“It took me a lot of energy to hunt this deer. Venison is a little firmer than beef. Roasted like this, the venison is very juicy and is not worse than the dishes in your Tasty Pavilion, right?”
Qiao Jinniang nodded. “Indeed.”
She thought that she could add roasted venison to the menu of Tasty Pavilion. This venison was quite simple to cook. “I smelled the fragrance from your side from a mile away.” Zhou Siming came with Zhou Sisi and said, “Why didn’t you call me over?”
Junior Duke Rong glanced at Zhou Sisi who was following Zhou Siming and winked.
Zhou Sisi burst into tears and said, “Brother, this little deer’s eyes are so cute. How can you eat venison? The little deer is so pitiful!”
Junior Duke Rong put down his chopsticks and said, “Zhou Siming, why did you bring a fool here?”
Zhou Siming clenched his fists angrily. “Junior Duke, please respect yourself!”
Junior Duke Rong snorted. “We are eating venison happily, but she came and ruined our mood.”
Zhou Sisi cried even harder, walked to Lu Chen’s side, held Lu Chen’s sleeve with both hands and shook it gently. “Brother, don’t let them eat little deer. You
ce said that Sisi’s eyes are as beautiful as a little deer’s.”
Qiao Jinniang didn’t expect that Lu Chen would praise another woman like this.
Lu Chen had long since forgotten when he had praised Zhou Sisi. He hurriedly pulled out his sleeve and said seriously, “I remembered I had warned you not to call me Brother again.”
Zhou Sisi sobbed, “But Brother…”
Qiao Jinniang put down the chopsticks in her hand and said, “It’s a pity that pigeons are not allowed to be hunted. When I return to Chang’an, I must buy a few more pigeons to make pigeon soup and roast pigeons!”
Junior Duke Rong said, “It turns out that you like to eat pigeons. It happens that I keep a lot of pigeons in my family. You can pick at will.”
Qiao Jinniang sarcastically said, “It’s not that I like to eat pigeons, but some pigeons keep cooing and are very annoying. It’s better to make her into pigeon soup.” Junior Duke Rong couldn’t help tittering. Zhou Siming touched his nose, pulled his little sister over and said, “Call Your Royal Highness in the future.”
Zhou Sisi snorted and said angrily, “Brother is bad. I’ll go to my mother.”
Zhou Siming said to Qiao Jinniang, “County Mistress, please don’t mind it. We have no intentions to let Sisi marry into the East Palace. She has been calling His Royal Highness ‘Brother’ since childhood.”
Lu Chen said, “Although Sisi only has the intelligence of a child, she is not a child. Between the sexes, there should be a prudent reserve.”
Zhou Siming grunted in response.
In the afternoon, Qiao Jinniang went to the real hunting ground with Lu Chen. There were many prey in it. As evening approached, they even hunted a fox with pure snow-white fur.
After seeing the fox, Qiao Jinniang said, “We can make a fox fur cloak for Xi’er with this fox. Chang’an is so cold. This is his first winter in Chang’an so he must be cold.”
Lu Chen responded, “Okay.”
The sky was getting dark, but there was a sudden exclamation not far away, and many soldiers in armor rushed past on horseback.
Lu Chen clenched Qiao Jinniang’s hand and said, “No matter what happens later, don’t be afraid.”
Back at the main hall of the palace, it was supposed to be a happy banquet, but at this moment it was filled with the cries of Imperial Concubine Xian.
“Your Majesty, even if you don’t like me, you should uphold justice for me. I only have this son. Although His Royal Highness was missing for three years, it was not done by my son.
“My son was named with the humiliating word ‘Mediocre’ and forced to stay in the freezing Northwest for the past three years. He has never coveted the position of the crown prince. Why does His Royal Highness have to get rid of my son?!
Qiao Jinniang entered with Lu Chen, and when she heard the cry, she looked at Lu Chen with worry. Lu Chen said that he wanted to get rid of Prince Mediocre, but he wouldn’t do it so straightforwardly, would he?
Emperor Huilin angrily scolded Imperial Concubine Xian, “Prince Mediocre was bitten by a poisonous snake. Perhaps it was an accident. There is no evidence. Why do you accuse the Crown Prince of doing it?”
Imperial Concubine Xian said, “Because I found a drug on my son that can attract snakes, and since it’s winter, snakes are hibernating. If someone didn’t deliberately wake them up, how could this happen?
“Apart from His Royal Highness, who else would hate my son so much? The snake venom caused my son to be paralyzed, and the imperial doctor said that he wouldn’t be able to stand up again!”
Lu Chen took Qiao Jinniang to take a seat on the side and said, “Imperial Concubine Xian’s words are really funny. Since Prince Mediocre has never coveted the position of the crown prince, why do I have to do anything to him?” Imperial Concubine Xian said, “You know that all the literati in the world feel indignant for my son.
“Some time ago, the literati united again to lash out at Qiao Jinniang.
“You were afraid that your reputation among the literati would get worse and worse, so you wanted to murder my son!”
Emperor Huilin said angrily to Imperial Concubine Xian, “Shut up, there is no conclusion on the matter. I will hand over this case to the Ministry of Public Security for an investigation in order to get to the bottom of
it!”
Imperial Concubine Xian grieved in tears.
A minister who was close to Prince Mediocre came out and said, “Your Majesty, the Minister of Public Security is His Royal Highness’ uncle, so I am afraid that he won’t be fair in this case! Prince Mediocre is obviously being set up by others!”
Prince Mediocre, who had just woken up, after realizing that he was paralyzed in his lower limbs, ordered someone to carry him into the palace in a stretcher.
Prince Mediocre whispered, “Father, no matter how much you don’t like me, I’m also your child. Don’t you have the slightest fatherly affection for me? The Crown Prince has made me paralyzed. Do you still want to cover up for him?”
Emperor Huilin said coldly, “There is no conclusion on this matter. Why do your mother and you insist that it was Chen’er who did this?”
The ministers bowed their heads and dared not speak, thinking that His Majesty was too partial to the Crown Prince.
The Emperor ordered the Ministry of Public Security to investigate this matter. Even if it was found out that it was done by the Crown Prince, the Emperor would probably not punish the Crown Prince.
No one dared to come out and say anything.
Even the so-called Prince Mediocre Party was silent. Prince Mediocre had already lost his legs, and would never have a chance to ascend the throne. Wouldn’t it stupid if they still stood up for Prince Mediocre?
But there was a “fool” who stood up. Tong Yingying cupped her hands and said, “Your Majesty, I have something to say. A clean hand wants no washing. If His Royal Highness is innocent, he won’t be afraid of any investigation.
“I implore Your Majesty to let His Highness Prince Mediocre send someone to investigate this case to prove His Royal Highness’ innocence!”
Almost everyone present looked at Tong Yingying. Some people laughed at her stupidity in their hearts. Now she had offended both Qiao Jinniang and the Crown Prince.
But in the hearts of some men, they felt that Tong Yingying was even more courageous than a man and couldn’t help admiring her. Emperor Huilin glanced at Lu Chen, and when he saw Lu Chen nodded lightly, he said, “Then let Prince Mediocre’s men investigate this case!”
“Before this case gets investigated clearly, the Hot Spring Villa will be under martial law, and no one will be allowed to leave the Hot Spring Villa!”
