There is a god in the sky

Chapter 383 Confused

The atmosphere inside the main hall was not harmonious.

The ministers stood on both sides, clearly divided into factions.

Previously, everyone only knew that the number of ministers in the court who sided with the Crown Prince was increasing day by day, but no one knew that some officials had secretly sided with King Zheng.

King Zheng had been living a low-key life in his fiefdom; who would have thought that he had been plotting to seize the throne for so many years?

Xiao Ji pulled Shen Lan and slipped out of the main hall.

Shen Lan glanced at Li Ge with concern. Now that he had stood up to support King Zheng, he had clearly become a traitor in the eyes of many ministers.

The corpses outside the hall were piled up like mountains.

"Shall we leave the palace?" Shen Lan asked Xiao Ji.

"Well, with my official rank, I can't even get a say in such important matters. There will definitely be another bloodshed in the palace tonight."

"Then your father..."

"Don't worry, Father is not a supporter of any prince. As long as Prince Zheng doesn't target him, he will be safe."

With Shen Lan's revenge fulfilled, the Xiao family's crisis was temporarily averted.

They left the palace without anyone stopping them.

The guards at the palace gate had been replaced by King Zheng's soldiers, who did not stop anyone from leaving the palace.

Xiao Ji even went so far as to ask the garrison commander, "May I ask, General, have you captured the rebels on the other side of the city gate?"

"Oh, it's Lord Xiao. Are you heading out of the city?"

The garrison commander recognized Xiao Ji; when Xiao Ji was investigating a case in Tanzhou, he had come into contact with many people from the Prince's Mansion.

Even though I've never met him, I've heard about his deeds.

"No, it's just that I was stopped by the Imperial Guards when I entered the city, and I was worried about the safety of the palace."

The garrison commander laughed and said, "Lord Xiao, rest assured, the commander of the Imperial Guard has been killed, and the deputy commanders have also been captured. Our men have been replaced at the city gate, and the people can pass through without any hindrance."

"That's good."

The garrison commander was probably in a good mood and told him, "We encountered the Marquis of Pingyang leading the Imperial Guards to enter the palace to quell the rebellion. However, the Marquis of Pingyang knew that his forces were limited, so he begged the Prince of Zheng to enter the palace to rescue him. The Marquis has led his men to pursue the remnants of the Tong family."

It turned out to be the case.

Xiao Ji forced a smile and said, "Thank you for telling me!"

He led Shen Lan a long way and found that servants from various mansions were waiting for news all around.

Upon seeing them emerge, Suiying immediately stepped forward and truthfully recounted what had happened to Shen Lan and Li Ye after they entered the palace.

At that time, the Marquis of Pingyang occupied the Tong residence and was not in a hurry to go to the palace to rescue the emperor.

He only led his men into the palace after the news had spread.

But King Zheng intercepted him halfway. The two sides were outnumbered, and the outcome was clear without even a fight.

Moreover, the Marquis of Pingyang had no intention of fighting.

Thus, he led the Imperial Guards to investigate the remnants of the Tong family.

"Your Majesty, the palace bells just rang, is it Prince Zheng who killed the Emperor?"

Xiao Ji shook his head, "It can't be explained in a few words, let's go back to the manor first."

On this day, countless families in the city were on tenterhooks. He was worried about his mother and had to go home to check on her first.

"By the way, Madam has been settled in Miss Shen's new residence by my subordinates and is not in the manor."

Shen Lan also remembered this matter.

She only saw her new home once on the day she picked out the house, and hasn't had a proper look at it since.

Seeing that it was late, Xiao Ji decided to stay overnight at Shen Lan's new residence and bring his mother home the next day.

There were very few pedestrians on the street.

Many households closed their doors and windows early in the morning, not daring to go out at night.

Shen Lan's new residence is in the south of the city, a place where ordinary people gather.

This place is far from the palace, and many people are unaware that a fierce battle has taken place inside the palace today.

There were also many more vendors in the market than before.

Xiao Ji's stomach growled. "I'm hungry. Let's eat something."

Suiying bought a roast chicken, Shenlan bought two catties of pastries for Madam Xiao, and Xiaoji ordered three bowls of meat sauce noodles from a stall. The three of them ate their fill before going back.

Shen Lan's new home is located in a small alley.

The alley was quiet and clean, with one or two large trees planted in front of each house, giving you a cool feeling as you walked in.

"It's a nice place," Xiao Ji commented.

Shen Lan fell in love with this place at first sight. Apart from the slightly remote location, it was excellent in every other way.

"arrive."

Her house was at the very end of the alley, and the open space in front of it was larger than that of the other houses.

There is a small vegetable patch at the entrance, but the vegetables have withered because no one is taking care of them.

Shen Lan knocked on the door, and the old woman who opened it was Madam Xiao's attendant.

"Miss Shen is back, and the young master is back too. Madam has been waiting anxiously."

Xiao Ji walked into the courtyard and saw his mother sitting on a recliner, enjoying the moon and eating melons. Although she looked anxious, she seemed to be doing well.

"My son is back."

Seeing her son return unharmed, Madam Xiao smiled.

"Are you hungry? There's food in the kitchen, go and get it."

"No rush, we just ate out."

"Eat some more even though you've already eaten."

Shen Lan handed the snacks to the servants and took Madam Xiao's pulse, asking, "How are you feeling today, Madam?"

"My belly sometimes feels tight, but my nanny says it's okay. She's just worried about you."

This is human nature.

Xiao Ji walked around and nodded in praise: "This house is really nice, quiet and elegant. Miss Shen has good taste."

This place cost Shen Lan eight hundred taels of silver to buy. It has five rooms in total. Although it is not as grand as a large mansion, it is enough for a small family.

Once the food was served, Xiao Ji invited Shen Lan to eat with him.

Compared to a bowl of plain noodles outside, these dishes were delicious and appealing, quickly whetting Shen Lan's appetite.

No one can resist delicious food.

Madam Xiao instructed, "Go and invite the young master who returned earlier to come and eat together."

It turned out that Li Ye had returned earlier, but upon seeing that Madam Xiao was staying there, he decided to leave.

But Madam Xiao did not agree and rented the house next door at a high price so that Li Ye could stay there temporarily.

Shen Lan learned that Li Ye was next door, so she took some food and went to find him.

When I saw him, he was sitting cross-legged on the couch, meditating.

After removing his makeup and wig, he returned to being that carefree little monk.

Hearing the sound, he opened his eyes, a look of confusion in them.

"Have something to eat. When did you get back?"

Shen Lan sat opposite him and asked.

"When King Zheng entered the palace."

Li Ye asked Shen Lan in a low voice, "Are you happy now that you've gotten your revenge?"

Shen Lan let out a long breath, "No, I just feel empty inside."

It was like my long-standing pillar of support had suddenly disappeared.

The two exchanged a glance, both able to see that the other showed no joy whatsoever.

Li Ye closed his eyes, chanted scriptures, and spun the prayer beads in his hand rapidly.

"Lan'er, I am guilty," Li Ye suddenly said.

"We've come a long way, and it's not easy. Everyone makes mistakes. Even those who do evil can live with themselves, so we don't need to think too much. Just be true to ourselves."

Li Ye touched his chest and shook his head, "I am guilty, I have a guilty conscience."

He killed out of sheer rage, but the innocent children and women haunted his dreams day and night.

He knew he couldn't overcome the hurdle of cause and effect.

“Go back to Fayin Temple and apologize to the abbot. That’s where you grew up. Go back and your heart will be at peace.”

Li Ye smiled bitterly, "My master will not forgive me."

He told Shen Lan, "Li Ge told us to leave the capital and go far away, and not to come back, but I can't bear to leave him alone in the palace."

He had no intention of listening to Li Ge at all.

Shen Lan pondered for a moment, but there were still some things she couldn't figure out.

She thought Li Ge was also supporting the Second Prince, so why did Prince Zheng suddenly appear out of nowhere?

Clearly, the King of Zheng had made preparations for this trip to the capital.