GBP Chapter 138 Wild Cats Appear
Chapter 138 Wild Cats Appear
He Lingyi could sense that every time the Crown Prince mentioned Empress Wen, he seemed to become a different person. All the indifference around him would disappear, and he would be filled with kindness and warmth, as if he wanted to share honey with someone.
This shows how important Empress Wen was to him.
In this respect, she is very similar to herself. For her, her mother is also the most important person. Otherwise, she would not have done so many things just to give her mother a perfect ending in this life!
Therefore, the meal felt very warm and cozy.
He Lingyi also firmly remembered the taste of that braised chestnut dish. She could cook, so it wouldn't be difficult for her to replicate the taste. She would be willing to try it if she had the chance.
During the meal, the Third Princess did nothing else, only occasionally mentioning Empress Wen's character and preferences when she was still alive. The Crown Prince would also add to the conversation. After listening, He Lingyi gained some impression of this mother whom she had never met.
After the meal, the Third Princess rose and left her seat.
She left without any hesitation or asking any questions. After she left, the Crown Prince and He Lingyi exchanged a glance, both of them puzzled as to what she was trying to do.
"They're following along, but they're not doing anything. Are they just trying to hold His Highness back so that others can do something in the capital?"
He Lingyi made a bold guess.
These words served as a reminder to the Crown Prince. He had everything under control in the capital, so it wouldn't be easy for him to cause any trouble. The only variable might be the old emperor's illness, which, while not worsening, was not getting better either.
Could it be that they've decided to take advantage of their absence from the capital during the sacrificial ceremony to assassinate the emperor and frame him for regicide and usurpation?
This is simply too absurd.
Thinking of this, the Crown Prince's eyes flickered, and he immediately called out to Hai Yu.
"Give the order to have the palace staff keep a close watch on the Emperor. If any of Prince Li's men try to harm him, arrest them."
Upon hearing this, both He Lingyi and Hai Yu turned somber.
"Yes, my subordinate will do it now."
After Hai Yu left, He Lingyi finally asked, "Do they really dare?"
"What wouldn't they dare to do for the sake of imperial power and the throne? Compared to King Li, my uncles are really cowardly; all they dare to do is embezzle some money and land."
"But didn't Second Brother say that they had amassed an army of 200,000 at Huaijiang, and were heading north under the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials'?"
"It's fake. That was a message I deliberately spread. Hengzhou is hundreds of miles away from Huaijiang. Even with the expedited dispatch, it would take ten days to half a month to verify the message. I had Haiyu deliberately send the Third Princess away so that she could send this message out. She wanted to trap me in the palace to make other arrangements. I also wanted to follow the clues to find out how the Prince of Li was in contact with them."
It turned out to be the case.
It's fake, thank goodness it's fake.
He Lingyi breathed a sigh of relief, a gesture that was also noticed by the Crown Prince.
Are you worried about me?
"What are you saying, Your Highness? Of course I am worried. These treacherous officials talk a good game about cleaning up the court and eliminating corrupt officials, but if they really march on the capital, who knows what kind of chaos they will cause to the country? The people live in peace and prosperity, and the whole country is at peace. I don't believe anyone but Your Highness can achieve this."
He Lingyi spoke sincerely when she said this, and her eyes were full of composure.
The Crown Prince had heard such words many times, all from his ministers, but this was the first time he had ever heard his bedmate trust him so much.
Judging from her appearance, aside from not having any romantic feelings for herself, she is essentially quite confident in her abilities. With this foundation, there's no worry that feelings might develop in the future.
Thinking of this, the crown prince's mood improved considerably.
He Lingyi observed that although the Crown Prince's expression remained unchanged, his eyes shifted rapidly. He didn't think it was because of him, but sighed that the heart of an emperor was indeed difficult to fathom.
The days that followed were peaceful and stable.
After the sacrificial ceremony, the Crown Prince, following custom, had to stay at the temporary palace for seven days before leaving. Starting from the fourth day, he could only leave on the tenth day. Therefore, He Lingyi stayed with him at the temporary palace, taking the opportunity to observe the Third Princess.
The result, however, disappointed them somewhat.
Despite the spies' round-the-clock surveillance, they never found any flaws. The Third Princess lived a carefree and leisurely life, and the two even wondered if their initial suspicions were wrong.
Inside the study, a game of chess is in progress.
The Crown Prince was still playing black, and He Lingyi was playing white. The game was more than halfway over, but the winner was still unknown. He Lingyi took a sip of tea and then spoke.
"Today is the eighth day of the month. The Third Princess asked me the other day if I was going to set off to return home. What does Your Highness think?"
"His tone is so confident, it seems the message has already been sent out. There's no point in keeping it here. Nothing has been found in the capital either. King Li, you have good methods. My spies are also highly trained, yet they couldn't find a single flaw."
Not to mention the Crown Prince, He Lingyi was just as strange.
This is similar to knowing that the person in front of you is corrupt and breaking the law, but you can't find any concrete evidence to prove that she committed the crime. If they succeed, then everyone will have to live in fear from now on.
As the two remained silent, the atmosphere grew somewhat chilly.
Haiyu suddenly rushed in from outside, shouting with excitement on his face.
"Found it! We've found their method of transmitting messages."
"Tell me, what is it?"
"It's that fluffy cat!"
A dumpling cat? Used to deliver messages? Does that mean the messages are tied to it and then run away?
Before Haiyu could finish speaking, the Crown Prince placed a piece that struck right at the heart of the matter.
He Lingyi's carefully cultivated situation was shattered in an instant, and then he confidently said something.
"That's a cry, isn't it?"
"Correct!"
"How come I've never heard of this before?" He Lingyi asked, her face full of doubt.
Haiyu quickly provided an explanation.
"The palace is built on a mountain, so there are many wild beasts around. In the past, for the safety of the main hall, strong medicine was specially administered to make those wild beasts wary and dare not harm people. Over time, the palace only paid more attention to the matter of wild beasts and never thought about the problem of stray cats. A few years ago, the Third Princess came to the palace with His Majesty and adopted that round cat. After that, the people in the palace no longer chased away the stray cats, but would feed them from time to time in some remote places."
"So you mean the Third Princess used the meows of the Tuanzi cat to send messages, and those wild cats spread the messages outwards. Because no one in the palace knew this method, it went undetected for several years?"
"Yes! Just like the falcons we train, they are all intelligent and perceptive!"
Hai Yu nodded in response, which opened He Lingyi's eyes to a whole new level.