Chapter 436: Jue Ge'er Goes Missing
Yun Chu felt as if she had been plunged into an ice cellar.
Qiutong behind her immediately kicked the wet nurse.
The wet nurse woke with a pained cry. She first glanced at the child sleeping soundly on the bed, then prepared to pay respects to Yun Chu when she suddenly froze: "This child... isn't His Highness!"
Steadying herself, Yun Chu demanded sharply, "What happened?"
"This servant doesn't know..." the wet nurse began, then immediately added, "It was Madam Qi. Half an hour ago, she came holding a child, saying she had matters to discuss with the Empress Dowager... Somehow, this old servant lost consciousness... When I woke up, this was the situation. This servant deserves death ten thousand times over."
All the other palace maids in Kunning Palace knelt on the ground in terror.
Madam Qi had indeed visited, bringing the Qi family's one-year-old child to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
But the Empress Dowager wasn't present. Madam Qi sat in Kunning Palace for a while before leaving, still holding a child in her arms.
No one had thought anything of it.
No one could have imagined that child was actually Prince Yan.
Yun Chu said coldly, "Immediately send people to the Qi residence and secure all exits from the capital."
Soon, a servant reported: "Madam Qi has hanged herself at home. The rest of the Qi family knows nothing about what happened. The entire Qi household is searching everywhere for their young son..."
"The Qi family..." Yun Chu pinched the bridge of her nose, then suddenly paused. "It's Chu Rui!"
If she remembered correctly, Madam Qi's younger brother's wife was from the Su family.
Although Su Ziyue had died by Chu Rui's hand, Chu Rui was skilled at justifying his actions. The Su family might not necessarily blame him.
While she was handling court affairs, Chu Rui had used Madam Qi to take Jue Ge'er away.
Chu Rui dared to do this without fear of discovery.
He must intend to use Jue Ge'er to coerce her...
Since it was Chu Rui, Jue Ge'er should be in no immediate danger.
Currently, the majority of court officials had been persuaded by Chief Li and were preparing to jointly petition for the Regent's dismissal.
Besides his position as Regent, Chu Rui's greatest reliance was the eight thousand Imperial Guards.
These Imperial Guards were stationed throughout the imperial city, effectively serving as Chu Rui's eyes and ears...
Although she had promoted Fan Ming to Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, she still couldn't fully command them.
She ordered coldly, "Go, summon Lin Qiang."
Lin Qiang was from the Lin family, the biological younger brother of Chu Rui's mother. Having been promoted to Commander of the Imperial Guards, he was always on duty in the palace and arrived quickly.
He bowed his head in respect. "Greetings to the Empress Dowager."
Suppressing her anxiety over the missing child, Yun Chu said calmly, "Lord Lin, please sit and have some tea. His Majesty will be here shortly."
Lin Qiang felt somewhat uneasy.
Soon, Chu Hongyu arrived with Lin Dongdong. The two didn't enter the main hall but went into the adjacent room.
This room was separated from the main hall by a wall with lattice windows, allowing voices to carry clearly from the other side.
They heard Chu Hongyu's authoritative voice: "Lin Dongdong, I need you to undertake a mission that may endanger your life. Are you willing?"
Lin Dongdong responded loudly, "I would gladly lay down my life for Your Majesty! Please give your orders!"
"My royal brother, Prince Yan, has been stolen by the Regent," Chu Hongyu said word by word. "Now, go to the Regent's Residence and bring my royal brother back."
Lin Dongdong didn't hesitate in the slightest: "As you command!"
Lin Qiang abruptly stood up.If Dongdong were to rush to the Regent's Residence to demand the person, Chu Rui would never let Dongdong off, and might even suspect his loyalty.
Although he had long... but he had only replaced the guards of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and Kunning Palace, and had never done anything to betray the Regent.
"Lord Lin, my youngest son has been taken by the Regent," Yun Chu said calmly. "We need to send someone to the Regent's Residence to rescue Prince Yan. Either Lin Dongdong goes, or you go... At this moment, I am merely a mother who has lost her child. If anything happens to my child, your child will not live either."
Lin Qiang clenched his fist.
Then, his fist slowly relaxed.
Both his son and his career were important, but to him, his son mattered more.
If he supported Chu Rui as Emperor but lost his son, it would all be meaningless.
Moreover, Chu Rui's claim to the throne was illegitimate. In the future, he would be scorned for the rest of his life.
On the other hand, his Dongdong had gained the young Emperor's trust and become the First Attendant by the Emperor's side. Dongdong was bound to achieve great things in the future...
Lin Qiang closed his eyes, then opened them and cupped his hands in salute. "Empress Dowager, please give your orders!"
The night grew deeper.
A large contingent of troops emerged from the palace and surrounded the Regent's Residence, which was not far from the imperial palace.
Standing at the entrance of the Regent's Residence, Yun Chu's eyes were filled with cold determination.
"Break the door down."
At her command, the Imperial Guards advanced with a battering ram. They had only struck once when the gates of the Regent's Residence swung open abruptly.
Two manor soldiers pulled the gates open. In the front courtyard stood a man dressed in white robes—it was Chu Rui.
A smile played on his lips. "Your Majesty visits so late at night. For what purpose? You should have informed me in advance so I could prepare wine and tea to welcome you."
Yun Chu stepped forward into the residence and said coldly, "Search!"
"I'd like to see who dares!" Chu Rui's gentle voice suddenly turned sharp. "To search a royal residence requires a joint order from the Court of Judicial Review and the Court of the Imperial Clan. Your Majesty's actions violate ancestral laws!"
Yun Chu raised her hand. "The late Emperor is dead. I am the Empress Dowager, and my word is the law. All of you, come in and search thoroughly, inside and out."
Lin Qiang and Fan Ming led hundreds of Imperial Guards, streaming into the residence—one heading left, the other right.
Chu Rui narrowed his eyes. "Lord Lin?"
Lin Qiang glanced at Chu Rui, then continued leading his men to the left, conducting a meticulous search.
Chu Rui suddenly laughed.
Lin Qiang was his own maternal uncle, the person he trusted most.
He had thought that blood ties were the strongest bond, unbreakable forever, which was why he had entrusted the crucial Imperial Guards to Lin Qiang.
The Imperial Guards protected the entire imperial palace and handled many matters in the capital—they were his greatest reliance.
He had assumed Yun Chu would bring the garrison troops. Although the garrison numbered thirty thousand, they were stationed outside the capital and would find it difficult to enter the city.
Most importantly, if the garrison and the Imperial Guards clashed, the casualties would be severe, and the royal family would suffer the greatest losses.
Therefore, he was certain Yun Chu would not dare to escalate the situation.
He never expected that Lin Qiang would defect to Yun Chu...
"It seems I underestimated the Empress Dowager," Chu Rui said with a self-mocking smile. "And overestimated myself."
He took a step forward and continued, "I wonder, though, if I overestimated Prince Yan's importance to the Empress Dowager as well?""Probably not." His smile widened even more. "For the Empress Dowager to personally leave the palace late at night, she must hold Prince Yan in particularly high regard. After all, he is her own flesh and blood..."
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