The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 286 Tell the truth

It was past midnight, and deep in the mountains, the winter night dew was heavy. Although Jing Fengyao was dressed warmly, he still felt a chill.

A moment later, a thatched hut with a light suddenly appeared before them. Cui Han blew out the tinder in his hand before saying, "Your Highness, we have arrived."

After glancing at Cui Han's expressionless face, Jing Fengyao still stepped inside.

The heavy wooden door creaked open. The room was very small, and Jing Fengyao immediately saw the person standing with their back to him. He frowned slightly. The room was dimly lit, and he couldn't make out who it was for a moment. He said coldly, "Who goes there?"

After a moment, the man slowly turned around, and now it was Jing Fengyao's turn to be stunned. "Uncle... Uncle?!" He was both surprised and suspicious, and stammered as he spoke.

That's right, the person standing in the room was Qin Xu.

"This old minister pays his respects to the Crown Prince." Qin Xu bowed as usual.

"What's going on?" Jing Fengyao looked at Cui Han standing behind him, then at Qin Xu in front of him, with a puzzled expression.

"You go out first." Qin Xu waved to Cui Han, who understood and went out to guard the gate.

"Your Highness, please sit down and let's talk," Qin Xu said as he poured two cups of tea from the pot.

Outside, the wind was biting cold, and the rest of the house was dilapidated, but inside, the aroma of tea filled the air, indicating that the owner had come prepared.

Jing Fengyao casually pulled out a chair, which had already been wiped clean, and he became even more suspicious.

"Is Cui Han one of my uncle's men?" Jing Fengyao asked directly.

Qin Xu sat opposite Jing Fengyao, looking calm and composed. "He was one of my former comrades on the battlefield. He was seriously wounded by the enemy and went missing. We were only reunited a few months ago."

Jing Feng thought to himself, no wonder he called himself a commoner, he must have been thought to be dead back then, so he was not awarded any merit.

"Then why is he in my residence?"

Qin Xu did not answer him directly, but asked Jing Fengyao, "Has the Crown Prince ever heard of the late Emperor's elite troops?"

The elite troops are incredibly brave and powerful. It was the elite troops that led the late emperor to a great victory over the enemy. Who doesn't know about such a divine army?

"Of course, it's just that the elite troops have been missing for a long time and their whereabouts are unknown."

Why do you ask that, Uncle?

Qin Xu's eyes hardened with determination. "Now that things have come to this, there are some things I should tell the Crown Prince. This elite battalion is now under the command of Prince Qing!"

"Prince Qing?" Jing Fengyao was shocked. The words Jing Anle had said suddenly flashed through his mind: "Prince Qing is a wolf in sheep's clothing and has long coveted the throne."

He almost immediately understood Qin Xu's meaning. "Then why doesn't Uncle inform Father Emperor immediately?" Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered that Emperor Jing had become suspicious of Qin Xu in the past, worried that his military power would threaten the imperial power, so he stripped Qin Xu of his military power. How could Emperor Jing trust Qin Xu now?

Qin Xu noticed his hesitation and continued, "The elite troops were attacked a few days ago and have suffered heavy losses, but their weapons and ammunition are still intact, so I had Cui Han move them to your basement, Your Highness."

Now it was Jing Fengyao's turn to be astonished, "Weapons?"

If this is discovered, it will be difficult to explain to Emperor Jing.

"How could Uncle make such a decision on his own?" Jing Fengyao was a little angry. This move was too risky. If it were discovered, it would have far-reaching consequences.

Even though he had anticipated Jing Fengyao's reaction, Qin Xu felt that Jing Anle was even better than Jing Fengyao, and more decisive and fearless.

"Your Highness, please rest assured and let this old minister finish speaking. This action was taken out of necessity, but keeping the weapons in your residence is not a long-term solution. I invited Your Highness here late at night to discuss a major plan."

How to calculate it?

"Use the trick to your advantage."

The lamp in the thatched hut stayed on for an hour, and Cui Han had no idea what the two had said.

"Does Anle know what Uncle is talking about?" Even though he was somewhat surprised before, Jing Fengyao had a rough idea that some things were probably related to Jing Anle.

"In the end, Princess Anle was also thinking of the eldest prince, but she was indeed unaware of this plan."

Qin Xu had previously asked when he would tell Jing Fengyao about the plan, but Jing Anle always felt it wasn't the right time. However, he didn't know that Jing Anle had already warned Jing Fengyao to be wary of Prince Qing; she wanted to proceed step by step. But now Qin Xu felt that the present was an opportunity, after all, Jing Fengyao would eventually inherit the throne. And when he told Jing Fengyao all this, Jing Fengyao had already connected all the dots.

He naturally knew that Jing Anle was doing it for his own sake; they were siblings, blood was thicker than water. But what about Qin Xu? He was going to marry his daughter to him, and Qin Xu was also his uncle. Things had come to this point; surely… he was doing it for his own sake?

"When did Anle and her uncle begin their preparations?"

Qin Xu took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Several months ago, when Chi Wenyuan entered the palace."

That means it has been seven or eight months since the beginning of summer, which is quite a long time.

Recalling the events of the past few months, and considering Prince Qing's loss of military power, Jing Fengyao asked again, "So, everything that happened to Prince Qing was done by Uncle and Anle?"

Qin Xu remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Jing Fengyao chuckled. He actually thought it was all a coincidence. How could he be so clumsy?

"Is there anything else you haven't told me?" Jing Fengyao's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

Qin Xu countered with, "What does the Crown Prince think?"

"I'm afraid Princess Yongping's entry into the palace wasn't a coincidence, was it?" Jing Fengyao slowly took a sip of tea. In fact, ever since Jing Anle gave him his advice, he had been secretly making plans and had a general understanding of the situation in the palace.

"You're quite quick-witted," Qin Xu nodded. "The eldest prince is right. Prince Qing and Princess Yongping are also colluding."

Qin Xu deliberately left his words unfinished, "But Princess Yongping lives in the palace for a long time, so I'm afraid someone will have to keep inquiring about her whereabouts."

"Okay, I see."

As their eyes met, beneath the calm surface, an undercurrent of tension surged...